Hello! from Japan

About Japan and my life

音楽

New Album, “Free Somebody” is out!

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Hi, How’s it going?
May 1, 2019 is the first day of Japan’s new era, 令和 Reiwa.
And it is the release date of my new mini album, “Free Somebody”.
Among hundreds of songs I wrote, I chose 4 songs and recorded during Oct last year and Jan to March this year. Then I had an engineer mixed in April.

It’s been about 4 years since I released my last full album “Skyhigh” ,which was my first and an experimental work using a lot of instruments including synth guitar, vocal effects, banjo, violin, soundscape, etc.
This new album has the message “Set yourself free to free people around you.”
I focused more on words, melodies, and vocals this time.
Just like the last time, I composed and played all instruments, and then wrote lyrics and took all vocals (the guitar solo on 1 and 3 are played by Yoshihiro Kajita, the guitar player I admire the most in Japan).
The analog mixing technique by the engineer, Michifumi Onodera helped the album create the feeling of floating.
If you have speakers in your room, I recommend that you play my music using them and you can fully enjoy the acoustics.

The album artwork is by Gaku Yamazaki, a cartoonist in Tokyo.
The door represents the way to the freedom.
It is always up there right in front of you and waiting for you to open.

I feel that I’m very fortunate to be able to work with great talents!You can watch movies of the recording process on my another post: https://hidanotaka.com/happy-new-year/

Here are the 4 songs and lyrics.

recording

1.Angel
I wanted to express true love through this song.
It has a unique floating feeling with the sounds of synthesizer and the air.

Lyrics:
“I’ll be waiting for you to come here
Until the day I’ll be with you
No matter how long it takes I really don’t care
‘cause my life is for you
You are an angel for me
There’s nobody else like you
Must be an angel for me
I really love the way you are
When I see your eyes that make me feel alright
When I see your smile that makes my world so bright… “

2.One
This song is about “Living through anything”.
We only live once and with strength and belief, I believe that we can push the limits to achieve what we desire.

Lyrics:
“窓の向こうの青い空　ずっと見つめている
You are looking at the blue sky through the window

何かを探しているような　迷っているような
You seem like looking for something or maybe wondering where to go

そんな顔で君は　もううつむかないで
Don’t look down with the sad face like that anymore

何も起こらないよ　
Nothing will happen doing that

誰かの声を待っていちゃ　奇跡だってさ
If you are just waiting for someone to show you the way

さあその手で扉を開いて　その足でこの世界を行くんだ
Now, open the door with your hands and live your life

そこで待っているよ　もっと大きな自分自身
And you will be a lot greater

未完成のままで誰も皆 流されながら歩いているんだ
Everyone is incomplete, and walking/flowing in time just like you

だって一度きりの　二度とない世界で生きているから
We all have one life and living in this world

3. Sounds of Words
This song is about the miscommunication, or the relationships among people who can not understand each other just saying words meaninglessly.
That is sort of a situation which lets everyone down.
I wanted to include this song in the album to express the difficulties we face in life.

Lyrics:
“What are these things we are talking every day and night?
Just like another world’s end,
Nowhere we can go

And there are only words that floating in this empty space
Is there anyway we can find a way to go?

I just want to be with you and that is all
But when I look at you ,you look away and nobody knows
what is going on and then this moment of silence
comes and goes and take us to the place we’ve been before
You just want to be with me that is what you say

But when you look at me I look away unintentionally
moving away from the time we should share
and the sounds of words are fading away again.”

4.Free Somebody
This song is about living harmoniously with someone important.
And that is the way one should take after setting his/herself free, I believe.

Lyrics:
“僕らはこの毎日の意味を知らずに歩いていた
We were walking without noticing the messages we receive everyday

あの日いつもの交差点で出会うその日まで
Until the day when we met at the crossing that we would go through

何かが始まる音がして　時計が止まった
We felt that something started and the time stopped for a moment

この先の道に何も　確かなことは無くとも
We don’t know what the future brings

ずっと笑い合っていようよ　今はこのままで
But let’s be together and stay as we are

寂しさや悲しみさえも　分け合えるように
And we can share the ups and downs

どうかそのままでいてね
So please stay as you are

いつか思い出が風に消えるまで
Until the very last day when the memories fade in the air

そっと手を重ねて 離さないように
Let’s hold hands and be as one

ずっとこの日々が輝きますように
I hope to continue this forever

そっと手を重ねて 離さないように
Let’s hold hands and be as one

Here is the link to download/listen to this new album: Free Somebody
My previous work, is also available: Skyhigh 

I will keep on creating art and music.
I’m very thankful for being able to do what I like and really appreciate everyone’s support.

I hope my works will be your inspiration.
Taka

taka


People and Music: 2 things I love in life!

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Hi, how are you?  It’s already the end of Feb now. Time goes so fast!
We get a lot of tourists from all over the world in Japan these days.
It’s always fun to meet someone new from a different country and be friends.
A few weeks ago, I met a singer from China.
We both like Jazz, so we hit it off well.
Music is great because it is universal.
It’s about the feeling we share, and that’s all you need to be close!
You can do that even with someone you don’t know.
Isn’t that great?

Here is the movie of our acoustic session at home.
This is a famous Jazz tune, “Lullaby of Birdland ” composed by George Shearing in 1952 with a slight variation to it.
She’s got a really great voice and I hope for her success in the future.

Talking about the relationship between China and Japan, China has been a huge influence on Japan with its religion, food, language (kanji), philosophy, law, and architecture.

It is believed that the relationship started sometime in the 1st century according to “History of the Later Han Dynasty” (it says that King of Japan received the Golden Seal of the King of Japan from the emperor Guangwo of the later Han dynasty in 57).
Since then, there have been a lot of import and export activities, and we are the top two-way trading partners now.

However, there have been large mutual dislikes between Japanese and Chinese in recent years due to the wartime crimes, The Senkaku Islands dispute, and etc.
It has been only these few decades since we started improving the relationships after the wartime, and there are a lot more to work on.
I hope that our relationship will continue to get better.

By the way, here is 19 years old me playing the guitar in Florida.

I’ve been trying to be with people from all over the world to learn more about different cultures.

It’s has been my big dream to get everyone from different countries together to create a place where we can understand each other.

Music and English have been my great tools to do that ,and I feel that I’m very fortunate to have been able to meet amazing people!

If you haven’t visited Japan yet, come visit!
And let me know if you need any help with your trip.

See you next time,
Taka

※Complete song is available here Skyhigh Or click on the band camp link below.

*Need more info about Japan?
Give me a comment here or send me a message to
[email protected]

Recording day in Tokyo!! New album is coming soon.

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Hi, How are you?
Can’t believe that it’s already Feb!
I currently live in Takayama in Gifu prefecture,
but I go back to Tokyo when I have a recording work
(or just on days off to see my friends and parents).

Before the recording session, I went to Nerima with my friend.
He’s a professional cartoonist, and we’ve been together since we were amateurs.
He’s working on the series of works he’ll publish this year.
I might be able to introduce his manga on my blog sometime soon.
It’s always inspiring to be with a creative person like him.

There are some interesting bars/cafes in Tokyo.
That day, we went to this one called Tsuribori Cafe Catch and Eat.
(The link is the blog of the one in Kichijoji. We went to another one in Nerima).
You can fish and eat the ones you get there.
We caught 10 fishes in total and got them fried!

And then the recording session.
I worked with a guitar player, and a recording engineer.
The guitar player is a professional studio musician.
He often plays on the stage and can play many kinds of music from Hard Rock to Japanese idols.
He’s a great composer as well.
And the engineer is one of the best ones in Japan. Man, seriously he’s amazing!
He worked for many major Japanese artists like Yuzu, Chatmonchy, pillows, KANA-BOON…!

That’s the team I formed in Tokyo!

First I compose, play all instruments, arrange, and sing.
And then after recording all my parts, I ask the guitar player to play over it.
He usually takes the solos on my songs.
And the engineer works on the mixing.
My last album, Skyhigh was made by this team.

This new album we are working on will be out in Spring this year.
Here is me working in the studio. No effects or mixing yet.

After the recording, I had some drinks with the team and went back to my hometown, Kichijoji, and met my brother.
We walked around Inokashira park, drinking a cup of chai tea.
It was really relaxing. I’m glad to have a nice brother like him.

How’s your 2019 so far?
See you next time!
Taka

Happy New Year! 2019

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Hi! Happy new year from Japan! I can’t believe that it’s 2019 already.

It’s been a while since I wrote here last…
I was busy traveling in Europe and working on new album titled “Free somebody”.
If the recording session goes well, I can release it in Spring this year!

And I decided to post more movies on my site as I got some requests.
I will keep on posting info about my country and music!

Here are some pics of me in Bulgaria.

And me working at a recording studio in Tokyo. I compose and play all instruments.
Work in progress…!

To another good year!

Taka

※Complete song is available here Skyhigh Or click on the band camp link below.