Yesterday evening was one night that I'll never ever forget! I was able to cross an item off my bucket list so to speak. I finally got the chance to see my favourite singer-songwriter, Sheena Ringo in concert!! This is Ringo-chan's Arena Tour called "Ringo Expo '14 -Toshi Onna's Counterattack-" ** (林檎博'14 －年女の逆襲－), which my wife and I saw at the Saitama Super Arena (埼玉スーパーアリーナ). As you can see the seats were pretty far away, but that did nothing to take away from the pure joy and excitement of seeing a musician of such incredible talent live in person. I have to admit, though I was a bit envious of the folks who had floor seat tickets when Ringo-chan made her entrance up the center aisle, riding on a boat, and then again when she was paraded up and down the center aisle riding on a skateboard!
The show was nothing short of amazing and literally moved me nearly to tears on several occasions. She performed most of the songs off her album from earlier this year, "Reimports: Ports and Harbours Bureau" (逆輸入 ～港湾局～), as well as some from earlier releases and even a couple of songs from her days with her band, The Tokyo Incidents (東京事変)! It was a profound experience.
The musicians she's touring with are incredible talents, including the orchestra and conductor doing much of the accompaniment. Shockingly, the drummer even performed his part in the song, "Vortex Boy" (渦中の男) live, and since that song is essentially hardcore drum & bass, this is no simple endeavor! Of course Ringo-chan herself put on a guitar and rocked along with the band for a few tunes, which I was eagerly anticipating, and was so happy to experience for myself.
The lighting and stage effects were also fantastic and perfectly complimentary, meaning that they never became too overwhelming to the point that they overshadowed the performance. This included plenty of live video so that even those of us way in back could get a good look at the star of the show and enjoy her four costume changes. When not utilizing live video footage, the stage was alive with impeccably-produced graphics that literally transformed the stage giving impression of being at different venues. Amazing.
While leaving the stadium I said to my wife, "今死んでも満足だ。" "If I died right now I'd be satisfied." It's an extreme sentiment of course, but that's how fulfilled I felt after this concert. I'm still living in the afterglow even now.
Here's the Set List from last night!
今
葬列
能動的三分間
決定的三分間
密偵物語
ちちんぷいぷい
望遠鏡の外の景色
殺し屋危機一髪
NIPPON
最果てが見たい
流行
自由へ道連れ
Between today and tomorrow
都合のいい身体
赤道を越えたら
走れゎナンバー
やっつけ仕事
遭難
渦中の男
私の愛する人
JL005便で
暗夜の心中立て
禁じられた遊び
主演の女
静かなる逆襲 Encores:
マヤカシ優男
ありきたりな女
BON VOYAGE
Some concert tour goods
**There's really no good translation for "Toshi Onna" so here's a basic definition: a woman who was born in the current year's sign of the Chinese zodiac (which of course would mean that Ringo-chan was born in the year of the horse). Also, please note that this is my own translation of the Concert Tour Name as I could not find an official translation anywhere.
Allow me to leave you with this video for "Vogue" (流行) from the album 3-Penny Gossip (三文ゴシップ) which was performed last night:
Held each year, high in the mountains of the aging ski resort town of Naeba (苗場), in Niigata Prefecture (新潟県), Labyrinth is arguably one of the most important underground electronic music festivals of our time. The fest is three days of music showcasing the world's most cutting-edge artists, spanning a wide range of electronic music genres. Fans from all over the world gather to hear music legends and pioneers share their latest creations, many of which were composed or created especially for the event. Artists like Atom™, Burnt Friedman, Petar Dundov and Surgeon made their appearances against the crisp mountain backdrop as audiences danced and became entranced.
This year's festival (Sep 13-15) was a particularly special one since my close friend of two decades, Chicago-based DJ and producer Phonaut, was invited to take his place alongside the world's top artists, and make his international debut at Labyrinth 2014! Phonaut took the stage first thing in the morning on day three of the festival and played a 3-hour set that lasted the whole morning. As the morning matured, the crowd emerged, growing from wake to shake as the eclectic, experimental and phantasmic sounds of Phonaut's performance rolled and drifted from the stage's sophisticated and high-tech sound system.
I had the pleasure of enjoying an "I'm with the band" experience after being invited to hang out onstage during Phonaut's performance. This gave me a chance to get some candid photos and also allowed me to get a tiny taste of the event from his perspective, and allowed me a precious opportunity to see my good friend in a new light and to catch a fresh glimpse of his talent and newly-tapped music potential which is certain to grow all the more now that he's an international performer.
If any of my readers enjoy electronic music, I highly recommend checking out Phonaut and treating your ears to something fresh and innovative. His website, www.phonaut.com has lots interesting content as well as lots of music available for download. Also check out Phonaut's lineups on Mixcloud and Soundcloud. Finally, definitely check out last year's full length release on Carpe Sonum Records, the self-titled release by Indiana Drones, a collaboration between Material Object and Phonaut.
If you would like to check out more photos from the event, please visit my Picasa Album here.
For today's post, it's time for my first music review on Rising Sun, and I can't think of an album that's more deserving than this one by singer-songwriter Shiina Ringo. I've been fan of hers since the early 2000s, and one of the main things I enjoy about her music is how she continuously seeks to reinvent herself by exploring new styles of music and blending them in unique and ingenious ways. Additionally, she's fully able to perform any genre of music that interests her, and listeners are guaranteed that she'll perform it with intensity and feeling. When these fine musical elements are brought together with the expert studio remastering that's standard for a Shiina Ringo release, the end result is beautifully polished without losing its soul or sounding pretentious. Without further ado, I present:
椎名林檎 逆輸入 〜港湾局〜
Shiina Ringo Reimports ~Port Authority~
Shiina Ringo released her latest full length album, "Reimports ~Port Authority~" last month on May 27th. The images in this post show the limited edition hardcover-book version. This album is a compilation of self-covers, meaning that all the tracks she's performing are songs that she wrote for other artists, some of which date back to the late 90s, not long after her debut. Much like her other recent releases, this album is another genre-busting collection of works that challenges the boundaries of musical classification and showcases Ringo-chan's wide-ranging talent. The fact that the songs were first made famous by other singers makes it all the more interesting to hear Shiina sing them herself. It's also worth noting that the album is an even mix of Japanese and English songs, which might increase accessibility for overseas listeners.
1. 主演の女 ("Shuen no Onna" / Leading Lady, written for Puffy)
The opening track of Reverse Import ~Port Authority~ is an exploration of the soundtrack / show tune genre that Shiina Ringo has been frequently exploring recently. Combining a driving bass line with a big band swing musical sound, both in orchestration and vocals, is something really unique, and a sound that I personally have heard only on Shiina Ringo's albums.
2. 渦中の男 ("Kachū no Otoko" / Vortex Boy, written for Tokio)
Shiina's vocals on this track move into a sort of 90s trip-hop direction, which magically compliment the extremely intense if not chaotic and slightly discombobulating instrumentation which can sort of be described as a conglomeration of high-tempo classic jungle, dubstep and techno hardcore. I'm not sure I've ever actually heard a track like this before...one that I liked anyway. It demanded my full attention and left me in shock momentarily!
In huge contrast to the previous track, "Private" brings us to a very playful, happy, pop sound. Even the lyrics are extremely lighthearted and j-pop-like to the point where I had to wonder if she was just toying with us, but then I needed to remind myself that this track was written with a different singer in mind. Indeed this is quite fitting for Ryōko Hirosue. (^_^)
4. 青春の瞬き ("Seishun no Matataki" / The Flicker of Youth, written for Chiaki Kuriyama [Side Note: Remember Gogo from Kill Bill? Yep, thatChiaki Kuriyama])
Shiina's vocals on this tune give listeners a nostalgic feeling of listening to early, classic Shiina Ringo which...what can I say?... feels good! Listening carefully, though, this track has some unique sounds hidden in the sound of nostalgia. The arrangement on this one is actually multi-layered and multi-faceted!
5. 真夏の脱獄者 ("Manatsu no Datsugokusha" / Midsummer Fugitives, written for SMAP)
This is another track that took me by surprise, especially considering that it was made famous by SMAP! In order to classify this tune, I would have to describe it as electro-funk pop rock! It's definitely funky and makes me feel like dancing! Fans of Shiina Ringo know that those are not words that come up very often listening to her music! Very kool!! Not being a fan of SMAP (Sorry) I think it's many times more enjoyable than their version.
6. 望遠鏡の外の景色 ("Bōenkyō no Soto no Keshiki" / View Outside of the Telescope, written for Eri Fukatsu)
"View Outside of the Telescope" is a unique combination of sounds that brings back elements of the show tune / musical soundtrack style I mentioned earlier, along with the sounds of traditional cool jazz as it would be if performed by a big band. This track is an instrumental which something quite unusual for Shiina Ringo, and it's pretty darned impressive!
7. 決定的三分間 ("Ketteiteki Sanpunkan" / The Decisive Three Minutes, written for Chiaki Kuriyama)
This is another track that has a sort of nostalgic feeling in the vocals, but the arrangement is decidedly anchored in the spy movie soundtrack, bringing in subtle element of mysteriousness.
Bringing the listener back to the realm of pop, this track seems straightforward enough, but Shiina's interest in the soundtrack is evident here as well adding a subtle richness to a lovely pop-rock tune.
9. 雨傘 ("Amagasa" / Rain Umbrella, written for Tokio)
When listening to "Rain Umbrella" I can't stop myself from hearing a tiny bit of modern American country in Shiina's singing style and intonations (not something I would have predicted myself ever saying). Any similarity to country ends there, though, since the music in this tune dances on the borders of both hard rock and punk without fully crossing over into either one! Leave it to Shiina Ringo to make a song like this one work and sound great!
10. 日和姫 ("Hiyori Hime" / Weather Princess, written for Puffy)
The sound of hard rock continues on in this track while preserving the feeling of a light and playful pop-rock-alternative tune... perfect for Puffy I think! (^_^)
11. 幸先坂 ("Saisakizaka" / Fortune Hill Road, written for Yōko Maki)
Something unique again! The musical arrangement is best described as provincial, and could easily be mistaken for something from the French countryside. The sound of scratched vinyl is blended in periodically, giving the feeling of listening to an old record. This is really quite a delightful way to end a great album!
Reimports ~Port Authority~ is another masterpiece, album added to Shiina Ringo's already impressive catalog of releases. My feeling is that even if you are not (yet?) fans of hers, you will enjoy it so long as you simply like music. This is an album that really has a lot to offer regardless of one's personal tastes.
On that note♫ I'd like to end this post by first linking to Shiina Ringo's official Youtube channel, and second by leaving you with yet another new Shiina Ringo track that's not on the album I've just reviewed, but was released even more recently as the official soundtrack for Japan's coverage of the 2014 World Cup, a tune that's aptly named, "NIPPON." Enjoy! (Now if only our team would pick up the pace and make themselves worthy of this song!)
