NIPOPGO

Japanese music delicacies.

[ragunaru]

東京事変 – 恐るべき大人達 (piano cover)

Nuff said – found this on the vastness of youtube (not all that hard to do, really, just look for the original song). I fucking love it, it's that good.

In case you can, do try to get your hands on the original... Shiina Ringo is too damn great to miss out on.

[ragunaru]

Eternal Morning – Father's Watch

Every now and then I post a tune here that isn't exactly from Japan. This is a Korean track. Eternal Morning is a joint project by Tablo, one of the guys behind South Korea's probably most successful hip-hop act Epik High; and Pe2ny, who's a very respected producer and has worked with the créme de la créme of the South Korean hip-hop scene, including Epik High.

Frankly, it's 4:35AM and can't be assed to write any more background info. Just enjoy the tune.

[ragunaru]

acro jazz laboratories – There's No Way

A little something I came across this morning. I've heard acro jazz laboratories' tunes previously on GOONTRAX's In Ya Mellow Tone compilations but apparently they released a debut album back in May, which is really awesome.

[ragunaru]

grooveman spot – Promise

Something new from an awesome producer. Released as a limited 10" joint single with DJ MITSU THE BEATS, obviously under Jazzy Sport.

[ragunaru]

Shingo Sekiguchi – Message

A rather awesome discovery I made yet again. This time it's a track by Shingo Sekiguchi, a very, very impressive guitarist with a smooth jazzy/soulful style. This tune is off of his 2008 mini-album titled vusik which had a bunch of other very talented musicians accompanying him.

And if I'm getting this all correctly, the entire bunch eventually adopted the name vusik as the band name, instead of releasing music under Sekiguchi's name... which I think is quite fair, considering how equally good they all are and the fact that the music is still the fruit of all of their efforts. They have released two more albums since the 2008's debut, Cinematic scenery is here in 2009 and silent rain, silent sea in the beginning of 2012.

Shingo Sekiguchi also plays in a band called Ovall, with fellow bandmates Shingo Suzuki on bass/keys and mabanua on drums.

Ovall makes a bit more hip-hop influenced tunes compared to Sekiguchi's vusik but still have an extremely smooth soulful/jazzy feel to it. In fact they're all about mellowness. They're good, definitely do check them out!

Shingo Suzuki and mabanua are both also respected producers, not only in Japan but worldwide, with Suzuki releasing his debut album The Abstract Truth (2008) to great acclaim and mabanua with his done already (2008) – both of which feature a wide selection of guest appearances by MCs worldwide, and are appreciated by hip-hop fans across the globe.

[ragunaru]

45 ft. Gizelle Smith – Much Longer

Another great soulful slash funky tune by 45 or Swing-O. He just never fails to deliver, I love this guy. The video is a bit funny, too.

[ragunaru]

Calm – Sunday Sun

Ok, that song is just perfect for today. Super nice weather here today, early signs of the coming summer. And this tune fits the mood and entire feel of today just so perfectly. It makes me happy.

[ragunaru]

Anan Ryoko – Sure as the sunshine (ft. Michelle Shaprow)

Some relaxed listening. Anan Ryoko never fails to impress with her pretty harmonies and melodies.

[ragunaru]

宇多田ヒカル – Distance (m-flo remix)

Something nice someone pointed out to me! Are you hearing that classic m-flo sound? That j-poppy stuff mixed with some UK garage-y stuff. Gosh, I can't get enough of it.

[ragunaru]

Kenmochi Hidefumi - Ray

There's no one quite like him. 

[ragunaru]

Shin-Ski ft. Yuichiro Kato & Takasada Inada - Harmonia

A rather good find I made today.

[ragunaru]

quasimode ft. HanaH - Music can change the world

Ah, great stuffs. That voice.

[ragunaru]

JABBERLOOP ft. Aoki Karen - Smells like teen spirit

Ok, that was unexpected.

[ragunaru]

indigo jam unit - Voyager

A little something that picked my interest a few days ago. A really awesome jazz band from Osaka. Piano, double bass and two sets of drums. Couldn't get any better.

[ragunaru]

STUDIO APARTMENT feat. 平田志穂子 & 金原千恵子 – Life from the sun

Here's a great soulful house track back from 2004. I first heard it on Tokyo Nu-School of Jazz compilation, great stuff, that. And if any of you jrpg fans wonder why that voice sounds so familiar, you have heard 平田志穂子 (Shihiko Hirata) on the works of 目黒将司 (Meguro Shouji) for various games from Atlus, most noticeably the half-legendary Persona titles. Persona 4 actually runs as an anime right now, great stuff, check it out!

Oh, and that violinist is 金原千恵子 (Chieko Kinbara).

[ragunaru]

SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONS feat. Maia Hirasawa - MOVIN'

Not enough words to describe this. The world's one and only death jazz band teams up with a very very talented singer from Sweden, Gothenburg. The result is as mind-blowing as ever. SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONS just released a new, breath-taking album a few weeks ago, titled MAGNETIC SOIL. Being the j-jazz buff as I am (and obviously a huge S&"P"S fan), I can't properly express my joy.

[ragunaru]

MIDICRONICA - San Francisco

Gotta share this absolute classic. Apparently I was loving Japanese music even way before I started loving Japanese music. First heard this track in around 2005. Yeah, you guessed it, after watching Samurai Champloo.