I am pleased to announce that this summer, Minuano are reissuing their 2019 full-length album Butterfly Dream (蝶になる夢を見た) on both CD and vinyl.
The album is scheduled to be re-released in August 2025. Pre-orders for both the LP and the CD+LP Bundle are now available on Shopify and Bandcamp. Do note that these pre-orders are only open until April 29. The Bundle comes with a bonus postcard, and the CD includes a 24bit/96k audio download code. (A CD-only pre-order link will become available in late July.)
Following Love Logic, Fruits Mechanical, and Spring Lovers, this is the fourth collaboration between me and Minuano. Yes, you guessed it: once again, both editions of this re-release will feature English translations of all lyrics on the album.
On a purely personal note, I am very glad we managed to give this treatment to Butterfly Dream as well, simply because for me this album in particular is Minuano’s greatest masterpiece yet. Hopefully my translation of the words can help you discover yet another side to appreciate about this collection of songs. As always, my intention was to take the absolutely beautiful Japanese lyrics and render them into English with the utmost respect, and happily Ogata Takero was there to guide me every step of the way to help us achieve just that. And now it is done.
And if by some miracle you are completely new to this album…
Minuano, a project led by percussionist and composer Ogata Takero, delivers a rich and refined sound, shaped by influences such as city pop, jazz, and Brazilian pop. Featuring the delicate whisper voice of Sakakibara Kaori of Lamp, this record is their magnum opus.
Originally released in 2019, Minuano’s third album, Butterfly Dream, is centered around the arrangements and compositions of Ogata Takero and the vocals of Sakakibara Kaori. This album presents a lush “band sound” complete with strings and a horn section, while also including contributions from fellow Lamp members Someya Taiyo and Nagai Yusuke.
Highlights include the romantic city pop number “Farewell on a Rainy Night of Spring,” with its invigorating band sound and emotional lyrics; the dreamy, melancholic ballad “Memory of Soda Pop,” arranged and directed by Someya Taiyo; and the gentle album closer “Midnight Lounge,” enveloped in silky-soft vocals and strings.
This cinematically constructed masterwork—always evocative of the changing seasons—is now being reissued on colored vinyl.
Butterfly Dream is available for pre-order on Shopify and Bandcamp.