Minuano “Love Logic” Reissue With English Lyrics

I’m very excited to announce the CD reissue of Minuano‘s first album, Love Logic, on August 22, featuring English lyrics of all songs on the album.

This special reissue is available on Shopify and Bandcamp.

The lyrics were translated by yours truly, and I had the pleasure of spending hours upon hours thoroughly discussing them with Minuano’s main architect and songwriter Ogata Takero, painstakingly going through each and every line to make sure the English lyrics would accurately portray the original vision of the beautiful Japanese lyrics.

Now, just in case you weren’t previously familiar with Love Logic

Minuano’s debut album, first released in 2009, features influences from MPB, soft rock, jazz, and city pop, reshaping them into a unique soundscape blending romance and ennui, with the whispered vocals of Sakakibara Kaori (Lamp) as the icing on this cake of aural tapestry.

Lemon Elegy,” a fleeting fusion of the vibrancy of Brazilian jazz and the sentimentality of Japanese lyricism. “Soleil,” with its MPB-esque key changes and a sense of melancholy towards a summer nearing its end. The bossa nova of “A Mischievous Wind,” also featuring vocalist Nagai Yusuke (Lamp). The scaled-down soft rock piece “Rain-Colored Diary” which truly makes one see the raindrops…

A total of 10 songs, capturing in vivid detail these fragments of a world in motion.

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Lamp “Akari Tsushin” Issue #3

I’m happy to announce that the third issue of Akari Tsushin has been released in English!

As with Issue #1 and Issue #2, the designs for this digital magazine are created by Sakakibara Kaori.

Contents
■ Lamp Interview – Interviewer: Kadoya Hirohide (Uwanosora)
■ Endless Rain Into a Paper Cup: “Streaming Services & Lamp” (Someya Taiyo)
■ Unaddressed Letter: “Password” (Sakakibara Kaori)
■ Monologue: “House by the Sea” (Nagai Yusuke)
■ Casual Best 5: “TV Drama”
■ Yume Utsutsu: “Past Obsessions”
■ Photo Studio Reminiscences
■ Editorial Postscript

See below for an exclusive sneak peek.

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Lamp “Akari Tsushin” Issue #2

The second English-language issue of Lamp’s digital magazine, Akari Tsushin, has now been released!

Just as was the case with the first issue, this second issue was created entirely by the members of Lamp with the English translation by yours truly. The design for Issue #2 (again, like for Issue #1) was all done by Sakakibara Kaori. Not only is it interesting, but it even looks pretty!

Contents
■ Lamp in Conversation: “4 AM Chat”
■ Endless Rain Into a Paper Cup: “School Trip & Ben Folds Five” (Someya Taiyo)
■ Unaddressed Letter: “Picnic” (Sakakibara Kaori)
■ Monologue: “Person by the Name of Someya Taiyo” (Nagai Yusuke)
■ Casual Best 5: “90’s Japanese Music”
■ Yume Utsutsu: “Eve of the Band’s Formation”
■ Photo Studio Reminiscences
■ Editorial Postscript

Below is an exclusive sneak peek from this issue.

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Lamp “Akari Tsushin” Issue #1

I have an exciting announcement to make.

Akari Tsushin is the name of Lamp’s digital magazine, previously available only in Japanese. Today, I am very pleased to be able to announce the publication of the English-language edition of its first issue, now available at Lamp’s Spotify store.

Akari Tsushin is created by the members of the band, with the English translation by yours truly.

Contents
■ Lamp in Conversation: “4 AM Chat”
■ Endless Rain Into a Paper Cup: “Language and Music” (Someya Taiyo)
■ Unaddressed Letter: “It Was Time Travel” (Sakakibara Kaori)
■ Pajama Travel Journals: “Winter 2009 Sado Trip” (Nagai Yusuke)
■ Casual Best 5: “The Beatles”
■ Yume Utsutsu: “First Encounters with Music and Instruments”
■ Photo Studio Reminiscences
■ Editorial Postscript

That’s 15 pages of Lamp goodness!

Lamp and I have worked closely together to produce a faithful English language edition of Akari Tsushin for their non-Japanese-speaking audience. I’m personally very pleased with the results, and it is sure to be of much interest to their listeners everywhere.

For a sneak peek, below is a small sample from the five-page opening conversation.

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Kaede – Sepiairo no Kugatsu (English Lyrics)

セピア色の九月
Sepia September

Summer ends as though nothing had happened
Opening the window, watching the clear skies

It passed, never once looking back
Leaving only the swimsuit lines on my suntanned skin

My tears blur into sepia
Sweet, slightly languid September

Surely I’ll get to see the blue coastline again
Thinking that, I feel better

Autumn begins as though nothing had happened
As a trench coat envelops my dress

So now within this ambiguous season
I wish to be alone, as if on a journey by myself

My tears are sepia-colored syrup
Sweet, slightly bitter memories

Blue coastline so far away; summer forever gone
Thinking that, I feel lonely

I cried — In September
I cried — Sepia tears