- A lost and fascinating relic from the peak era of one of Japan's most revered '80s artists.
- It's largely thanks to dedicated vinyl diggers like Chee Shimizu (no relation) that Yasuaki Shimizu's music has reached Europe and beyond. After his tracks started to make their way into Western record bags, Palto Flats reissued two of the tenor saxophonist's most treasured '80s releases: Utakata No Hibi, composed with his band Mariah, and his 1982 solo album Kakashi. Utakata No Hibi is now regarded as a seminal Fourth World album because of the way it marries classical Japanese music and Armenian folk with modern electronics, and its title track became one of the last decade's most enduring dance floor hits. Enter Kiren. Deemed lost until recently, the 1984 LP Kiren is a missing piece in his solo discography which ties together the end of Mariah with the beginning of his later project Yasuaki Shimizu & The Saxophonettes.
Like the music he would make for the rest of his career, the saxophone takes the spotlight on Kiren, and has a rich dialogue with its surrounding instruments. Horn trills embellish a piece of Japanese court music on "Asate" before strings then follow in their wake. The unwavering rhythm is stoic by contrast, however, emphasising the saxophone’s expressive nature, reaching its peak in a passionate solo later on. On "Shiasate,", a combo of dovetailing sax blasts and propulsive drums is somewhat undermined by a comically deflated bugle that steals our attention. Shimizu's use of contrast reveals the wind instrument's strengths and vulnerabilities, making it seem almost human.
Still, Kiren would not be as intriguing without the circus of sounds that Shimizu builds around the saxophone. Sweet marimba and pentatonic strings fall victim to an unruly orchestra on "Ashita," for example. From a pitch-mangled synth to a player-piano flurry to a warbling woodwind finish, Shimizu packs a cartoonish range of sounds into one song. As with his more elegant compositions, sometimes less is more, and the way traditional Japanese instruments on 'Momo No Hana"—including plucks of a biwa—surreptitiously wrap around the ends of taiko-sized drums is gorgeous. It eventually blooms into a euphoric solo that I wish would last forever.
Not all of Kiren is on that level, and some of the tracks move too slowly. "Kagerofu"'s electric guitar chords are drawn-out and have few unique changes to keep your attention. On the eight-minute long "Peruvian Pink," the combination of jaunty notes and a bizarre growl gestures somewhere interesting, but its chintzy synth patch numbs it into a trance. Under his Saxophonettes moniker, Shimizu would hone in on achieving this feeling of time standing still. The hustle and bustle of Kiren doesn’t seem like the right place for such stasis.
"Ashita," "Asat" and "Shiasate" translate to tomorrow, the day after tomorrow and two days after tomorrow, respectively. Despite the momentary lapse of energy in the middle, Kiren is a lively record that gets across the idea of time running away too quickly. Shimizu’s musical direction during the making of Utakata No Hibi was too eccentric for many of the band members of Mariah, leading to the group's breakup. Kiren brims with equal imagination and wonder and, on a few occasions, shines brighter than Utakata No Hibi. Of his solo efforts, it trumps them all for energy and even matches Kakashi for character. It might just be the record that most comprehensively captures the genius of this talented composer and musician.
Tracklist01. Ashita アシタ
02. Momo No Hana モモノハナ
03. Asate アサテ
04. Kagerofu カゲロフ
05. Peruvian Pink ペルヴィアン・ピンク
06. Shiasate シアサテ
07. Ore No Umi オレノウミ