News

2022.11.30(Wed)

Cover album "CITY POP LOVERS" released on 11/30 (Wed.) (Updated information as needed)

2022.11.30 (Wednesday) release
Yu Sakai & origami PRODUCTIONS
Cover album "CITY POP LOVERS"

  
First Press Limited Edition Regular Edition



origami PRODUCTIONS
Upper row (L → R): Shingo Suzuki, mabanua, Shingo Sekiguchi
Middle (L→R): Kan Sano, Michael Kaneko, Nenashi
Lower row (L → R): Ovall, Hiro-a-key, Sarasa


In collaboration with the members of origami PRODUCTIONS, a multi-creator group that gathers up-and-coming artists, we will release a cover album of gems that collect famous city pop songs that are now in the limelight worldwide!
"CITY POP LOVERS", the first cover album of Yu Sakai, includes the famous song "SPARKLE" by Tatsuro Yamashita, whom I admire, "Plastic Love" by Mariya Takeuchi, who is one of the most popular city pop artists in recent years, and "Midnight Door" by Miki Matsubara. ~stay with me”, as the title suggests, selected 70s and 80s city pop masterpieces that Sakai himself has been influenced by and loved.In addition to Sakai, Ovall, Shingo Suzuki, mabanua, Shingo Sekiguchi, Kan Sano, Michael Kaneko, and Nenashi are in charge of producing each song, and almost all of the performances are produced by Sakai and the origami members.It will be released under the name of Yu Sakai & origami PRODUCTIONS.

The jacket illustration is drawn by the manga artist / illustrator Tsunogai, who became a hot topic at "ART in MUSIC City Pop Graphics" held at BAG -Brillia Art Gallery- in July 2022.A Heisei-born creator who has never experienced city pop in real time expresses the world freshly with a modern sensibility.

Both the generation who knew the original at that time and the generation who encountered city pop for the first time in the recent boom have completed a piece that can fully enjoy the famous songs reborn with the sophisticated sound and singing voice of Sakai.


The first production limited edition includes a live performance "Suigei Shuzo presents Yu Sakai sings Whale Song" (Tosashimizu Comes with a DVD containing the pattern of the Municipal Civic Cultural Center Kuroshio Hall (about 2022 minutes will be recorded). It is a video work where you can enjoy a valuable one-night-only live performance delivered with a set list related to Kochi, including songs from "Whale Song EP" (released in June 8).


2022 years 11 month 30 Date (water) Release
Yu Sakai & origami PRODUCTIONS
Cover album "CITY POP LOVERS"


○ First Press Limited Edition [CD+DVD] 4,950 yen (tax included) / POCS-23909
Bonus DVD "Suigei Sake Brewery presents Yu Sakai sings Whale Song" live footage (approximately 60 minutes)
○ Regular edition [CD] 3,300 yen (tax included) / POCS-23029
○ Digital https://virginmusic.lnk.to/CITYPOPLOVERS
 Spotify Pre-save / Apple Music Pre-add (until 2022:11 on Tuesday, November 29, 23)
◯ Analog board (LP) Released on Wednesday, January 2023, 1
 Click here for details on the analog board https://www.office-augusta.com/sakaiyu/news/?id=1055

<Track>
01. SPARKLE / Yu Sakai feat. Ovall, Kan Sano, Michael Kaneko, Hiro-a-key
Lyrics: Minako Yoshida Composition: Tatsuro Yamashita (original song: Tatsuro Yamashita)
Producer: Yu Sakai
02.Woman in the Sand / Yu Sakai feat. Shingo Sekiguchi
Lyrics: Takashi Matsumoto Composition: Shigeru Suzuki (original music: Shigeru Suzuki)
Producer: Shingo Sekiguchi
03.Have you ever smoked Gauloises / Yu Sakai feat. Ovall
Lyrics/Composition: Hiroshi Kamayatsu (original song: Hiroshi Kamayatsu)
Producer: Ovall
04. Midnight Door ~ stay with me / Yu Sakai feat. Shingo Suzuki
Lyrics: Noriko Miura Composition: Tetsuji Hayashi (original song: Miki Matsubara)
Producer: Shingo Suzuki
05.Plastic Love / Yu Sakai feat. Kan Sano
Lyrics and composition: Mariya Takeuchi (Original song: Mariya Takeuchi)
Producer: Kan Sano
06. Pink Shadow / Yu Sakai feat. Michael Kaneko
Lyrics and composition: Futari Iwasawa, Yukiya Iwasawa (Original song: Bread & Butter)
Producer: Michael Kaneko
07. If we could meet in a dream / Yu Sakai feat. Nenashi
Lyrics/Composition: Eiichi Otaki (original song: Eiichi Otaki)
Producer: Nenashi
08. If wrapped in kindness / Yu Sakai feat. Mabanua
Lyrics/Composition: Yumi Arai (original song: Yumi Arai)
Producer: mabanua
09. While listening to Olivia [Bonus Track] / Yu Sakai feat. Sarasa
Lyrics/Composition: Ami Ozaki (original song: Anri)
Producer: Yu Sakai
10. Summer Horn [Bonus Track] / Yu Sakai
Lyrics: Masao Urino Composition: Kyohei Tsutsumi (original song: Junichi Inagaki)
Producer: Yu Sakai

<Click here to reserve the CD>
https://virginmusic.lnk.to/CITYPOPLOVERS_CD

*Augusta Family Club & UNIVERSAL MUSIC STORE reservation exclusive benefits
Invited to the release commemorative online event!
[Target product] CD "CITY POP LOVERS" (Either first limited edition or regular edition)
[Target] All those who have reserved products at Augusta Family Club and UNIVERSAL MUSIC STORE by 2022:11 on Friday, November 25, 23 and have completed payment.
Online event date and time: December 2022, 12 (Sun) 11:21-
・ Sales until November 2022, 11 (Friday) will be credit / carrier payment only.Thank you for your understanding.
・Details on how to participate in the event will be announced to purchasers of the target products.
・The analog LP board (POJD-2023) released on Wednesday, January 1, 25 is not eligible for event participation benefits.
 
<Augusta Family Club>
▼ First Press Limited Edition
https://www.augfc.net/category/SAKAIYU/detail.php?goods_id=2983
▼Regular Edition
https://www.augfc.net/category/SAKAIYU/detail.php?goods_id=2982
 
<UNIVERSAL MUSIC STORE>
▼ First Press Limited Edition
https://store.universal-music.co.jp/product/pocs23909/
▼Regular Edition
https://store.universal-music.co.jp/product/pocs23029/

*Amazon.co.jp purchaser-exclusive bonus: Mega jacket
* Limited benefits for purchasers of Tower Records: Postcard
Benefits are on a first-come, first-served basis.
The number of benefits available at each shop is limited, and if the planned number is reached, the gift may end even before the release, so we recommend making reservations early.


●[Audio Streaming] Yu Sakai special feature on LOUNGE!
To commemorate the release, AWA's online sukima "LOUNGE" will be held on the night of the release date!On the day of the event, Yu Sakai will participate in real-time voice and chat. If you use the AWA app, you can enjoy interacting with artists even more, so please download it and participate!

Date and time: November 2022, 11 (Wednesday) 30: 19-30: 20
*Anyone can join
way to participate:https://news.awa.fm/lounge/how-to-join
Participation URL:https://app.awa.fm/lounge/637c2d176ed8df713fb7611b


[origami PRODUCTIONS]
Like an origami that can do anything with a sheet of paper, this is a creator team and label that gathers musicians who can play any sound with a single instrument.
Ovall, Kan Sano, Michael Kaneko, Nenashi aka Hiro-a-key, Shingo Suzuki, mabanua, and Shingo Sekiguchi belong.
Since its birth in Tokyo in 2007, it has continued to walk "towards the direction of sound" and continues to this day.
Started to deliver the jam session movement centered on jazz, soul, and hip-hop that was booming in the underground of Shibuya to music fans all over the world, and now pursues more free expression and works in a genreless and borderless style. widening the range of
Our artists are regulars at major festivals both in Japan and overseas, and at the same time, they produce music for movies, dramas, anime, and commercials, and also support artists around the world with their production, remixes, and performances.
https://ori-gami.com/

Ovall:https://ovall.net/
Shingo Suzuki:https://shingosuzuki.com/
Mabanua:https://mabanua.com/
Sekiguchi Shingo:https://shingosekiguchi.com/
Kan Sano:https://kansano.com/
Michael Kaneko:https://michaelkaneko.com/
Nenashi aka Hiro-a-key:https://hiro-a-key.net/
Exposure:https://linktr.ee/salasa_


[Tongai]
Cartoonist and illustrator.Born in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, he lives in Tokyo.He was born in Heisei.
Draw a work about the southern country and summer with Guam as the theme with a Showa manga-style pattern with an analog feel.Alongside his freelance work, he is also one of the official illustrators of Tezuka Productions.
https://www.tsunogai.net/



For "CITY POP LOVERS"

I once read an article that said that the music you listened to during your adolescence will set the standard for your musical sensibilities for the rest of your life.

For me, who was an adolescent in the 90's, the so-called city pop was already a nostalgic existence, not real time.

However, I don't know why, but rather than the music that inevitably attracted me, it was a "sound image".

After that, you became a musician. What attracted you to yourself at that time?What resonated with a rural teenager who had no musical knowledge and had never played an instrument?I started thinking.

The sounds that color the colorful landscapes that you often hear in city pop may sound like an accumulated expression, but in technical terms, they are called major 7th and minor 9th, bright but somehow sad, dark but somehow funny. Teru, I realized that I was fascinated by the melancholy sound that was not clearly defined in black and white, and the refined and exciting beat, especially 16beat.

By fate, I went to study in LA, and during that time, which could be called a music training period, I became addicted to American Oldies But Goodies music such as Pops, Jazz, R&B, and FUNK.
In the process, I felt like I had unexpectedly arrived at a sacred place that I had heard about in legends, saying, "Oh! Was this music the root of the sound image of the music I liked?"

Then, after becoming a professional, I became able to understand various things from the viewpoint of the production side as well as the viewpoint of the same industry. I was surprised and moved by the history and achievements of our predecessors' struggles, "singing in words."

After the war ended and peace was restored, our country became economically prosperous at an extraordinary rate, like a spring that had been pressed down. I have heard that behind the scenes, there were many people who were blown away by the springs, especially in the city, where they felt a sense of alienation and loneliness.

Under such circumstances, I feel that CITY POP is music that has provided a momentary solace to the people of the city, who are tired of the sudden competition.

I hesitated for a while to put "CITY POP" in the title of the album.
Maybe some of the music creators didn't think much about the world calling it "CITY POP" at the time.
However, as the recording progressed, the word "CITY POP" emerged with a certain role, regardless of whether it was desired or not, going beyond the mere name of the genre. I decided to include it in the title.

Strong messages and emotions that require effort on the part of the listener are hidden behind the lining of the stylish costume (sound), and they make you do your best without telling you to do your best. I feel that CITY POP is Western music that can only be created by Japanese people, with Japanese soul and Western style.

The recent global CITY POP boom has suddenly come on, and young people with discerning ears who have grown a little tired of hit songs that are created in no time with the latest technology are turning to CITY POP on the Internet. I met him and heard about it, but after all, first-class musicians gathered in the studio and performed miraculously to create the same soundscape. I imagine that I was drawn to the handcrafted, organic music that is so beautifully executed in .
With these techniques cultivated over many years, I think that the sound created in response to the miracles and accidents that occur at every moment of the session is both an art and an aspect of craftsmanship.

I feel that invisible something like that spirit in Mr. Tatsuro Yamashita, whom I respect and respect.
Tatsuro's music is literally the sound image of Western music itself, but more than anyone else, he says, "I'm looking at the sky, even if no one is watching." A stubborn and sincere sensitivity that is meticulous.

CITY POP is music that can be easily listened to by anyone at any time, blends into the person's life in seconds, becomes background music when the volume is turned down, and takes you on a short trip when the volume is turned all the way up.Behind this lies the history of the tremendous efforts and struggles of our predecessors.

It may be different for each person, but for me, putting out a cover album was much more pressure than an original album.It's impossible to become a city pop for everyone who listens, but I didn't cut corners on what I could do, and I did everything I could to create it with sincerity.
This is our CITY POP, a serious cover album created with origami PRODUCTIONS, which I trust immensely.


One of Amata's CITY POP LOVERS

From Yuu Sakai

with love



 About origami PRODUCTIONS

origami PRODUCTIONS is more than just a music agency.
A musician's musician, an office with the image that only musicians who are respected by many musicians can be enrolled.On the other hand, it's not that we're high-handed by raising the threshold, but that kind of people call friends, and naturally we've become a group of professionals among professionals.
The same goes for singer-songwriter Michael Kaneko and Sarasa, who later became a member of the group.
Two people who strongly feel not only beautiful voices but also musicianship.

They are not the type to overwhelm their peers and overwhelm the audience.
I feel like musicians who have been pre-booked destined to be blessed by the public's ears with a push from the god of music, "Yes, you, go!"
Because all the sounds I make have been musical since the time I met them, and until now.
Everyone has a different definition of "musical", but that's what they are to me.

Even though they are close friends, I always feel a sense of respect for them, and the production process is so much fun.
It was a series of madness at the sent demo sound sources and overdubbing of instruments.

I listened to it as if I was savoring the finished product, and this time, I was able to create music with them.
I kept thinking that I was lucky.
Good for you

In the 2000s, the Shibuya Underground hadn't even started yet, both in terms of the world and their careers.
If you were going to have a drink, would you say, "There's no point if you can't sell your favorite music!" I understand).
In that sense, I feel they are more than just good friends.
This is an album that brings together the fruits of each other's achievements at a reunion after a long absence, while maintaining similar aspirations in the same era, walking together from different paths.It may be an exaggeration, but I want to literally say comrades.
No, I said too much.

But it's okay, even if my feelings reach you or not! (laughs)
It's arrogant to say that if you think about it, it will definitely come true, if you wish it will definitely come true!
And before things take a strange turn...
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the musicians, engineers, and staff of origami PRODUCTIONS who have been very helpful this time.
Come on, let's listen to our CITY POP!!

Yu Saikai



From the members of "origami PRODUCTIONS"

■ Shingo Suzuki / Comment
"SPARKLE"
This song is a masterpiece and has been covered many times in the past. Received demo sound source.Yu Sakai played all the instruments by himself, and it was an arrangement with an exciting and clear direction.An arrangement that slows down the tempo and puts our specialty groove on the front.The idea was to leave the original song's chord progressions, textured riffs, and catchy phrases firmly to show respect, while also showing our own color with the groove.Each instrument that Yu Sakai played alone had a deformed groove, so she took that image into her own mind and played the bass.While the original song is a tight performance played on a 1-string jazz bass, I have a low center of gravity on a 1-string jazz bass, and while following the original bass riff, it has a more bouncy groove, like a gouge. undulated.The interesting thing about the production process of this cover is that after Yu Sakai made the demo sound source by himself, each player (mabanua, Shingo Suzuki, Shingo Sekiguchi, Kan Sano) relayed the drum, bass, guitar, and keyboard instrumentation. It is in the place where home recording was done at each home studio.Including engineering such as micing and preamp settings.Since Covid-4, remote recordings have increased, but origami members have often used this method for recording for a long time.This time as well, we received the para data of the demo sound source, and it became a recording method that replaces each.However, instead of copying Yu Sakai's demo, I will replace it with my own thoughts based on the performance of the demo, while sharing the direction and feeling.I think that this degree of freedom is what gives origami its uniqueness.Actually, if you gather in the studio and play, you can make a stable and cohesive recording, but recording by yourself in your own home studio, where you are used to it, will give you more precision and precision.
The degree of freedom is increased, and you can have a leisurely adventure.Yu Sakai had high hopes for the merit of being able to make each sound and performance more intense.By the time the demo was finished replacing, there was no typing, and it was all recorded live.
Many covers of this song have been released both domestically and internationally, but many of them have a sense of tempo and groove that is close to the original performance.I think it has become a unique cover that shows its presence in an exquisite position.


"Midnight Door"
If one of the pleasures of a cover is how to change the original song, there is no doubt that this song is a song that you can enjoy while producing.
As an image, Yu Sakai and origami were doing nightly sessions in the early 2000s at clubs and live houses such as ROOM and PLUG in Shibuya.I imagined a song that would allow you to relax and immerse yourself in the chill atmosphere.Therefore, I decided to make "Midnight Door" as a cover song similar to a remix, which is simpler than the original song and has a thick groove with a feeling of pushing out the drums and bass. A phantom, exciting and rare record that is hard to find even if DJs look for it in record shops in Shibuya.I finally unearthed it and triumphantly played it on a turntable in a familiar club. . .I imagined such a song.The thick sound of precision bass and the sequence loop pattern of unquantized drums with fluctuation.While suppressing the key points of the original song, the phrases played in the instrumental of the original song are boldly cut, making it a more rugged dance music.It is a cover song that emphasizes a clearer and simpler rhythm.I played all the instruments myself, didn't use an outside studio, and worked night after night in my home studio.The sound of bedroom music is overflowing.Yu Sakai's vocal tone on the instrumental track has an exquisite temperature.A take that is comfortable to listen to and exciting, but at the same time feels somewhat sad.Finally, I added some record noise.If you go to a club in Shibuya night after night and open the door, if this cover version of "Midnight Door" is on,...happy.


■ mabanua / comment
This time I was in charge of "Yasashi ni Tsutsumarere Nara", a song that has a lot of fans, and the hurdles were really high.
But on the other hand, I thought that if I put all of my accumulated experience and performance skills into the music as it is, I could create something much better than just making something weird.
Including the above, I think Yu-san's temporary song that was sent first taught me that.


■ Shingo Sekiguchi / Comment
As a guitarist, I've been involved in many works, but this was my first time arranging "Suna no Onna", so I was honestly a little nervous.
However, at the meeting, I was told to use the usual Secky sound, which made me feel at ease.
Yuu-kun and I said, "It would be nice if there was a guitar riff that people would want to copy."In order to bring in the atmosphere of the original, the full-length vocals are double-recorded.
"SPARKLE" is a song like a summary of the history of Yuu and origami.
When we were filming the MV, it was like a reunion, so the relationship we've had so far may be oozing out in the sounds and images.I hope you enjoy it too!


■ Kan Sano / Comment
Reliable technology, affection, and playfulness.I think it's a cover album that only Yu Sakai can make.
I am truly honored to be able to help with such a great album.I'm confident!Thank you very much for this precious opportunity.
Please listen to the whole album.


■Michael Kaneko / Comment
I collaborated with my favorite Yu-san again.
This time, he participated in "Pink Shadow" and "SPARKLE".A groove and a voice that only Yu can give.There is so much to learn each time.
Please look forward to his musicality and the chemical reaction of origami PRODUCTIONS!


■ Nenashi aka Hiro-a-key / Comment
Masterpieces x Yu Sakai x origami PRODUCTIONS.
Best combination.
15 years ago, we had a session night after night with various arrangements of famous songs.
If you take the songs from this album, including "Yume de Aetara" by Nenashi, to the playground of the time, everyone will be smiling while playing.
While tracing the roots, we finished with Kibunya an arrangement packed with the sounds we got from each trip.I was lured in by the dreamy synth sound and Yu Sakai's sweet song.
"SPARKLE" was fun from beginning to end, both REC and MV.The chorus, which is close to Yuu-kun's voice but sings in his own voice, starts singing on its own when the song starts.
Enjoy the live!


Sarasa / Comment
To be able to sing a duet of the famous song "Olivia wo Kiki na nagara" with Yu-san, who I admire~~~!I have a memory of welcoming REC while feeling like this.It was an experience that will remain in my memory for a long time.
It's a song recorded as a bonus track, but it was a "bonus" experience for me.
I hope you all enjoy it!

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