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Posted: |
Apr 6, 2008 - 5:26 PM
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By: |
Squiddybop
(Member)
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I've pretty much always been a huge fan of animation, back to when I first saw the Rankin/Bass version of The Hobbit as a kid, so it's probably no surprise that my interest in Japanese music began with anime, then spread from there.
Here are some of the key moments I remember…
Princess Mononoke: Like a lot of people, this was my introduction to the music of Joe Hisaishi, who's remained a favorite ever since.
Cowboy Bebop and Inuyasha: Both these shows started airing on the Cartoon Newtwork at about the same time, and introduced me to the music of Yoko Kanno and Kaoru Wada. Tank!, the opening title to Cowboy Bebop, is still one of the coolest intros I've heard, and Wada's blending of traditional Japanese instruments with the orchestra really grabbed me.
Read or Die: Taku Iwasaki's "Mancini-Ventures" score was at that point unlike anything I'd ever heard in an anime, and I had to have it. Surprisingly, I found that it had gotten an official release in the US, so I didn't need to pay to import it.
The Vision of Escaflowne: It was watching this series and experiencing the stunning music of Yoko Kanno and Hajime Mizoguchi that finally broke through that mental block in my head that prevented me from spending $27 on a single CD. I placed my first order with Arksquare right after that, and haven't looked back since.
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I'm very much enjoying this thread. When I can afford to buy a few obscure titles next, I will be sure to consider some of these Taiga dramas. (The only one I have is MUSASHI.)
Squiddy, how strongly would you recommend MUSASHI ENCORE to someone who already had MUSASHI? Does the additional material substantially enrich the first album?
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Posted: |
Apr 6, 2008 - 5:57 PM
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By: |
MMM
(Member)
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Even if the music were awful (and it most definitely is not), the covers are absolutely gorgeous! Thanks so much for posting them. All I have is the just-acquired NHK Epic Drama 2-CD compilation, and I am enjoying that immensely.
Not that anybody asked, but I got into Japanese film music because of Randall Larson's book "Musique Fantastique." It discussed a lot of Ifukube's and Satoh's scores for fantasy/sci-fi pictures, with LATITUDE ZERO and SON OF GODZILLA being among the first ones I acquired (and they are still among my very favorites).
After hearing Ikuma Dan's MADAME WHITESNAKE, Kan Ishii's GORATH, and Sadao Bekku's MATANGO, I quickly investigated classical works by these composers, and this led me to the pursuit of film and concert works by Yasushi Akutagawa, Sei Ikeno, Yuzo Toyama, Kiyoshige Koyama, and many, many others.
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Posted: |
Apr 6, 2008 - 6:29 PM
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By: |
Squiddybop
(Member)
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After hearing Ikuma Dan's MADAME WHITESNAKE, Kan Ishii's GORATH, and Sadao Bekku's MATANGO, I quickly investigated classical works by these composers, and this led me to the pursuit of film and concert works by Yasushi Akutagawa, Sei Ikeno, Yuzo Toyama, Kiyoshige Koyama, and many, many others.
I'm still on the lookout for copies of both Madame Whitesnake and Gorath, but no luck so far. I've actually been meaning to ask you where you picked up that Sei Ikeno set you were talking about. I haven't been able to find it listed at any of the regular places I buy from. The samples at Sowbun's website sound pretty good to me, though, and I'm anxious to hear his score for The Telegian.
And in an interesting coincidence, it appears that three new CDs of Shigeaki Saegusa's concert works were released earlier this week in Japan.
I'm still working on the next few Taiga entries for this thread, but I think my ineptness at reviewing music has finally caught up with me. Maybe once I've finished I might need to take a crack at NHK's Asadora series, of which Koichi Sakata's Oshin is probably the undisputable highlight.
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Posted: |
Apr 6, 2008 - 8:57 PM
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By: |
Squiddybop
(Member)
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Furin Kazan (2007)
Taiga Drama #46
Composer: Akira Senju
Audio Clips (vol. 1): http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/1207746
Audio Clips (vol. 2): http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/2618769
When I first saw that Akira Senju had signed on to score a Taiga drama, I could not have been more excited. His score for The Mystery of Rampo is a real gem, and he's been doing fantastic work in Japan for years. Then I found out that that the score was also going to be performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic under the direction of Mario Klemens, and it's fair to say my expectations went through the roof. I'm happy to say that Senju did not disappoint.
The score opens with the bold and powerful main theme that really sets the tone for what's to come. This is big time dramatic stuff, and that sense of drama is imbued in every note of the score. The highlight cues for me are most definitely the variations of the main theme Senju peppers throughout the disc. It's a fantastic theme, and Senju comes up with some great variations of it, though it's with volume two that he really starts to play with it.
While volume one seems to contain the entirety of the Warsaw sessions, volume two features music from the Japanese recording sessions. There's a much more intimate feel to this volume, but I find it no less enjoyable for that. After opening with a version of the main theme complete with narration, track 2 features a lovely rendition of the theme on erhu. It's the first of a series of beautiful variations of the theme spread throughout the disc, including one on flamenco guitar, a fantastic shamisen version, as well as a violin rendition by Senju's sister Mariko and the piano version performed by Senju himself to close the disc.
Availability: Both volumes still in print, and well worth seeking out.
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Posted: |
Apr 6, 2008 - 9:48 PM
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By: |
MMM
(Member)
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I know a number of people who haven't been able to order that Sei Ikeno 2-CD set, because it doesn't seem possible to order through Sowbun Records. I ordered it through Yamaha Music, per their instructions, and it worked flawlessly. May it work as flawlessly for you!:
Fax their contact person at the following number (they don't want e-mails and you can't respond to their e-mails):
Manami KIDA
YAMAHA MUSIC TOKYO CO LTD
1-3-13 Ginza,Chuo-ku,Tokyo 104-0061 Japan
Tel.+81-3-3572-3135
FAX.+81-3-3572-8749
Provide your name, address, fax number, Visa card number, and expiration date, and tell them you want to order a copy of “SEI IKENO-Film Music." (Unfortunately, the Japanese symbols in the name that I included in my fax to them don't show properly on the FSM site.)
Shortly after I placed the order I received a confirmation e-mail, and less than a week later their package arrived. Shipping was very reasonable to the U. S.
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Posted: |
Apr 7, 2008 - 11:45 AM
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By: |
Fifloe
(Member)
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All I have is the just-acquired NHK Epic Drama 2-CD compilation, and I am enjoying that immensely.
Great :-)
@ Squiddybop,
thanks for this collection of NHK Epic Drama scores. You started in 1991 - 2008 but in between there are some scores missing. Will you add them for completition? Some of them like "Dragon Spirit" I could add, too.
By the way, my interest in japanese film- and concert music started with Ifukube (Godzilla, Artistry series...) and then followed by Satoh, Mayuzumi (Bible...), Hayasaka (Rashomon, Seven Samurai...), Ikuma Dan and others.
Regards, Jürgen
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This is a great topic. I have Furin Kazan (CD1) which I really enjoy.
I will certainly be looking into some more of these titles.
Thanks!
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Hi,
I´m very interesed in the score of Iwashiro: "Aoi ~Tokugawa Sandai", and I would like to know how to find this CD in Amazon.co.jp.
Thanks
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