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LP
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TSR 050LP
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With this second record, Shoko Igarashi unveils a new genre called Onsen Music. Each track invites you on a relaxing journey, much like soaking away your troubles in the steamy hot waters of a traditional Japanese spa (Onsen). The variety of songs mimic the variety of onsens, some are salty and scorching, some are smooth and clear, some are bubbly and colorful, and others are a refreshing dip into crisp clear waters. In every instance, there's a sense of satisfaction as soothing and delightful as the tracks themselves. This ode to "relax," while remaining irresistibly danceable, is filled with good vibrations, melodies and hooks that go straight to the heart, saxophone playing virtuosity, intricate electronic compositions, vocals that make listeners dream of new worlds, and beats that could keep them on a dancefloor all night long. Shoko Igarashi was born in Yamagata Prefecture, Tsuruoka city, Japan. An accomplished tenor saxophonist, she is also a versatile flautist and plays alto and soprano saxophone fluently. She has already made her mark as both an arranger and a composer. Shoko grew up surrounded by dreamlike landscapes of abundant nature in the snowy countryside of Tsuruoka, a mysterious and surreal region renowned for producing the best quality rice in Japan, where she says, "the water and the air feel the purest," and where mountains and shrines overflow with ancient mysticism. For fans of: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yellow Magic Orchestra.
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LP
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TSR 043LP
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Japanese born Shoko Igarashi's debut album Simple Sentences is a record that, not unlike a piece of luggage checking in from city to city, has managed to absorb vital influences from each place it has landed. Shoko grew up in rural Japan, she studied in the US and is currently living in the most quintessential European city, Brussels. Shining in its diversity, Simple Sentences carries elements from each one of those stops in her life. The influences from Far East are more than evident and funnily enough, even unconscious, which makes them integrate in a beguiling childish and naive way that add seven more to the originality of the sound. Take, for example, "Apple Banana" -- echoes of Chiemi Manabe, Hosono, and even overtones of Akiko Yano are all seamlessly there. "Sand Dungeon" is a little gem reminiscent of Yellow Magic Orchestra at the heights of their powers and the aptly titled "Anime Song" could be an unreleased track from Testpattern's infamous and sought-after LP. "Lovely Song" in its electronic pastoral vibe could have been produced by Seigen Ono, but is entirely the work of Shoko's expansive creative world. "CASH OK" harks back to New York's '90s jazz street scene, paying tribute to her Brooklyn live gigs, and album closer "Tsuki No Yama" goes back to her roots with a meditative folk sound quite different from the rounded pop edges that the rest of her album carries. Simple Sentences is like its title implies: straightforward in its brilliance and simplicity, yet carefully measured with a maturity that almost makes you wonder how Shoko managed to absorb all these influences and bring them together into a vibrant sound collage which ultimately is fresh and timeless.
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