a r t i s t : Shugo Tokumaru
t i t l e : L.S.T.
d a t e : 2006
l a b e l : Active Suspension / ACD14
g e n r e : Indie
r l s. d a t e : Jun/2006
t r a c k s : 10
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 57,6 MB
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King Shugo is back! Japanese folk pop, instant catchy
melodies, ukulele, guitar, musical saw. Shugo provokes awe and
admiration.
Shugo Tokumaru, born in Tokyo 1980, is a gentle star, a truly
special subtle sensation. His debut album, "Night Piece"
(released on New-York based Music Related and sold out in one
afternoon) was recorded over a period of two weeks. A singular
miniature of bizarre folk pop, this first record, which was
elaborated as an experiment, assembling ukulele, guitar,
musical saw and a whole range of unexpected effects,
immediately made his reputation as major miracle, by all those
who, in the world, spontaneously began to champion him
(especially Pitchfork, which fell in love with the record and
grated him with an exceptional 8.6 mark). What is better to
begin oneÆs career with but with an accidental masterpiece?
His first concert, for a Map Magazine evening, was done on the
latterÆs request, and with similar accidental purpose û which
didnÆt prevent ShugoÆs brilliant constructions of loops, delay
and toy instruments, to provoke nothing but awe and
admiration. So what: a Tokyoite folk singer singing in
Japanese, and who manages to convince everybody with a simple
thirty minute affair? This was just the beginning.
"L.S.T.", Shugo's follow up, renews the miracle, with the
further will to accomplish a real album as additional baggage.
Guitar sorcerer, discreet virtuoso, mutant songwriter who
seems to experiment like he breathes, nothing was missing but
ShugoÆs will to convince all and blow your mind. This second
album thus shares with its predecessor the love for intimate
atmospheres, elegant melodies, chamber music-like harmonies.
But, more self-confident, it is also less discreet, rougher,
less blithe and happy-go-lucky. A dazzling explosion of
inventiveness, swarming with details as subdued as they are
conclusive, "L.S.T." is dense like a masterpiece, mixing a few
decades of pop music and crazy folk music, but never compels,
never obliges the listener, a bit in the way his TokumaruÆs
voice itself goes its way, soft and discreet too, almost
feminine, always buried yet never hidden in the bodies of
guitars, or in the way of his songs, weirdly blurry, yet the
melodies of which print in your mind and never go away.
http://www.shugotokumaru.com/
http://www.activesuspension.org/
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01-Mist [03:28]
02-Mushina [04:05]
03-Mizukagami [04:01]
04-Karte [02:06]
05-Kiiro [03:57]
06-Vista [04:01]
07-Metrion [02:21]
08-Yukinohaka [04:21]
09-Amayadori [03:02]
10-5 A.M. [07:54]
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39:16 min