Incredibly pleased to finally release this from the archives! Kumio Kurachi is truly one of the most original figures in Japanese music, and his music exists within its very own colourful world. Recorded across two nights way back in 2009, Kurachi is joined by Taku Unami and London improvisors Steve Beresford and Angharad Davies. These two shows still remain as Kurachi's only concerts outside Japan.
"Kumio Kurachi depicts our mind and feelings with unthinkable and bizarre words which can be embarrassing to listen to. And yet he manages to create a world which is so familiar to us - small events of our everyday life that we don't pay much attention to. Whether it is a conversation between a funeral service conductor and his helper that you overheard in a supermarket (Supermarket Chitose), or about the people affected by a dam construction (A Dam with 30,000,000 Teardrops), his songs are fragments of our human behaviours and experiences. His lyrical world is made even more unpredictable by his unique guitar style which is apparently inspired by the koto. The music is so melodious that the mixture of the strange wording, guitar and variations of voices thrives all together and it can haunt you without noticing it, just like the small events of everyday life you can't escape from." - Midori Ogata
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Kumio Kurachi / guitar, vocals
Taku Unami / guitar
Angharad Davies / violin
Steve Beresford / piano
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Tracklisting:
1. Train Song (poetry reading)
2. Instrumental l
3. Asahi
4. Cling Film (Saran Wrap)
5. Full of Miso (Miso Ga Ippai)
6. Instrumental ll
7. A Dam with 30,000,000 teardrops (30,000,000 Tsubu Dam)
8. Best Camera
9. An Event On An Island (Tsudoe Nokonoshima) ft Unami, Beresford
10. Slow Walker (Yukkuri Aruku Hito) ft Unami, Beresford
11. Supermarket Chitose ft Unami, Beresford
12. Here Comes Tatamiya (Tatamiya Ga Kita) ft Unami, Beresford, Davies
13. Steel Tower (Tettou) ft Unami, Beresford, Davies
14. Soshu Yakyoku (蘇州夜曲) <cover> written in 1940. Lyrics by Yaso Saijo (西條八十) Music by Ryoichi Hattori (服部良一)
15. Blues of Blue Natchan (Natchan Blue)
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Mastered by James Dunn from the original recording made by Pete Coward - thanks Pete! Artwork by Kurachi & Oli Barrett. Massive thanks to Midori Ogata, without whom this wouldn't have happened.
Available as a 320k MP3 or 24bit FLAC download.
Fukuoka native Kumio Kurachi is one of the most original players of the Japanese underground. When he's not dabbling in visual art, he practices a deeply weird brand of minstrelsy, pairing surreal lyrics and theatrical vocal mannerisms with unorthodox guitar tunings that were inspired by the koto. Somewhat similar to Mikami, but a whole load brighter. Kurachi performed actively in Tokyo in the 80's, and still plays shows in Fukuoka regularly. He has released cassette tapes as well as CDs since the early 80's. Past collaborators include Taku Unami and Tatsuhisa Yamamoto and he has been on bills with Tenniscoats, Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Kei Yamauchi, Kazuhisa Uchihashi and many others.
