fbpx
Japan Nakama
No Result
View All Result
  • Anime
  • Creativity
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • TV & Film
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Gaming
  • Language
  • Travel
  • Music
Japan Nakama
No Result
View All Result
Japan Nakama
No Result
View All Result

Home » Music » 3 Relaxing Albums by Japanese Composers

3 Relaxing Albums by Japanese Composers

Cleary Mallard by Cleary Mallard
April 14, 2020
in Music
0
0

One of the things that makes these soul-clearing albums so special is their ability to invoke a massive range of emotions. Hidden in their simple melodies is a world of reflective nostalgia that is far beyond bitter sweet. In the 100 or so years that Western music had been introduced to the shroes of Japan, modern Japanese composers have been creating their own brand of work not only from the traditional acoustic instruments but also electronic and emerging technologies.

1. Satoshi Ashikawa – Still Way (Wave Notation 2)

This album is the easiest way to transport yourself to an idyllic Japanese garden, laden with crystal outcrops and secret paths to follow in slow motion. The vibrations of the chimes in Still Park – Ensemble, hypnotize your mind into stillness.

The purpose of the Wave Notation series is to highlight the development of music as it becomes background noise (adverts, shopping centres, movies, etc), but be a positive product of that. Sadly, Satoshi Ashikawa died a few months after making this record. That closed the Wave Notation series and his record label, Sound Process, which also released Satsuki Shibano’s Erik Satie, the final instalment in the series.

2. Hiroshi Yoshimura – Music for 9 Postcards (Wave Notation 1)

The first album in the Wave Notation series is definitely my favourite. Its blue, melancholic tones are the most precise musical resemblance of morning light through the bedroom window that I have ever heard. While you sit on the edge of the bed and last night’s dreams evaporate, letting the buzz of the day enter, this album will quietly slip into the gap of waking reality and compliment your meandering early morning thoughts.

Hiroshi Yoshimura is an artist of ambience, whose sound is inextricably linked with space. He and Ashikawa were the Japanese composers that defined the Wave Notation series as “environmental music”. Yoshimura is a prolific musician, so there’s a lot more ambience where this came from. Check out his discogs, or keep searching through his albums on YouTube.

3. Haruomi Hosono – Watering a Flower

Close your eyes and breath slow, regular breaths. Can you feel it? Your physical body has become an 8Bit flower, blowing gently in the pixel-art mountains of Japan. Be still, and grow in your own time.

Watering A Flower follows a similar philosophy to Wave Notation. It is music specifically designed for an environment. Though they both share the same inspirational fishpond, they have one major difference: Watering a Flower was written for a chain of department stores, Muji. In a way, the movement of music in this direction is precisely what Ashikawa was criticising with Wave Notation.

Its composer, Haruomi Hosono, is a Japanese synthesizer powerhouse. As well as being the bassist in a band with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, Yellow Magic Orchestra (then sometime after, Sketch Show), he’s released a load of awesome solo albums like S-F-X.

Continue Reading
Tags: Brian EnoFluxusHaruomi HosonoHiroshi Yoshimurajapanese musicMusicRelaxSatoshi AshikawaWave Notation
Previous Post

Our 3 Matcha Drinking Hotspots in London

Next Post

4 Unique Japanese Dishes You Need to Try!

Cleary Mallard

Cleary Mallard

My Katamari is always rolling, picking up new underground music and videogames from Japan. I DJ and produce as Kamer, vibrating dubstep, noise, ambient and videogame soundtracks.

Related Posts

Ryuichi Sakamoto 2
Music

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano for the Isolated

Japanese musical innovator, Ryuichi Sakamoto, has recorded a touching live performance for those in isolation around the world. Special guest, Hidejiro Honjoh, joins the session...

by Cleary Mallard
neojapan
Music

Vaporwave: More than a Micro-Genre

Squeeze the play button on your cassette player and let the beats start flowing;...

by Cleary Mallard
Haruomi Hosono Banner
Music

Haruomi Hosono at the Barbican

Last Saturday, five decades into his musical career, the legendary Haruomi Hosono played his...

by Cleary Mallard
Ongaku Yoru 2
Music

Ongaku Yoru at Matilda’s Sake Bar

Bubbly music jiggled the floorboards of...

by Cleary Mallard
Next Post
P1110172

4 Unique Japanese Dishes You Need to Try!

Latest Articles

zen-japanese-philosophy-pebbles

Japanese Philosophies to Get You Through Lockdown

The Kobe Earthquake: January 17th 1995

The Kobe Earthquake: January 17th 1995

Take Me To Japan: Free Personalized Advice for Studying in Japan

Demon Slayer: Japans Highest Grossing Film of 2020

Tadao Ando 4x4 House

Japanese Architects: An Introduction

Follow Japan Nakama on Instagram

Our friends at @hai_hiragana have released their H Our friends at @hai_hiragana have released their Hai!Ku Kanji book: A friendly and easy introduction to learning Japanese Kanji. A must for fans of graphic design and learning Japanese alike, with 352 pages of learning 162 Kanji through visuals and Haiku! 🥳💥💪  #learnjapanese #日本語 #japaneselanguage #studyingjapanese #japanesewords #kanji #lovejapanese #japanesekanji #japanlover #lovejapan #learningjapanese #japanesecharacters #languagelearning #learninglanguages
This is my Friday night 🥳. #demonslayers #anim This is my Friday night 🥳.  #demonslayers #animecharacter #demonslayeredits #animecommunity #demonslayeranime #popularanime #myanimelist #animeposts #instaanime #animeseries #mangaseries #kimetsunoyaibamanga #kimetsunoyaibaanime #kimetsunoyaibaedits
🎮 😂😂😂. #capitolhill #capitolhilloccup 🎮 😂😂😂.  #capitolhill #capitolhilloccupiedprotest #capitolhillmemes #assassinscreed #ubisoft #wouldplay #assassinscreededit
🏗️🏢🏨🏛️🏫🏠🌇 #kazuyosejima 🏗️🏢🏨🏛️🏫🏠🌇  #kazuyosejima #itsukohasegawa #kumikoinui #japanesearchitecture #tokyoarchitecture #japanesedesign #tadaoando #shigeruban #architecturalinspiration #kengokuma #soufujimoto #toyoito #architecturedaily #archi_focus_on #architecturedetail
This is why you don’t buy robots from China. WAL This is why you don’t buy robots from China. WALL-E comin in HOT.  #dontbuy #robotled #artificialintelligence #robotica #deeplearning #failclips #wow😍 #fails #funnyfail #vidoftheday #walle
200 days to go till the postponed Tokyo Olympics. 200 days to go till the postponed Tokyo Olympics. Gotta love the shot of the Japan National Stadium designed by @kkaa_official . 
#tokyo #tokyocity #tokyo2021🇯🇵 #olympics #kengokuma  #kengokumaarchitects #summer #tokyoarchitecture
@dantanda remixed a MF DOOM X TATSURO YAMASHITA 6 @dantanda remixed a MF DOOM X TATSURO YAMASHITA 6 track EP. What a great way to pay respects for the hip-hop genius. RIP.
#mfdoom #ripmfdoom🙏🏾🎤👑 #tatsuroyamashita #citypopmusic #remixmusic
Happy new year.See y’all in 2021. Here’s a a y Happy new year.See y’all in 2021. Here’s a a year we would wanna forget but won’t. 
Totally vibing on the ASMR of the film loading of these old school Japanese cameras by @filmobjektiv .  If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us, is that you really need to cherish and capture the good times. It’s those moments that get us through the rough patches.
Peace.  #mamiya #analoguevibes #back2thebase #theanalogclub #analoguephotography #happynewyear #lifetime #filmcameralovers #istillshootfilm #thefilmshot #asmrtrigger #asmrrelaxation
@loewe and My Neighbor Totoro have come together f @loewe and My Neighbor Totoro have come together for an exciting collaboration.  Fans of Studio Ghibli can purchase leather bags, T-shirts, hoodies, footwear and accessories that highlight both the film’s stunning landscapes and the characters such as the blue Chuu-Totoro, the white Chibi-Totoro, the Susuwatari and, of course, Totoro.  #totorolover #fashioncollab #studioghibliedit #myneighbourtotoro #totoroclothing #loewetotoro #animecollabedit #getyourhandsonit
Merry Xmas everyone. 🎄 We made it. Sending lov Merry Xmas everyone. 🎄
We made it. 
Sending love to all on the Xmas express from the voice of city pop Tatsuro Yamashita.
.
.
.
Thanks @showa_era_memories for the Shinkansen song that takes us back to 80s Japan.
#tatsuroyamashita #jrrail #shinkansen #merrychristmas #cominghomeforchristmas #lockdownxmas2020 #80sjapan #xmassongs #citypopmusic #xmasgifts
Christmas saved KFC in Japan. KFC became Japan’s Christmas saved KFC in Japan. KFC became Japan’s answer to traditional Western Christmas food. With Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakki, or “Kentucky for Christmas” being a familiar promotion during the holidays.  KFC promoted fried chicken as a substitute for traditional Christmas turkey, which the Japanese knew was eaten in the West. Selling chicken and sides together in Christmas-themed “Party Barrels” and turning Colonel Sanders into Santa-san turned KFC into a new holiday tradition in Japan.
🌈 Good vibezz ✨Happy weekend everyone✨ #w 🌈 Good vibezz 
✨Happy weekend everyone✨  #weekendvibes #lostintranslation #pinkaesthetic #karaokenight #bladerunner2049 #anadearmas #scarlettjohanssonsexy #shibuyakaraoke #karaokekan #scifimovies

Stay up to date with our latest posts!

SUBSCRIBE NOW
Facebook Twitter Instagram

About us

Japan Nakama are a London based online publication that investigates and explores all aspects of Japanese Culture. To those new to Japanese culture welcome, to the Japan obsessed, welcome home.

JAPAN NAKAMA

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Promotional Videos
  • Contact us

Interested in writing for us?

© 2020 Japan Nakama - Connecting people through the spirit of Japan

No Result
View All Result
  • Anime
  • Creativity
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • TV & Film
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Gaming
  • Language
  • Travel
  • Music

© 2020 Japan Nakama - Connecting people through the spirit of Japan

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.