【Cover】BLUE COLOUR WORKER  “悲しきブルカラーワーカー”
(高橋ユキヒロ)　Covered by SEXY-SYNTHESIZER

高橋幸宏さんが天に召されたと知った時、YMOに夢中になっていた小学生の頃を思い出していました。
NHK甲府のFMの番組を慌ててカセット録音した「音楽殺人」は一曲目が録音損ねてしまって。
でもそれでもずっと聞いていました。

最初聞いた時はYMOのような電子音が少ないなーと
（当時私は音楽を聞くというよりも、単純に電子音が好きだったからだと思う。）
ちょっと不満だったけれど、いつしかこのアルバムを流れるPOPさが好きになり、
いつも聞いていました。それはこの歳になった今でも変わりません。

小学生だった自分が音楽を作ることを目指すきっかけとなった人の死は、
今でも心に突き刺さっていて、なかなか気持ちを文章にすることも話すことも出来ずにいました。
今回私は音楽をカバーさせて頂く事によって、
あの頃の自分に「私はこの歳になっても、こうして好きな音楽を作り続けています。」
と伝えたい。
そして音楽に出会えるきっかけになった高橋幸宏さんに感謝したいと思います。

想いが強くてなかなか制作も前に進まず。まだまだですねー私も。
出来る事ならお会いしたかったなー。
多分緊張しちゃってダメだったと思うけど。

【Cover】BLUE COLOUR WORKER  “悲しきブルカラーワーカー”

Artwork done by Oscar Jansson aka www.soundcloud.com/thegreatthunder

Lyrics:

Music is up in the air
I feel the music and what is means
I know that you feel pain
Mind over matter
Tears in rain 
x2

I'm ready to take a leap
This fire my brain contains
Swirls in the deep

Swirls in the deep
But i am not afraid, I am not afraid
You don't have to be afraid anymore
We got each other 

I'm searching for a new sound
That will inspire and devour
What makes my world go 'round
Diving into galaxies
Galaxies all around me
We got each other 

I'm ready to take a leap
This fire my brain contains
Swirls in the deep

Swirls in the deep
But i am not afraid, I am not afraid
You don't have to be afraid anymore
We got each other 

I'm searching for a new sound
That will inspire and devour
What makes my world go 'round
Diving into galaxies
Galaxies all around me
We got each other 

Music is up in the air
I feel the music and what is means
I know that you feel pain
Mind over matter
Tears in rain

Galaxies, galaxies
All around me

All Around Me

Recently I mentioned that I had a cassette tape from over 40 years ago when The Takahashi Band of 82 made a demo track for a potential TV commercial. The track was only worked on for a day or two and then abandoned. I think we all had a busy year and for whatever reason this recording was discarded.

I also talked about sharing the recording one day just for nostalgic reasons, however the mix was a very basic end-of-day progress mix and no vocal part was conceived. Sharing it in this form would not do the potential of the work any justice.

The track began with chords and synths that Yukihiro Takahashi recorded, the basic building blocks of his composition. I added the drum part. Having been intensively rehearsing and performing Takahashi material this triggered a distinct blend of my own style as might appear on tracks such as 'The Art of Parties' and Yukihiro's style on tracks such as 'Glass'. Haruomi Hosono added his brilliance on bass, as well as Masami Tsuchiya overlaying guitar parts and Hajime Tachibana adding a saxophone solo.

Fast forward over 40 years....
 
At the end of 2023 I sent the demo to singer/songwriter Marco Machera, someone I’ve collaborated with a few times in the past and whose vocal style I felt would compliment the music. Yukihiro also enjoyed Marco's music, including it on his own radio show. I asked Marco to consider adding a vocal which he was happy to do, also composing lyrics too.

I used an AI program to break down the stereo mix of the original cassette recording into individual tracks (this is a relatively new technology and although the quality struggled it allowed for a little bit more flexibility with the mixing and blending of new overdubs). The performed parts were retained, and to which I recorded some additional instrumentation as well as joining Marco on the chorus vocals. I made a new mix of the track. So what we have here is the finished piece: “Impossible Until It Happens”. 

Marco and I share this as an homage to Yukihiro who passed away this time last year and is greatly missed. We can feel the essence of Yukihiro's writing style in this track and we hope that you enjoy it.

Music by Yukihiro Takahashi / Song & Lyrics by Marco Machera

Yukihiro Takahashi - Keyboards
Haruomi Hosono - Electric Bass
Steve Jansen - Drums & Percussion, Additional Sequencers & Synthesisers, Chorus Vocals
Masami Tsuchiya - Electric Guitar
Hajime Tachibana - Saxophone
Marco Machera -  Lead Vocals, Samples, Additional Synthesiser
(for more information www.marcomachera.com)

Impossible Until It Happens

Cubase Pro 8

KORG ARP ODYSSEY(All Synth Sounds)
Arturia Spark Vintage(DMX)

Behringer CL9
Behringer SP400
Behringer RV600
BOSS NS-2
BOSS DD-7
BOSS RDD-20
BOSS SE-70

Mastering Soft
nomadfactory BO2S-3(EQ)
nomadfactory MAGNETIC II
nomadfactory COSMOS
nomadfactory LM2S-3(Limitter)
UV22HR


KORG ARP ODYSSEY Rev2 DEMO-01

This is the first "playtechs" track recorded in 1983.

no duplicatin'

do the pop

Brand new menu (!!!CAUTION!!! the song starts immediately without introduction.)

Techno Electro NewWave 8bit alternative new romantics DUB House
YMO Kraftwerk Visage Ultravox Spandau Ballet Talking Heads Human League Heven17 Soft Cell Sparks OMD Japan ABC TalkTalk Depeche Mode Brian Eno DEVO Art of Noise Buggles CAN P-MODEL Logic System NewOrder Joy Division Throbbing Gristle der Plan Wire Trio Silicon Teens Dennis Bovell Erasure Public Image Ltd. Conny Plank Propaganda Scritti Politti The Associates Be Bop Deluxe Boney M. Bow Wow Wow Bronski Beat Roxy Music Cluster The Cure Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft Daft Punk David Bowie Dead or Alive Digitalism The Durutti Column Echo & The Bunnymen METAFIVE etc
Steinberg CUBASE Studio One WAVES IK Multimedia Nomad Factory Arturia Native Instruments Rob Papen etc
KORG ROLAND YAMAHA Sequential Circuits Novation CASIO Kawai Boss AKAI ARP  Beatnic.jp etc

KORG ARP ODYSSEY Rev2 DEMO-01

Digital-Miyamoto

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