Name: BLACK WATER (First 5 minutes) by frostcircle
Duration: 5 min 1 s
Description: The equipment used is Cubase, SSEYO Koan Pro, TASCAM 424, NI THE GIANT.

04 Hiiro no Crew(Teruo Nakano’s Cafe Mix)

09 Shaku

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

Made this remix of JBK's Red Track Dance for Sugizo's label sampler release back in 1999

Grand Cross 1999

Red Track Dance Remixed By Steve Jansen

It is a relief to be able to announce the new album NO SAD SONGS by THE LILAC TIME will be released world wide by Tapete Records and her international partners in April 2015. To celebrate the hasty follow up to our 2007 album Runout Groove and because it’s a few moons until April we would like to offer to you, as a gift, an early single of the title track.

For a group that specialised in songs of melancholia this may sound like a radical departure. However the music is pretty much the same as we’ve been making since 1986. Recording NO SAD SONGS has been as enthralling as making the first album and it was reassuring to find we still sound like us. As all of the songs on No Sad Songs are so disparate the title track may be the most old school, reminiscent of another single we released at Christmas Black Velvet.

The last time I mentioned Christmas Eve in a song it was a hit. I haven’t failed to notice things have changed in the ensuing 30 years and that these days, especially perhaps at this time of year, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

I hope you enjoy the album, I am looking forward to you hearing it.

(Stephen Duffy December 2014)

BLACK WATER (First 5 minutes)

frostcircle

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