Artist: Jap Kasai 
Album: OWN ℃ 
Format: Digital / Tape 
Cat.No: CHI028 
Master: Jap Kasai 
Artwork: Saphy Vong 
Release Date: 10th May 2021

Japanese folk, Juke and Footwork meet in a joyful, hook-filled union on Jap Kasai’s newest album, OWN ℃. Using the Japanese concept of 温故知新 (onko-chishin), meaning "developing new ideas based on study of the past," Jap Kasai finds a totally unique expression of Japanese Ondo and Minyo folk music infused with a hypnotic and exuberant modernity.

Jap Kasai has been experimenting with ancient folk styles since 2015. He later discovered Footwork and juke.

“They created a new groove by sampling old soul music. They use soulful voices effectively,” explains the Kyoto-based producer. “So, I decided to replace [the vocals] with Japanese Monyo folk songs, because it was said that Minyo was the soul music of the country where I was born. At first it was half a joke. But, I gradually felt the depth of Minyo.” 
The marriage of Minyo and footwork isn’t as strange as it might sound on paper. On OWN ℃, the rhythmic, distended vocal style of Minyo singers (often backed by Jap Kasai’s own vocals) and the skittish, loose architecture of footwork creates a compelling new style that honours both musical traditions. Tracks such as 酔鴨 yoi kamo build in a grooving, circular loop, driven onwards by a ramshackle undercurrent of complex beats.

“Juke is a relatively new rhythm, but somehow ancient,” says Jap Kasai. “And fast rhythms make you feel slow in a way. Curiously, I got the same feeling when listening to Japanese folk songs. It's often a mix of slow drum rhythms and fast, metallic rhythms. Voices are also used differently from the West. I found this very interesting.” 
The title OWN ℃ combines a number of his concerns as an artist. It is a nod to his grandmother, ヲウン or Woun. Also, as he explains, "OWN ℃ can be read as "Ondo" in Japanese. And also OWN ℃ means "own body temperature". It is important in coronavirus disasters. Therefore, a simple wordplay gets a strange meaning.”

Despite sampling music from the recent and distant past, OWN ℃ addresses some very timely concerns. “Now the division of labour is very advanced,” he says. “We often feel as if our mind and body have become separate by internet. There are positive aspects to these systems. But I also think it has become more difficult to empathize deeply with things and to feel raw realisation. We need to change our lifestyles based on a real sense of mind and body.” A jubilant, danceable record, OWN ℃ reminds us of our own warm materiality.  

About Jap Kasai:
Based in Kyoto, Daisuke Iijima has been making music since 2015. He runs the cassette label hoge tapes.

OWN ℃

酔鴨 Yoi Kamo

Jap Kasai - 酔鴨 Yoi Kamo

Mixed by Seiji Takahashi https://soundcloud.com/seiji-takahashi
Rooftop Antenna presented by Neuume https://soundcloud.com/neuume

Tracklist:

Seiji Takahashi - Underground Garden / Sigh

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Love Is The Devil

björk - Pluto

Hironori Nagatsuma - Ingen,Ingenting / vind fran ost
	
Panoptica - Torero T

Gino Favotti - La petite conversation, sortie de la forêt
	
Mikael Stavostrand - Konvert

fraqsea - Glass Lake

Ken Ishii - Cocoa Mousse Live Version

Silent Poets - Come Raising Remixed by Tom & Joyce

Louise Vertigo - Blue Lagoon (moça nova)

Rei Harakami - Rho^2

Prokofiev - Visions fugitives, No. 1

suzuka - Dream of White Lion

Rooftop Antenna S2 Episode 5 | Seiji Takahashi

More practice for GBJam

FTM: http://2a03.free.fr/dl.php?file=4519
NSF: http://2a03.free.fr/dl.php?file=4520

[VRC6] Will You Dance With Me? (Atelier Meruru Arrangement)

Written in June 2024 for Sample Pack Contest XIX placing 2nd.

Locking In (SPC XIX)

坂道

身も凍りついてしまいそうだけど
前向きドキドキのために欠かさず飲んでいる　
ビタミンBだかCだかよく分かってないけど
のらりくらり暮らしてる

今日は部屋の掃除だけでも終わせたいけど
時計とチクタク結局座り込んでいる
好きなフランス映画のセリフをひたすら吐いて
のらりくらり暮らしてる

心が言うから従うけど
結末はいつもとんちんかんだよ
ヤギ座の線の結び方知れたらいいのに
私だけに見つかるようにおまじないかける

火も砂も何も知らないあの星でさえも
まったく同じように小さく見えている
イライラしたあとフラフラもして
死んじゃいないけど
のらりくらり暮らしてる

魚を釣ったり石を叩いたり
ベルを集めて橋をかけたい
ゴールデントラウトさえいれば
怖いものなんてない
ときどき落ちる流れ星におまじないかける

のらりくらり暮らしてる

実験デジタル工芸会 1st album - gp, Glyter, 毒ヶ崎情緒, Yuki, TANUKIBAYASHI, vionan, 大誤算, Lexapro, yuuri, そじゃう

えなこ - vionan

Music By: @instantpartymusic & @subhuntermusic
Mastered by: @Chefwamp
Art by: @Chefwamp

Locking In (SPC XIX)

mandrasigma