Hi! We're Santa Dharma (Tomo & Holly), based in Tokyo. We recorded this album in our home studio on our collection of retro drum machines, Casios, Omnichords, FX pedals, and many other sounds we've collected on our adventures. This is our cassette, so if you like it, please visit our Bandcamp and give us some support! Cassettes and digital album are both available.

https://santadharma.bandcamp.com

Santa Dharma Cassette Side A & B (Full Album Stream)

We made this live cover for a Christmas program here in Tokyo. You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/3Qoh2dAQ4oM

Happy Holidays everyone!

Listen The Snow Is Falling Live Session (Yoko Ono Cover)

We made this live session for the pilot of Buddhagaya TV. If you'd like to see the session and how we made the music, please check it out here:
https://youtu.be/rOdqjubeG1o

Also if you'd like to perform on Buddhagaya TV, we're always looking for cool artists making lo-fi experimental DIY stuff, so reach out to us on instagram or here. For an idea of the stuff we're looking for, here's the 1st episode: https://youtu.be/YRzgbWZlYTQ

Next Buddhagaya TV will be coming soon. The music revolution will be televised.

Radio Cars live in the studio for Buddhagaya TV (2021)

We wrote and recorded this demo while staying in a log cabin on a mountain in Saitama, and the first line is based on a famous slogan from the Okinawan peace activist Nubui Kuduchi: すべての武器を楽器に or "All weapons into musical instruments". We wrote this right after living in Okinawa for a few months, where we met Kuduchi and saw his band play. 

Can't find the exact lyrics atm (may update later), but basically commenting on the fact that the US government continually is inactive in terms of gun violence.

Sangha and Dharma

Let's turn all guns into guitars (2016 Demo, Saitama)

We made this with a Casio Rapman and some other shnizz. Hope you enjoy!

Casio Rapman Truths (FAWM Demo 2022, Tokyo)

Our second demo for February Album Writing Month. Took longer than we had planned, kept throwing new layers at it...this is what we came up with.

Mind Waves (FAWM Demo 2022, Tokyo)

We made another demo for February Album Writing Month, this time using the QR-10 and some other pieces like an Omnichord, Microfreak, TD-3, recorded on a cassette MRT (Yamaha MT8X), so it was a completely DAW-less jam and recording. Made with the "help" of our two loving cassette engineer cats, Lucy and Casio.

Feeling Gravity (FAWM Demo 2022, Tokyo)

Another track for February Album Writing Month. This one's on the theme of the afterlife, made with a 70s drum machine, tin can ukulele, and a Casio MT-40.


Lyrics:
People always wonder what happens when you die, but how about what happens when you live, untethered, and don’t mind the mind weeds? 

Piece of the same universe
Those who had it good or worse
Piece of the same universe

Even if you don’t believe in religion you have a religion
Sacraments, idols, beliefs, disbeliefs, sanctuaries, bibles, orthodoxy:
Fast food, TV, flags, marriage, weed
These threads form your image of the afterlife 
A trip, a dream, a test, decay, heaven, hell, nothing, angels, dust, deities, clouds

Piece of the same universe
Those who had it good or worse
Piece of the same universe

Every religion makes up the afterlife 
So why not our own? 
First take elevator to the sky
Where you can wander through beautiful memories
Visit lands of postcards and dictionaries
Cities, oceans, libraries
Mental texts sent to loved ones you miss 
To be reborn take a ticket and project to earth

Piece Of The Same Universe (FAWM Demo 2022, Tokyo)

This was a DAW-less demo we made for February Album Writing Month using reverse looping and a cassette MTR to record.

Waking Up From A Dream (FAWM Demo 2022, Tokyo)

Just a little one-take DAW-less jam we did on our cassette MTR; lyrics are just a stream of consciousness. Was going to trim it down a bit, but gotta keep "February Album Writing Month"-ing if we're going to get to 14 songs...

Espresso and Cassettes (FAWM Demo 2022, Tokyo)

This is a one-take DAW-less improvisation we did for February Album Writing Month, recorded on cassette.

Letting Go (FAWM Demo 2022, Tokyo)

Another little improvisation we did for February Album Writing Month, recorded on cassette.

Deep in the Jungle, Where the Ocean Meets the Trees (FAWM Demo 2022, Tokyo)

This is like a micro-grunge inspired set with a monotribe, a streichfett string synthesizer, ukulele w/ fx. One of our last demos for February Album Writing Month. Let's see if we can do 1 or 2 more before tomorrow...

Pretty Windows (FAWM Demo 2022, Tokyo)

Update: we played this song live if you'd like to see the video... https://youtu.be/V_le5F-l08w
-------
We made this today, and it's thrown together really quickly and is just a jam we did, and then a one-take vocal (would've re-taken if it wasn't almost 2 am here in Tokyo), but seems like something we might come back to later. February Album Writing Month coming to a close...

Space Raga (FAWM Demo 2022, Tokyo)

Sorry we've been really inactive on here for awhile because we were so busy preparing for BTV! Thanks everyone who joined us for some all-new experimental music videos and performances. If you'd like to be on the next episode, hit us up on here or on instagram and let's chat.

This is the audio for our performance. It was an old demo we put aside for years and recently started re-working because it felt like the time to pick it up again. We wrote this song for Tota Kaneko, an avant-garde haiku writer and peace activist. We loosely translated one of his haiku as “Wake up there might be a war, so wander in the flower fields” and used that as the chorus of the song and the inspiration for the other lyrics.
If you'd like to check out the video: https://youtu.be/2Kv8EgKv20g

This was a DAW-less setup, using midi and live looping. Gear: CZ-101, SA-1, RC-202, SP-404MKII, Model D, Microfreak, soprano ukulele, Voice Live Touch, Keith McMillen 12-step, Streichfett string synth, and lots of fx pedals. 

And if you'd like to check out the whole stream with the other artists, here it is: https://youtu.be/2wEen7IqtOw

Thanks for stopping by!

Lyrics:

Robot hand to robot weapon
"Having a war is so much fun! 
Robot country's number 1,
land of the rising, sinking sun"
Robot friends, it's just begun
They'll teach us through animation
Propaganda to color in the schools 
Everyone follow the robot rules

Wake up there might be a war, so wander in the flower fields

Vote for Robot A or Robot B 
or skip it all and watch TV
It'll show you how fun life is 
if you drink lots of robot "fizz"
Government-issued conversation topics 
7-D glasses take you to the tropics
Who needs a holiday?
Work yourself to sleep every day 

Wake up there might be a war, so wander in the flower fields

Robot hand to robot heart
Put down gun, be still, be smart 
Inner world holds mystic treasure
Government feeds us robot pleasures
That way we won't protest the laws that we detest
I'm sure you can figure out the rest...
This is a robot loyalty test! 

You've let the propaganda take you away from critical thinking.

Come and wander in the flowers...

"Robots In The Flower Fields" Live Session For BTV Ep. 2 (2022)

Back in February we recorded a jam session that we liked, so we decided to revisit it for BTV. If you'd like to see the video (and the whole stream), it's here: https://youtu.be/V_le5F-l08w

BTV (Buddhagaya TV) is a throwback to retro MTV streamed live from Tokyo. If you're a band/artist who'd like to send us a video, let us know!

Live Studio Session of "Space Raga" for BTV

Made with a Casio PT30, a Casio SA46, a Kaossilator, a ukulele, cricket noises, a Voice Live Touch, and a noisemaker in our home Tanzania for FAWM. It is about putting on our "happiness glasses" to be present and enjoy the beauty in the moment.  It's also about the stray cats in our yard in Tanzania and their little drama that unfolded outside our windows.  Meow.  <3

Lyrics:
Chameleons and crickets, the trees are our pickets 
Cactus skyscraper gives us blossom tickets 
To a phenomenon we call the sky 

Buddha frog disappeared 
to another plane without fear 
 I wonder why 

Believe in free 

New cult of cats rolled out their doormats
In our yard full of jackfruits, mongoose, and bats 
They own the porch and probably silly hats 

Sanga is the one they hail 
Known for her triangle tail
I wonder why 

Believe in free 


Happiness Glasses (FAWM Demo 2016, Tanzania)

The beats were made by our friend Pipe Wrench (https://soundcloud.com/pipe-wrench) who made these beats based on traditional Tanzanian drumming as a collaboration for FAWM.  We've thrown in some ukulele, Casio SK1, and some vocals and recorded it in our home in Tanzania.  This song is about loving someone in this life and hoping your souls will meet up again in the next one.  Thanks for listening.  <3  

Lyrics:
In my next life what will I be?
A dog, a cow, a honeybee? 
I’ll look for you in the sky and the trees.

The moon is our streetlight
When the world resets
In my next life 
I won’t forget 
Have I found my dharma yet?  

I didn’t use to fear mistakes
Felt like nothing could ever break
Now I spend too much time in the future
Life’s my brain’s moving picture.

In our next life what will we be?
A dog, a cow, a honey bee?
I’ll look for you in the sky and the trees
 
And when I think about the past
Everything good went away too fast
Tsunamis, recessions, depression
all last

Every creature dies alone
Becomes dust, air, sea foam
Or maybe we are stars
Dripping music into radio cars



Radio Cars (FAWM Demo 2016, Tanzania)

A song by Holly and Tomo, home-recorded in Colombia.  

Mate (Demo 2016, Colombia)

Here's a soupy, dreamy one-take recording of a song for FAWM. 
When we lived in Morogoro, Tanzania, and we wanted to have a fancy dinner, we went to the Morogoro Hotel for Indian food. A band would play by the swimming pool, and they played this really laid back rhumba that almost had a surf feeling to it. Later, under a big old thatched roof that was a Tanzanian club, people would dance to Nigerian pop that had a lot of autotune and vocal effects and very digital feeling, so it was such an interesting contrast. We were trying to play around with the commingling of those sounds.

Indian Dinner At The Morogoro Hotel (FAWM Demo 2018, Tokyo)

This is part of a 16-minute improvisation we did with a couple of friends in our tiny home music studio, then Sushi Neko stripped it down and added some lyrics on top. Demo for FAWM (February Album Writing Month), so quite a gritty mix. Thanks for listening. If you're in Tokyo, we'll be playing a gig with these two friends this Sunday 3/3, so come on down!

Hanami (FAWM Demo 2019, Tokyo)

Recorded in our home studio in Tokyo, Japan. If you're in Tokyo, come to one of our shows. 
Album Art by the talented Amanda Martin (The Weirding Way).

Consider supporting our music on Bandcamp! https://santadharma.bandcamp.com/album/sakura-high

Looking in the Shadows (2019 EP version)

Recorded in our home studio in Tokyo, Japan. Casio PT30 + MicroKorg + electric ukulele + mokyugo + buddha machines. 

If you're in Tokyo, come to one of our shows. 
Album Art by the talented Amanda Martin (The Weirding Way).

Consider supporting our music on Bandcamp! https://santadharma.bandcamp.com/album/sakura-high

Taiwanese Mystery Dharma Band (2019 EP Version)

Recorded in our home studio in Tokyo, Japan. Monotribe + electric ukulele = minimal synth vibes, like sakura on a spring day. 

We play all around Tokyo and Japan. If you're in Tokyo, come to one of our shows. Album Art by the talented Amanda Martin (The Weirding Way).

Consider supporting our music on Bandcamp! https://santadharma.bandcamp.com/album/sakura-high

Sakura High (2019 EP Version)

This is one of the tracks off our new full-length album, up now on Bandcamp and streaming services. Cassettes for sale too! 

https://santadharma.bandcamp.com

We made this song with an Omnichord, a ukulele, and lots of other bits and pieces in our home studio in Tokyo. Thanks for stopping by!

Happiness Glasses (2021 Album Version)

This is our first song for February Album Writing Month. We used a RE-101 (a space echo machine), a Ravish Sitar pedal, Yamaha PSS-F30 (Indian version), Hoffner bass, and a (Radel Digi 108)midi tabla machine.

We're Holly and Tomo, based in Tokyo. Thanks for listening!

Tabla High (FAWM Demo 2021, Tokyo)

This song is, of course, tongue in cheek, but it's commenting on some recent statements from the Head of the Olympic Organizing Committee (who also used to be prime minister and resigned due to evidence of him having yakuza connections). He recently said (publicly) that women talk too much and nothing ever gets done in meetings. Even after outrage from citizens and the community, he still refuses to resign. Many politicians and important businessmen are supporting him, and some even said he was simply saying what everyone else thinks. 

Obviously the comment is extremely rude, and just plain toxic in a society where gender equality still ranks so low. Women are rarely allowed into important meetings with decisions, and the implication is that they're not welcome to say anything if they get there. So we decided to turn his words around and see how it sounded.

Men Talk Too Much (FAWM Demo 2021, Tokyo)

This is essentially just a jam session we did tonight on our recently-purchased cassette player--if you want to skip the super jammy part, go to about 45 seconds in.

This is our 3rd song for February Album Writing Month. Recorded in our home studio in Tokyo. We were eating BBQ chips and no good name was coming to us, so for now this is the BBQ chips cassette.

BBQ Chips (FAWM Demo 2021, Tokyo)

We recorded this as a one-take session cassette take for February Album Writing Month. Tired of writing lyrics, so just did some oohing and aaahing today. May develop this into more of a "song" later!

RTZ (FAWM Demo 2021, Tokyo)

This is just a one-take tape deck jam we did--a bit of a song seed we may come back to after February Album Writing Month.

Music Seeds (FAWM Demo 2021, Tokyo)

Tokyo-based experimental pop duo and creators of Buddhagaya TV. If you'd like to be on the next episode, get in touch! 

This space is for demos and rough tracks. A bit about us in Tokyo Weekender:
https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2021/01/santa-dharma/?fbclid=IwAR2KtemX45Z7GaFxUA_I7VL-a0YsyMCDrQvEoh-Bkkim9TiWdGOa2J2boJE

Santa Dharma

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