Aug 16, 2011

The reissue project reconvenes

Since the re-release of the remastered "Ningen No Kao" album last December, there has been no release from the band. And finally we'll see some, very interesting material.

The reissue project of Hikashu will reopen this fall and it's going to be a huge deal. Three albums have already been remastered and now waiting to be released.



In October, the "Kawatteru" will be reissued. Originally released in 1996, it's a sort of the best album, the popular tunes of the band were re-recorded with new arrangement, and some of them were drastically altered. It contains "Pike" "Ningen No Kao" "At the End of the 20th Century" "Teicho Na Omotenashi (Courteous Hospitality)", "Biro Biro" et al. It's notable that it comes with a booklet containing English translation of the lyrics.


The other two titles are also to be out later this year.




"Hanauta Hajime" is the album originally released in 1991 and features the original version of the ever-popular track, "Biro Biro." It's very jazzy album, and filled with ungrounded, impenetrable happiness. Pastoral. Or some might feel it's euphoric. Anyway, this is their representative piece of work in 1990s, so you have to get a copy.




"Teicho Na Omotenashi" is the 1990 effort and it opens with a 5-minutes totally improvisational piece of music called "Kashiwade" (The Clap). The title track is a very tight, immaculately constructive funk tune, penned by Mitama Masamichi. An album cut "Chimera" set the album's tone - dark, serious and monotonous, in a good sense. Also "Daikoukai" (The Grand Voyage), written by Inoue Makoto, is outstanding - its grandiosity only rivals to "Nihon No Egao," the other masterpiece of Mr. Inoue.


Of course, all the titles are remastered by Ono Seigen under the supervision of the members and come with a cardboard paper sleeve.

Those 1990s albums are hard to find for a while and it's advisable to get them as soon as possible. In fact, some recent reissues are now scarce and not available, especially the "Hikashu Super" album (Fortunately, the album is going to be pressed again but it takes some time.) So get them while supplies last.

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