Song of the Day: Yasuaki Shimizu – “Shiasate”
Released: 2022
Album: Kiren
Several years ago, I stumbled upon Palo Flats’ reissue of the obscure Japanese record Utakata No Hibi by Mariah. The album blew my mind. While it had elements of art rock, synth pop, and no wave, it really sounded extraordinarily alien and fresh to my ears. It quickly became one of my all time favorite albums.
Mariah was a short-lived project, only releasing a couple albums, and clearly peaking in 1983 with Utakata No Hibi. Composer/saxophonist Yasuaki Shimizu was the core of Mariah. His unique musical vision directed that project. Though generally unknown to Western audience, Shimizu has had an extensive career beyond his work with Mariah.
In February, Palo Flats released Shimizu’s previously unreleased followup to Utakata No Hibi. Kiren is a wonderfully bizarre sonic exploration. It has a similar feel to his work with Mariah, while often drifting into more atmospheric space. It’s hard to think of any Western musicians doing what Shimizu was doing at the time. Kiren can at times sound like a concoction of Eno, Residents, Flying Lizards and Peguin Cafe Orchestra, but it’s really its own truly unique work of art that needs to be heard by anyone with a curious ear.