About

Alongside Yellow Magic Orchestra and Plastics, Yasuaki Shimizu helped define the sound of '80s Japan. Decades later, he is still a first-call sessionman and producer, and a solo artist with a catalog that combines jazz, rock, and classical minimalism with musical traditions adapted from African, Middle Eastern, Ethiopian, and Jamaican sources. He founded experimental prog rock band Mariah in 1978 and issued their eponymous album in 1979. Two solo albums, 1982's Kakashi and 1983's Utakata No Hibi, framed the aesthetics of his future music, as evidenced by 1987's Subliminal's lush, post-new wave pop.

Shimizu wrote and soundtracked the hit animated film X in 1996 and began releasing his globally acclaimed recordings of J.S. Bach's cello suites rearranged for saxophone. 2009's Pentatonica (with his Saxophonettes project) showcased vintage and 2000s compositions and covers. 2022 finally saw the release of Kiren (recorded in 1984) and NHK Saturday Drama (the soundtrack to Kuhaku wo Mitashinasai).

The unreleased 1984 follow-up to the groundbreaking albums Kakashi and Mariah's Utakata No Hibi, Kiren is Yasuaki Shimizu's work for experimental dance music. Employing cutting edge production to create lush new wave soundscapes, it bridges the gap between his early 80s recordings and his later work with the Saxophonettes, filling a key lost chapter in his discography. 

Full liner notes in English and Japanese by Chee Shimizu. - Bandcamp

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Label: Palto Flats
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: Feb 25, 2022 / Original Release: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Jazz
Style: Ambient, New Wave, Experimental
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File under: Japanese Electronic