Stamped: March 27th, 2007 | Related Posts
Tagged: Jmusic, Jpop, Maaya Sakamoto, yoko kanno.

Lately, I was thinking of writing a post about Craig Armstrong. But most of you do know Craig Armstrong, and today is an exceptional shining day so I wasn’t in the mood of ruining it with sad tracks.
Instead, I decided to put some music that reminded me of summer time.

And that’s what Maaya Sakamoto’s DIVE album reminds me of.

Maaya is a Japanese Jpop singer and voice actress (seiyuu) who started her career in her mid teens. Maaya Sakamoto is Yoko Kanno’s protégée, as all of her albums are composed and produced by her. Maaya adds her touch by writing all the lyrics.

Her second album DIVE is by far my favourite album (1998), I haven’t listened to the latest one yet, released this March (”30 minutes night flight”) but to me, the other albums are just regular Jpop music like others. Maybe a special credit to the “Nicopachi” single collection that is really not bad, full of catchy lullabies. Yoko Kanno is really good when it comes to American-like pop music.
As I am writing this, I’m listening to that ridiculous Madonna Material girl sampled track sung by Maaya in Japanese, and it really conveys my feeling for her other albums as being merely trifle music.

But those songs selected below from the DIVE album have a totally different texture, those songs simply catch my attention everytime they are played in my long playlist and they achieve to make me smile, reminding me of a frivolous warm summer day.
I loved those songs the very first time I heard them.

1. I.D.: The “Dive” albums starts with this track. It definitely feels like summer. Just by listening to it, I feel the warmth of the sun.

2. Getsuyou no Asa: Different mood, the title itself can set the mood. “Getsuyou no Asa” Monday morning. Serious monday morning.

3. Yucca: I love this melody, it’s really soothing, comforting, mesmerizing.

4. Pilot: Summer well-being again. Catchy chorus.

5. Kodoku: It means Solitude. It is my favorite song of all those five. This is the song that manages to make me smile, even if I am lost in my solitude.

6. Dive: This is a rather sad song at the beginning. But then, as it unravels, I can feel a ray of light piercing through.