(the) Road to the Deep East

When I introduced Aoyama Thelma couples of weeks back, some said the songs from her first album were boring. Certainly, a month passed by, I have to admit that I didn't listen to her song so frequently, especially after 'Game' arrived at my house.

Then, now I'd like to recommend, how about this song?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6eyNtr5fbI

As a theme of a commercial film of famous shoes shop chain, this song is very frequently repeated in this country, so I'd already recognized this song, but I didn't know that this song was sung by Thelma until very recently.

This song, 'Garden of Love' is written and arranged by 29 year-old house musician, MAKAI from Fukuoka. He started his music activity as a club DJ in later 90s, and released his first indy album, 'Frontier' in 2004. After he released 2nd 'Stay true' in 2006. This year, he released his major debut album 'Garden' including this 'Garden of Love'.

I listened to 'Frontier' and 'Garden of Love' (maybe try 'stay true' later), and it seems I could find another hopeful song writer in Japan.

Just like 'Garden of Love' He is very good at mixing house music, which sometimes goes a bit snobbish and too sophisticated, with vocal tracks, and this combination is creating his very unique own world. He is also good at remixing some music materials from different genres. For example, 'Move Your Feeling' reminds me of latin, and 'Take me into your heart' reminds me of fusion.

I think this inconstant references from a lot of genres is the one of the good points of Japanese music, and musicians I like always have this sense. For example, Tsunku in early era, and Oshima Kosuke when he had been talented, Shinnosuke from Soul'd out, and needless to say, our Nakata Yasutaka. Then, it looks this Mr Makai can become the 'post Yasutaka' to me.

But if I find faults with his works, the bad point is the lyrics from him Thelma.

In my garden of love
You are my blue sky
In my garden of love
you are my sunshine
In the garden of love
you are my rainbow
Oh and its just you and me and we live in the garden of love.

...it's typical English in JPOP, which reminded me of Komuro Tetsuya after years, but what a boring garden she is mentioning about... I prefer living in the electro world to this garden then.

But it's house music, so nobody listens to the lyrics seriously, so it might not so strange. I can say his music is good, so if liked the track 'Garden of Love', you'd better try this album.


[EDIT]
After I recognized this 'Garden of Love' lyrics were litten by Thelma, I renewed my impression that she is like a teenager, although she is 20 years old, not just for her voice. The garden of love flyingn in the sky, over the rainbow... it seems to me a fantasy of teenag girl, and adults who got tired of the reality of this world can't think of that. Now I assume her mental age is around 15.