Break the Blinds enters our world

Gosh, I don't blog much here anymore do I.

Well, I made a new song this morning. It's ok. It was a fun way to pass a few hours.
Not too original though.

But it's always fun to play with those nobs and wheels!

As usual, it's loaded into the player on the right, or lazy people can click the link to listen/download/whatever.

Break the Blinds.mp3

New Nyago song - "tsuyu"

Nyago is back!!

This week I made the brave decision to spend money that I don't have (thankyou plastic man) to get something that I used to have, but then I didn't, but now I do again!

Yes, my KORG K49 was delivered yesterday, and I got some time to use it today.

Now, if something with a name like KOOOOOOOOOOOORG doesn't inspire you to make great music, then what the blazes will?!

I repeat: KOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRG!

KOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Man, I love shouting that word.

Anyway, I knocked together a pretty meaningless track, I think it's ok. Cubase was being very weird, so I had dificulty with the volume balance. Really must learn how to use that program sometime.

You can play the track as usual in the music player over there ---------->

Or you can download the full version here


tsuyu means rainy season. We had a real downpour for hours. It's cleared up now, so I think I'll pop into town before this weekend disappears forever.

The MASSIVE Update Part 2 - the era of self

Well, that took more than one day didn't it. Sorry. It really is hard to blog these days, but I want to get it down before my mind hazes over.

I want to start by talking a little bit about the new apartment.

It’s located in Kichijoji, a town about 15 minutes west of Shinjuku on the Chuo-line express train. You can take the Inokashira-line to Shibuya in 15 minutes too.
Sometime I’ll walk around Kichijoiji with a camera, and you can see for yourselves why it’s such a great place to live. I’m pretty chuffed.

The apartment in its current state

It took me a couple of weeks to get the apartment in order, and there are still a lot of things to sort out. But it’s much nicer now than when I’d just moved in!
It’s a pretty old building – made in the 70’s (ancient for destructo-happy Japan) so it has lots of… quirks. I couldn’t cook anything for two weeks because firstly the stove was on the opposite side of the room to the gas taps and it took me ages to find somewhere that sells a 3m hose, and secondly because the electricity went in the kitchen and I was unable to work out how to switch it back on (antiquated system).

No real complaints about the bog, although the lack of a window or extractor fan soon persuaded me to invest in fragrant sprays

There are other quirks too. There are three CATV cables for the TV. Why? Why oh why?
I had no lock on the balcony door for two weeks. And the balcony door is such a bad job. It doesn’t close fully. I can see why – when I asked the landlord to put a lock on the door, he got some cowboy guy around who tried his best to fob me off with just sticking a piece of rubber at the bottom of the door – like a wedge – to stop the door from being opened from the outside. After demonstrating to him that merely by applying strength to the door you could dislodge the wedge, he got off his arse and went to the hardware store to buy a proper lock. Even then, he didn’t remove the old one fully – it just dangles from the middle of the door now.

The balcony, and Kichijoji beyond

But without a shadow of a doubt, the most peculiar aspect of the apartment is the rather bizarre placement of the shower room. It’s on the balcony. You open the balcony door, and there is a pod there that you get into. An individual pod. It’s rather fun. You can sit on the sofa and watch someone shower. If you’re into that kind of thing.

Balcony, shower, TV. Everything you need in one meter.

So a couple of weeks ago I had a little house warming party with 5 friends. We barbequed stuff on the hot plate outside, and played Wii Sports. Unnecessary metal trinkets on the back of girls’ jeans have etched black patterns onto my walls now though. There goes my deposit!

Proof that I have at least 5 friends

I am now determined to make friends. To hang out with them. To expand. For too long I was locked away. People are rather interesting if you give them a chance.

I went to an event for fans of the band “Supercar” in a club in Shimokitazawa. It was fun. I chatted with these Japanese guys and we exchanged business cards (yes you even do that in clubs here). I sent them emails, but no replies. There’s something about Tokyo people where it’s deemed socially acceptable to just not reply to emails. It really boils my blood. Stop being pathetic! I can imagine them waking up hung-over, in a cold-sweat, thinking “god… I made friends with a foreigner! What am I going to do? People will think I’m weird and look at me”, or some such thing. Or perhaps they threw themselves onto the Chuo-line – many other people do after all. Perhaps I have that effect on people.

I’m just kidding! I’m quite amazing actually.
In fact, I’m worried that I may appear “too cool”, if this is possible. When I talk with people, I inevitably mention that I was an actor, and now I work at a video games company, my Japanese is great blah blah blah – maybe they just think “hmm, he probably has loads of swanky mates, and will think that I’m of petty significance in the grand tapestry of his life”.
If they are thinking that, they are wrong! Ordinary people are most welcome. I don’t bite.

Lately, I started doing something that I’ve wanted to do for about 14 years now. I finally started to learn the drums. It’s great.
The studio is half way between the station and my home, which is dead handy. I pop in there every other day for a rat-a-tat-tat. Once a week I meet my teacher who pushes me forward. I can really feel the progress.

My sensei, "Monkey T Nissy"

It’s not cheap, but you know, you have to do these things. I’m 26 already. 14 years of procrastinating right there.

That’s a whirlwind tour of what has been pertaining. Tonight I’m going to Yotsuya to see my friend Matt’s band, Placebo Sound. They’re a good unit, very tight, with some top songs too. Tonight is their last scheduled Live event for now, and it has drink-as-much-as-you-want too. Great! More good for me!
Goodness goodness goodness
I just realised that the words “good” and “god” are very similar. I feel nauseous now and must stop writing.

Nyago new release! 'Draw dros y mor'

Nobody said that making music was easy - thankfully, it is now in the hands of nerds

I was walking back from the video shop, and a new tune came in to my head.

It quickly took shape.

I could see:
It was going to be something special.

Sadly, that's not the same song that I have put together today - amongst all the hassle of setting up the keyboard, laying down drum beats etc, I'd quite forgotten what I intended to do. Damn it - must use the voice recorder on my phone in future! Even if I do look like a doink singing in the streets.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this song - 'Draw dros y mor' (Welsh for 'Over the sea'). It's quite notable for me in that;
It's my first song in months
It has my my first audio sample - the trains outside the apartment
It has voice samples from my favourite singer (me)
I did it in Welsh (current fad of mine)

Anyways, enough reading about it - go ahead and load it up in the Nyago music player on the right, and have a listen for yourselves. I think it's a bit too long myself again, and perhaps has too much going on at times.

You can download it here too (remember to right click->save link as);
Download Nyago: Draw Dros y Mor.mp3

Japan radio forum

I'm quite chuffed with the little flash player that I've put up - it took quite a bit of work, but I'm looking forward to getting some good stuff on there. There are musicians in Japan too, you know. I haven't bought a non-Japanese CD now for aaaaaages. I'm not being snobbish - I'm just losing touch. For western music, Jonny is my ears.
I'll try and keep it varied.

You can post your opinions, requests, death threats etc here.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

Cymraeg yw iaeth yr ysgol hon

I was listening to 'Yr Atal Genhedlaeth' today for the first time in yonks. Yeh, it's still pretty good. Forget Stereophonics, MSP - SFA and Gorky's are, for me, the only succesful Welsh bands who both sound good and undeniably Welsh. Not just in accent; but in the very roots of their music. You listen to Gruff Rhys, and you get the feeling that he has been to Llangranog.

That's right - Japanese version, baby

Anyway, the album is also in Welsh. I don't get to hear or speak much Welsh anymore - it's more like some coherent dream.

There's no doubting though that Welsh sounds great in songs. Welsh is so much fun - so camp.
In any language, there are words that make you smile just by saying or hearing them. I would like to collect all of them, Pokemon style. I'm gonna start with some Welsh ones - feel free to add to the list.
I'm gonna cheat and use some phrases too.

Sbwrgi
Sgerbwd
Mor-ladron
Hyder
Ogof

I know that there are more - help me here, before they leave me for good

HMV will devour us all

It doesn't matter where you are, there are two universal truths in this world;

1. McDonalds tastes the same in any country (i.e. suspicious)
2. HMV's in any country are overpriced yet allude to have 'bargains'


I was in Sendai at the end of the end of the year, and whenever I'm in Sendai, I do like to have a browse around the Book-off store near the station. Most Japanese retailers sell CD's at the recommended retail price (3000-4000JPY, or 15-20GBP), so second-hand is a good avenue to reasonable value.
I bought the debut solo album by Miki Furukawa, former Supercar bassist. It comes in a shiny blue card case that unfolds into a pentagon. It's pretty neat. You can listen to her on Myspace here, and see her on Youtube here. She's clearly sticking to the late-Supercar blueprint that brought her success.

I then realised that this was the first CD that I'd bought in 11 months. Despite my poverty, I used this as some sort of justification when, a week later, I found myself in the Shinjuku Times Square mall with nothing to do, so I cruised around the 13th floor HMV whilst Rumi browsed shoes amongst the rabid, packed throngs downstairs. I went down their later. It was an ugly sight. Like the Tokyo Game Show, but with shoes.

HMV were having their "biggest ever sale!!!" (Their emphasis). To be fair, there were plenty of DVD bargains available, ranging from 500 - 2000 yen, some of them pretty new titles. No doubt they are trying to clear the stock, so that they can overcharge us aaaaaall over again with Blu-ray/HD-DVD. Can't wait for that one.
Still, thanks to the "biggest ever sale!!!", I somehow ended leaving the store with 4 CD's, but my wallet was 12,600JPY lighter... that's 55GBP!! That seems like a lot if you ask me. That sounds like how much it should cost before the sale.

Anyway, I used this rare opportunity to flesh out my Supercar collection with more average CD's (it's horrible when a great band break up and you already own the best albums - you end up scavenging). I'll do a Supercar round up post some other time.

I spent a good half-hour at the Indies music stations in the far corner of the room. It was nice. Should do it more often. I found several albums that I almost rash-purchased.

I did come out of the store with this little doozy though.



Cornelius has been around for a while now - I think he's even collaborated with Bloc Party. He makes very sparky, upbeat experimental music, using lots of live instruments as opposed to synth. It's very trendy boutique music that you could easily imagine being played in a shop that sells expensive T-shirts. Very Daikanyama, I would say (there are lots of stores in Daikanyama that sell expensive T-shirts).

This album will definately be sitting next to Susumu Yokota's "Grinning Cat" in my CD collection for years to come. He's playing in the Liquid Room, Ebisu in March - might have to go check that one out.

Cornelius home page

Cornelius on Myspace

I've made another Flash player over there on the right. In the future, I'll be putting what cool Japanese music I find into there, so be sure to check it out every once in a while. I've put some Cornelius in there for now - have a listen, then I won't have to describe the music! It makes sense really, doesn't it.

NOTE: I've just checked Cornelius' Myspace page, and seems that he hails from Nakameguro - just one station from Daikanyama. So there you go. Maybe he is directly responsible for the trendy T-shirt stores.

Nyago makes music, tells no-one

Well, only two or three people have known about my music-making exploits of the last six months, but now the whole world can share in this heavenly knowledge!! I've stuck them on an external Yahoo site, so you can get to them any-damn-time you want, by clicking the 'Nyago music' link on the right hand pane.
At the moment, I'm churning out about 1 song per month - quite crap really, I know. Trust me, you don't know how much effort it takes!

Here's the link again if your eyes can't stretch over; http://uk.geocities.com/getoffmyface

Comment, or I won't let you listen anymore - so there!