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Product Description

A 'music free zone' created by young colonists

Once, through the cracked glass of a coffee shop, I saw the 'skyscraper's clothes rubbing against the pavement,' which was 松本隆 of Happy End. About 40 years later, Lamp sings, 'A twisted skyscraper runs on schedule, carrying you' (from 'Lover and Rain Cloud'). They also sing, 'Outside the window, I vaguely remember, is a city of wind' (from 'If You Cry'). Lamp sings about 'cities.' Moreover, not just the 'scenery' seen with the eyes, but also 'landscapes,' 'scenes,' and 'sceneries' accompanied by colors, light, and temperature, and even the 'afterimages' and 'residual scents' of cities that have already disappeared. In that sense, Lamp is one of the few bands worth calling 'children of Happy End.' Additionally, the album cover of 'Tokyo Yutopia Tsushin' features a painting by Oji Suzuki. Therefore, many people might associate it with 'Happy End' through the magazine 'Garo.' However, naturally, Lamp has built its own musical world on the fertile ground paved by Happy End. From the very first track, 'Kusō Yakan Hikō' (Imaginary Night Flight), the music is like riding a 'jet samba' heading toward Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport, and there are tracks where a dreamy echo resonating over the mountains of Minas Gerais can be faintly heard. Also, compared to the previous album 'Lamp Gensō,' the rhythm arrangements are more complex, which is a significant feature.

For Lamp, I believe 'Lamp Gensō' was a milestone— for them as 'children of Happy End.' In contrast, 'Tokyo Yutopia Tsushin' is an album that shows Lamp stepping onto a new stage, aiming for the top. It is a step on the staircase of the tradition of 'Japanese city pop' built since the 1970s— for example, a staircase that Keiji Kanjii has preceded them on. The EP 'Hachigatsu no Shijō' (August's Poetic Sentiment), released in summer 2010, was a beautiful form of momentum to climb this staircase, and now it is clear.

'Tokyo Yutopia Tsushin' is more refined than ever. Yet, even so, Lamp still seems to refuse maturity somewhere, reminiscent of how Sugar Babe once did among Japanese bands, or how current Brazilian artists like Lo Borges do. I believe this is the essence of Lamp, and that is why I love their music.

In keeping with the title 'Tokyo Yutopia Tsushin,' I want to conclude this text by quoting the title of Katsuhei Kitasono's poetry collection published in 1953, 'Wakai Koroni' (Young Colony). The three 'young colonies' have begun to cultivate fertile musical fields by planting their hoes in new lands. These fields can be called 'Yutopia'— 'a free zone of music.'

Tōru Watanabe

About the Artist

Formed by Daisuke Someya, Yusuke Nagai, and Kaho Sakakibara. Their beautiful, poignant harmonies and catchy, pleasant melodies gradually permeate and attract attention. Their well-regarded melodic sense is based on the soft chord feelings of bossa nova, and the refined sounds of soul and city pop, intertwined with the sweet voices of the two and a unique tension, creating an atmosphere that makes one involuntarily tighten their chest. The lyrics, which evoke a somewhat poignant feeling of humidity and scent unique to Japan, and the songs crafted with various high-quality musical elements, have received high praise. They have released five albums (including Korean versions) so far.

They are filled with the freshness of a band that is always in the present moment.
Despite this, their musicality tends to be perceived as 'mature' first.
There are very few people like that—and that’s what makes it wonderful.

Tomita Labo (Keiichi Tomita)
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