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At a tea house, under paper shadows

from IO Vapoura [Variations] by San Jaya Prime

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about

I've been caught off guard by who does and doesn't like "Shadows". About 52% of my listeners are in North America and this song is very, very Japanese. Were my Nihongo just a bit better, the title wouldn't be in English. To my two listeners in Taiwan and the ones in Kyoto and Osaka, sending mad love for staying tuned.

"Shadows" is an experiment in subtlety and contrast that is very much rooted in this section of the storyline. It is the world itself that is making the music. Creaking wood begins rhythmically thumping and cracking to the gurgling of the water. Wind chimes bounce to the rhythm. The air itself seems to pulse, almost threateningly in a way that the human psyche was not born to accept... and then the first chords are strummed.

I've been strongly influenced by the works of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kenji Kawai, Michiru Oshima and more. It never ceases to amaze me how the placement of even a single bell--the hardness of the strike, its resonance, its volumetric distance and especially the time of striking--can cause an entirely new wave of emotions in the listener. I've been far less subtle with this song, although I hope to slowly train my patience to the point of even approaching such mastery.

lyrics

sono shi o yoku sen to hosseba mazu sono kokoro o yoku shi
sono ga o yoku sen to hosseba mazu sono yo o yoku seyo
To write such a poem, first, be of such a mind;
To paint such a picture, first, comprehend such a form.

chikuei kai o haratte chiri ugokazu
tsuki tantei o ugatte mizu ni ato nashi
Bamboo shadows sweep the stairs,
yet stir not one mote of dust.
Moonbeams pierce thru to the bottom of the pool,
yet stir not the waters.

credits

from IO Vapoura [Variations], released July 7, 2010
Production + Album Art: San Jaya Prime
Mastering: BMFD
Storyline: LamatKan + Keaegan Macab
Label: Trochlear Rex www.trochlearrex.com

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San Jaya Prime Austin

I walk in dreams and dream waking. Who am I?

I hitchhike, I make music, and I meddle with things. Frakking love to meddle with sheit! My business is in surprising cops in small towns everywhere with the portable studio in my backpack. You really should see their faces... McPriceless! ... more

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