Blog - arcorhyme live and workshop vol.2: report
arcorhyme live and workshop vol.2: report
Tonight was arcorhyme's 2nd workshop event at café Go Slow located in Ikejiri Institute of Design. Takanami K-tarō (gutiar) and Nishimura Ikuyo (vocals) were accompanied by Hase Yasuhiro (piano, solange et delphine).
This time the "theme" song was "aoi neko" (means "blue cat") from their album "amai hibi ~la vie douce~". Like last time, there was a special cocktail of the same name, a mix of cassis liquor, Blue Curacao, grapefruit juice and soda I think. I had it, along with some chicken curry, both were great.
The event's workshop theme brings some unusual surprises, like a handwritten music sheet for "aoi neko", and also some covers of songs from K-tarō's past career. Last time we had the great surprise of a cover of Pizzicato Five's "Magical Connection", but this time we got 4(!) P5 covers!
Set #1: aoi neko / Shadow Tail / kaiten tobira / Don't you believe in magic?! / amai hibi
This first set contained "Shadow Tail" from album "Soundmatic Brain", which they played live for the first time, that was awesome! Also played was K-tarō's "kaiten tobira" from his solo album "Everybody's Out Of Town". Ikuyo had the whole audience clapping along to "Don't you believe in magic?!" and "amai hibi".
Set #2: aoi neko / Pizzicato Five's 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) (cover of Simon & Garfunkel) / P5's Vacance / P5's Baby Love Child / P5's Lover's Rock
As you can see, the 2nd set was stock full of P5 covers! First of these was the Simon & Garfunkel cover from the "Audrey Hepburn Complex" 12" (P5's very first release).
Next was rare song "Vacance" which was only released on live EP "Readymade Recordings e.p." This song was written by K-tarō (music and lyrics) and it was first recorded as a demo with Sakaki Mamiko singing, although the live version that was released had a very different arrangement. Here it was performed in K-tarō's original arrangement, and it really was a great song!
Last were "Baby Love Child" (from album "Sweet Pizzicato Five") and "Lover's Rock", both songs that I love very much, so I was really pleased with this fantastic set. Plus, K-tarō explained the chord progressions of each song from the 2nd set to a partly confused audience (so was Ikuyo). I must admit that although probably basic stuff, it was also a little bit over my head with tonics and dominants and subdominants. :)
Also Ikuyo explained that she mostly writes lyrics at a family restaurant, and those for "aoi neko" were written while listening to a nearby couple who were fighting.
At the end of the 2nd set, an audience member who had brought an erhu (a two-stringed Chinese instrument named "niko" in Japanese) came to the front to perform one song of her composition, slightly accompanied with the band. That was quite interesting too.
I heard somewhere that K-tarō said it was the last time he would play P5 songs, but I sure hope that's not true. Especially regarding "Vacance", I think deserves a proper release, and why not add it to arcorhyme's regular live repertory too! :)
Last, here's a not-blue cat spotted in Nakano in the afternoon.
Larger sizes and more photos at Flickr
Posted on June 8, 2008 at 01:42 | Tweet
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Have been reading all your reports and these litle arcorhyme gigs really sounds quite lovely.
Posted by Gustav on June 9, 2008 at 23:58
Thanks!! They definitely are. I can't get enough of them. :)
Posted by Patrick on June 10, 2008 at 00:00
I love the records so i hope they are planning to work more as arcorhyme in the future. Which record do you like the best? I prefer the live in the studio setting.
I just tought to myself how great it would be if Maki was singing these songs.
Posted by Gustav on June 10, 2008 at 23:38
It's hard to say which I like best, as I like both of them for their different moods, and each has its share of great songs. But perhaps I'm more often in the mood for "la douce vie", it does fit arcorhyme's image better maybe!
Also they're definitely working on new material already, so we should expect more! No idea when though. :)
Posted by Patrick on June 10, 2008 at 23:48
i wonder if the title "everybody's out of town" comes from that burt bacharach song that has a lyric like that in it. wish i could remember which song that is.
Posted by william on June 11, 2008 at 03:39
> wish i could remember which song that is.
Google is your friend in those moments. :) Looks like there's a song with that title.
I wouldn't be surprised if K-taro's album title would be a reference. I can try asking next time (if I remember to, that is).
Posted by Patrick on June 11, 2008 at 10:11