![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Music Monday: Eri Nobuchika
Sep. 11th, 2023 10:10 amIt's musicmonday again, so if you'll indulge me I'll wax about another 2000s-era Asian pop hit 😌
You may have heard of Lights, the theme song of the puzzle/rhythm game Lumines. Composed by Shinichi Osawa of Mondo Grosso fame, it was also the debut of singer and lyricist Nobuchika Eri, whose demo tape won Sony's "Gonna be A Star" competition, even though she had forgotten to write her address on her application. (The audition president eventually tracked her down.) Though only in high school at the time of her discovery, Eri's voice had a rich maturity and boldness atypical of many young jpop performers.
Lights, with its inclusion in Lumines, introduced Nobuchika Eri to a global audience. It's how I first heard her music: playing Lumines on a borrowed PSP in a Boston area arcade while waiting to play the one DDR machine in the place. (The man who lent me his PSP also made fun of my poor playing, after which I returned it and never spoke to him again.)
ANYWAY. Nobuchika Eri's first album, nobuchikaeri released a whole year after her Lights single. It's one of my favorite albums ever--pairing Eri's lush, emotional vocals with Shinichi Osawa's acid jazz/EDM inspired arrangements create a truly singular sound.
Unfortunately, it's a collaboration that's never been repeated--after nobuchiaeri's release, both musicians left Sony Music. Since then, Eri has done some work with NAOTO of Orange Road and released two mini-albums, hands and III - THREE. Both albums have pared down instrumentals heavy on piano and acoustic guitar, giving Eri's powerful voice center stage, and while I wouldn't call either bad the songs lack the identity and pop of nobuchikaeri. I honestly struggle to remember any tracks from either album, despite listening to them multiple times.
The exception is Eri's cover of Woman "Wの悲劇"より. One of the most beloved pop ballads of the Showa era, this song about a love affair approaching a tragic end is a perfect fit for Eri's emotional styling.
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading, and I hope I've lead you to some new music you can enjoy. ♥
You may have heard of Lights, the theme song of the puzzle/rhythm game Lumines. Composed by Shinichi Osawa of Mondo Grosso fame, it was also the debut of singer and lyricist Nobuchika Eri, whose demo tape won Sony's "Gonna be A Star" competition, even though she had forgotten to write her address on her application. (The audition president eventually tracked her down.) Though only in high school at the time of her discovery, Eri's voice had a rich maturity and boldness atypical of many young jpop performers.
Lights, with its inclusion in Lumines, introduced Nobuchika Eri to a global audience. It's how I first heard her music: playing Lumines on a borrowed PSP in a Boston area arcade while waiting to play the one DDR machine in the place. (The man who lent me his PSP also made fun of my poor playing, after which I returned it and never spoke to him again.)
ANYWAY. Nobuchika Eri's first album, nobuchikaeri released a whole year after her Lights single. It's one of my favorite albums ever--pairing Eri's lush, emotional vocals with Shinichi Osawa's acid jazz/EDM inspired arrangements create a truly singular sound.
Unfortunately, it's a collaboration that's never been repeated--after nobuchiaeri's release, both musicians left Sony Music. Since then, Eri has done some work with NAOTO of Orange Road and released two mini-albums, hands and III - THREE. Both albums have pared down instrumentals heavy on piano and acoustic guitar, giving Eri's powerful voice center stage, and while I wouldn't call either bad the songs lack the identity and pop of nobuchikaeri. I honestly struggle to remember any tracks from either album, despite listening to them multiple times.
The exception is Eri's cover of Woman "Wの悲劇"より. One of the most beloved pop ballads of the Showa era, this song about a love affair approaching a tragic end is a perfect fit for Eri's emotional styling.
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading, and I hope I've lead you to some new music you can enjoy. ♥
