BARENTAIN BANKA (2026 Remasterd) Front Cover

BARENTAIN BANKA (2026 Remasterd)

Tsutomu Aoki

  • BARENTAIN BANKA (2026 Remasterd) Front Cover

Track List

※ Preview may take some time.
※ Preview is not available for songs under copyright collective.

"Valentine Banka" is a deeply emotional song depicting a man spending a lonely Valentine's Day while longing for a woman who has left him. It was first performed in 1997 when Tsutomu Aoki appeared on the Yomiuri TV program "Shinbashi Music Hall" in a segment searching for street musicians. The song was performed as a solo acoustic piece during a location shoot at Komazawa Park, earning high praise from YO-KING of Magokoro Brothers and allowing Tsutomu Aoki to pass the audition. However, the program was later canceled, and the planned event appearance never materialized. Despite this setback, the experience reignited Tsutomu Aoki's passion for music, leading to the formation of the unit CanPain and the release of the EP "Tsutomu Aoki Vol.1" in 2001, which included this track. This digital release features a remastered 2026 version using the original 1998 live cassette recording.

Artist Profile

  • Tsutomu Aoki

    Tsutomu Aoki is a singer-songwriter who began performing live in 1990. From 1990 to 1992, he performed piano and vocals, sometimes using a handheld microphone with MIDI-synchronized sound sources. From 1993, he became engrossed in horse racing, constantly straying from his musical path while still writing songs. In 1997, his passion for music was rekindled after being featured on a late-night program on the Nippon Television network, and that same year, he made his return to the live stage after a five-year hiatus, performing guitar and vocals at "Yaneura" in Shimokitazawa. Later, in 1998, he formed the three-member unit "CanPain" with friends he met at an audition, changing his stage name to "tsTom." He performed on the streets of Shibuya and in live music venues in Tokyo, and in 2000, he launched the CanPain official website, shifting his base of operations to the internet. Songs written before changing his name to "tsTom" were released under the name "Tsutomu Aoki." Songs created after the name change to "tsTom" are released under the "tsTom" name. *There are a few cases where songs created before the name change to "tsTom" were released under the "tsTom" name if they were published after the name change. Live venues where they have performed include Ekoda Marquee, Yotsuya Kotan, Kamiuma Gasoline Alley, Yutenji Miyaji, etc.

    Artist page

    Tsutomu Aokiの他のリリース

CanPain Records