Sound Spiritualism

I believe that this album, "Sound Spiritualism," was brought to me as a result of encounters with many people.

I became fascinated with music in my late teens, listening to it obsessively, digging deep into the music that formed my artistic roots. I then sang, picked up the guitar, and wrote songs. For the past 15 years, music has been a part of my life, like breathing.

My previous album, "THE ORIGIN," released in 2020, was a groping debut album, collecting songs I wrote from my late teens to around 20 years old, and challenging myself with every step of the process.

On the other hand, my newly produced second album, "Sound Spiritualism," is a collection of songs I wrote from my late teens to late twenties, this time produced with the support of those around me.

I hope you can feel the heat from the still-green embers.

"Sound Spiritualism" is pronounced "Otodama" in Japanese.

I chose this word with the implication that it's not a sound that enters the ears, but a sound that reaches the heart.

The album jacket was created by artist Miku Shimomoto. She wrote the character "Ondama" (sound spirit) in calligraphy on washi paper. The red smiley face under my name was a suggestion from Shimomoto, who said the idea came from my approach to craftsmanship, where I value connections with people and the process. The red cross mark opposite represents the gods and the ancient Japanese spirit, and I included it because such spiritual aspects are also a main theme of this album. We worked on the album from different locations, with me in Okinawa and Shimomoto in the Kanto region, and all communication was done online. However, through careful coordination, I feel the result is a truly beautiful jacket.

Until now, I haven't provided detailed explanations of the production of my works, known as Self Liner Notes, for each piece.

But if there are even a few people who want to know the creative process, I would like to write them here as a record of that, as an expression of gratitude for being able to release a work, and as part of the work, not just as text that catches the eye but also as text that reaches the heart.

There are stories behind the creation of each song, so I hope you will read them while enjoying the work.