Video Interviews, Shibuya (#15)

Tokyo Trawler Catch of the Day: Mance, USA
Artist: DJ Kentaro

Tune: Sakura Sakura

Record: ?

Mance's essential rating: 5/5

Mance's Message to the People: "Happy New Year - 新年あけましておめでとうございます"

The Interview:

The Tokyo Trawler's Essential Review:

If one were to suppose that making a credible* hop-hop/drum & bass track by chopping and mixing a traditional Japanese folk song might be a difficult endeavour*, then one might well be correct. The world-renowned* DJ Kentaro appears, upon first listen, to make hard work of this track, but after a couple of spins, this song announces itself as a very well-crafted marriage of an unusual myriad* of tinny* percussion and bamboo-bashing with expertly controlled string synth. Whilst this song is certainly more likely to please modern music fans than those of traditional Japanese folk, it serves as proof that unlikely combinations are often more successful than one might expect.

Category: It's lucky there's no dancefloor here...

The Tokyo Trawler's message to the people: Go on, give it another listen!!

To download or not to download?? 3/5 (IT'S GOTTA BE DONE)
iTunes available: ?
勉強のキーワード: credible, endeavour (名詞), world-renowned, myriad, tinny

Sakura Sakura URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvMUu8g4DVU

Tokyo Trawler Recommendation #21

Artist: Tom Paxton

Tune: The Last Thing on My Mind

Record: Ramblin' Boy (1964)
 

Category: A sunny Sunday breezerider

Unfortunately, when it comes to being 'pure and simple', there is often much less of the 'pure' and much more the 'simple' (just ask Paris Hilton). In this tale* of complacency* in love, however, both are in abundance*, and Tom Paxton's emotive* and clean vocals beautifully accompany a fingerpicked, fluid* guitar melody. The one lingering* feeling from this song is that while it serves it's purpose wonderfully, it's so simply constructed, that it leaves one with the feeling that Paxton never ventures* out of second gear throughout. Whether or not this effortlessness* is a good thing is up for debate, I suppose.

The Tokyo Trawler’s message to the people: As effortless as persuading Paris Hilton to come back for coffee.

To download or not to download?? 3/5 (IT'S GOTTA BE DONE)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: tale, complacency, abundance, emotive, fluid (形容詞), lingering, to venture (動詞), effortlessness

The Last Thing on my Mind URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voqL5ksOuoo

Video Interviews, Ikebukuro (#14)

Tokyo Trawler Catch of the Day: Shank, USA
Artist: 般若 (Hannya)

Tune: Yachatta

Record: 根こそぎ (Nekosogi - 2007)

Shank's essential rating: 4.5/5

Shank's Message to the People: "No matter what you do, you do it again, you f*ck up, you do it again, you f*ck up, you do it again, you f*ck up; and one day, you might just get it right!"

The Interview:

The Tokyo Trawler's Essential Review:

"You're gonna be a salary man, or you're gonna be what else?", asks Shank, our interviewee, and I think we can safely say that self-proclaimed* gangster rapper Hannya has chosen the 'something else' route. On Yachatta (loosely translated as "Oh shit, I did it"), this motor-mouthed* Japanese rapper takes us through some of life's lower points with a witty* twist*.  Providing an intriguing* insight* into Japanese culture (the strict drug rules, love hotels, 'goukon' blind date parties), the clean production, staccato* Japanese rap delivery* and unusual bongo-style percussion, whilst being quite different to the stuff we're used to hearing, might just hold some appeal for Western hip-hop fans.

Category: A foot to the floor, windows down-er

The Tokyo Trawler's message to the people: Make sure you click the link below and check out the music vid for this - really funny stuff.

To download or not to download?? 2/5 (WORTH A LISTEN)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: self-proclaimed, witty, twist (名詞12), intriguing, insight, staccato, delivery (4)

Yachatta URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiBfr6ovNWM

Video Interviews, Shibuya (#12)

Tokyo Trawler Catch of the Day: François, Holland
Artist: Bob Marley & The Wailers

Tune: One Love

Record: Exodus (1977)

Johnny's essential rating: 5/5

Johnny's Message to the People: "Hello everyone in Holland, we're staying here in Tokyo for three days and recommend it to everyone!"

The Interview:

The Tokyo Trawler’s Essential Review:

A song that few people can claim* never to have heard, but with a glance* at the lyrics alone, one that is an inspiration. Despite the fact that it's littered* with numerous biblical* references* (As it was in the beginning/So shall it be in the end), the message of One Love doesn't require any rocket science qualifications to decipher*, and as such has universal* and enduring* appeal. Marley sets his stall out in the intro with a combination of effortlessness* and esprit*, before diving almost immediately into the chorus, and wrapping* it all up in under 3 minutes. Something so short packs a whole lotta greatness in it, though.

Category: Pass the lighter

The Tokyo Trawler's message to the people: One love.

To download or not to download?? 5/5 (DO IT NOW!)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: claim, glance, littered (動詞), biblical, references (1), decipher, universal, enduring, effortlessness, esprit

One Love URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdB-8eLEW8g

Like Tokyo Trawler on Facebook!

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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tokyo-Trawler/262652629597

Tokyo Trawler Recommendation #20 (25/01/11)

Artist: Kano ft. Craig David

Tune: This is the Girl

Record: London Town (2007)
 

Category: A hump 'n' grinder

A much-maligned* fallen star, denounced* by critics* and past his best. No, silly, not Tokyo Trawler, but British vocalist Craig David. Here, with the smooth-talking London rapper Kano, David scales* the heights that his talent enabled him to reach in the early 2000s, and indeed, that made his fall to earth so painful. A tune of great balance and polished* production, the heavily-accented* Kano compliments David's sugary crooning* with an self-critical assault* on his previous philandering* ways, and a promise to his sweetheart that he's now reformed*, and a one-woman man. It's easy to be cynical when this comes from a rapper, but let's be honest, this kind of stuff doesn't usually come from a rapper.

The Tokyo Trawler’s message to the people: Jay-Z fans: Did you catch the lyrical reference?

To download or not to download?? 3/5 (IT'S GOTTA BE DONE)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: maligned, denounced, critic, scale (動詞), polished (2), accented, crooning, assault, philandering, reformed, cynical

This is the Girl URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDWkaDzZ6N4

News - January 2011

BREEEAAAKINNNG!!! - Tokyo Trawler has been featured on the weekly 'Tsunami' Content Creators Blog. Blogger Hiroki Matsuuchi makes video showcases of individual content creators in Japan, and this week, the showcase, yes, you guessed it, Tokyo Trawler!! It's pretty pro stuff, and he manages to get a good sample of the posts on Tokyo Trawler, so especially if you haven't seen some of the older posts, it's worth watching. Check out Hiroki's showcase using the link below!

http://wanwan.fm/tsunami/2011/01/tsunami-ep-2-tokyo-trawler/

Whilst you're at it, check out Hiroki's other outlet, the awesome 'Bad Communication' blog!

http://wanwan.fm/badcommunication/

Tokyo Trawler Recommendation #19 (13/01/11)

Artist: Bombay Bicycle Club

Tune: Jewel

Record: Flaws (2010)
 

Category: A deep thinker/twilight zoner

If it hasn't already been said that love and regret* go hand-in-hand*, the Tokyo Trawler will put his head on the line, and if you chat to the singer from Bombay Bicycle Club, he might well do the same. A tale* of lost love that once 'looked so beautiful', Jewel is a proverbial* gem* of an acoustic track, with folky simplicity and rich, almost clockwork* guitar. The vocals are unique in that they could belong to that aunt you see once a year with the husky* voice, but if you are able to picture a bloke* singing this ear-soothing* melody, this tune is guaranteed to be far more enjoyable.

The Tokyo Trawler’s message to the people: A refreshingly melancholy song for the non-broken-hearted.

To download or not to download?? 4/5 (ESSENTIAL)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: regret, hand-in-hand, tale, proverbial, gem (2), clockwork, husky (1), soothing

Jewel URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn7REtVFpZw