New release announcement!!
We have released a new EP “Bloody Acoustics” today.
It’s a 4-song-EP with (mainly) acoustic sounds.
This “Bloody Acoustics” EP is, something unexpected.
I wrote this in our social media and blog posts before but let me explain why we decided to release this “Acoustic” EP.
This year 2020, we made so much music.
We finally finished making “Nabeshima” album, which was our long time goal. (Final version mastering done in June)
We recorded an EP for our new “indie rock” secret side project.
We planned the Best Album and we did the remastering work.
and also, we started Patreon project and recorded monthly song every month since July.
However, we realized we could not release those music (Nabeshima, Best Album, Indie Rock Project EP) right away. Because it takes so much time for us to set up business things.
We wanted to release something official for 2020. Because this year was a tough one for everyone and we wanted to give the world something with a positive message.
At the same time, we were not playing as a band in 2020, because of our drummer Koji’s shoulder issue and also because of COVID-19 social situation.
As a result, we decided to make this EP with “acoustic” style, with our “temporary duo” style.
This actually gave us an opportunity to make songs in different styles than our usual heavy metal style.
Also, for some reasons, we decided to make this a Japanese record. This means, we write and sing those songs in Japanese language.
This language issue, whether we should sing in Japanese or English, has always been a very difficult question for us.
We have been singing mostly in English after we became a Christian band, because of many reasons.
However on “Overture” album, recorded in 2017, we did a whole album in Japanese. It didn’t catch much attention of oversea fans but it was a blessing for us, because we made our Christian statement in our native language for our Japanese friends.
Our next album “Nabeshima” will be half English and half Japanese.
However after that, I think, we will come back to “mainly English” style.
So this unexpected “Acoustic EP” gave us one more opportunity to write Christian message songs in Japanese language. If you understand, this is a very important thing for us. And we feel very happy and blessed about that.
This “Bloody Acoustics” EP is different from our other albums, music style wise.
But this is our statement as a Japanese Christian band.
and if you listen to it, I’m sure it still sounds like Imari Tones.
Here is the song list and a little comment for each song.
Please notice the titles originally are in Japanese but for the convenience reasons we publish them with the English titles.
If you see the CD cover artwork, song titles are written in Japanese. (Even though we don’t publish CDs at this moment.)
“Bloody Acoustics” (血まみれのアコースティック)
1: Bloody Messiah (Acoustic Version) (血まみれのメサイア)
2: Yakamashii (やかましい)
3: Aino Kiseki (愛の奇跡)
4: One Sheep (一匹の羊)
Bloody Messiah (acoustic version)
is a song I wrote in October 2019. It happens sometimes to me but it’s a song I “wrote” in my dream/sleep. I am/was a big fan of a Japanese alternative band “Bloodthirsty Butchers” but if you know it, the singer Hideki Yoshimura has passed away in 2013 and the band is no more. Last year October, I heard their new song in my dream. I woke up and tried to play the song I heard in my dream. Because I thought there was no law that prohibits us from “steal” the song one has heard in his/her dream.
It was originally a band song but for this EP we changed it into acoustic version with a shuffle rhythm. It has a strong Christian message in the lyrics.
We are now making a music video for this song and I think it’s gonna be super cool.
Yakamashii (やかましい)
is a simple folk song, I think. An old school folk song.
It has some “political” message. However it does not have any actual political agenda. It is not left or right. It’s more like “Don’t stop making noise”, “Don’t be afraid to raise your voice” kind of message.
Because I love a “noisy world” full of music, with many kinds of music and many kinds of voices from many kinds of people.
So yes, “Yakamashii” means “noisy” or “loud”.
Aino Kiseki (愛の奇跡)
is a worship song, so to speak.
It sounds very religious. It’s in Japanese Enka style (sort of).
You might think it’s a joke because it’s so “Religious” and “Churchy”.
But sometimes we feel like doing something very churchy.
I actually had fun singing in this “religious” and “enka” style voice.
It might not be the coolest song of ours but the message is still sincere. After all, I think, we are a Christian band.
“Aino Kiseki” means “A miracle of love”.
One Sheep (一匹の羊)
is a very cute indie rock / indie pop song.
It’s obviously based on the lost sheep story from the new testament (Matthew18, Luke15).
Actually I’ve been trying some new singing styles for our “Secret Indie Rock Project”. For this song, I sang in that style. Some people may not like it because my voice here sounds somewhat “genderless”. But my voice was not very masculine in the first place.
I think it’s a very cute, heart warming song, because God does not forsake just one sheep.
We made a little cute music video for this song “One Sheep” and it’s very heart warming it might make you cry.
Please check it out, if you haven’t seen it yet.
Also if you want to see the lyrics and English translations, please see the lyrics page on our website here.
https://imaritones.net/imari-tones-song-lyrics/
I’m not really sure how our fans from overseas would react to this “Japanese Acoustic” EP, but all in all we are very happy to have another “Japanese” Christian record out.
I hope these songs will be able to reach as many Japanese people, Christian or Non-Christian.
The release date is 18th December 2020.
I think it’s already on digital music stores around the world.
Bandcamp ($1 as usual)
https://imaritones.bandcamp.com/album/bloody-acoustics-ep
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/2U6h4A4hwmED6RVMLqLwti
Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/us/album/bloody-acoustics-ep/1542520983
I hope you will like it.
Thank you very much!
Tak “Tone” Nakamine