I bought a CD yesterday, and it surprised me so much that I can't imagine I can buy it here in Taiwan.
Few weeks ago, one song caught my attention when I was listening Gilles Peterson's show. It was Jun Miyake, a Japanese musician, one work from his lastest album -"Stolen From Strangers".
So I went online looking for more infomation about this album. At first, I don't believe that there will be any label in Taiwan would publish this album. Like Jazztronik, another Japanese musician, you won't expect there will be any of his work released in Taiwan, not even his mix cd under Defected.
Somehow, recently observation shows Taiwan music labels are peculiarly surprising.For example, a Taiwan record label named "Rock" published DJ Kawasaki's works this year. It really surprised me. Since one year after I noticed DJ Kawasaki's "Beautiful", there even a record shop in Taiwan ordered "Beautiful" oversea itself because it seemed hard to get in Taiwan, but now "Rock" officially publishes DJ Kawasaki's works, amazing. Who knows DJ Kawasaki can be popular in Taiwan?
Anyway, Jun Miyake's "Stolen From Strangers" was published by a label that I don't know before, which called "Welcome Music". And it also surprised me, this label seems publishes Japanese jazz music only.
Maybe one day I can find that albums by Nostalgia 77 and Jazztronik or maybe Solid & Pimp Session in a record store of Taiwan.
Otherwise, once I saw a TV show about a Taiwanese pop singer with her best friend who is also a singer but a underground band lead vocal, called Waa. She was in a underground or so-called "indie" band named " Nature Q" which has published 2 studio albums and several Eps. I heared their name a lot, but don't have a chance listen to their songs. So that was my first time hear she sing, and it haunted me immediately.
Her voice is unique and that explains all. I think her voice is better than that pop singer. Now she had already leaved "Nature Q", and released a solo album "la Dolce Vita" which is a outstanding album among all albums, with her great vocal and produced by Toshiya Fueoka, a member and producer of a Japanese band "Mondialito". Unlike rest of Taiwanese pop songs, this album will bring you a fresh listening experience.
I'd like to take "La Dolce Vita" as a tribute album, all songs in the album were written by indie bands that were published by Avant Garden and all over the world from Taiwan to Spain, such as Mondialito(Japan),Maximilian Hecker(German),Niza(Spain),Carchy(China), Entre Rios(Buenos Aires)and so on. Among all these cover songs, there is one original and written by Waa herself."La Dolce Vita" is so smooth that combines Waa's lovely voice with chill-out electronic sound makes an unique album.
I don't really sure that I was right about La Dolce Vita.
I like posting my articles and looking for informations at the same time. Thus I found another news now.
How come DJ Kawasaki's "Beatiful" can be so attractive? I think the cover art maybe one reason. Both DJ Kawasaki's "Beautiful" series ( Beautiful & Beautiful Too) with a famous Japanese model Lena Fujii(藤井リナ) as covers which draws a lot attention.
Lena Fujii is a model who works for a Japanese fashion megazine " ViVi". "Beautiful" was published in 2006, by the fallowing year "Beautiful Too" was released and not only contains remixed tracks of "Beautiful", but also one track sang by Lena Fujii, called " Bright Like Light"..
The point is, on Apirl this year, Lena Fujii will release an album named "Lena" all tracks sang by Lena Fujii and produced by DJ Kawasaki. That's it.
Although I don't think Lena Fujii sings that good, but "Bright Like Light" PV is really hot, and I felt sorry about that.
