When David Bowie came to Japan during the Isolar II world tour, Yoichi Shibuya, the music critic, chief editor and publisher of the music magazine Rockin' On, interviewed Bowie. The latter generously talked about films, fashion, and his life attitude.Days later, Bowie met Ryuichi Sakamoto, a fellow musician and the interviewer appointed by another magazine. … Continue reading David Bowie: Language is the Most Ambiguous Way of Communication
Author: Stella Hsieh
Writer and translator on East Asian language & literature, film, music, art.
Contact: stellatseyc@gmail.com
Please do not repost my works without permission.
Lyrics: Antinomy
By adding lyrics to Lost Theme of the Brian de Palma film Femme Fatale (2002), Taeko Ohnuki provides a different interpretation of this soundtrack piece by Sakamoto. Antinomy, the result of this collaboration, showcases Ohnuki's perceptive writing and the compatibility between her voice and Sakamoto's music. Both blessed with the fluid, crystal quality resembling water, … Continue reading Lyrics: Antinomy
Lyrics: ３びきのくま/3 Bears
Another collaboration between Sakamoto's music and Ohnuki's lyrics, 3 Bears captures the consciousness of how ephemeral human life is in contrast to the cosmos- nevertheless, the fact that life exists on planet earth is a miracle in its own right. This song is also a perfect example of UTAU's style- tranquil, delicate, yet always profound. … Continue reading Lyrics: ３びきのくま/3 Bears
Lyrics: Tango
The fifth track of the 1995 album Smoochy, Tango shares the touch of bossa nova and heavy Latin-American images as some other tracks in this album. The lyricist Taeko Ohnuki covered this song in UTAU and brought more charm to this song with her crystal, nostalgic voice.To celebrate that UTAU finally becomes available for streaming … Continue reading Lyrics: Tango
Lyrics: Alluring Azure Sky 美貌の青空/Bibo no Aozora
美貌の青空/Bibo no Aozora was first released in 1995 as the opening track of the album Smoochy. Its instrumental version later became a regular in Sakamoto's live performance repertoire and appeared in the soundtrack of the 2006 film Babel. Sakamoto's long-time collaborator Taeko Ohnuki also covered this song in their joint project UTAU in 2010.Although Sakamoto … Continue reading Lyrics: Alluring Azure Sky 美貌の青空/Bibo no Aozora
YMO: Letters from the Future
Originally from the photo book YMO Sealed, published by Shogakukan in 1984.English translation by Stella Hsieh Letter from the Future It has been a long time since we have seen each other. How have you been?I don't know much about you there. I don't know what kind of winds blow, what sunlight shines. Does it … Continue reading YMO: Letters from the Future
Kazuki and Ryuichi Sakamoto, Father and Son: Excerpts from KS’s Biography
Ryuichi Sakamoto's father, Kazuki Sakamoto (12.8.1921-9.28.2002), was an editor, co-founder of Kawade Shobo Shinsha, and former chief editor of the magazine Bungei. He was known for being the editor in charge of Yukio Mishima, Kazumi Takahashi, and many other key figures of postwar literature.His biography The Legendary Editor: Kazuki Sakamoto and his Time was first … Continue reading Kazuki and Ryuichi Sakamoto, Father and Son: Excerpts from KS’s Biography
Lyrics: That Year at Guling St. 牯嶺街那年
Bobby Chen's Tribute to Edward Yang. (For another tribute song by Tsai Chin and Jonathan Lee, see the translation I posted last year on Yang's birthday: https://lysisme.art.blog/2021/11/06/lyrics-a-love-letter-to-filmmakers-%e7%b5%a6%e9%9b%bb%e5%bd%b1%e4%ba%ba%e7%9a%84%e6%83%85%e6%9b%b8/) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQq4kpYiWg4 Bobby Chen, That Year at Guling St. 牯嶺街那年That Year at Guling St.詞/曲：陳昇Bobby Chen 故事都還沒有結束 你留下一屋子的人在暗黑裡無助的思索恐怖份子依稀是吸了毒 在那個沒有顏色的年代走在牯嶺街的人只有你自己最清楚 跌宕在紅燈的汀州路稻草人的歌 道盡了早熟天才的孤獨 南機場外蓋了新村你說去他媽的 阻礙了野鴿子的黃昏Stories don't end themselves. You left the whole … Continue reading Lyrics: That Year at Guling St. 牯嶺街那年
Ryuichi Sakamoto Interview: Kraftwerk Reverses the Common Image of Germany
Ryuichi Sakamoto in 1979 comments on German contemporary music, Kraftwerk, David Bowie's album Low, and many more. To read more about his opinion on Low published in the same magazine earlier that year, see: https://lysisme.art.blog/2021/04/11/ryuichi-sakamoto-what-interesting-about-bowie-is-not-the-sound/ New Music Magazine, November Issue, 1979Interviewed on September 25th, at Clover RoppongiInterviewer: Masakazu KitanakaEnglish translation by Stella Hsieh When you … Continue reading Ryuichi Sakamoto Interview: Kraftwerk Reverses the Common Image of Germany
The Relationship Between Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism by Tsuneto Kyo (Excerpt) 恒藤恭「世界主義と国家主義との関係」（抜粋）
The Relationship Between Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism Tsuneto Kyo War is the greatest crime that humankind can ever commit! When a war starts between one nation and another, the feelings of people on both sides are inflamed with beast-like hatred. Every act of warfare thereafter is an incessant outburst of beast-like ferocity. If slaughtering humans is … Continue reading The Relationship Between Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism by Tsuneto Kyo (Excerpt) 恒藤恭「世界主義と国家主義との関係」（抜粋）
Between Thought and Expression 