Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Tamao Koike -- Kagami no Naka no Juu-gatsu (鏡の中の十月)


One of the new songs that I was able to hear on that techno kayo album I purchased back around Xmas last year was Tamao Koike's(小池玉緒)"Kagami no Naka no Juu-gatsu" (Automne Dans Un Miroir). It's definitely one of those rare gems since Koike, who was a model, actress and singer, only released one single under her real name, one album under another alias, and a smattering of other songs in various compilations.

"Kagami no Naka no Juu-gatsu" was released in September 1983. While Masao Urino(売野雅勇)provided the lyrics to the breathy vocals of Koike, Yellow Magic Orchestra wove the pensive techno kayo melody in a French pop manner, according to the singer's biography on J-Wiki. Indeed, there is something about her delivery that brought to mind Taeko Ohnuki(大貫妙子)and the New Wave mode of Miharu Koshi(コシミハル).

As for Koike, the singer was born in Tokyo in 1962 and was scouted as a teenager in 1978 to become a model in magazines. Then in 1982, she provided vocals for the B-side of Haruomi Hosono's(細野晴臣)"Sangokushi Main Theme"(三国志メイン・テーマ). According to her bio on J-Wiki, it seems that she dabbled just a bit in acting and singing with modeling being her main gig. However, she is currently retired.


The liner jacket for the techno kayo album.
Really, I just bought it for the songs!

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