Mioko Yamaguchi -- FLOMA

Well, let me tell you a story about getting Mioko Yamaguchi's（山口美央子）latest album "FLOMA" which was released back in July this year. Toshi from the LOGIC STORE was kind enough in sending it over to me via registered mail with a tracking number about a month ago. Usually that would mean I would be able to see its progress online and in all likelihood, it would arrive about a week after posting from Japan.

Unfortunately this time, that wouldn't quite be the case. I was able to find out that it did leave Japan but after that for the next few weeks, there would be nothing. And at one point, I had to tell Toshi that there was a good chance that it got lost somewhere in time and space...perhaps getting stuck in a machine out in Mississauga. But there was a surprisingly happy ending in that on Sunday while I was out with my anime buddy, the postman actually dropped by and left the package. It must have been a rather sheepish error since I hardly ever hear of Canada Post making Sunday deliveries. In any case, I told Toshi the good news and I had my first crack at "FLOMA" last night.

Mind you, back when "FLOMA" had been in limbo somewhere, I felt rather compelled to jump the gun and write about one of the tracks that got re-recorded for this new album.

"FLOMA" is an album of self-covers by Yamaguchi and according to the J-Wiki article on her, three songs each from her first three albums, "Yume Hiko"（夢飛行）, "Nirvana" and "Tsukihime"（月姫）were given new arrangements. Plus, three bonus tracks have been added which are Yamaguchi's own takes on songs that she had originally provided other singers.

One of the very first songs that had gotten me hooked on the oeuvre of Yamaguchi was "Satemo Appare Yume Zakura"（さても天晴れ 夢桜）from her 3rd album, "Tsukihime" (1983). And here it is in "FLOMA" as well, under a different arrangement no less bouncy than the original and perhaps a bit more mesmerizing for me due to some more sound effects including a slightly Gatling gun version of a koto. Plus, near the end, there is some cool rumbling which sounds like a massive wave of horses.

"O-Matsuri"（お祭り）, originally from the first album "Yume Hiko" (1980), was this most appealing technopop tune for a summer festival that had me thinking of androids in yukata trying to scoop up goldfish and buying yakitori skewers (y'know it could happen in the next couple of centuries). The new version in "FLOMA" starts off faster and more intense (George Lucas would love this version) with a matsuri band on Red Bull, and my compliments especially go to the taiko drummer. This is no longer the congenial walk on the festival streets...everyone's gotten involved in a mass dance to this song!

I remember "Itsumo Takaramono"（いつも宝物）as this very cheerful and punchy New Wave track from Yamaguchi's 2nd album "Nirvana"(1981). The Takarajima version as stated in the new album isn't quite New Wave like The Buggles; in fact, I would say that it kinda tilts toward either Yellow Magic Orchestra or even PSY-S. Again, my compliments this time toward the relentless beats propelling things along.

My final track here is "Itsuka Yurarete Tooi Kuni"（いつかゆられて遠い国）, a jovial track from "Yume Hiko" that seems to have feet in both the City Pop and technopop fields. The new take launches with some nifty beats and is now firmly planted in synth territory. Strangely enough, I feel like that this version deserves a conga line on a holodeck somewhere.

As I mentioned above, there are three additional tracks of Yamaguchi covering songs that were originally performed by other artists. I can take care of one of them immediately but first I actually want to include that original singer since that she and that particular song haven't been brought onto the blog as of yet. But overall, I'm glad that "FLOMA" finally made it to me after what could have been an odyssey throughout my home and native land.