Music even on the hottest days.
~Monosus members' "A song of summer memories"~

Summer has arrived.
The days of relentless strong sunlight continue.

If the hot weather continues, how long will this heat last?
Although I do feel that way, summer is also a time when there are many events to look forward to, such as fireworks displays, festivals, summer vacation trips, and plans to go home for the holidays.

This time, we asked the four members to introduce us to the songs they listened to during the summer.

Hot songs that are perfect for the hot summer, and songs that remind you of the coolness of dusk.
It's a song that brings back memories of each summer!

Who's to blame? It's the summer!
Scha Dara Parr "Summer Jam '95"

Scha Dara Parr "Summer Jam '95" EMI Music Japan (1995/7/19) ( Amazon )

I like listening to music outdoors (= going to music festivals).

... may give you an image of outdoor activities, but
I'm basically an indoor person for the most part.

I have almost no energy left to face the sweltering heat of the coming summer.
Every day, I wait for dusk with an indescribable listlessness.

When they find that the sky has turned into night colors, they begin to move around quietly.
When I go outside, the air that brushes against my skin has an indescribable lukewarmness to it.

Despite this, I can't help but murmur, "What a nice breeze!"
The phrase from this song that I heard when I went to TAICO CLUB came to mind.

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When the track starts playing, it feels somewhat sentimental.
I miss the atmosphere of that time.

Phrases that symbolize the vivid colors of summer, such as "sea," "mountain," and "pool."
The sense of excitement and unity can only be felt at a festival.

However, as time passes, those memories become just memories.
Slowly but surely, it fades to sepia or black and white.

…Ahh!! I got lost in thought.
I'm sure it's summer that's making me think about these things.

This is a song you should definitely listen to when you feel like saying this.

Miura Beach and the Golden Moon
Suga Shikao "Golden Moon"

Suga Shikao "Clover" Kitty (September 3, 1997) ( Amazon )

I used to live in a seaside town.
Looking at the map, "Tokyo" seems unbelievably far away, at the end of the Miura Peninsula, almost at the entrance to Tokyo Bay.

At that time, it took me 60 minutes to get to my workplace by express train from the nearest station, then I had to change trains at Shinagawa for another 30 minutes.
I don't understand the point of living in such a remote place, even though it's not my family home. Or so I think.

But, however.
3 minutes walk to the sea.

That one point alone made me end up staying there for a long time, even though I had only intended to stay for one season.
Because whenever I feel like it, I can go to the beach empty-handed and sunbathe.
(I don't do any marine sports though)

The name of the town is Tsukuihama.
This song brings back memories of the time when I was fairly enjoying this extreme lifestyle, offsetting the heavy commute on weekdays by going to the beach on weekends.

It was a Sunday in June. I slept lazily until the afternoon, and the room started to get hot, so I had no choice but to get up. I looked outside and saw that it was sunny.
At that time, if it was sunny, I thought it would be a waste not to go to the beach even for just five minutes, so I went out anyway.
If you leave the house and walk straight down the road, you will reach the sea at the end. The usual course is to descend to the sandy beach and take a leisurely walk to Miura Beach.

Beyond the Miura beach is a small beach called Kikuna. It was my favorite place. Large palm trees are planted haphazardly, giving this place a southern island feel.
I always walk here, sit on the wide tiled staircase and daydream.

On the way home after watching the sunset, I passed a lit-up beach hut.
Apparently they are starting to build beach huts as the beach opening is coming up soon. I wonder if they will continue construction at night. Or maybe they are already open for business... I was wondering this when I passed by when Suga Shikao's golden moon appeared from the beach hut!!!
(Wow)
It's too perfect.
(Thank you for the great song selection, Beach House folks!)

That's why Miura Beach suits my golden moon.
It's a song that I remember in perfect conjunction with the feelings I had at that time: the color of the sky just after sunset turned to night, the sound of the waves, and the wind blowing.

"Golden Moon" Points

I remember the summers when I was lying down,
Embarrassingly straightforward song
BAAD "I want to shout that I love you"

BAAD "I want to shout that I love you" ZAIN RECORDS (1993/12/1) ( Amazon )

I hate summer, and I don't have the sensibility to feel "this song feels like summer..."
There are quite a few songs that remind me of summer.

During summer vacation when I was in elementary school (20 years ago?), the Slam Dunk anime was being rebroadcast in the morning. This song was used as the opening theme.

For some reason, it is broadcast every year, and I don't know how many times the Slam Dunk I was watching had been rebroadcast. It seems that my ears have been trained to listen to the Slam Dunk that is broadcast every year.

Lying down and watching anime from 10:30 in the morning was probably a precious experience for me. I didn't go out to play, but instead, in the cool air-conditioned room, I sweated in my mind along with the main character, Sakuragi.

I only found out after researching this that the song title is "I Want to Scream That I Love You" by an artist called BAAD. The title of the song is exactly the same as the lyrics, but that also feels like something from this era.

During this period, anime theme songs were often made using J-POP rather than songs created with the anime in mind, and it seemed like many of the lyrics and melody had nothing to do with the content of the anime (although that was a good thing).

However, although this song wasn't created with Slam Dunk in mind, the lyrics and melody sound like they're singing about Sakuragi's feelings for Haruko (the heroine), and it's such a perfect song that it seems like no other song could have been created.

Listening to it again, I found it to be a really good song, with an embarrassingly straightforward message and a lively melody that reminded me of crisp, refreshing summers. It reminded me of the time when I used to lie down looking at the strong sunlight through the window.

Pleasant memories of a gloomy summer
Naruyoshi Kikuchi and Pepe Tormento Ascaral "Killing Time"

Naruyoshi Kikuchi and Pepe Tormento Ascaral "Killing Time" ewe records (2009/10/28) ( Amazon )

Naruyoshi Kikuchi and Pepe Tormento Azcarral are a combination of Spanish words for "playboy/torture/sugar-addict," and they are a unique, super-mixed orchestra that plays super-mixed style jazz, the likes of which are unparalleled in the world (Source: http://taboolabel.net/pepe.html ). To be honest, I don't really understand it, but it sure is cool.

The song I'd like to introduce this time is the first song from the album "New York Hell Sonic Ballet."
After hearing this song performed live at an event I went to last summer, it came to evoke summer images in me.
At the event, I was pushed around and had to stand in a weird position for three hours, but once the performance started, I was listening to the performance with a grin on my face, thinking to myself, "I'm so glad I didn't have to leave in the middle of the performance." Summer is hot, there are lots of bugs, you get sunburned... I can't help but think of negative things, so the song title (killing time = killing time) is perfect for summer.

Kikuchi is active in a wide range of fields, including writing, radio, and film criticism, but his main occupation is as a jazz musician (saxophonist). The saxophone solo in the middle of the song is very cool and exudes the sexiness of his profession. The good-looking bass player, Torikoshi Keisuke, is also a support member for Shiina Ringo. I'm happy that the two people I admire and consider my spiritual mentors have something in common! This makes me want to see Kikuchi, Shiina, and Torikoshi do something together.
They rarely appear on TV, so I'd love to see them live again!

What did you think of each of these summer songs?

Classic songs that haven't faded even after more than 20 years, and songs that came on by chance when I was living in a seaside town.
A song with a straightforward message that brings to mind refreshing summer skies, and a song so cool that it will blow away all the discomfort of summer...

Will there be a memorable song this summer as well?
I would like to ask the members again.
Don't let the heat get you down and enjoy your summer!