A-Music Week 7

Dear Followers,

~NUJABES Week~

With college applications out of the way I can finally update my blog. I nearly forgot my password in the time between posts, unsuccessfully slinging eight different combinations at the password box before finally gaining access. But, now that I've found my way in, I'm ready to start posting once more. This week I wanted to share with you one of my favorite artists, Japanese hip-hop producer, mixer, and DJ Jun Seba, more commonly known as Nujabes.

I first came across Nujabes, not surprisingly, while watching an anime: Samurai Champloo. With Nujabes responsible for nearly all of the background and OP/ED music, it is no wonder that Samurai Champloo is an incredibly unique animated experience, blending feudal Japan with modern hip-hop. If you haven't already seen Samurai Champloo, directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, the mind behind Cowboy Bepop, I wholly recommend you do as it is easily one of my favorite shows.

Anyway, the song which had me falling in love with Nujabes was his remix of "Beat Laments The World" with Minmi, "Song of Seasons," used as the ED song for Samurai Champloo. After a voyage across YouTube, I soon knew why Nujabes produced no ordinary sound. With his incorporation of a sampling of Jazz, natural sounds, and piano work, Nujabe produces organic sound with an unbelievably natural flow.

Unfortunately, no legend can live forever. Nujabes passed away last year in a car accident on the Shuto Expressway in Shibuya, and with him goes all of the wonderful music he was bound to create in the future. If anybody can find a link to the tracks he left behind which were supposedly released by Hydeout Productions, please hook me up. Even if Nujabes isn't physically with us, his essence lives on in the music he has created. Rest in peace friend.

1. Flowers

2. Aruarian Dance

3. Song of Seasons ft. Minmi

4. Another Reflection

5. Kujaku

6. A Day

7. Winter Lane

8. Summer Gypsy

9. Windspeaks

10. Plazma Avenue ft. Five Deez

Beat Laments The World,

Noel