Is it wrong to feel nostalgia for a past you never lived through? With the rise of City Pop and other genres or media evoking some sort of hauntology, I keep trying to purposefully separate myself from being too backwards-looking, for fear of running the risk of falling through a kitsch trap many fall in. I keep asking myself, “put yourself in their shoes”. Why do you feel a certain feeling when you listen to Satoshi Suzuki’s music?
Satoshi Suzuki’s story seems improbable. During Japan’s bubble economic era, Satoshi pursued a career in an advertising agency and used it as a launching point to launch his own shadow passion, creating and producing music inspired by those same AOR (adult contemporary or oriented) and homegrown artists he grew up listening to. In some cubicle, I imagine, between writing ad copy for commercials and crafting images for advertising, Satoshi found time to dream away, sussing out just what next song he could create to accompany a rhythm he toiled with on a drum machine, back home.
The improbable storyline, I referenced in the beginning, though, appears not in his music but in the amazing trip it took to finally get to our history. Three privately-pressed records were released in two years, from 1987 through 1988, with each of its hundred circulating copies becoming a personally-prized possession to any of its listeners. However, each record from Satoshi’s ‘87 “debut”, Mandheling Street to his final one, 週末の光と風, if you bought it from him directly at live one-man band performances, in and around Tokyo, each release looked, sounded, and felt like it was given the same care of a major label release. Yet, all of this was the product of Satoshi’s creative vision.
It was the music inside, I’d wager, that kept the memory of his music alive – long past the time Satoshi would venture to do other things. Listening to this music must evoke a certain feeling for those that lived through that period. Just what was it like to experience a time hearing those first minor seventh chords introducing you to Haruomi-san’s Hosono House or visiting your local record shop for an Ivan Lins import? What was it like to stand by, waiting for the Chūō–Sōbu train to come and stop in Ichigaya Station, whisking away many from office to parts unknown?
As Satoshi described in one of his original album’s liner notes, the mixture of his music – 40% Jazz, 30% Soul, 20% Brazil, and 10% Kayokyoku – was quantifiable. Yet, one can’t help but wonder, as I did, just how it is that all of this wonderful music that Incidental Music stumbled into, and is lovingly reissuing, taps into a certain special feeling that made his Tokyo “contemporary” then and as it does now, and how that can translate itself to those who’ve never ventured there yet. That is something one can’t easily analyze and quantify. It’s what led me to reach out.
So, ahead of Incidental Music’s November 3rd release and release party at forestlimit (幡ヶ谷) in Shibuya, Tokyo for Satoshi Suzuki’s Distant Travel Companion, I’m sharing a conversation I conducted with both the artist himself and label founder and friend of the blog, Austin Tretwold, about what it took to get this release over the finish line and the long, fascinating journey this music took to get made and be rediscovered. Thanks to both Satoshi and Austin for their time.
[Editor’s Note: You can find “Distant Travel Companion“ at Bandcamp.]
Satoshi Suzuki (鈴木慧) Interview
Satoshi Suzuki’s Section:
Diego (F/S): Can you recall some of your earliest memories listening to music in Tokyo? Were there specific songs or artists that left a lasting impact on you during your formative years?
Satoshi: I was born in 1958. When I was a high school boy, I listened to records featuring Caramel Mama (who went on to become Tin Pan Alley). Of course, I listened to Yumi Arai’s debut album and Hosono House on repeat. I have listened to James Taylor, Carole King, and Ivan Lins all my life.
Diego (F/S): Growing up in Tokyo, a city known for its vibrant music scene, how did the city itself influence your musical journey and style?
Satoshi: At the end of the ’70s, the music favored in Japan was country, blues, and rock. However, in Tokyo, more sophisticated music was beginning to be produced. The movement was not yet very prominent, but there were a few people who liked this sophisticated music. As a resident of Tokyo, I also sought out and listened to such music.
Diego (F/S): A bit of bio about your music, you self-described your music as a fusion of various genres like jazz, soul, bossa, and kayōkyoku (40% Jazz, 30% Soul, 20% Brazil, and 10% Kayokyoku). Can you tell us about the artists or musical traditions that influenced your arrival to that formula?
Satoshi: I studied composition at Shobi Gakuen. I studied classical music harmony, and at the same time, I studied jazz theory. This is the 40% jazz ingredient. At this school, a friend of mine introduced me to Antonio Carlos Jobim. This is 20% of the Brazilian ingredients. When I was a student, fusion was the rage, and I collected the works produced by Quincy Jones. This is 30% of the Soul ingredient. Kayōkyoku is always around, and songs like those of Kyōhei Tsutsumi are the ones I am most familiar with. This is 10% of the kayōkyoku ingredient.
Diego (F/S): City Pop is a well-known genre, a style more known in Japan as “new music,” but your works offer a distinct perspective. How would you describe your contribution and what sets your music apart from the mainstream City Pop of that era? Did you ever feel what you were doing was part of some wave of music?
Satoshi: In the ’70s, when I was in my 20s, the music I was playing was City Pop. I’ve stayed the same, and I’ve grown older. My musicality has not changed. When I was in my 40s, I started calling my music AOR. Of course, this is because I became an adult. I would argue that adult City Pop is AOR.
Diego (F/S): What were you busy doing, outside of music, at the time you were creating all the music you would self-release?
Satoshi: I had been working for “Real Creative Agency,” an advertising agency, for a long time. It is not a company I founded. They produced books and videos. I was writing music reviews. I was also doing video game music. Along with those jobs, I released three LPs for this company. This company was trying to acquire the skills to publish a variety of media.
Diego (F/S): Satoshi, can you describe your role in the “Real Creative Agency”? As best as you can remember, can you describe what kind of company this was or what it was responsible for?
Satoshi: The “Real Creative Agency” is the production division of an advertising agency. Its duties included producing print materials, editing corporate public relations magazines, producing commercials for FM radio programs, producing product corporate public relations videos, and managing events.
In fact, we took care of everything the client requested. It is as if we are a jack-of-all-trades.
I was in charge of arranging and writing articles for PR magazines. I also created video game music at the request of our client, a game software company. I spent my late ’20s through my ’40s at such a company, just running around Tokyo for them.
Diego (F/S): Did you have the opportunity to collaborate with other musicians or artists in Tokyo who share your passion for blending different musical styles?
Satoshi: I have been performing at live houses in Tokyo for a long time. I have probably shared the stage with over 100 musicians. I have played with them, sometimes on piano, sometimes on percussion.
Diego (F/S): Your music stands out as it was created in a home studio setting, quite different from the well-funded studios of the ‘80s Japanese bubble economy era. What inspired you to pursue this DIY approach to music production and releasing? What led to you creating solo?
Satoshi: It was amazing to me that drum machines were invented in the ’80s, and that we could get the sound of drums without any physical training. I am fascinated by a drummer’s playing, so I like to imitate my favorite drummer’s fills on the pads of a drum machine. I have studied a lot of rhythmic combinations with groove, both funk and Brazilian.
When the polyphonic synthesizer was introduced, I was also amazed at the ability to produce the sounds of the wind section with my fingertips. It was possible to sound jazz harmonies with just my right hand. I started making music by layering these instruments on top of my Rhodes piano, which I had used for many years. I have over 300 recordings of them. I carry these multiple track recordings with me on stage for live performances.
Diego (F/S): The design and presentation of your compilation pay homage to your original releases. What inspired you or Incidental Music to maintain this connection to the past in your new release?
Satoshi: A waterfront Tokyo landscape with depth. I think Mr. Austin liked the image of Tokyo on the original LP.
Diego (F/S): Correct me if I’m wrong, but was the cover of this compilation a photo of you waiting for a train (along Tokyo Bay) that would take you from Tokyo to Chiba? What role did traveling play in the music you made? I sense a lot of the songs, heck the title itself, speak of the importance “distance” plays in life. Your music often carries a sense of nostalgia – a sense of pining for autumn, an evening breeze, a traveling companion.
Satoshi: You are correct; this line is the Sōbu train. Nostalgia is the root of Brazilian music, a saudade. I believe that what should be portrayed in songs is remembrance and adoration for people. Another thing is that I always try to include a sense of the seasons in my lyrics. This is similar to the rule of haiku.
Diego (F/S): You are not only a musician but also an author and winner of the “Shin-nihon-bungaku” Award. How do your experiences in literature influence your approach to music, and vice versa?
Satoshi: I am also the lyricist for my own songs. I believe that a song is a story. The story is about the passage of time. When I was a teacher at a literary school, I taught my students: “A novel is about the events of a week or a few years. A song lyric is about the events of five minutes or a few hours”.
Diego (F/S): Your music seems to capture a specific time and place in Japanese history. How do you see your music reflecting the atmosphere and mood of the Shōwa period in Japan?
Satoshi: Turn the dial on the phone. Leave a recording on the ing phone. Specify a place and time to meet up. I write about these actions in my lyrics, but they are no longer understood today. These details are the tools to develop the story. I don’t include too many high-tech devices in my songs, for that reason.
Diego (F/S): Your compilation album Distant Travel Companion introduces your privately-pressed music to a wider audience. Can you tell us about the journey you took with Austin to compile and remaster these songs, some of which were previously limited to 100 copies each?
Satoshi: Only 100 LPs of each of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd were pressed and were available in Tokyo. Mr. Austin found me. He proposed a compilation. I transferred the sound sources from the ’80s multi-track tapes to my computer. I remixed it in a DAW (PreSonus’s StudioOne). I sent these two mixes to Mr. Austin. Mr. Austin then selected songs from about 40 songs. This is the compilation album.
Diego (F/S): I’m going to single out two songs from the compilation: “A Dream In The Wardrobe” and “Evening Sea Breeze”. Can you tell us something about those songs? They really expand on a great span of musicality and style.
Satoshi: These two selections are from the original release. For the songs on the three LPs, I aimed for a lighter, brighter tone. For the new release, I aimed for a more mature atmosphere. I’ve also acquired the skills to play these arrangements. This means I updated the drum machine. Likewise, I’ve also updated the synthesizer. The finished product is a minor melody with a tight rhythm. It is truly AOR (adult-oriented rock).
Diego (F/S): How do you feel about your music being reissued? It must be something to see younger artists or listeners rediscovering your work.
Satoshi: My listeners are accepting that my sense of style is still valid today. I am very happy about that.
Diego (F/S): What can your fans expect from you in the future, both musically and in your literary/creative pursuits?
Satoshi: I believe that meeting, singing, and talking to fans in person at live shows is my way of giving back to them.
Austin from Incidental Music‘s Section:
Diego (F/S): It’s a simple question but an important one: Why single out Satoshi Suzuki’s music for reissuing?
Austin (I.M.): I feel as though Satoshi Suzuki’s works are an important and singular independent perspective and document of the sound that Suzuki described as “Tokyo Contemporary” back in the 1980s – a type of music that is now commonly referred to as “city pop.”
During the 1970s and 80s, the “city pop” sound became well-developed and commercialized in Japan, and its signature slick production became unanimous with affluent studios and well-paid studio musicians of the bubble economy era. In parallel, there was also a thriving world of independently recorded and distributed music in Japan, not unlike the “private press” movement in the US and elsewhere.
Satoshi Suzuki’s independently produced works fall somewhere within the latter and provide the listener with a new perspective and unique story of the “urban” sound that gained popularity during this time – which was in turn a syncretization of different musical styles that Suzuki also embraced (i.e. 40% Jazz, 30% Soul, 20% Brazil, and 10% Kayōkyoku). The story that Suzuki’s works tell is one of the ingenuity of a prolific and highly talented artist making the most out of their instruments and studio – and exemplifies a musician living outside of the typical major label structure with which “city pop” works are typically associated.
I also personally love and admire these works, and find them to be so charming – full of seasonality, nostalgia, and wit. As Suzuki’s sound encapsulates so many wonderful musical forms, I believe most listeners can find something to enjoy in his musical expression.
Diego (F/S): What was your journey to discovering his music?
Austin (I.M.): I first found a copy of one of Suzuki’s privately pressed LPs on a Japanese resale market website. After doing some research, I discovered a few short sample sound clips available on a record store’s website and was in awe! I immediately wrote to Suzuki, who had a few remaining copies of two of his LPs, and he was gracious enough to have sent me copies after some correspondence. Suzuki was also kind enough to include updated liner notes to add context to these works and had already documented the works in his original releases in great detail as well.
Diego (F/S): How did you get the ball rolling to start the process of reissuing Satoshi’s music?
Austin (I.M.): My correspondence with Suzuki led very organically into proposing a compilation from these works. From the three LPs and one CD that had been released in the 80s and 90s, it was clear there was an abundance of material to cull from, and I was hoping to create a release that was an homage to the original records and could give a lovely introduction into the world of Suzuki’s music.
Diego (F/S): Can you describe some of the important steps you took to get Distant Travel Companion across the finish line? What role did Yohei from pianola records/conatala play in this endeavor?
Yohei was instrumental in facilitating and coordinating the initial conversation regarding the production of this project between Satoshi Suzuki and myself. In addition, he and the contala crew helped give feedback regarding the curation of the release and other production coordination assistance. Conatala Records is also helping distribute the release in Japan, and ensuring that this release has proper representation in Japan is really the biggest priority for me. I am incredibly grateful for their hand in the project, and very much looking forward to some collaborative projects we currently have on the horizon.
Diego (F/S): One thing I realize from various labels that reissue records like these is just how important it is to get buy-in from its creators. How intimately involved was Satoshi with this project and release?
Austin (I.M.): I would like to note – on some level, I struggle to call this archival compilation release an unequivocal reissue. Though it contains recordings which were previously released, it was very intentionally curated and sequenced with works from several albums, contextualizing these songs in a new way – and I hope that listeners of the original albums can find something new about these works as they listen to Distant Travel Companion. It is also an homage to the original releases through and through – and it was sequenced with a storyline and feeling of seasonality that the original releases also convey.
In this way, Suzuki’s original works heavily influenced Distant Travel Companion from the beginning to the end of the project. I also collaborated with Suzuki extensively to ensure that his works were being represented and treated with deep respect for his original vision, and all elements of the release received his final approval before moving forward.
Diego (F/S): Ideally, what goal (or goals) do you hope this release accomplishes? Are there any other releases from Suzuki-san we can hope to see in the future?
Austin (I.M.): I like to think of this release as a really lovely introduction to Suzuki’s works, and a seasonal and nostalgic story told through the artist’s lens. Most of all, I hope this release is successful in sharing Suzuki’s music with a larger audience – bringing listeners joy and soundtracking new memories along the way.
I am incredibly grateful for Suzuki’s collaboration and trust in producing this compilation, and it would be an honor to continue working with him. I look forward to what the future holds!