Takashi Kokubo - Shadow of the Full Moon

 

Takashi Kokubo - Shadow of the Full Moon

Kokubo @ bandcamp 

Kokubo @ discogs.com

 

Lavender breeze carries on dewy morning through reeds of The Sage’s thatched hut.  Mountain bells toll, chimes dance, and a holy chanting in the distance.  And breeze whimpers away, reluctant to let go, until finally quenched in the corners by the shadow of the full moon.

 

 

1.  Morning Mist

              

               Opening chord like C maj6/9, focusing on D and B notes in the voicings. 

                              Guitar voicings:  x32230  or  x32430

 

               Then there’s A-11, very similar (11^th of A is D, the same as the 2^nd of C)

                              Guitar voicings:  x07530  or  x05530

 

               Synth blasts us briskly with A to E (5th)…D, E, G….G, down to E, to A… and in general plays around on A minor pentatonic scale, focusing on the softer neutral notes, like the 11^th (D) 5^th (E) and b7 (G).

 

               At 4:17, the synth hits F# (natural 6^th of A) which briefly changes the flavor of A minor pentatonic (A, C, D, E, G) to A Dorian (A, C, D, E, F#, G).

 

               A delay riff comes into play that focuses generally on the theme B, C, D, C.  This riff uses the 9^th (B) more than the synth lead line.

 

               Around the 5 minute mark a chord progression becomes established:  A-, G maj, D5, C maj.  And every now and then when the synth plays that F# note, it tends to fall over the D5 chord, implying it to be like a D7 chord (D, F#, A, C).  So for that brief moment we have a flavorful morning sip of tea.  Otherwise the synthesizer continues outlining the more neutral notes of the chords, like the 11ths and the 5ths.  

 

               Around the 8:20 mark there’s a brief metallic repeating pattern that plays C, D, G while the bass note changes between C and A.  This creates suspended sounds, Csus2 (C, D, G) and A-11 (A,C, D, G)

                              Guitar voicing:  x3x533 or x0x533

              

Monk meditation chanting hums in around 8:49.

 

Around 11 minute time stamp, synth lead comes in on E, D, E, G….then G, E, G, A…then, A, G, A, D…very much like a blues guitar player shredding pentatonic trills.

              

12:20….Pure rain…crisp tambourine, delicate synth lead, holy chimes, birds

 

            13:24….Slow synth lead ascending 4ths..A, D, G, up another octave to D….then C, B, C, B, A, minor pentatonic run.

 

               Then the build from the beginning happens, the C maj6/9 chord to A-11…then gradually the themes are reintroduced…then the holy harmony of A-, Gmaj, D5, Cmaj.

 

 

2.  Hermitage

 

               Main riff plays like D up to G, up to A up to D up to E.  On guitar it’s roughly: x55230 (D, G, A, D, E).  Another brilliant chord, a vague Dsus (D, G, A)..Gsus2 (G, A, D)…or Asus (A, D, E).  Lots of fun and ambiguous, like the anonymous hermit in the mountains..shrouded by foliage and the morning mist.

 

               Synth lead similar to previous song, mainly playing A minor pentatonic stuff (A, C, D, E, G) focusing on the sussy notes (A, D, E) but throwing in F# (natural 6^th) here and there to color it A Dorian.

 

               22:53…flute of the wind playing E, G, A, G, A trill riff.  Then G, A, C~~….B~~…G~~.  Very Chinese, very Tao, very Lao Tsu.

 

               24:52….so this is fun…there’s this recurring bell motif that plays on notes F#, F, D.  So F#, cool yea that fits with the A Dorian thing, but that brief A natural, almost like it’s a chromatic blues thing in D major blues scale (D, E, F, F#, A, B).  SO WEIRD to hear that blues thang in this context.  And the way the F# blurs into the F..then fades while the D resounds, super neat.  The bell overtones make this extra hard to pin down since the pitches are harder to identify, and prolly why the chromatic passage works so well.  

 

               29:17..big fade out…quietness…focus on these C Lydian harmonies…C maj7, A-, F maj7.  Bits of F# note over the chord except the F major7…then back to the build up.

 

 

3.  Shadow of the Full Moon

              

               Opening with piano meanderings, summer wind blowing bells and chimes, crickets, airy synth pad.  The general harmonies played by the pad is Asus, A-7, Fmaj(#11), Cmaj7 voiced (C,B,D,G).

 

               Around the 40:00 mark, quartal ascending piano leading to opening riff: C, B, G.  

 

               Piano harmonies focus on Fmaj(#11), lots of sharp brightness…some D-9….A-9, etc.  Eventually leading to C major and D7sus.  The main anchor chord is the Fmaj(#11).  A few goes of this chord progression, more quartal stacking harmonies, then…

 

               …synth pad returns, July swept chimes, crickets, wind…piano playing on motif C, B, G and sometimes B, C, D, down to G.  

 

               Generally there’s just a lot of pretty F Lydian ideas (F, G, A, B, C, D, E) with most of the focus on a held out B note…exhaling to resolve on A, across all instruments (bells, pad, piano).  Also a bit of focus on resolving lines on G..the major 9^th of Fmajor…prolly what creates the longing lilting feeling..as opposed to the strong B emphasis which is mournful and beautifully aching.

 

               Around 47:12, piano outlines a wide Fmaj13 arpeggio spelled like: F, up to C, up to B, down to A, up to D, up to B, down to A.  Lots of upward motions.  

 

F to C is the perfect 5^th, C to B is the major 7^th, A to D the perfect 4^th, D to B the major 6^th.  It’s crazy.  The chord is spread across multiple octaves coz of this, the only downward motion is the whole step from B down to A, both times (outlining the B to A resolve that happens throughout the song).  But every other motion in this chord is ascending.

 

Finally, single bell ringing on F amongst night bugs and the wind.

 

Takashi Kokubo – Healing Music – Bird

Takashi Kokubo - Healing Music - Bird 

Kokubo @ discogs.com

Bright yellow sun rise starting new spring, Kokubo treats us not with a mystical, inquisitive or mythological mood.  He gives us a simple, crisp, pure sunny day.

1. Daichi no kokyū II (Breath of the earth II) 

               We are introduced with some subtle Eb #11 happenings before the form ! Then we jump into a loop of:

               ||Bb maj   |  Eb maj      | Ab maj        | Bb maj|

               |Eb  maj     |  Bb maj     |  Ab maj       |  Ab maj / F in the bass||

               This is the gist of what Kokubo is up to.  At times he will throw in a chord inversion, Bb major with D in the bass, Ab major with F in the bass, stuff like that !

               The main theme plays on the major triads; D, F, Bb slide up to C.  Then he repeats the theme up down a whole step, (So, C, Eb, Ab, Bb).

2. Kono michi (This way)

               ||D maj    | B-       | A maj     D maj    |  G maj   A maj    | D maj ||

               ||: G maj   A maj  :||

               On a kalimba perhaps?  Total unaffected innocence.  “Come this way !, follow me !” On a light hearted journey to see a secret bird nest.

3. Nettaiurin no yoake (Daybreak of the tropical rainforest) 

               Tune bops around between C major with a 9 flavor in there, to F major similarly styled.  After a little while A minor and G major fly into the mix.  We get some of that signature Kokubo echo scales JJ.

4. Haru no ogawa (Spring brook)

               Another kalimba jawn ,cool !  Basically G, G major7, C major, C major 7ish descending riff.  First part is as follows, arpeggiated:

               ||G B D G  |  G B D F#  | C E G C   |  C E G C ~B A G ||  Where after the C trails more into a melody.

               Part 2, arpeggiated:

               ||D A G D   |    C B G D    |  B A G D   |   C B G D    ||

               I’m sure Kokubo has a written composition for this, though in my mind he goes off to Jam City, plucking away with all the birds in the world, still in G major the whole time through.

5. Tori no shi • Mori no yoake (Bird poem • Daybreak of the forest)

               ||GCC, B G D |  G maj           |  F  maj  G Maj   |

               | D – 7     E-7   |  Fmaj   G maj |   

               Not sure exactly the harmonic rhythm here, but those are the chords.  Where the notes “GCC” are played together, followed by a melody of B G D.  We’ll see some Gmajor with B in the bass on occasion.  Cool wistful tune, reminds me of Phil Keaggy.

I think it’s that Low D note.

6. Yume (Dream)

               Mega F major 9 arpeggio spread, so cool !  One that I could approximate is voiced C, F, G E!  Mega Light BEAAAAAAAM.  Then we get :

               ||:F major     |  C major / E in the bass   |  D-7 (G7)      |  C major  :|| 

               Where we sometimes get that G7.   Super anime song, totally from the Air (tv) OST.  

7. Finlandia 

               Enjoy the wind harmonies !  !  !  !  (Main theme is very roughly B, A, B, C, then varies from there)

8. Tori no shi • Yūsuzumi (Bird poem • Cool of the evening)

Not sure of harmonic rhythm here , chords are as follows though :

               ||F maj            |  Eb maj                   |  D – 7    |   D  - 7   |

               |F maj 7 #11   |  Cmaj / E in bass   | D – 7     |  D – 7 (G7)  |

               |C maj             ||

               Some C notes flying around the Eb major chord, so that’s cool getting the 6^th in there.  Also that final C major is voiced roughly C G A B.  

               Next section Kokubo plays arpeggio heaven.  Roughly voiced C F A E, C F A D (both F major) then some kind of C major harmonies after that. 

              

9. Ōkina sora (Big sky)

               Kokubo’s take on the famous Rick Roll LOL:

               ||: G maj  A  maj   |  F#-  B-    :||  repeat as desired, eventually throw in G major, A major, resolve to D major.

               Other part strolls between G major, A major, B -  , A major.

               Is this the kind of emptiness Buddhists talk about?  Kokubo graces us with purity, clarity, lightness and emptiness rather than weighing us down with heavy musics.  Light as a feather , Birds flock together  , it is Kokubo’s “Healing Music – Bird”

 

Takashi Kokubo - Oasis of the Wind II ~ A Story of Forest and Water ~

Takashi Kokubo - Oasis of the Wind II ~ A Story of Forest and Water ~

1.  Awakening of the Forest

               Crisp crickles and crystal callings, the forest stretches, sighs, and opens its eyes.  Groggy and genki, pure morning light filters through the canopy.  Gentle sun softly encourages microcosms of life by warming the ground.  Total peace, Complete harmony; this is the forest of all being.  From here is derived the gelatinous ambiguous ethereal form of consciousness that wiggles itself unendingly, only perceived by some.  From here, this vegetative portal, new beings transform from death to spirited life and every moment is a divine celebration.

               Flora sways to and fro in dance, water sings in endless harmonies, the air breathes melody.

               Harmonically this song is straight forward.  It’s a vamp between Db major 13 and Gb major 13 for the entire 18 some minutes.  Various melodic themes are subtly introduced, each theme focusing on a specific note grouping.  The following themes I could identify:

               -“Main theme”, the metallic chime sound is C, Db, C, Ab, Eb, Ab, F.

               -Bass theme for Db major is Db, Ab, Bb, Db and then sometimes down to a lower Db.

               -Bass theme for Gb major is lower Gb, higher Gb, Db, Eb, Bb.

               -Oboe sound theme is C, Db, Eb, C, Ab, Bb, over the Gb major chord usually.

               -Marimba theme something like Eb, Db, C, Db, possibly harmonized in 4ths or 5ths.   There’s a lot more happening in this theme than I was able to decipher.

               -Various half step trills either creating a major 7^th or lydian effect.

               In summary, each theme is sensitive to chosen notes, following strictly to either their exact melodic idea or if departing, not adding too many note variations.

              

2.  Memory of Summer

               Suspended in the lilting air, transparent indigo nearly palpable thoughts, dreams, and memories whisper. 

               This track is divided into 3 sections, ABA.  The first section (A Section) is comprised of a bass riff going between G sus or G major type of thing, then after a while to an F major type of thing:

               -G D A D, G D A D, G D C D, G D B D.  

               -F C A E, F C A E, F C G E, F C G E.

               These two chords bop around a while.  What also stands out the most is the synth pad which seems to be playing a descending harmony, starting on high G note, then descending F#, E, and finally D.  I think it’s voiced as follows:

               -B E G, A D F#, G C E, F# A D.  These are all triad shapes happening over top of the G bass.

               After this G and F section, the song takes a break, then returns with the same ideas transposed down a whole step, F and Eb.  As far as I could tell, everything is played the same just shifted down.  This is the 2^nd (B) section.  After a little bit of time here the song goes back home to the A section before winding down.

3.  Distant Blue Star

               In space, surveying the entirety of the universe.  Kaleidoscope of sacred geometry and cosmic entities.              

               The final track lulls us to peace with a I, V, I, IV chord progression in Db major.  Db major, Ab dom 13, Db major, Gb major.  All themes are very ambiguous, but I caught some emphasis on the 13^th scale degree over the Ab7, so that was cool =). 

               There are the echoed marimbas half step trilling, airy almost non-existent synth pads that transcend the 4^th dimension, and various living wind breathes invigorating the atmosphere.