Tokyo's Coolest Sound

Konishi Yasuharu (Pizzicato One, ex-Pizzicato Five) is releasing this month a first studio album sung by himself, also his first solo album under his own name. The album contains many songs taken from Pizzicato Five's repertory, and also ones that he wrote for other artists (Mari Natsuki) and some covers (Hikaru Hayashi's "kokoro no kakera" and "kokoro", and Sumio Wakabayashi's "asa").

Much of the album consists of arrangements that he had first performed live in August 2023 at Cotton Club in Tokyo, and the recording features the same band of five musicians: the three of Tetsurō Yafune Trio (Tetsurō Yafune on piano, Katsuto Suzuki on bass and Ryūsuke Kakizawa on drums), plus guitarist Mitsukuni Tanabe and cellist Orie Hirayama.

An official YouTube channel has just started, with first a video of the song "kimi ni naritai". It can be watched below.

A concert for the release, featuring the recording's musicians, will be held on November 27 at Cotton Club in Marunouchi, Tokyo. Details and ticket information can be found here. Konishi Yasuharu's live and DJ information can always be found at Readymade Journal.

Konishi Yasuharu "Love, Lost And Found"
小西康陽 「失恋と得恋」
(Japanese title: "shitsuren to tokuren")

(Original English/French titles are included for reference)
1. kokoro no kakera (Fragments Of The Heart) (Cover of Hikaru Hayashi)
2. Tokyo wa yoru no 7ji (the night is still young)
3. eisei chūkei (Satellite Hour)
4. watashi no jinsei, jinsei no natsu (Ma vie, l'été de vie)
5. anata no koto ga wakaranai
6. soshite imademo (What Now Our Love)
7. kanasahii uta (Triste)
8. asa (Cover of Sumio Wakabayashi)
9. hi no ataru ōdōri (On the sunny side of the street)
10. mukashi watashi ga ai shita hito (L'homme que j'aimais) (Originally sung by Mari Natsuki)
11. kimi ni naritai (I Wanna Be Like You)
12. dōbutsuen ni te (at the zoo) (Originally sung by Mari Natsuki)
13. nemusō na futari (Two Sleepy People)
14. utsukushii hoshi (Stars)
15. kokoro (The Heart) (Cover of Hikaru Hayashi)

Universal Music UCCJ-2240
Out 10/30, ¥3200 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, , Spotify, YouTube Music, OTOTOY
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

"kimi ni naritai (I Wanna Be Like You)"