Photos from the release party at Big Love

instore live

i-radio live recording

someone bought my CD thanks

surprise!

wowwww

all photos by chiro, thanks!

thanks u for everyone coming there and celebrating my release.
it's a very very special day for me!

Notes

sometimes be caught by kinda complicated feeling that knock me down. the situation around me is getting better w/ time slightly, but still hard to think too many things and to manage everything by myself.

but at the same it can be always a beginning for something. thanks to even this occasional frustration. though hard to thank my powerlessness, I'd like to keep going...

Something about lyrics and translation (via my facebook)

First time wrote out the lyrics (or something like that - was in my head while making songs) to show someone else. You can read it on the insert of my CD that is out on 22nd May (soon!) on BIG LOVE Records.http://biglove.bigcartel.com/product/biglove047-sapphire-slows-sapphire-slows

It also includes Japanese translation done by Haruka. Maybe some people would feel it's sort of weird because I'm Japanese and of course I can completely understand Japanese. But wait, oh guys…! She is so professional! Just read her translation today and that made me so so so impressive. It reminds me how beautiful Japanese sentences are. I was about to cry...

For long time I've been not positive to write down any of my lyrics because I was even not sure if it could be 'lyrics' ever? When I was working especially for 'True Breath', I never felt like describing my complicated feelings clearly in words/in my native language. Though I wrote all the lyrics with my poor English, I still aimed to make it abstract and fragmentary as possible. You know, as voices in my songs are all obscure. So even for me it was difficult how to interpret the lyrics in Japanese…But she completely made it.

But at the same it's shame that almost every overseas artists whose lyrics translated by her couldn't understand about it - I mean, I wish if they could know how beautiful sense of Japanese words she has...So I just wanted to say for the artists: No worry if you couldn't read any Japanese, I swear every your Japanese fan can understand what your lyrics are meaning with such beautiful Japanese!

OK…maybe I was a bit too excited about the translation :) Just wanted to say you SHOULD check the CD! It's not just a compilation of my past vinyl releases. It has new design on the spacial paper jacket, with special OBI (made by the label owner Naka! like a paper belt?) that used to be popular with Japanese record releases in 80's and maybe early 90's?? Also some songs get remastered! Includes 3 bonus track! the lyrics! Furthermore I wrote special explanation/comment about all the songs and what gear I used for my early creation: it means how I get into making music in the 2011. Now you know what a special release it would be!

Thanks for reading!

xx Sapphire

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5月22日にBig Loveから発売されるコンピレーションCD「Sapphire Slows」ですが、日本盤ということで歌詞、対訳、Sapphire Slows本人による全曲解説と使用機材解説（！）も付くという何とも豪華なことになりました。

さきほどBig Loveの春果さんが手がけてくれた対訳（和訳）を見たのですが、その素晴らしいこと。「日本人なのに対訳を他人にやってもらうの？」と奇妙に思うかもしれませんが、ちょっと待って。

そもそも、私は最初、複雑な感覚を言葉で表現することができなくて音楽を作りました。「歌詞」と呼べるかどうかすらわからない、言葉にできなかった途切れ途切れの表現、拙い英語での「歌詞」を、彼女は見事に美しい対訳へと生まれ変わらせてくれています。感動してしまって泣きそうになりました。日本語が理解できることが嬉しい。量的には短いものですし、大げさと思われるかもしれませんが・・・。対訳を見て初めて「私はこんなにたくさんの感情を曲に込めてたんだ」と気付きました。なので是非手に取って読んでみて欲しいのです。

これはもうただのコンピレーションCDではないですね。ただライセンスして適当なボーナストラックを付けただけの日本盤なんて欲しいと思ったことはありませんが、これはすごくすごくすごくスペシャルだと思う。今どきこんなにやってくれるレーベルが果たしてあるでしょうか・・・。ただCDを出すだけっていうのは嫌だったから、こんなにアーティストのことを考えてくれるBig Loveとだから出したかった。

そういう盤です。5月22日Big Loveより発売。

ありがとうございます！

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プチ補足(2013/5/2): 

日本盤というものについてネガティブな言い方をしてしまったけれど、ちょっと反省というか補足。もし日本で見たい、日本に来てほしいアーティストがいるなら日本盤を購入することが一番のサポートになると思う。大きなアーティストには関係ないけど、かなりアンダーグラウンドなアーティストに関しては。最近日本盤というものを出すのがいかに大変かということもわかってきたのだった・・・。私たちのような小さなアーティストを支えてくれる全ての人に感謝しなくては。

Favorite Vinyls 2012

Random order...

Andy Stott - 'Luxury Problems' LP [Modern Love]

Guerre / Nakagin - 'Revels / Apathy' 12" [The Finer Things]

Elg - 'Mill Pluton ' LP [Hundebiss Records]

Kindness - 'World, You Need A Change Of Mind' LP [Terrible]

Ilyas Ahmed 'With Endless Fire' LP [Immune]

Afterhours - 'Sleepwaker' 12" [Not Not Fun]

Samantha Glass - 'Mysteries From The Palomino Skyliner' LP [Not Not Fun]

Yves Son Ace - 'Unsung' LP [La Station Radar]

Helm - 'Impossible Symmetry' LP [Pan]

Heatsick - 'Deviation' 12" [Pan]

Uku Kuut - 'Vision Of Estonia' LP [Peoples Potential United]

Unknown Artist – 'Journey 1 / Echo Drugs' [L.I.E.S.]

Jahiliyya Fields – 'Unicursal Hexagram' [L.I.E.S]

Cooly G - 'Playin Me' LP [Hyper Dub]

Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland - 'Black Is Bearutiful' LP [Hyper Dub]

Laurel Halo – 'Quarantine' LP [Hyper Dub]

Raime - 'Quater Turns Over A Living Line' LP [Blackest Ever Black]

Cut Hands - 'Black Mamba' 12" [Blackest Ever Black]

Mungolian Jetset – 'Mungodelics' LP [Smalltown Supersound]

Dan Bodan -'Aaron / DP' [DFA]

Innergaze - 'Mutual Dreaming' LP [Cititrax]

Secret Circuit - 'Nebula Sphynx' 12" [Beats In Space]

Nick Dewitt – 'United' LP [Teenage Teardrops]

Blues Control – 'Valley Tangents' LP [Drag City]

I couldn't choose from ton of great releases in 2012 really but the above 24 are very impressing for me. About live performances, Mi Ami an hour set at Kyoto Metro and one night in Seoul Ital played in darkness with a broken strobe light were so so good and impressed me...The whole tour was fun. Thanks to all the promoters, friends and venues..

My releases in 2012 were :

'Just Wanna Feel' 12” w/ Magic Touch [100% Silk]

'Yubiwa' cassettle w/ Jesse Ruins, Hotel Mexico [Self release]

'Break Control' 3.5” Floppy Disc [Oral Traditions] ( this song is also included in 'Cuz Me Pain Compilation #2' LP [Cuz Me Pain] )

Please check them it's not too late!!!

Thanks for everyone who suppurted SS in 2012.

Hope more releases, remixes, mixes, collabos, tours in 2013!!!!!!

Love,

Sapphire Slows