Japanese New Age with Tsunaki Kadowaki
Tsunaki Kadowaki is a Tottori-based collector, writer and new age music enthusiast. He works at Meditations record store in Kyoto—arguably the best spot for vinyl in Japan—and recently published New Age Music Disc Guide, a book of 600 new age and ambient album recommendations. The guide provides a comprehensive overview of new age music, covering releases from the ‘70s all the way up to the genre’s well-deserved revival, thanks in part to individuals like Spencer Doran and Chee Shimizu, and reissues from labels including Light in the Attic, Music from Memory and WRWTFWW Records. Unfortunately for the English speaking world, it’s written in Japanese, but thanks to the album artworks that beautifully adorn each page, it’s still absolutely worth checking out.
For his playlist, Tsunaki has chosen to focus mainly on Japanese new age music—though as his Spotify playlists can attest to, this is definitely not the only genre he’s interested in—steering clear of almost any obvious choices and instead choosing mostly “anime and manga image albums and soundtracks”. In Tsunaki’s words, “[the playlist] takes about two hours, but I want you to listen to it as if you were watching a movie.” We’re more than happy to oblige.
Tracklist
ACIDMAN / 有と無 (Yuu To Mu) - introduction
Rhucle / Digital Ghetto
riya / 百年の夏 (Hyakunen No Natsu)
矢沢永吉 (Eikichi Yazawa) / 哀しみの彼方へ (Kanashimi No Kanata E)
井上陽水 (Yōsui Inoue) / 海へ来なさい (Sparkling Blue)
牛尾憲輔 (Kensuke Ushio) / girls, dance, staircase
久石譲 (Joe Hisaishi) / 一刻館のテーマ#2 (Theme of Ikkoku-kan #2)
中迫隼 (Shun Nakaseko) live@和泉谷旅館 (Izumiya Ryokan)
Radiosonde / Up to the Sky
Towa Tei / デビュー前の名曲 (Debut Mae No Meikyoku)
松本晃彦 (Akihiko Matsumoto) / 侘助 (Wabisuke)
吉川洋一郎 (Yoichiro Yoshikawa) - A.D. 2021...混迷の街 (Konmei No Machi)
Gimgigam, 遠野朝海 (Tono Asami) / Caribbean
坂本龍一 (Ryuichi Sakamoto) / メイン・テーマ (Royal Space Force Main Theme)
梅林茂 (Shigeru Umebayashi) / 友よ、静かに瞑れ (Tomo Yo Shizuka Ni Nemure)
逆瀬川健治 (Kenji Sakasegawa) / にぎみたま (Nigimitama)
葛生千夏 (Chinatsu Kuzuu) / The City In The Sea #2
濱田金吾 (Kingo Hamada) / Like A Snow
鷺ノ宮伊澄 (Isumi Saginomiya) starring 松来未祐 (Miyu Matsuki) / 十六夜迷子 (Izayoi Maigo)
早見沙織 (Saori Hayami) / Mist
伊豆一彦 (Kazuhiko Izu) / 螺旋のかけら (Rasen No Kakera) ～Spiral Steps～
太田健 (Takeshi Ohta) / イルカ (Iruka)
川井憲次 (Kenji Kawai) / まどろみの森 (Madoromi No Mori)
林正樹 (Masaki Hayashi) / Bluegray Road
Yuto Ohashi / 木霊の声 (Kodama No Koe)
柳田ヒロ (Hiro Yanagida) / Angel Eyes
山口美央子 (Mioko Yamaguchi) / 白昼夢 (Hakuchumu)
新居昭乃 (Akino Arai) / 金色の時 流れて (Kiniro No Toki Nagarete)
牛尾憲輔 (Kensuke Ushio) / lit(var)
秋本奈緒美 (Naomi Akimoto) / Tennessee Waltz
RATN (Riow Arai + Tujiko Noriko) / あともう1回だけ (Ato Mou Ikkai Dake) (instrumental)
斉藤由貴 (Yuki Saito) / The April Fools (Original Version)
