#meitei 冥丁
LIMITED EDITION KWAIDAN TEE
In light of the recent crisis, many of my upcoming shows are uncertain. However, I have hope that things will get better eventually.
I’m also happy to share that I’ve partnered with Everpress to release a Kwaidan t-shirt in celebration of the upcoming 2nd repress of Kwaidan on vinyl via Evening Chants coming soon. The t-shirt is available for only two weeks. I hope you enjoy this.
Purchase athttps://everpress.com/meitei-t-shirt
Thank you for your support and I hope everyone takes care of themselves and stays safe!
Beautiful design byJasmine Ho
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Lounge Sai in Tokyo
Last Saturday night, I played at “Lounge Sai”, an exhibition of beautiful fashion brands in Tokyo. I prepared an original program for this Lounge Sai. And played it. I think it was a breathtaking time. The venue was full of tension and the audience was focused on sound for 60 minutes. This was my first experience this scene. It was a wonderful experience.
Thank you very much!
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Meitei’s first show in Japan
This time, the first show of Meitei will be held in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. I did not expect that I would be doing a show. But from now on, I intend to actively work on the show / live format. I’m still a beginner in this style, but I’m aiming for a deep performance in the near future. Now I have started a new challenge.
In this show, I will prepare a Komachi / Kwaidan new arrangement. I realized that doing a show can announce an existing track as a new version. That might be very interesting. I think it will eventually be possible to show more interesting styles. I’m interested in it. Thank you
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We’re happy to announce that due to the amazing response to this record we have upped the initial pressing numbers from 300 to 500, that includes a small number of additional copies of the Special Edition with printed booklet.
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Meitei - Komachi (LP) *PRE-ORDER*
This is a PRE-ORDER - all orders with this item will ship after it is released March 15th.
“Things fade into obscurity when a populous has no interest” - Meitei / 冥丁
Meitei considers himself an old soul, often preoccupied with the customs and rituals of the past. Recently Meitei lost his beloved 99-year-old grandmother, a woman who he considered to be one of the last remaining people to have experience and understanding of traditional Japanese ambience. His music and art is driven by a desire to cast light on an era and aesthetic that he believes is drifting out of the collective Japanese consciousness with each passing generation, what he calls “the lost Japanese mood”. He chose to dedicate Komachi to his late Grandmother.
“I want to revive the soul of Japan that still sleeps in the darkness” - Meitei / 冥丁
Haunting and delicate, distant and timeless, Komachi is awash with white noise, complex field recordings and the hypnotic sounds of flowing water. Though confidently contemporary, like a bucolic J-Dilla, Komachi’s lineage can be traced back to the floating worlds of Ukiyo-e and Gagaku via the prism of 80s Japanese ambient pioneers, and 90s pastoral sample-based artists such as Susumu Yokota and Nobukazu Takemura.
Composed as individual sonic dioramas, each of the twelve tracks have been crafted to not only evoke feelings of nostalgia but to also explore the dichotomy of ancient and new in modern Japanese society. This pervasive narrative runs throughout, calling to mind the work of authors Yasunari Kawabata andNatsume Soseki, as well as the films of Yasujirō OzuandHayao Miyazaki, artists similarly fascinated by the reflective tranquillity that permeated traditional Japanese domestic life.
The limited vinyl release, produced in collaboration with label and distributor Séance Centre, includes a super limited special edition complete with beautiful twelve-page booklet featuring a number of prints in the Ukiyo-e style, a traditional style of woodblock print that dates back to 17th century Japan. The images were chosen by Meitei to showcase the old style Japanese sentiments that form a core inspiration to his musical output.You can choose the version you would like in the drop down product menu, the regular version is limited to 350 copies, and the Special Edition with the booklet is limited to 50 copies.
All songs written and recorded by Meitei.
Mastering by Brandon Hocura.
Production and Distribution by Séance Centre.
Art direction by Jack Hardwicke, Meitei & Métron.
‘Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night’
Cover Artwork by Suzuki Harunobu.
Good news. Komachi PRE-ORDER is more popular than expected, and we decided to update the number of presses. Regular version is changed from 350 copies to 500 copies. This fact is very pleasing to me. I am very thrilled now. Thank you!
And if you have not listened to Kawanabe Kyosai Pt 2 yet, listen to it from here!
Meitei - Kawanabe Kyosai [Pt.II]
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Meitei - Komachi (LP) *PRE-ORDER*
This is a PRE-ORDER - all orders with this item will ship after it is released March 15th.
“Things fade into obscurity when a populous has no interest” - Meitei / 冥丁
Meitei considers himself an old soul, often preoccupied with the customs and rituals of the past. Recently Meitei lost his beloved 99-year-old grandmother, a woman who he considered to be one of the last remaining people to have experience and understanding of traditional Japanese ambience. His music and art is driven by a desire to cast light on an era and aesthetic that he believes is drifting out of the collective Japanese consciousness with each passing generation, what he calls “the lost Japanese mood”. He chose to dedicate Komachi to his late Grandmother.
“I want to revive the soul of Japan that still sleeps in the darkness” - Meitei / 冥丁
Haunting and delicate, distant and timeless, Komachi is awash with white noise, complex field recordings and the hypnotic sounds of flowing water. Though confidently contemporary, like a bucolic J-Dilla, Komachi’s lineage can be traced back to the floating worlds of Ukiyo-e and Gagaku via the prism of 80s Japanese ambient pioneers, and 90s pastoral sample-based artists such as Susumu Yokota and Nobukazu Takemura.
Composed as individual sonic dioramas, each of the twelve tracks have been crafted to not only evoke feelings of nostalgia but to also explore the dichotomy of ancient and new in modern Japanese society. This pervasive narrative runs throughout, calling to mind the work of authors Yasunari Kawabata andNatsume Soseki, as well as the films of Yasujirō OzuandHayao Miyazaki, artists similarly fascinated by the reflective tranquillity that permeated traditional Japanese domestic life.
The limited vinyl release, produced in collaboration with label and distributor Séance Centre, includes a super limited special edition complete with beautiful twelve-page booklet featuring a number of prints in the Ukiyo-e style, a traditional style of woodblock print that dates back to 17th century Japan. The images were chosen by Meitei to showcase the old style Japanese sentiments that form a core inspiration to his musical output.
You can choose the version you would like in the drop down product menu, the regular version is limited to 350 copies, and the Special Edition with the booklet is limited to 50 copies.
All songs written and recorded by Meitei.
Mastering by Brandon Hocura.
Production and Distribution by Séance Centre.
Art direction by Jack Hardwicke, Meitei & Métron.
‘Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night’
Cover Artwork by Suzuki Harunobu.
Lead track Kawanabe Kyosai [Pt.II]
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Meitei Kwaidan cassette tape
This month Meitei ’s kwaidan was on sale at Boomkat in Manchester. Immediately after the sale, 50 cassette tapes were sold out in about an hour. I was deeply moved by the very crazy sales speed. I am glad that the people of the world are listening to Meitei’s track little by little. I really pour in my energy into this music, so here is a source of curiosity. If you do not know Kwaidan yet, please listen. It is a track that you can absolutely enjoy.
At the beginning of this year Meitei’s kwaidan was placed outside the music scene through HorrorJapan. There was energy that would broaden the possibilities of music. Because horror’s music track is rare, Meitei’s horror track is Japanese style. There is only Horror Japan that can introduce this!
And then Meitei was nominated for the month for best monthly ambient music at Bandcamp for two months.
For meitei who has nothing to do with biography yet this was a miracle. And they were pleasantly listening to the sound of Meitei.
Then I began to be offered a variety of music labels for offers on several releases.
And one of them was a label called Evening chants in Singapore. They are labels that release experimental, avant-garde yet unknown music. I was convinced that it was a very noble act. Besides, I was honored to be an artist that I can release for the first time on that label.
Immediately I signed a contract to reissue and release kwaidan as a cassette tape.
And in the fall of 2018 Kwaidan began physical release with a wonderful design. I really love this design layout by Evening chants designers.
Collaboration between Japanese ukiyoe style and Singapore design style. Finally Kwaidan began to be shared across the border.
And now Meitei’s 1st release is said to have succeeded. Kwaidan was more echoing than expected. The last one is now in White label records in Singapore. I am looking forward to getting this. Their style is not to transport this. That is, it can only be purchased locally. But I also want you to enjoy such a mood.
Meitei will run even big releases in 2019. But I will talk about that another day.
Please look forward to the activities of Meitei in the future.
Pics for Boomkat,thank you !
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There is a path like this picture on the mountain in Japan. There is no one here. Corridor of past time. I have recently been exploring such a way. And I am looking forward to what is behind the path. There are many things here that I did not know when living in Tokyo and Kyoto. It is very rustic and abstract. I am sticking to Japanese mood like this now. There is a beautiful mood here, I feel this artistic impression because this is present in modern times. Once you step in this, you will touch the memory of lost Japanese culture.
My summer vacation in Hiroshima
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Breeding ground of the darkness
Japanese darkness is wet. I am curious about it. And I feel emotion there linking to Japanese aesthetics. Darkness is uncertain and abstract. Perhaps there are various Japanese senses. I think it will be a gift for the people of the 21st century. I will express it one by one. Meitei’s current theme is “Lost” Japanese mood.
My summer vacation in Hiroshima
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I began to focus on the mood forgotten by Japanese people in the 21st century two years ago. I moved to Hiroshima from Kyoto and began to observe places like this picture. I feel lost folklore on the stairs of mossy stone. And darkness is lurking behind it. That is the origin of Japanese old Kwaidan. In Japan in the 21st century, such places are touching nostalgia in Japan.
My summer vacation in Hiroshima
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Meitei - Touba / 塔婆 (Official Audio)
“Touba / 塔婆” from Meitei’s debut album “Kwaidan / 怪談”, reissued on Evening Chants on cassette.
Purchase/Stream the album → https://eveningchants.bandcamp.com
Kwaidan / 怪談
Meitei is a Japanese artist who started out as a freelance composer, making various kinds of music across genres. Having done it for 8 years, his goal was to eventually release his own original music.
Living in Kyoto for the past two years has deeply influenced his current sound, which is a focus on musically crafting a “Japanese mood” called Meitei (冥丁) (thus, his name). Rich in history, Meitei wanted to borrow this lost “Japanese mood” and incorporate a contemporary spin on it. This led to the creation of Kwaidan (怪談).
Kwaidan is a style of Japanese ghost stories. Meitei took it as a challenge of his skill as a musician to transpose the folklore into intricate compositions, capturing this lost “Japanese mood”.
“The shocking elements in the horror have become a staple. It’s functions as entertainment. But I personally felt the mood and ambience from Kwaidan is starting to wither – while the darkness is scary, the beauty is in the curious spirit”
Kwaidan was originally released in January 2018. Evening Chants is pleased to be re-issuing this exceptionally crafted piece of work on cassette tape.
Evening Chants band camp
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