J.A.K.A.M. and Yuima Enya’s collaborative single “Waidai” was released today, Thursday, May 23rd.
The pair are singer Yuima Enya, who specializes in elevating jazz and world music into contemporary beats and is the lead vocalist of modern funk band SUPER CATS as well as a member of Afro-soul jazz band Thiiiird Place, and DJ/producer J.A.K.A.M. as JUZU aka MOOCHY, who has been active for many years in the Japanese underground scene as well as around the world, expanding his field beyond his own solo work, with artists such as ZEN RYDAZ, WANOWA, and MYSTICS.
This work, which is the first joint composition by the two, will be led by J.A.K.A.M. .
[YUIMA ENYA comment]
The word Waidai is a word I created when writing the lyrics for this song.
When Moochie contacted me, he told me about justice. He sent me the two films, and when I watched them, I was very confused. They depicted a miserable world and a hopeless reality, and I wondered if justice even existed. After that, even when I thought about justice in my own way, I just couldn’t like the word or concept, so when I told Moochie about it, he told me that it was not just about justice itself, but about people helping each other and the subtleties of that feeling.
I thought it was referring to something like empowerment that exists in people’s activities, which precedes the weighty word “justice.” Also, in one of the films, a documentary about Tetsu Nakamura, the gaze of Nakamura staring at the vast land was very impressive, and the dwarf landscape for me overlaps with the landscape he saw.
I wanted to express the feelings and thoughts of human beings trying to be better, their desperation and struggle, and their attitude of trying to connect despite the chaos.
The “wai” in “waiko” means small or low. There are moments when even tiny beings come together and become a great force. The word “waida” contains this wish and a praise for humans.
[Comment from Sota Takagi (PARKTONE RECORDS)]
A South Indian melody can be heard for a moment in the chaotic soundscape of the jungle, and then suddenly a female vocal resounds. Many people will recognize this innocent voice, and it is none other than YUIMA ENYA, the busiest session singer in Tokyo today.
I have been involved with her singing voice in many projects, and there is a reason why so many music producers are seeking her voice. It is because her singing voice has that final push that turns a mere string of sounds into proper music, that is, the finishing touch to the painting.
This time, we are teaming up with JUZU aka MOOCHY, a heavyweight in the Tokyo underground DJ scene, and the large-scale sound world where the beats of tabla and deep bass repeat tension and relaxation, creating an infinite number of scenes in the listener’s mind. . Club music is classified into chamber music and outdoor music, and according to that classification, this track is truly “outside music.” This is an excellent sound sculpture that can be enjoyed three-dimensionally, along with the mysterious lyrics.
[AI.U comment]
Human beings who have both strength and weakness
Crying and laughing, today is busy again
Sometimes I feel pathetic and worthless
Sometimes I stop
Still, to live and fight
“Let’s keep dancing”
Which country is it? It must be a small oriental island.
A new dance song that invites you to the dance floor
It becomes a circle, it becomes a relationship, it becomes a feast
That’s a signpost heading towards tomorrow morning
[CROSSPOINT Comment]
The first song of J.A.K.A.M. ‘s new album FRAGMENTS released last year, JUSTICE, features the voice and lyrics of YUIMA ENYA, a popular singer who was born and raised in Sangenjaya, Tokyo and studied jazz and avant-garde music in New York. Reborn as!
The instruments and soundscapes recorded on-site in India and Pakistan will inspire the imagination, from the jungles to the deserts of Asia, evoking an indescribable utopia in the listener and reminding them that Japan, too, is part of Asia.
A vision of the future of Asia in 2038! Enjoy!
【release information】
Yuima Enya “Dwarf”
Release Date: 2024.05.23 (Thu.)
Label: YUIMA ENYA / CROSSPOINT
Tracklist:
1. Small
Lyrics: YUIMA ENYA
Music: J.A.K.A.M.
*Instrumental and acapella recorded on Bandcamp
■Yuima Enya:X (Twitter) / Instagram
■J.A.K.A.M. (JUZU aka MOOCHY / NXS / CROSSPOINT):X (Twitter) / Instagram
