Currents: April 2012

Orguss 02 OST rereleased under a new title

Orguss 02 OST, one of the most sought-after Hikashu releases among collectors, will be resurfaced at last. The release date has been set on May 31, 2012. The new edition is remastered by Ono Seigen. Also it has a bonus track and new cover art, and it will be released as an original Hikashu album, under a new title "Fushigi o Mitsumete."

There should be no problem with the re-titling. Though it was originally released as a tie-in of a video animation series, the music itself is not directly related with the video in any way, and intended and recorded as a Hikashu album from the start. HMV has already listed the item and now takes pre-order. here

May 21 Update: The release of the album mentioned above is postponed to August 12, 2012.


More Reissue to Come

Now the reissue project of past Hikashu albums counts 11 titles, and there are still more to come. Just recently one item is added to the waiting list - "Acchi No Me, Kocchi No Me" [Dazzling Eyes] is a 1993 effort of the band, recorded in Berlin as its predecessor, "Hanauta Hajime."

What a notable the album is that it is only, up to now, a fully collaborated Hikashu album with artist outside the band; Lauren Newton is an American voice performer and educator who has been residing in Germany for years. She has performed with a lot of musicians, and had been a member of Vienna Art Orchestra. She participated in throughout the album, and contributed one composition. She even did a Japanese tour with the band.

The album is great. It focused on the possibilities of human voices, and Newton's performance on it is just incredible. You would know what we mean when you actually listen to it. Unfortunately the album has never been reissued before, and it's now hard to find. Although the release date is not available at this time, it's likely not too distant future.


Fuji Rock Festival 2012 update

It's officially announced that the appearance of Hikashu and company has been set on July 29 - the last day of the festival. But time slot and venue is still not yet open to the public. We'll let you know when things are disclosed.