Monsters of Shamisen: Stellar (Just Released!)

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#1

Stellar is finally here! http://bachido.com/products

This 2nd album from Monsters of Shamisen features Kevin Kmetz, Masahiro Nitta and Kyle Abbott, as well as many talented special guests!

This album features 12 engaging songs including traditional classics and brand new originals!

  1. Korobushka
  2. Eden no Kanata
  3. Bolivianita
  4. Scarborough Fair
  5. Yasaburo Bushi
  6. Hikaru
  7. Tsugaru Jonkara Bushi
  8. Tsugaru Yosare Bushi
  9. Tsugaru Aiya Bushi
  10. Dyngyldai
    11.Greensleeves
  11. The Return

Stellar is a unique creation. With an appreciation for all cultural styles, I made the primary goal to capture the song’s feeling and heritage, and then incorporate shamisen appropriately. Rather than just as a background ensemble to support a shredding shamisen, the feeling of Stellar is to incorporate the shamisen WITH all the instruments , as my dream for the future of shamisen is to be an instrument commonly played along with others.

It’s time to imbibe in this musical meal!

—Kyle Abbott

#2

I knew my PS3 was overheating and I felt I should move over to the PC for some reason. Now I found out what! Downloading…

Edit: BTW, you should post some additional info regarding what musicians are playing on what track. Maybe adding a textfile? Sounds awesome so far!

#3

Let us know what you think Karl!!

#4

It started good with the “BRO!” shout, but then suddenly there was this very annoying instrument that appeared and kept making noise throughout the whole album. I think it might be called “Shamisen”. Appalling sound…

Jokes aside! I really love the harmony work you’ve done for the songs. Makes me wish I had 6 arms to play 3 shamisens simultaneously with. My favorite song is Bolivianita. The pan flutes really work well with the shamisen. It’s a song that makes you happy :smiley:

#5

Where’s the like-button here? :wink:
Yes, as Karl suggested, infos on Musicians/Interprets per track would be nice.
@Karl you surely know about multi-track-recording-devices, don’t you (your smartphone/tablet is one i.e.) :wink:

#6

Guests per track has been added to the album page! :slight_smile: Bachido Albums

Karl: Haha! I can’t deny that I’m happy “Bro!” made the cut. :wink: Kevin recorded about 6 'Bro!'s to get the right one.

I’m thinking about buying a set of panpipes (as I borrowed those from the fabulous Rick Walker) to record more. They are a lot of fun when you get used to 'em.

#7

Gave the album a listen yesterday, and really enjoyed it. Seems like you all had a lot of fun making this and it really comes through in the music. Really great work, guys.

#8

Awesome!!!
Dyngyldai sounds epic

edit: so you can’t buy a physical copy?

#9

Great !

#10

I had EIGHT hours, driving from L.A. to Lake Tahoe to do nothing but listen to “Monsters of Shamisen” (and frantically hang on as my husband slalomed around cars and mountain roads). Wow. Great job you guys - I have a feeling this album is going to rival the Yoshida Brothers in plays on my phone.

I"m with Ortjo, Dyngyldai is my favorite track. Repeated it every time it came around.

How fun to hear the vocals for Yasaburo Bushi, my other favorite track!

Hikaru is my other other favorite track - so contemplative and calming … (helpful when you’re terrified of what’s going on around you, lol)

The Return is awesome, and well, dangit, they’re all awesome!

Just … MASSIVE APPLAUSE!! Seriously, this is an amazing album.

#11

Eric: Sweet! I’m glad you enjoyed it! :slight_smile: Yes, it was a really fun and positive experience. Creatively exhausting by the end, but so fun.

Eric: Ah yes! I’m actually about to order physical CDs within the next few days. Funny Bunny, who just posted in nuSwag thread, designed amazing album art for it, so release of the physical album was postponed until the art was completed. :slight_smile:

Lorraine: Yay!!! :smiley: Can I use your first paragraph as a testimonial!? :slight_smile:

Hikaru is my other other favorite track - so contemplative and calming …

Nice! Kevin wrote that one in the week that we recorded in Sapporo. Kevin, do you want to tell her what Hikaru is about? :wink:

Awesome stuff! This is all so nice to hear. Glad we managed to pull it off! :slight_smile:

#12

Hahaha, absolutely! I cant say enough nice things about Kyle Abbot and the Bachido community, and the more people that hear the better. XOXO

#13

Kyle, have you thought about creating lessons on the website for some of your arrangements on the album? Seems like something that would be popular.

#14

Oh wait…somehow I didn’t catch on . . . So Funny Bunny is the one who designed the CD art??? Oh Wow! Will PM him (or is it a her…I didn’t catch that either!?) as soon as I fill up this little box with strange black symbols that translate into the English language.

Thanks everyone who has listened to and enjoyed our Stellar new album which we call…“Stellar!”

Karl, Allessandro,Ortjo, Eric, Patrick, Domo Arigatou ! I’m really glad you guys dig it!

Lorraine,
I’m so honored to have been a part of your travels, at least in the form of back ground music. It really means a lot to hear from people who are listening to us and imagining the setting etc.

While we were recording the CD up in Beautiful Sapporo, Japan I somehow found myself falling for a lovely Japanese lady named Hikaru. During the course of our brief love affair I promised her I would write her a song. As we were wrapping up the recording session I suddenly said “Wait guys! I just wrote something! Can we add one more song into the mix!?” the last time I saw her it was raining so as we finished recording “Hikaru” we sampled the actual rain sounds of the Sapporo night and added that into the mix.

I’m also thrilled that you dig “The Return” that’s an original that goes back to my old band ESTRADASPHERE from back in the days when I was living in Santa Cruz, California. Grant Reimer used to always come see us LIVE when we would play locally so I was Definately feeling the influence of Grant when I recorded the Shamisen arrangement since it was he who was always requesting that a Shamisenization of the Return appear on a Monster of Shamisen CD! well Grant…you got your wish, Braaaahhhhhhhhhh!

Just for fun here is me on guitar with Estradasphere performing “The RETURN” years before it went the route of the Japanese three stringed Monsters!!!

#15

Hey Kevin, thank you for giving us some inside-/behind the scene-look.
Listened to some other Estradaspehere songs on YT. Awesome!
I like the Hunger Strike Track (it seems like a world-trip to me sound-wise).
Maybe it’s prematurely to ask, but do you guys already have another Monster of Shamisen album in the pipeline/ideas?

Hey Lorraine, I’m also listening to the Stellar album while driving; so relaxing…

#16

New Monsters of Shamisen album?! To Amazon! (Sorry, I prefer MP3s to physical media.)

I wanted to let you guys know that I mentioned you in an article I wrote for RocketNews24 about Ki&Ki. (Sorry, shameless self promotion: http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/07/31/kiki-the-new-face-of-traditional-japanese-music/) I believe Kevin reviewed their first album a few years ago on YouTube. Anyway, while interviewing them, I asked if they had any recommendations for people outside of Japan wanting to learn shamisen and they immediately mentioned Bachido. You guys are definitely doing something right!

#17

Alessandro,
Thanks! Yeah Hungerstrike was pretty long eh? We used to always end our shows with that one. It’s like a 20 minute tune! Oh by the way, I am not sure if Kyle will kill me for saying this… But… Well… We actually have already recorded enough material for a new album. Sorry…I wasn’t sure if that was suppose to be a secret or not. But um…too late now! I’ve let the cat out of the bag! Forgive me God!

Preston, thanks so much for the mention!

#18

Way back when you guys were taking suggestions for songs you already said it will be 2 CDs so I don’t understand what the hushhush is about :stuck_out_tongue:

I like THE RETURN on the new CD but must say that with a band that song becomes so much more. Awesome.

#19

Oh ok…that’s right! So I guess it’s not really a “Secret”! So yeah! We’z Gots Da Goodz Yo! Woot!

Yeah bro! Thanks for listening to the original “The Return!” I have to agree its pretty impossible to try to capture the feeling of the band with just Shamisens but still I always like to think of it like this…
Who the hell has ever written something like that for Shamisen trio? I mean when you say Shamisen ensemble most people think Jongara bushi with a few new phrases and harmonies added in… Not Gypsy Death Metal extravaganza with no Jongara bushi reference whatsoever! Know what I mean?

Hell yeah! Think I’ll write something completely new today! Thanks Bachido for the inspiring community ! I already have a title for a new tune… It is going to be called “Unopened Chocolate Bar!”

Wish me luck y’all!

#20

Wow I was just writing Hell yeah and talking about new music in the other thread! Oh my god what a coincidence :open_mouth:

(In fact I just read your response in the other thread so it’s not really a double reversed telepathic connection)

I know what you mean :slight_smile: You guys were really shredding it in that clip! I’d love to hear some tips on how to play guitar-style on shamisen when we finally meet. Actually I’m working on a game song cover right now and recorded 3 tracks (bass, melody and a background arpeggio. I realized that while the shamisen has an epic sound, it becomes too much if you just take another song and play all the notes. Either you have to modify it or introduce other instruments. The main problem if you have for example a bass line or chords is that you have a limited amount of octaves to work with so you play the same tone in several tracks and then it becomes too loud. What you want to do is switch it for another note in the scale but that would require a lot of iteration when you record them all sequentially.

Anyways your clip actually got me inspired to pick up my guitar and do some practice drills. Went back to old Paul Gilbert and I’m just taking a break in my routine right now. Paul Gilbert is really good technically and he’s a very good teacher in his newer lessons.

Best thing is that I’m smiling all the way through because I notice how playing Shamisen has built up strength in my hands and all those months of thinking “RELAX THE GOD DAMN HAND” is coming to me in an instant when I cramp up during the new exercises.

Good luck with the song!

© 2020 Kyle Abbott