Singer-songwriter Shintaro Sakamoto filters soul, funk, Latin music, rock’n’roll, and vintage Japanese pop through his own lens.
“I’m just doing it for the sake of it. No particular reason,” Shintaro Sakamoto sings in the song “Why Do This”.
Soul, funk, Latin music, rock’n’roll, and vintage Japanese pop songs. He filtered them all through his own lens. He crafted music of the purest, most sparse kind.
It is by no means loud. Nor is it cutting-edge. Nor is it flashy. It simply possesses sincerity.
“Strive wholeheartedly. Never lose sight of yourself. Maintain your sanity in the world since the Trump administration,” he stated this in an interview with Music Magazine.
James Brown-esque “Numb” is a funk tune for us who keep dancing amidst the world’s turmoil.
In “Is There A Place For You There?,” he sings: “Look where the sound is coming from. See with your own eyes what is actually happening. Remember who did what.”
Whatever the circumstances, we must remain ourselves. We must protect what must not be changed.
In the final song, “Yoo-Hoo”, Shintaro Sakamoto calls out to each and every one of us: “Where are you? I’m here. We’ll meet someday, won’t we?”
Stream “Yoo-Hoo” LP on Spotify.
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