Flying Beagles, And The Story Of Himiko Kikuchi’s Most Beloved Album
Recently I was taking a scroll through my recommend feed on Youtube and came across an album titled ‘Flying Beagle’ by Himiko Kikuchi. Intrigued and incised by the dog on the cover of the record I decided to check it out for myself during my free time, and was left shocked by the true masterpiece that I discovered accidentally. This enjoyment of the album sent me down a small rabbit hole into the history behind the record, an now I present to you Flying Beagles, And The Story Of Himiko Kikuchi’s Most Beloved Album.
Who Is Himiko Kikuchi?
Himiko Kikuchi is a jazz pianist and composer from Sendi, Japan. Born in 1953, she would get her start in music at the age of 7 studying piano under the tutelage of composer Ruiko Koga at the Miyagi Gakin Women’s University and Takako Hoire at the Tokyo University of The Arts respectively. At the age of 12 she would win the 1965 Yamaha Electone Competition; a competition in Japan for electronic based musicians.
During the early 70’s she would perform as a classical background pianist for many of bands and orchestras, as well as work along side composers such as Takuro Yoshida and Mayumi Itsuwa, Kikuchi would trasitor her sound to Jazz based production, after studying under Sadayasu Fujii (a renowned Jazz musician in Japan). She would get her first big break in the industry in 1979, landing the role as a lead producer and pianist for Bingo Miki & the Inner Galaxy Orchestra during their tour.
After Her Big Break:
During the 80’s and 90’s Himiko Kikuchi would find great sucess in the Jazz genre in Japan, with her going on to releasing 9 records between 1980–1993 under a range of record labels, including industry giants such as RCA and Sony studios. Records such as her debut album ‘Don’t Be Stupid’ (1980) and ‘Flying Beagle’ (1987) would go on to be massive hits in the Japan Jazz scene, and in modern day are commonly seen on many ‘Best Japanese Jazz Albums of All Time’ lists.
She would also go on to work as a arranger for many of Jazz musicians over the globe, with the most notable being American musician Richie Cole’s 1981 album ‘Cool C’.
Kikuchi was also a respected composer of movie soundtracks, with the pianist going on to work on dozens of soundtracks during her tenure as a musician. The most popular of her works being that of the soundtrack from the 1993 film Yakuza Ladies Revisited 2; which earning Kikuchi music award nominations for her work.
She would get married in the late 1990’s and would settle down with her husband in 1999, seemingly retiring from music soon after. Since then she has made appearances for many of major orchestras across Japan as a composer, and in 2005 won the 30th Tottori Cultural Award.
Now For Some Flying Beagles:
Arguably the most famous of all of Himiko Kikuchi’s music is that of her 1987 record ‘Flying Beagle’. The first of two record to be release in collaboration with Sony Studios, it’s 42 minute runtime, and 8 tracks pack a punch of what Jazz music was like in Japan in the 1980’s. The instrumental only album is one that draws you in, and gives a good vibe and feeling to the listener after every listen, and conveys a cool, but relaxing party vibe that many other Japanese albums of the time had, but spices things up with a Jazz flair. I highly recommend listening to the album yourself but I am going to be detailing each song on the record below.
Side 1:
Track 1: Look Your Back!
The album starts off strong with heavy inclusion of high pitched brass instrumentals, as well as synth based drums and guitar inclusion. These specific instrumentals and production work well with Kikuchi’s sharp complex piano work, to create a fast paced and groovy intro to the album.
Track 2: A Seagull and Clouds
The second song of the record is one that best be described as romantic and dreamy. With its soft piano and keyboard work, with its soft guitar and drum sounds reminiscent of pop music in America at the time, it gives a more worldly feel to the album. The inclusion of brass instrumentals that weave in and out of the guitar breaks is tasteful and combines the Jazz with the Pop aspects well.
Track 3: Flying Beagle
The title track of this record is very typical and classic Jazz of the 1980’s. With its fast paced tempo and its inclusion of sped up piano and brass instrumentals, and brassy sounding percussion it makes a sound that is chaotic but fun to listen to at the same time. It is a song when Kikuchi truly shows her experience with playing the piano.
Track 4: Fluffy
The forth track provides a more laid back feel then that of the previous songs on the project. It transports you to a fancy gala, a quiet evening by the fire, or a fine night out at a luxurious bar. Its simple and quiet sounds of jazz and piano brings a sense of class and luxury heard in many of Jazz pieces of decades gone by, with common piano trends of the 1920’s and 1930’s in America prevalent in this track.
Side B:
Track 1: Sand Storm
The first track of side b carry the same fast paced tempo of a majority of the first side, with a little bit more emphasis on the drumps and bass parts of the melody, with both instruments getting solos as well as extensive time playing alongside the piano work from Kikuchi. One of the shorter songs on this record, but one that packs quite a punch none of the less.
Track 2: Baby Talk
Back again with the slower tempo, Kikuchi draws some inspiration of Jazz and funk music of the 1970’s and early 1980’s with this song. Its sounds straight out of a late night show in that time period, that I can’t help but picture myself strutting down the street while a title card of said late night show flashes up on screen. Just simple and groovy piano and bass work by Kikuchi on this song.
Track 3: The Second Summer
The second last track on this project standouts from the other, (well besides the fact it is one of the longest tracks on this album), due to its inclusion of guitar based production. The simple “cowboy cords” mix well with the synth production of the keyboard and not only show Kikuchi’s range, but also give a acoustic feel to the album that is not as prevalent in the other songs on this record. Its transition between the acoustics and the synth is one that is sharp, yet smooth at the same time, and one that I respected being a novice producer myself.
Track 4: Ducky Ducky
The final track can be described as a record that sounds straight out of a video game of that era. From fast paced and erratic sounds of the piano and electric guitar, to almost sassy and emotion driven sounds by the brass instruments, you can help but imagine yourself in some intense moments of a cooky but a bit dramatic chase scene. Probably the most fast paced song on the record but one that ends the album on a dramatic high, that leaves you wanting more.
Conclusion:
This album is one that is unique and one that likely not many people have heard of before. For those who like synth and Jazz based music I highly recommend listening to this album on your free time, and hopefully It could be the future of all of our journey through Japan’s music scene.
Authors Notes:
Material from this article was taken from the internet with the intent to be used for entertainment purposes, none is that of my own.
References:
https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/himiko-kikuchi/flying-beagle/
