Agatsuma - Beyond - Domo Records

06/18/04
Reviewed by - John Dunphy


Agatsuma Beyond

I’m not a worldly person though I sometimes claim to be. To be honest, the only time I can remember hearing the sounds of the shamisen, a guitar-like instrument native to Japan , was at the Chinese Buffet. I know, seriously. And it’s no coincidence that it’s one of the most prevalent sounds you’ll hear there other than the sound of a thousand mouths simultaneously gorging themselves. In its traditional usage, the shamisen is plucked delicately, softly, and lends itself to a relaxed, serene environment, perfect for feasting.

Hiromitsu Agatsuma must not go to very many buffets. Born in Ibaraki Prefecture ,

Japan

in 1973, it wasn’t long out of the womb that he would take up the tsugaru shamisen and proceed to win as many talent competitions as possible, the first by the time he was fourteen. Toshiba/EMI realized they had a phenom in their midst and released his first album, Agatsuma, in 2001 which mixed traditional compositions with originals. Beyond is his fourth release and second available stateside via Domo Records.

Beyond features all original material (with the exception of track seven) and while some of the album has definitely been inspired by the instruments’ ancient roots, a lot is no doubt influenced by the west, more specifically by rock and roll. At varying points, Agatsuma plays the shamisen like a shameless rockstar, busting out into a good old jam session with “Shami’s Groove” and even going so far as to perform a breakneck solo in “Heartbeat (Kodo)”; even the most self-centered virtuoso will be forced to take notice of this one. Thankfully, he doesn’t resort to so much wanking most of the time, keeping most tunes like opener “Dawnlight (Akatsuki no Hikari)” sprightly and fun.

It would be nice, however, if Agatsuma’s supporting cast would be able to at least do more than serve as ambient background noise a lot of the time. Consisting primarily of programmed drumbeats and basic keyboard passages, it could easily find a home on your local smooth jazz or National Public Radio station. At it’s best it’s fair, enjoyable background noise. At worst, forgettable adult contemporary made more apparent by just how good the shamisen in the foreground is.

Still, this is a minor complaint as it’s all about the shamisen and Agatsuma is most certainly a master of his craft. For anyone interested in something with east-meets-west style and flair, Beyond should definitely please most fans.

Release Date: March 9, 2004
Tracks: 10 - Time: 53:01
Produced by: Hiromitsu Agatsuma
Format: CD
Website: www.agatsuma.tv

Track Listing:

Dawnlight (Akatsuki no Hikari) / A Paper in the Air (Kami no Mai) / An End of Sorrow (Kanashimi no Hate) / Heartbeat (Koto) / Tears / Shami's Groove / Baetnorae/Tsugaru Yosare Bushi / In the Sky / Panther / Thought of You (Kami e no Omoi).

Agatsuma:

Hiromitsu Agatsuma - shamisen / Arrangements
Seiichi Kyoda, Yoichi Nozaki - Synthesizer / Programming & Arrangements
Nobu Saito, Kim Duc-Soo, Satoru Shionova - Arrangements