Saya Ichikawa - "Yo ga aketara (meaning At the Break of Dawn)"
Text by Hiromi Go
A beauty but also a hard-core otaku (geek), Saya Ichikawa’s versatility puts her in the spotlight. Her fame in her primary profession as a model working for fashion magazines like [sweet], [MORE] and [BAILA] speaks for itself, but many of you must have also witnessed her quirky side on TV and variety shows and her taste in deep culture (animation, Gunpla=plastic models of science fiction anime series of fighting giant robots [Gundam], sumo wrestling, stairs, hamburg steaks…) Her biggest love is the world of railroad, which even got her a column in [Tabi to Tetsudo] a prestigious railroad and travel journal. Her debut single “Yo ga Aketara” released simultaneously with her photo-book starts with the sound of trains.
The track “Yo ga Aketara” was first released in 1969 as the second debut single of Maki Asakawa the legendary singer of the underground scene in the Showa period (1926-1989), which was also re-recorded as an opening number on Maki’s first album, “Asakawa Maki no Sekai (meaning Maki Asakawa’s World)” released on the following year. The song depicts departure on the train with sounds of the steam engine, which inspired the producer Yasuharu Konishi (musician/composer/DJ) to choose the song. It is also noteworthy to state that Saya also had the same record in her possession as a fan of rock and folk-music.
Coming together with fate, the recording also welcomed Hirotake Kitakata (piano), Osamu Kawakami (double bass/guitar) and Hajime Ariizumi (drums). The simple ensemble of piano trio arrangement by Konishi and Kitakata goes hand in hand with the ambience of Saya’s vocals. Sounds of running trains recorded by Saya on her trips especially for this album, is a fantastic touch.
In addition, the ten ‘bonus tracks’ recorded on this album includes Saya’s finest collection of train associated sounds on her personal excursion. Track titles such as “Bocchi Eigyo (meaning A Loner Appeal)”, “Touri Ame (meaning A Passing Rain)” and “Futsukayoi (meaning Hangover)” shows Saya’s unique aesthetic. Enjoy a ride in the world of Saya on a melody of jazz and a running train.
