Ame no Hakoniwa「雨の箱庭」
kotringo 「コトリンゴ」
genre: pop • release date: 2017
Before we dive into Ame no Hakoniwa (Rainy Miniature Garden), it’s important to know a little bit about who we are listening to. This is Kotringo. She is a skilled piano player and singer-songwriter that’s been playing since she was five years old and has been writing music since she was seven. She continued her music education beyond highschool and eventually majored in jazz composition and performance at Berklee College of Music. OK. So with that being established, I would like to introduce you to one of the most well composed albums that I have had the pleasure of listening to. Ame no Hakoniwa is the audio definition of a slice of life. There is no intensity in this album, no dramatic tale of passion of a scorned love. Rather than that, the album captures the essence of the day to day. You’ll find yourself comparing the sounds more to daily jaunts, little moments of peace, and much more.
Why I think it’s important to talk a bit about Kotringo’s music background is because it’s prevalent throughout the album. All of it is her work. She composed it all, it’s her vocals, she personally plays the piano and other keys. She is all throughout the album. Her jazz influence can be heard in “To do”. It starts off with a pulsing Rhodes and slowly builds into a break where the chillest drums can be heard. The drummer is capable of playing pretty intense rhythms but still keeping a quiet volume. The horn section shines too. It sounds like everyone was in their perfect space. None of the instruments clash with each other and they all get their time to shine. Kotringo has a way with her voice where she almost uses it like a percussion instrument. Like a rap, almost. She uses catchy cadences to give the track a groove. And you can hear how the vocals and instruments trade off that cadence.
The idea of common stories can be heard all throughout Ame no Hakoniwa. The first two tracks serve as two beginnings of a day. “Ameagaru” starts with a slow sunrise breaking on the horizon. The beginning of a toddler’s day as they explore their own surroundings finding an adventure in their own home. It’s the start of curiosity in life. One that we all start with and take with us outside of our homes. And that’s where the next track, “Maigo ni Natta Onnanoko”, comes in. Our toddler-selves has grown and now seeks that feeling of curiosity and adventure outside of our homes. Bright eyes eyeing down a road of awaiting unknowns. They both capture the story of not only a developing day, but also the story of a life in development. There’s a growth to the tracks. As it ages, the melodies become more complexed as if an identity is being formed.
“Tadayou Kanjou” is the track that introduced me to Kotringo. It served as the theme for a show called “Million Yen Women” back in 2017 (highly recommend). I was hooked to it in the first five seconds. That piano melody that reoccurs throughout the track keeps your attention. But what really sold it for me was the strings. I love it whenever someone gets a quartet together and has a dry recording of them. No huge reverb to fill in space. Just “drifting emotions”. Everyone was putting in overtime for this one. Sometimes strings get used for space filler or hold a chord. But here, they hold their own meaning and melody. You can pick out and focus on any instrument really, and you’ll hear a story. Kotringo’s soft vocals and self-harmonies speaking a narrative, her piano keeping the pace, and the strings’ vibratic cries of overwhelming emotions. It is a beautiful piece of art and is by far my favorite of her work.
There are three tracks on here that play a role in a different project. “Light Up Nippon”, “wataridori”, and “Hanabi” are all part of the documentary Light Up Nippon that came out back in 2012. After the dreadful earthquakes of 2011, over thousands of fireworks were ignited in memory of those who tragically passed. The whole effort was documented and Kotringo played a key part in its soundtrack. The track “Light Up Nippon” plays with a hopeful somber feeling. You can feel the pain of loss in the heaviness of the piano. But the pace moves forward and higher. Like the duty of the fireworks, an uplifting hope fills within you as we all move forward from any tragedy.
I find myself, once again, caught by surprise by how much I enjoyed being enthralled by Ame no Hakoniwa. Kotringo absolutely gave it her all for this album and what makes it so special is that she had her hand in the majority of its creation. There isn’t a sound on there that she didn’t compose nor directed. It is highly inspiring to hear what hard work and perseverance can result in. And what is even more inspiring is that it has this studio musician sound rather than a giant orchestral accompaniment. Because of that, we are given this grounded experience. An expansion of the mundane that is given a spotlight, so that we may learn to enjoy the little things more. So that we can be grateful for calm quiet days.
written by
Chance Aguilar
- highlights -
Ame o Yobu Hito 「雨をよぶひと」
Tadayou Kanjō 「漂う感情」
Light Up Nippon Main Theme 「Light Up Nippon メインテーマ」
To Do
track list:
Ame Agaru 「雨あがる」
Maigo ni Natta Onna no Ko 「迷子になった女の子」
Ame o Yobu Hito 「雨をよぶひと」
Tadayou Kanjō 「漂う感情」
Light Up Nippon Main Theme 「Light Up Nippon メインテーマ」
To do
Ringo 「林檎」
wataridori
hanabi
