New Album Announcement: "Bumpin' Voyage"
An amazing, eventful journey!
In 1994, announcing neither an original album, nor a tour, Toshinobu Kubota was, for the first time, having trouble in the studio. Now, disclosing that he himself considers it his strongest, best-sounding record, Toshinobu Kubota's long-awaited new album, "Bumpin' Voyage," is announced.
During the 1970's heyday of disco, a popular dance known as The Bump came about as result of people knocking their booty together. The title of Kubota's new album, "Bumpin' Voyage," rolls right along with that bouncy, shaking image, but also seems to be nuanced to evoke an image of the peaks and valleys of a fantastic journey, an amazing trip interspersed with a succession of dramatic moments.
I've gone to so many places, and experienced so many different things. It's been enjoyable, and I've been impressed by everything. I wanted to try and properly express those themes on this record."
Staying in New York since 1993, Kubota has most recently been putting the finishing touches on the new album. Although this stage usually takes about three months, it took much longer this time around. He's been working in the studio non-stop, without a break since last spring. What was it that drove him on like this?
I wanted to try different things. Whereas one song usually takes one week, I think each song on this record took about 20 days. For each composition, I would bring in and finish one particular detail, whether it was a funk thing, a Philly Soul thing, whatever. However, the melody I would then use on it always had a pop-ish, Japanese kind of feel. I'd do this unconsciously, and I wondered if this was a result of my innate Japanese side coming out. In the past, I always made an effort to be near the American music I like-black music. But living in this city, I began to consider who and what I am, and I think it's reflected in my music in a positive, meaningful way. New York forces you to consider this sort of thing. It's a city that can really teach you a lot, isn't it."
Different from a Japanese society in which everything is intertwined in cog-like fashion, and progresses accordingly, New York is a place where it's essential for individuals with personal freedom to take responsibility for their own self/ego management. Maybe for this reason, it creates a society in which one must consider such issues regarding self.
The theme of this album title is not about sound or music, but rather the original production concept was to naturally reveal all of the various personal experiences he has had up to now. "In making this record, I was over-focused, and I noticed that I wasn't holding anything back. For this album, if my real self came out in those moments, then good. Even though I think it's important to use music to spread awareness and so forth, it seems to me that the most
powerful, best thing you can do as human being is to be completely honest and open about yourself.
That is to say, the most important thing you can do is to express yourself as you truly are without relying on the originality of others, or without worrying about being trendy. In a musician's case, value is placed on the lyrics, manner of singing, and so forth. One would think that for an artist, the successful realization of such self-pursuit is the ultimate goal.
Perhaps one reason Kubota has advanced in this direction is that he has separated himself from Japan, and has studied himself closely in a society with different customs, language, and culture. As one who expresses himself, this has stimulated his creative instincts. Judging by the evolution in the new album, so far it has become an energy source that he's used to become totally absorbed in his work.
However, because he's only human, the freedom of New York must also make him feel lonely. "When I feel like I'm pent-up with sadness, sometimes I'll just gulp down a strong drink and just fall right asleep. I don't really like calling and grumbling to old friends, or writing long rambling letters to them."
Because it seems that he is both strong-willed and has a stubborn manner, you'd probably expect that he has a lot of internal conflict. While it's good that this is sublimated by his artistic power, he must also release his stresses, and seek input so that he may continue on his own voyage of self-discovery.