COMA-CHI & Uyama Hiroto - Japanoia
On “Japanoia,” legendary rapper/singer COMA-CHI and multi-instrumental jazz/hip hop producer Uyama Hiroto combine for an enigmatic and uniquely Japanese musical experience to appropriately mark the dawn of a new era.
While the EP’s contemplative atmospheric sound is consistent with Uyama’s solo works like “A Son of the Sun,” having COMA-CHI as the vocalist for all the tracks gives it a sharper focus with her interests in Japanese history and traditional culture. COMA-CHI made her name with urban R&B/hip hop in the early 2000s, but her roots lie in more spiritual themes, back from her debut “Day Before Blue” and more recently her 2018 album “Jomon Green.”
If anything it’s a timely reminder of COMA-CHI’s versatile talent, as she effortlessly swings on Uyama’s jazzy rhythms, vibraphone and double bass on feature single “The Dawn of Reiwa.” The combination is so smooth and natural, you’d think these two had been working together for years - or at least, we might wish this had happened earlier! However, its the interpretation and exploration of Japanese culture that really sets this apart from a standard Uyama + MC collaboration - starting with Hi Fu Mi (the Japanese equivalent of Do-Re-Mi), riffing on Kagome Kagome but instead the turtle and crane are “you” and “I”, incorporating pentatonic scales, playing traditional games like “Oni-san kochira” and of course discussing “Wabi-Sabi.” It’s a hard concept to understand (you may not know what the “shibumi in green tea” might be), but it’s at the core of Japanese culture and aesthetics, the beauty in imperfection, the awareness and acceptance of transience.
But the most complex exploration of what it is to be Japanese is the title song of the EP, “Japanoia.” It’s presented as a kind of syndrome, that perhaps COMA-CHI feels but also common to many other Japanese people who in their youth, look abroad to places like America for inspiration and know little about Japan despite it being their home country. Some people even feel embarrassed about Japan, and think American culture is the best, but that makes no sense. So to reconnect with Japan, turn off the TV and instead try visit a shrine and meet the ancient gods, close your eyes and listen to the sacred mountains, rivers and forests.
Between “Japanoia,” Uyama’s solo works, and COMA-CHI’s “Jomon Green,” you have the ideal soundtrack for a journey or pilgrimage deep in the wilds of Japan. COMA-CHI’s lyrical content is deep with wordplay and references to Shinto deities, but it is well supported by Uyama who grounds the EP with his signature sound of hip-hop beats, cascading piano and mellow sax lines, providing a consistent feel that “Jomon Green” kind of lacked. If this concept was stretched out to a full album, you might feel lost or possibly overwhelmed, but as an EP its an interesting meditation on Japanese culture and history in the present era. And besides, Japan is all about appreciating of the beauty of the moment before it fades away all too soon.
From the archives: Interview with COMA-CHI
More from COMA-CHI: Spiritual Bitch, Shades of Yellow