Label:Castle Records – Eros-2
Country:Japan
Used 2×LP 1984 45RPM
Disc:VG+ (looks perfect but impression as lo-fi pressing so feel slight surface noise)
Jacket:VG+ (light scuffs/wrinkles on corner and upper part, light wears upper part of inside gatefoldsleeve, not serious, check photos)
Tomo Akikawabaya is a solitary musician who sent a demo tape of this album to a rock magazine, and Yuzuru Agi who was the founder and manager of Vanity Records, suddenly appeared from Osaka and boasted, "I'm going to make you a star". When he went to England to study fashion and started out as a guitarist, after returning to Japan, he began improvising on the guitar and then shifted to synthesizer and vocal performances. From 1983 to around 1986, he released a series of works under his solo name, but his premature musicality did not receive the recognition it deserved. This is the only album he left from his activities in the 1980s (there is also a mega rare box set limited to 66 copies that compiles the recordings at the end of his activities). Some of the tracks were released as singles, but most of them are only included this one. In particular, the grandiose "Rebirth" at the beginning, which uses the sound of his own heartbeat to evoke the image of dreams that are born infinitely, is one of his best tracks. Very limited 1984 Original. The sequel, The Castle II (recorded between 1986 and 1989), was released this year after more than 30 years, and you can read the very interesting events of 1987 in his memoir on his website.
ロックマガジンに本作のデモテープを送り、その才能にマガジン主宰そしてVanity Recordsを運営していた阿木譲が大阪から突然姿を現し「君をスターにする」と豪語されたという、そんな孤高の音楽家 秋川早友(後に阿木とは関係悪化)。ファッションの勉学の為に渡英した際にギタリストとして活動し、帰国後はギターによる即興演奏を経てシンセサイザーとヴォーカルによるパフォーマンスに移行。83年から86年頃にかけソロ名義となる一連の作品を残したもののその早すぎた音楽性は正当な評価を得なかった。その80年代の活動で唯一残したアルバムが本作（活動最後に音源をまとめた66部限定メガレアBOXセットも存在します）。シングル化されたものもありますがおおよそがここだけに収録された楽曲。とりわけ冒頭の自身の心臓音を用い無限に生まれでる夢をイメージした壮大な”Rebirth"は屈指の名曲。超稀少な二枚組のオリジナルです。次作となるThe Castle II(録音は86年から89年)が30年以上の時を経て今年リリースされたようです。HPには自身の手記で語られた興味深い1987年の出来事が長文で掲載されているので是非読んでみて下さい。
A1 - Rebirth
B2 - Dark
C2 - The Invitation Of The Dead
D1 - Chair
D2 - Sleeping Sickness
