Cloudy Cloud Calculator Explained

Cloudy Cloud Calculator
Type:	studio
Artist:	Takako Minekawa
Cover:	Cloudy Cloud Calculator alternate cover.jpg
Label:	Polystar
Prev Title:	Athletica
Prev Year:	1997
Next Title:	Recubed
Next Year:	1998

Cloudy Cloud Calculator is the third studio album by Japanese musician Takako Minekawa. It was released on December 10, 1997 by Polystar.^[1] The album was released in the United States on November 17, 1998 by Emperor Norton Records.^[2] Minekawa played almost every instrument on the album and wrote, produced and arranged nearly all its songs.

Minekawa toured in the United States to support the album. The EP Ximer... C.C.C. Remix, released on September 23, 1998 by Polystar,^[3] features remixes of tracks from Cloudy Cloud Calculator by various artists.^[4]

Critical reception

Heather Phares of AllMusic described Cloudy Cloud Calculator as one of Minekawa's "finest and most unusual moments" and "highly inventive, restrained pop". Christian Bruno, writing in Metro, referred to the album's songs as "wonderfully cute, all-synthesizer musings".^[5]

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.^[6]

Musicians

• Takako Minekawa – vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, electric guitar, electronic drums (Yamaha DD-7, E-mu SP-1200), güiro, recorder, synthesizer (Boss SYB-3, Casio SA-1, Casio VA-10, Minimoog Voyager, Moog Prodigy, Roland CR-5000, Six-Trak), vocoder, arrangement
• Yuko Aiso – violin
• Yumiko Ohno – bass, maracas, synthesizer (Minimoog), theremin
• Atsushi Tsuyama – drums
• Mooog Yamamoto – turntables, "bird call"
• Seiichi Yamamoto – acoustic guitar, electric bass, electric guitar, electronic drums, synthesizer (Roland JP-8000), arrangement
• Masaaki Yoshida – synthesizer
• Sugar Yoshinaga – arrangement

Production

• Takako Minekawa – production
• Tetsuya Kotani – engineering
• Masao Nakazato – mastering
• Seiichi Yamamoto – mixing, production
• Sugar Yoshinaga – production

Design

• Sheila Sachs – design
• Chikashi Suzuki – photography
• Mariko Yamamoto – art direction, design
• Mooog Yamamoto – art direction, design

Notes and References

1. Web site: CLOUDY CLOUD CALCULATOR 嶺川貴子. Oricon. September 13, 2020. ja.
2. Web site: Cloudy Cloud Calculator (CD – Emperor Norton #7010) – Takako Minekawa. AllMusic. September 13, 2020.
3. Web site: ザイマー…C.C.C.remix 嶺川貴子. Oricon. September 13, 2020. ja.
4. Web site: Ximer – Takako Minekawa. AllMusic. September 13, 2020. Phares. Heather.
5. News: Sugar Sacked. Metro. February 24 – March 1, 2000. December 10, 2020. Bruno. Christian.
6. Cloudy Cloud Calculator. Takako Minekawa. Polystar. 1997. PSCR-5658. liner notes.