Shingetsu Explained

Background:group_or_band
Shingetsu
Origin:Japan
Genre:Progressive rock, symphonic rock
Years Active:
–present
Label:Victor, Musea, Zen, Belle Antique
Current Members:Haruhiko Tsuda
Akira Hanamoto
Yoko Ueno
Miki Naoe
Toshimichi Isoe
Tomoyoku Tanimoto
Ako Ozawa
Hiroshi Ishibata
Masayuki Adaniya
A*mu
Past Members:Makoto Kitayama
Shizuo Suzuki
Naoya Takahashi
Yoichi Kamada
Yoshiyuki Sakurai
Masayuki Takatsu
Kiyoo Suzuki
Hiroyoshi Komatsu
Kayo MatsumotoTakashi Kokubo

Shingetsu (Japanese: '''新月''') is a Japanese progressive rock band from the 1970s. A band with an originally short career, they have typically been categorised as one of the most notable Japanese progressive rock bands.[1]

Shingetsu ('new moon') arrived in the Japanese music scene on the late 1970s. Led by the "Japanese Peter Gabriel", Makoto Kitayama (recognized for his deep, wavering, mournful vocals), Shingetsu's cinematic progressive sound gained comparisons to peak-time Genesis and recognition overseas.[2] [3] [4]

Consisting of Kitayama, Akira Hanamoto, Naoya Takahahi, Shizuo Suzuki and Haruhiko Tsuda, the band only produced one studio album in their first run, followed in later years by two live albums, which nevertheless featured some unreleased performances. In 2015 they released an album titled From A Distant Star (originally recorded in 2005), which features songs they had written before breaking up in 1981, and a studio demo they had recorded after completing their first album in 1979.

Their studio album, the eponymous Shingetsu, often considered[5] as a masterpiece of symphonic prog, is abundant in musical arrangements: the tasteful use of soft organ/synth soundscapes, Mellotron, and 12-string guitar passages reminiscent of the UK bands of the 1970s, while Kitayama's vocals give Shingetsu a distinctive edge from western bands.[6] [7] [8]

The band resumed touring sometime around 2014, under the name "Shingetsu Project". While Makoto no longer tours with the band, he does still engage in studio projects with the band.

Members

Current members

Shingetsu's line-up
VocalsMakoto Kitayama
GuitarHaruhiko Tsuda
KeyboardsAkira Hanamoto
BassShizuo Suzuki
DrumsNaoya Takahashi

Collaborated members

Collaborations
Takashi Kokubo Synthesizers Programming and Supporting Keyboards (Live)
Hiroshi MorimuraSaxophone (Track No. 4)

Discography

Studio albums

Recopilations

Disambiguation and meaning

Disambiguation for the word shingetsu:

Shingetsu is a shakuhachi honkyoku piece from the Dokyoku repertoire. The word shin means heart, mind, or spirit. The word getsu means moon, which is a symbol for enlightenment or perfection. Thus, the name of the piece can be taken to mean heart moon or spirit perfection or enlightenment of the mind. The piece is the slowest and most quiet in the Dokyoku repertoire.

"Shingetsu" has been recorded by many shakuhachi artists, including Watazumi Doso, Yokoyama Katsuya, and Alcvin Takegawa Ramos.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Shingetsu.
  2. Web site: Detailed Reviews [Shingetsu - 1979/2004 - "Live"] - ProgressoR.
  3. Web site: Review: "Shingetsu : Live 25,26 July 1979 ABC Kaikan Hall, Tokyo" - Sea of Tranquility - the Web Destination for Progressive Music!.
  4. Web site: Shingetsu - "Live 25-26 July 1979, ABC Kaikan Hall Tokyo".
  5. Web site: Shingetsu.
  6. http://www.gepr.net/sh.html#SHINGETSU
  7. Web site: Planet Mellotron Album Reviews: S5 . Planetmellotron.com . 2022-09-28.
  8. Web site: SHINGETSU Shingetsu reviews . Progarchives.com . 2022-09-28.