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宇宙 日本 世田谷

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宇宙 日本 世田谷 (romanized: Uchū Nippon Setagaya, English: Space Japan Setagaya) is the seventh and final studio album by Fishmans. It was first released on July 24, 1997 by Polydor, their final studio album with the label and the final in their Setagaya Trilogy albums. This would be the first album Fishmans would record using recording software ProTools, and the last material ZAK would actively work on in conjunction with the band before band leader Shinji Sato's death. As detailed in the CD Extra Dictionary's entry for the album, the album's title was coined by ZAK, which is also described here as a co-producer instead of lead producer.

Despite its cohesive sound, Uchu Nippon Setagaya had a very troubled production history. It was produced at a time when the band was very busy with tours, live events, media appearances and otherwise, making for a very crowded schedule. This was in the face of Polydor's deal with the band, which insisted that they release three albums in two years starting in mid-1995. Work on the album began shortly after the completion of the Long Season '96~7 tour and continued until early June 1997. As the sessions continued, growing disputes between ZAK and Shinji Sato began to emerge, both wanting the band's sound to go in a different direction. The band's A&R director, Toshiya Sano, said about the process (translated to English):

"It was painful. If U2 made an album like 空中キャンプ, they wouldn't need to make another album for five years. The band made an album they poured everything into, but now it felt empty. ZAK and everyone else were really tired. (...) Kensuke Ojima, Hakase, and others had already left. I couldn't stop working with the band, and I guess ZAK and Kashiwabara don't give up. But if you're working with Sato you won't be able to be in charge, because you'll be working for him instead."

This was in reference to Sato's creative drive, which continued going strong. After showing demo tapes he'd recorded at home to the group, they were reportedly at a loss. In relation to the demo tapes, Kin-Ichi Motegi said (translated to English):

"Sato's solo work became stronger and he had a hard time dropping it into the band, but the biggest problem was that the demos were too complete to know what to do as a band. What should we add to that? If you add anything to the piece, it would destroy that beautiful world..."

There was a point during this creative process where Motegi and Kashiwabara both agreed that it would be okay to allow Fishmans to continue as Sato's solo unit, allowing everything to be determined by him. This idea hurt the band, however, as they watched one member progress forward as the rest were left behind. The band wanted to continue as a collective band ultimately, especially group producer ZAK who left the band shortly before Uchu Nippon Setagaya's release in late July. During the recording of the album's final song, Daydream, ZAK felt a foreboding of the end of the group with these rising tensions coupled with Sato's creative overdrive. The album's themes focused on loneliness and an observation on the world around Sato, which mirrored his own feelings of helplessness with this rising tension and isolation. Following this record's release, Sato would be the band's lead producer, assisted by mixing engineer Ichizo Nishikawa. The studio they'd recorded their last three albums in, Waikiki Beach, was closed on August 4, 1997, just weeks after the release of Uchu Nippon Setagaya as their lease with Polydor ended.

In reference to 宇宙 日本 世田谷 on Fishmans' website, the following is written:

Untranslated Japanese

プライベートスタジオ「ワイキキビーチ／ハワイスタジオ」で制作された最後の作品。佐藤伸治のデモの完成度が高すぎたがゆえにメンバーは苦悩し、試行錯誤を重ねた。佐藤伸治のパーソナルな世界観で作られた楽曲と『空中キャンプ』の延長線上にあるバンドらしい楽曲が混在している。とてつもなく静かで美しいアルバム。ポリドール移籍後に制作された『空中キャンプ』『LONG SEASON』『宇宙 日本 世田谷』は《世田谷三部作》と呼ばれている。

English Auto-translated Using DeepL Translate, Edited for Comprehension

This was the last album produced at the private Waikiki Beach/Hawaii Studio. The members struggled and went through a lot of trial and error because Shinji Sato's demos were too perfect. It is a mixture of songs created from his personal worldview and band-like songs that are an extension of "Aerial Camp". An incredibly quiet and beautiful album. "Aerial Camp", "Long Season", and "Space Japan Setagaya", which were produced after the transfer to Polydor, are called the "Setagaya Trilogy".

The CD Extra Dictionary has this to say about the album:

Untranslated Japanese

うちゅう　にっぽん　せたがや【宇宙　日本　世田谷】（題）

1) →宇宙　日本　奥田イズム。世田谷＝東京２３区のひとつ。２３区中最も西の武蔵野台地に位置し、２３区中最多人口を擁し、最もボロい区庁舎を誇る。田圃の蛙道を公道化したため、意味の分からない一方通行路と袋小路の走る住宅地。砧公園、駒沢公園、芦花公園、羽根木公園等、大きな公園と遊歩道、点在する野菜畑、そして私鉄３社と環状７号、８号といった産業道路が共存する、渋谷からいちばん近い郊外。フィッシュマンズ関係者が多く在住し、佐藤伸治の庭ともいえる下北沢もこの区にある。

2) ３つつなげれば、フィッシュマンズのアルバム・タイトル。『空中キャンプ』のネガ的作品。『ロング・シーズン』で楽しんだドラマ性のあるサウンド作りがここでも踏襲されている。ずっとマイペースで独自の音楽を創り続けて来たフィッシュマンズが必然的に完成させたアルバムと言えるだろう。サウンドの一部としてのボーカルの使い方が随所に見られる。語りに近いメイン・ボーカルのほかにも、たくさんの“声”が楽器の音に融合している。共同プロデューサー、ＺＡＫによる命名。「ワイキキ３部作」のラストを飾る作品。９７年７月２４日リリース。

English Auto-translated Using Google Translate, Edited for Comprehension

宇宙 日本 世田谷 (title)

1) →宇宙　日本　奥田イズム. Setagaya = one of Tokyo's 23 wards. Located on the Musashino Plateau, the westernmost of the 23 wards, it has the largest population of the wards and boasts the most dilapidated ward office building. A residential district with one-way streets and dead ends that make no sense because the frog roads in the paddy fields were turned into public roads. The closest suburb to Shibuya, where large parks and esplanades such as Kinuta Park, Komazawa Park, Ashikaga Park, Hanegi Park etc., scattered vegetable fields, three private railways, and industrial roads such as the 7th and 8th loop lines coexist. Shimokitazawa, where many people related to Fishmans live and can be said to be Shinji Sato's garden, is also located in this ward.

2) If you put the 3 together, you get Fishmans' album title. The opposite of "空中キャンプ". The dramatic sound creation enjoyed in "Long Season" is also enjoyed here. It can be said that this album is the inevitable result of Fishmans' continued creation of their unique music at their own pace. The use of vocals as part of the sound can be seen everywhere. In addition to the main vocals, which are almost like a narration, many other "voices" are fused with the instruments. Named by co-producer ZAK. The final work of the 'Waikiki Trilogy'. Released on July 24, 1997.

Track listing[]

  1. "Pokka Pokka" (4:04)
  2. "Weather Report" (8:42)
  3. "うしろ姿" (5:13)
  4. "In The Flight" (5:36)
  5. "Magic Love" (4:58)
  6. "バックビートにのっかって" (8:26)
  7. "Walking in the Rhythm" (12:56)
  8. "Daydream" (8:37)

Artwork/Packaging[]

Scans are from original CD release POCH-1640.

Personnel[]

Band Members[]

Other Musicians[]

Other Personnel[]

  • ZAK (producer, recording engineer, mixing engineer, programming)
  • Tak (recording engineer)
  • Yuka Koizumi (mastering engineer)
  • Genta Tamai (assistant engineer)
  • Kenji Yoshino (assistant engineer)
  • Tohru Kotetsu (cutting engineer)
  • Toshiya Sano (A&R)
  • Masaki Morimoto (A&R)
  • Katsuyuki Usui (promotional planner)
  • Yasuhiro Takahashi (promotional planner)
  • Noriko Yamamoto (promotional planner)
  • Masato Teraguchi (marketing promotion)
  • Akiko Ueta (artist manager)
  • Mitsuteru Takasugi (equipment)
  • Toshihero Betty (equipment)
  • Ichiro Asatsuma (executive producer)
  • Yoshiyuki Okuda (executive producer)
  • Ikuzo Orita (executive producer)
  • Junji Tada (executive producer)
  • Nobumasa Uchida (A&R manager)
  • Nobuo Uesaka (A&R manager)
  • Yuji Takahashi (promotional manager)
  • Phonic (art direction, design)
  • Moog Yamamoto (art direction, design)
  • Mariko Yamamoto (art direction, design)
  • Mei Sumita (photography)
  • Junko Ishiwata (styling)
  • Yumi Haga (visual coordination)

Special Thanks[]

  • Tadataka Watanabe
  • Pardon Kimura
  • Masami Miyamoto
  • Naohiro

Issues[]

  • 1997 - POCH-1640 (CD, Polydor, Japan)
    UnsRectangle

Issued in two forms: one, a digipak gatefold paper issue, and another, packaged instead in a jewel case. The former lacks a label in the upper-left corner of the cover which displays the album's title alongside three clocks.

  • 1997 - POJH-1015/6 (Limited 12" Vinyl, Polydor, Japan)
  • 1997 - Absent (Limited Cassette, Polydor, Japan)

Cover artwork exclusively features album title label present in original issue's jewel case version.

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