Hidari Ude No Yume

Description

Ryuichi Sakamoto's third album, "Hidari Ude No Yume," was recorded at the legendary Studio Alfa 'A' in Tokyo during the summer of 1981. It was released after "B-2 Unit" in 1980 and after his debut album "Thousand Knives Of," which came out in 1978, the year Sakamoto was invited by Haruomi Hosono to join Yellow Magic Orchestra alongside Yukihiro Takahashi. In the meantime, the three musicians became stars touring around the world. However, Sakamoto was keen to maintain his freedom as a solo artist. In 1981, the musician decided to record a new album rooted in pop, following "B-2 Unit," which had a more experimental side, and his iconic 1978 debut album that was decidedly electro. For this new album titled "Hidari Ude No Yume," Sakamoto invited British producer Robin Scott, known for his huge success with the single "Pop Muzik," to co-produce the album. They entered Studio Alfa in July 1981, accompanied by a select group of musicians. These included his YMO colleagues, Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, as well as programmer Hideki Matsutake, who had already been present on Sakamoto's first two albums and had become the unofficial fourth member of YMO, violinist Kaoru Sato, saxophonist Satoshi Nakamura, and American guitarist Adrian Belew, who had played with David Bowie, the Talking Heads ("Remain In Light"), and more recently Tom Tom Club (co-signing "Genius Of Love"). Together, they created a fascinating blend of pop, ambient, and electronic music with elements of avant-garde and traditional Japanese music, all firmly supported by a solid groove. Sakamoto wanted to give the album a certain spontaneity by allowing ideas to evolve organically during the sessions, involving the musicians in the process. From the funk of "Relâché" to the new wave of "Venezia" and the ambient minimalism of "Slat Dance," the album is remarkably cohesive while showcasing a wealth of varied influences, as evidenced by the diversity of instruments present: marimba, didgeridoo, traditional Japanese instruments such as the sho and hichiriki flutes. The album was released in Japan in 1981, and Epic Records decided to release it in Europe the following year, but in a largely modified version. The order was completely rearranged, and two tracks, "Saru No Ie" and "Living In The Dark," were dropped, while three others, "Relâché," "Tell 'em To Me," and "Venezia," were re-recorded with English lyrics, becoming "Just About Enough," "Once In A Lifetime," and "The Left Bank." Finally, a new English track, "The Arrangement," was added, bringing the album's total to nine tracks instead of ten for the Japanese edition. Ultimately, this international version renamed "Left-Handed Dream" is a very different album from the Japanese version, and although both were successful at the time and cemented Ryuichi Sakamoto's reputation, the Japanese edition of "Hidari Ude No Yume" remains largely unknown to international audiences today. Wewantsounds is thrilled to release the original Japanese edition along with a limited 2 LP edition that includes, as a bonus, the fascinating instrumental mix of the album, discovered in the label's archives a few years ago (Note that "The Garden Of Poppies," "Slat Dance," and "Saru No Ie" are instrumentals, but for the sake of listening coherence, we have included them in the Instrumental Mix). "Hidari Ude No Yume" is an essential album in Ryuichi Sakamoto's rich discography and is finally available in its original Japanese form.