Tomo Katsurada - Dream of the egg

 "Dream of the Egg" is the debut solo album by Tomo Katsurada, celebrated for his work with the Japanese psychedelic band Kikagaku Moyo. This unique project blends music with visual art, inspired by the 1920s Japanese children’s book 'Yume No Tamago' (Dream of the Egg). The album captures Tomo's deeply personal journey through 2024, a year marked by transformative rebirths and profound new beginnings. Driven by a desire for raw, immediate expression, each song was created using only materials available at the time. The absence of rhythm clicks and traditional tunings lends the album a handmade, organic feel. Guest musician Jonny Nash adds to its ethereal quality, contributing guitar work to the opening and closing tracks. The resulting soundscape feels spontaneous, mirroring the unpredictability of dreams and the beauty of imperfection.

The album opens with "Moshimo" ("If…" in Japanese), where Jonny’s guitar harmonizes with Tomo’s vocals, setting the tone for a dreamlike narrative. Midway through, the standout track "Zen Bungalow" reimagines Gabriel Yared’s 'Bungalow Zen' from the 'Betty Blue 37°2 Le Matin' soundtrack—a song cherished by Tomo’s partner. Inspired by a dream in which two songs blended seamlessly, this arrangement became a pivotal piece of the album. A brief interlude, presented on a flexi disk in a picture book, leads to 'Inner Garden,' a bittersweet folk exploration of love. The title track, "Dream of the Egg," closes the album with delicate interplay between cello and guitar, evoking the birth of new dreams. With its tactile, imperfect charm, the album reconnects listeners to the human-made quality of music, embracing the raw and heartfelt over the polished and mechanical.

Terry Bleu