1) MKWAJU SUITE (JOE HISAISHI) 19'52
    MKWAJU       6'17
    SHAK SHAK   3'19
    LEMORE        5'53
    TIRA-RIN      4'23
2) PULSE IN MY MIND (JOE HISAISHI) 5'41
3) FLASH-BACK (JOE HISAISHI)  12'37


Produced and Composed by JOE HISAISHI

MKWAJU ENSEMBLE: MIDORI TAKADA (Marimba/Vibraphon/Gong/Tom Tom)
                                YOJI SADANARI (Bass Marimba/Gong/Tom Tom)
                                JUNKO ARASE (Mitla Marimba/Gong)

PECKER (Latin Percussions, etc.)
HIDEKI MATSUTAKE (Computer Programming)
JOE HISAISHI (Keyboard)

Recording: Nippon Columbia Studio No 1 - February 6-7, March 12, 1981
Director: Tamako Hashimoto
Mixing: Masao Hayashi
Cover Design: Haruo Koguchi
Special Thanks to Arte Musica Co. Ltd & Mr. Kazunori Suda



⦿
Produced by JOE HISAISHI for Nippon Columbia
MKWAJU ENSEMBLE
----------------------
MIDORI TAKADA
  (Malimba, Vibraphon, Gong, Tom Tom)
-------------------
YŌJI SADANARI
  (Bass Malimba, Gong, Tom Tom)
-------------------
JUNKO ARASE
  (Mitla Malimba, Gong)
----------------
•
JOE HISAISHI (Keyboard) (01,04,05)
PECKER (Latin Percussion) (01~03)
HIDEKI MATSUTAKE (Computer programming) (01,04)
----------------------------------------------------
Recording: 6, 7, February, 12, March 1981
Nippon Columbia studio No. 1
Recording Director: Tamako Hashimoto
Recording Engineer: Masao Hayashi
Photo: Kazuyori Suda
Design: HARUO KOGUCHI (Cover)
             Yoshiki Takahashi (Text)


   "Better Days" Records is creating a sensation from record to record because its productions are not limited to strictly classical or strictly popular. One of Better Days unique records is "MKWAJU" derived from the name of a tree in Swahili (tamarind in English).
   Joe Hisaishi, the composer and producer of this record, graduated from the composition section of Kunitachi Music School in 1973. Thereafter, he has created many works crossing over the limits of genre, and illustrating with the performances of a group he
organized himself.
   This record is played by the "MKWAJU Ensemble" of three percussionists: Midori Takada, Yoji Sadanari and Junko Arase. Each of them has been active as a freelance soloist, after having graduated from the Tokyo University of Arts.
   The feature of this percussion ensemble lies in the pursuit of music, the main constituent of which is rhythm, without depending on timbre. This is the first experiment of this sort of music in Japan, having passed the "minimal music".
   This album uses the dbx system in 76 cm/sec high speed by 24 channel multi-recording. Moreover, the PCM digital recording system is adopted for the track down in order to make the master tape. It can be said, therefore, that this recording is of high quality.


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[Reissue Staff] (2018 UHQCD)

Remastering: Masahiro Tabayashi (Nippon Columbia)
Design: asahi edigraphy
Jacket Coordination: Saori Iio (Nippon Columbia)
Direction: Hitoshi Nomura (Nippon Columbia)
Sales Promotion: Mamiko Naito (Columbia Marketing)

Liner notes provided by Chee Shimizu (2017.11)