| Sim City | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 2, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | August 1994 – March 1995 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 49:49 | |||
| Language | Japanese, Thai | |||
| Label | Polydor K.K. | |||
| Producer |
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| Susumu Hirasawa chronology | ||||
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Sim City is a 1995 album by Japanese musician and composer Susumu Hirasawa. It is his fifth solo album.
In 1994, Susumu Hirasawa got the suggestion to try a Pink Floyd-like sound for his next solo album from his neighbor, Doll Magazine editor-in-chief Mikio Moriwaki. His original plan was to make a '90s version of The Dark Side of the Moon , [1] which would cover similar ground to Virtual Rabbit . [2]
Sometime afterward, he came up with the idea of the World Inspection Tour (万国点検隊, Bankoku Tenken Tai), a role-playing game held in an overseas country for members of his official fan club Hirasawa Bypass. It was decided that it would happen in the Thai city of Phuket, since the airplane trip would be short and it didn't have a lot of Japanese tourism; because of that lack of Japanese reference, Hirasawa took a trial visit to see if it would be a good place for the tour, his first time in the country. [2]
He had no idea what to expect and had something like the Vietnam War in mind, but on that night he attended a show at the Simon Cabaret, performed by a cast consisting entirely of the country's Kathoey people, and that was formative on his impression of Thai culture. [2] He befriended them through subsequent trips to the country, through which he got fascinated with their way of being, as well as the socio-technological disparities he saw in Bangkok. [3] The cultural shock experienced with these trips affected Hirasawa profoundly, and he took to composing, writing and recording in the Thai capital. [2]
Due to the irresponsible nature of the Thai studio used and Hirasawa's lack of trust of their dealing with his gear, he only brought 24-track instrumental recordings on reels of analog tape with him to the country for work, and the only material recorded there were vocals both his and from Thai performers over a 4-day span. Although Hirasawa is not proficient in Thai, he wrote some of the lyrics in it by cross-referencing four language guidebooks, but the meaning of what he originally wrote was completely different from what he wanted to convey, which led to on-the-fly rewriting of both lyrics and melodies. [4]
On the storyline of the album and accompanying Interactive Live Show, a futuristic Thailand is portrayed as a simulation city. Although "Sim City" is a play on "Siam City", Hirasawa doesn't actually regard Thailand a Sim City as conceived; it is a concept from within him that was inspired there. Because of this, the album is not "world music", but a manifestation of his inner space combined with cyberspace, or rather "fake" world music that provides a simulation of no particular location. [2]
The photoshoot for the album's booklet took place in Thailand and is the only one made for a Hirasawa solo album where he isn't the only person in the photos. Hirasawa and Simon Cabaret performer Miss N. are shown in nature spots, an urban area and a wat. Miss N. wears a veil made out of MIDI cables in some of the photos, among them the one used as the album's cover.
All tracks are written by Susumu Hirasawa, except "Recall", "Sim City" and "Prologue", with lyrics by Hirasawa and Miss N.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Recall" | 1:23 |
| 2. | "Archetype Engine" | 4:42 |
| 3. | "Lotus" | 4:26 |
| 4. | "Kingdom" | 5:16 |
| 5. | "Echoes (CHARAN SANITWONG 24)" | 6:19 |
| 6. | "Sim City" | 5:04 |
| 7. | "Dark Side of the Moon" (月の影Tsuki no Kage) | 6:11 |
| 8. | "Pacific Rim Imitation Network" (環太平洋擬装網Kantai Heiyō Gisō Mō) | 3:28 |
| 9. | "Colony" | 4:50 |
| 10. | "Caravan" | 5:48 |
| 11. | "Prologue" | 2:19 |
"Echoes" only appears with the subtitle on the album's lyric sheet. [5] Outside of the title and the Pink Floyd connection, the song bears no relation to the track of the same name from Another Game .
| Date | Label(s) | Format | Catalog | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2, 1995 | Polydor K.K. | CD | POCH-1510 | |
| July 1, 2005 | Universal Music Japan, Universal Sigma | Digital Download | none | |
| February 29, 2012 | Chaos Union, Teslakite | CD | CHTE-0058 | Remastered by Masanori Chinzei. Disc 5 of the HALDYN DOME box set. |
| November 5, 2014 | Universal Music Japan | SHM-CD | UPCY-6931 | Part of Universal's "Project Archetype" (supervised by Osamu Takeuchi & Kasiko Takahasi). Remastered by Kenji Yoshino (supervised by Chinzei) with both original liner notes and new ones. [6] |
Susumu Hirasawa is a Japanese musician and composer.
P-Model was a Japanese electronic rock band started in 1979 by frontman Susumu Hirasawa. The band has experienced many lineup revisions over the years but Hirasawa was always at the helm of operations. P-Model officially disbanded in 2000, although many of its members continue to release solo albums and collaborate with each other on different projects.
In a Model Room is the debut album of Japanese band P-Model.
Potpourri is the 1981 third album of Japanese band P-Model.
Detonator Orgun is a 1991 Japanese original video animation series by AIC and Artmic, directed by Masami Ōbari with character designs by Kia Asamiya. Planning for the series started in 1989, but the animation process did not start until 1991. The series was released on DVD in 2001 by Central Park Media in the United States, in 2002 by Happinet Pictures in Japan, and in 1997 by Manga Entertainment in the United Kingdom. Orgun later appeared in the Super Robot Wars W video game.
Aurora is Susumu Hirasawa's fourth solo album.
Technique of Relief is the seventh solo album by Susumu Hirasawa.
The Ghost In Science is Susumu Hirasawa's second solo album.
Water in Time and Space is Susumu Hirasawa's first solo album.
Virtual Rabbit is Susumu Hirasawa's third solo album.
Another Game is the fifth studio album by P-Model.
One Pattern is a 1986 album by P-Model and the last before the band's hiatus in 1988.
Siren is the sixth solo album by Susumu Hirasawa.
Archetype | 1989-1995 Polydor years of Hirasawa is Susumu Hirasawa's fourth compilation album.
Phonon 2555 Vision is a live video album by Susumu Hirasawa. It contains recordings of the Phonon 2555 shows from 2012, part of the "Phonon" series of Hirasawa concerts. The number on the title represents the year of the performance on the Thai solar calendar.
Fune is the tenth studio album by P-Model and the first by its "revised" lineup.
Scuba is an album by the Japanese new wave band P-Model. It is different from other P-Model albums in that it was made almost entirely made by guitarist Susumu Hirasawa alone and for its original issue in the cassette book format: the album was packaged with an 84-page booklet that contained techniques to induce rapid eye movement sleep and hypnosis, the lyric story expanded Scuba Monogatari, photos of the involved band members in a coastal area that illustrated the stories, and an interview with The Stalin vocalist Michiro Endo.
Ash Crow -Susumu Hirasawa Soundtracks for BERSERK is an album by Susumu Hirasawa.
Electronic Tragedy: Enola, stylized as Electronic Tragedy/〜ENOLA, is the eleventh studio album by P-Model and the second by its "revised" lineup.
Music Industrial Wastes: P-Model or Die, stylized as Music Industrial Wastes〜P-MODEL OR DIE, is the twelfth studio album by P-Model, the third by its "revised" lineup and the final one for the band overall.