The second single from Tokyo Riddim Band, a new band made up of British and Japanese expatriates led by Izumi "Mimi" Kobayashi, transcending race, generation, and gender. It also features a superb dub mix by Prince Fatty!
The new song "Canoe Boy," which follows their debut single "Microwave," was originally written in 1980 by PANTA (Zuno Keisatsu), a pioneer of Japanese punk rock, for the third album of new music singer Tomoko Kuwae.
This version by Tokyo Riddim Band features a dubbed, funkier sound than the original, featuring Horseman, a veteran drummer who has long been a pillar of the UK reggae scene, on cowbell and percussion. Marley Drummond, whose great-uncle is The Skatalites founder Don Drummond, delivers a sharp beat, while Nathan Dawkins, a 20-year-old bass prodigy currently studying at the prestigious Trinity College (the same music school that Fela Kuti graduated from), creates a free-flowing groove. Euan McGinty, a half-Japanese/half-British musician, delivers New Wave-esque guitar tones, Izumi Kobayashi's Hammond organ hums, and Ayana plays the bars with a smoky, bluesy voice reminiscent of the Showa era. Megumi Mesaku's elegant saxophone shines in the solo and outro. Prince Fatty, a man of absolute credibility in the current reggae scene, recorded and mixed this album, and also handled the dub for side B. The saxophone solo and outro are longer than on side A. The dripping, water-like dub mix and Kay Suzuki's siren call create a track that's sure to send you into heaven!
