In addition to his solo works, he is a member of the Electronica duo Kimonos, which formed in 2010 with Mukai Shutoku of Zazen Boys. He is also is a member of the band Metafive, formed in 2015 with Yukihiro Takahashi, Keigo Oyamada, Yoshinori Sunahara, Towa Tei, and Tomohiko Gondo.
Alongside his own projects, he continues to contribute a wide range of music and text to various other artists.
Born in Tokyo to a Japanese father and Swedish mother. Educated at SOAS and Oxford University. Settled in Tokyo in July 2006 to launch music career with debut album ‘City Folk’.
Showcasing a variety of styles from heart-rending killer-tunes to angular rap, he not only represents a new style of singer-songwriter in J-Pop, but his blend of lyrical passion and austerity of design may mark something new for the world at large.
Pulse
LEO今井 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't defend all my pride
悔しさは染みの様で
巻き戻しもできなくて
でも脊髄の恍惚を抜き取れば
さほど生きてて好かったと思えるなら
Take me up 連れて行って
僕を生き返らして
エレキトリックな脈、打たして
感じない程素晴らしいね
指先で触れ合って
君にも、誰にだって
So it goes on but nothing can be done so there you go
We calculate the sums but cannot ever keep control
日差しと見詰め合って
笑ってばかりいる世界で
僕を此処から帰して
エレクトリックな脈、刻んで
見えないほど眩いね
Take me up towards that goldmine
Where happy people smile into the sunshine
Take me up towards that feel-fine
I want to feel the electric pulse in my spine
I want to feel the electric pulse, want to feel the electric pulse, want to feel the electric pulse 'till I'm blind
The lyrics to LEO今井's song "Pulse" talk about a sense of regret and the inability to undo past mistakes and actions that led to that regret. The songwriter talks about not being able to pretend or defend themselves anymore and feeling like the regret is seeping into everything they do. They wish they could turn back time, but they cannot. However, the songwriter states that if they remove the euphoria from their spine, they can still think that they have lived a good life.
The chorus of the song is about wanting to be taken to a world where there is no sadness and where they can feel alive again. The songwriter wants to feel the electric pulse, which could represent the feeling of being alive or happy. The verses talk about wanting to be with someone, whether it be the person they are singing to or just anyone, and wanting to feel that same electric pulse with them. The song ends with the singer wanting to feel the electric pulse until they are blind, which could represent that they want to feel this feeling all the time and never let go of it.
Overall, the song talks about regret and the desire to feel alive again. The lyrics use metaphorical language, such as "electric pulse," to convey the feeling the songwriter wants to feel.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't pretend all my life
I cannot continue to live my life pretending.
I can't defend all my pride
I cannot defend all of my pride.
悔しさは染みの様で
My regret is like a stain.
巻き戻しもできなくて
I cannot turn back time.
でも脊髄の恍惚を抜き取れば
But if I could remove the ecstasy from my spine,
さほど生きてて好かったと思えるなら
Maybe I would think that I have lived a life worth living.
Take me up 連れて行って
Take me up, take me away.
悲しい顔が無い世界へ
To a world without sad faces.
僕を生き返らして
Bring me back to life.
エレキトリックな脈、打たして
Make my electric pulse beat.
感じない程素晴らしいね
It's so wonderful that I can't even feel it.
指先で触れ合って
Touching with fingertips.
君にも、誰にだって
To you, and anyone else.
So it goes on but nothing can be done so there you go
Life continues on even though there is nothing we can do about it.
We calculate the sums but cannot ever keep control
We can only calculate the totals but never have control.
日差しと見詰め合って
Staring into the sunlight.
笑ってばかりいる世界で
In a world where everyone is always smiling.
僕を此処から帰して
Take me away from here.
エレクトリックな脈、刻んで
Make my electric pulse beat.
見えないほど眩いね
It's so bright that I can't see anything else.
Take me up towards that goldmine
Take me to that treasure trove.
Where happy people smile into the sunshine
Where joyful people bask in the warmth of the sun.
Take me up towards that feel-fine
Take me to that place where I feel good.
I want to feel the electric pulse in my spine
I want to feel the electric pulse in my spine.
I want to feel the electric pulse, want to feel the electric pulse, want to feel the electric pulse 'till I'm blind
I want to feel the electric pulse so much that I don't see anything else.
Contributed by Matthew A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.