Name: Osawa Shinichi (大沢伸一)
Birthday: February 7, 1967 (age 51)
Birthplace: Shiga, Japan
Blood Type: O
Former Members
B-BANDJ
Yoshizawa Hajime (吉澤はじめ)
Nakamura Masato (中村雅人)
Otsuka Hidehito (大塚英人)
MONDO GROSSO Era (1991-2005)
Osawa began his major recording career as the leader and the bassist for popular Japanese music group MONDO GROSSO, from which he derives his alias. Formed in 1991 and originating out of Kyoto with bandmates B-BANDJ, Nakamura Masato, and Otsuka Hidehito, the band released their self-titled first album under the independent record label For Life Records on June 18, 1993. The album was very well received both domestically in Japan as well as internationally, leading to a new style in Japanese club music that would eventually become a standard. In 1995, after a second album released on October 10, Born Free, featuring acid jazz stalwart Monday Michiru and the completion of their touring, the band officially disbanded.
Osawa began solo work soon after the dissolution, becoming a collaborator with already established musical entities in Japan. Through this transitional period, MONDO GROSSO morphed into more of a collaborative project, featuring Osawa and various other vocalists and musicians whom he would release future material with. With many of his self-produced collaborations, he released the album R&B-infused acid jazz album CLOSER on August 21, 1997. Around that same time, he began his career as a hit-making producer.
After the release of his third full-length album, Osawa turned his focus on production, working with many high-profile artists in Japan. His first explorations into full production began with the release of UA's single, "Rhythm", on September 24, 1996. He soon followed his first success in the field with the production of Monday Michiru's well-received single "You Make Me", released in 1998. Upon his expanding success, he left For Life Records and signed to major record label Sony Music Associated Records in 1999. Upon this shift, Osawa was able to begin his own record label, REALEYES, that same year. Osawa produced another full-length album for a then-upcoming musician bird. Her first album, SOULS, was released on March 20, 1999, and became a massive hit domestically, selling well over 800,000 units.
After taking a temporary break from his own work, Osawa resumed activity under the name MONDO GROSSO. The following year Osawa would release life single "Life", featuring labelmate bird. The single became his highest charting yet, peaking at #18 on the Oricon charts. Following the release of one more single BUTTERFLY, he released his fourth full-length album, MG4, on August 26, 2000, becoming a milestone in his solo music career. The album was met with critical acclaim, with credit to the fusion of acid jazz and house, the display of the diversity in his style of production, and collaborations with musicians such as N'dea Davenport and Amel Larrieux on the album. The album was alsao released by Sony Music internationally in over 25 countries.
Osawa soon returned to the field of producing after the success of his solo album, producing and remixing for a number of established artists in Japan as well as internationally for artists such as Wyolica, BoA, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Jamiroquai. In 2002, Osawa provided a track, "BLZ", as the only contributor from Japan, for the official 2002 FIFA World Cup album Fever Pitch, which was released in over 30 countries worldwide. In 2003, his fifth album "Next Wave" was released. The album became one of his most successful, debuting at #10 on the Oricon charts and selling over 150,000 copies, significant for a club-oriented album. In 2004, he signed Nobuchika Eri to his now retitled FEARLESS RECORDS label, but was dropped by Sony Music Associated Records in 2006 upon Osawa's move to avex's rhythm zone imprint.
Osawa Shinichi Era (2006-2015)
His first major release with rhythm zone came in the form of his first studio album under his real name, The One, released on September 26, 2007. The album introduced a heavier, rock-influenced sound that was a far cry from his club-friendly productions under his MONDO GROSSO alias. Over a period of two years, the album would enjoy an international release through Avex in Asia as well as overseas labels Dim Mak Records for North America and Southern Fried Records in Europe and Oceania.
In between the international release of The One, in late 2008, Osawa participated in the project, ravex, with fellow Avex labelmates and DJs Taku Takahashi of m-flo and Tomoyuki Tanaka a.k.a. Fantastic Plastic Machine. The project was a commemorative release by Avex celebrating its 20th anniversary in the Japanese music industry. The project began with the single "I RAVE U" featuring DJ OZMA in late 2008 and ended with the studio album trax, released in early 2009. The studio album consisted of collaborations with well-known avex artists, including Tohoshinki, Namie Amuro, MONKEY MAJIK, Tsuchiya Anna and BoA, among others.
That October, he conceived a new side project, BRADBERRY ORCHESTRA, with producer and musician Kobayashi Takeshi, best known for producing artists such as Mr. Children, Salyu, Onitsuka Chihiro, and Akanishi Jin. In June, he released his second studio album under rhythm zone, SO2, which features collaborations with overseas artists such as The Black Ghosts, Paul Chambers, and Tommie Sunshine. Osawa rounded out the year establishing a "digital" label, LDK (Loud Digital Kitchen), with fellow DJ Tomo Hirata.
By the end of 2010, it was announced that two songs from his BRADBERRY ORCHESTRA side project, "Mutation" and "kizamu", would be used as the beginning and ending themes respectively for the upcoming Playstation 3 video game Ryu ga Gotoku OF THE END, the third spinoff in the Ryu ga Gotoku series (otherwise known as the "Yakuza" series in Western territories). BRADBERRY ORCHESTRA's debut mini-album, Vol.0, was released on March 16th. The final release under the project name was the single "Physical", featuring Suga Shikao, Crystal Kay, and Salyu, which served as the theme song for TV Tokyo's broadcast of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Return to MONDO GROSSO Era (2016-Present)
In the beginning of 2016, Osawa announced that he will be returning to the MONDO GROSSO monkier for upcoming projects. His first album under the name in 14 years, "Nandodemo Atarashiku Umareru", is his first album featuring all-Japanese vocalists, and is slated for release on June 6, 2017, under sister Avex label, cutting edge.
Studio Albums
[1993.06.18] MONDO GROSSO
[1995.10.20] Born Free
[1997.08.21] CLOSER
[2000.07.26] MG4
[2003.06.25] Next Wave
[2017.06.07] Nandodemo Atarashiku Umareru (何度でも新しく生まれる; Reborn Again and Always Starting New)
[2018.03.21] Attune / Detune
Mini-Albums/EPs
[1993.10.21] MARBLE
[1994.06.17] invisible man
Compilation Albums
[2000.08.23] MONDO GROSSO best
[2000.10.18] MONDO GROSSO best remixes
[2004.07.21] MONDO GROSSO best + remixes
Remix Albums
[1995.02.17] Pieces from the editing floor
[1996.04.03] DIGGIN' INTO THE REAL
[1998.03.21] THE MAN FROM THE SAKURA HILLS
[2001.07.25] MG4R
[2003.12.03] HENSHIN (Transformation)
Live Albums
[1995.07.05] The European Expedition
[2004.06.30] LIVE ON THE NEXT WAVE
Singles
[1995.06.07] Oh lord, let me do no wrong
[1995.08.19] FAMILY
[1997.05.21] Laughter in the rain
[1997.07.24] EVERYDAY LIFE / THINGS KEEP CHANGIN'
[2000.05.24] LIFE feat. bird
[2000.07.26] BUTTERFLY
[2000.08.30] NOW YOU KNOW BETTER
[2001.04.25] DON'T LET GO
[2002.05.02] BLZ
[2002.10.30] Everything Needs Love feat. BoA
[2003.05.02] SHININ' feat. Kj
[2003.07.16] Hikari feat. UA (光; Light)
[2017.04.28] Labyrinth (ラビリンス)
Digital Singles
[2018.02.08] Itsuwari no Sympathy (偽りのシンパシー; False Sympathy)
Vinyls
[2017.12.17] Haru wa Towa ni Mezameru (春はトワに目覚める; Spring Awakens Eternally)
[2018.04.21] KEMURI / TURN IT UP
DVDs
[1995.07.21] The European Expedition
[2001.07.25] MG4V
Blaze it up
Mondo Grosso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you think it can make a spark
Stack fuel for a fire
If there's a chance that this will burn
Guard off the rain
From wind brewing in the dark
And after you do
I still might just blow you off and turn away
△If you want to light my heart
Use a candle, not your Bic
Put up on dry land
｢Sea of Love｣ is full of drips
Pour the petrol on the cloth
Torch gripped tight in your fist
If you think you can be
My cardiac arsonist△
□Blaze it up
Blaze it up Blaze it up
Blaze my heart tonight…□
You don't really think that you
Can light my soul afire
With dried up roses and a Zippo
My outer shell is fireproof
My wick has just ignited
So you had best be taking cover
Set fire Go higher
Feed our Desire
No never Whatever
Oh we're Forever
□Repeat
△Repeat
□Repeat
The song "Blaze it up" by Mondo Grosso starts with a message of encouragement, urging the listener to strike the flint and stack fuel for a fire. However, the person being addressed could easily be a potential lover trying to win over the singer's heart. The lyrics warn that even if one manages to light the singer's heart up, they must do so gently- using a candle, not a Bic. The rest of the verse continues to paint a vivid and metaphorical picture, with the singer asking their suitor to pour fuel on a cloth and grip a torch tightly in their hand- all while hoping they can be their "cardiac arsonist."
In the chorus, the lyrics become more straightforward and repetitive, with the singer pleading for their heart to be blown up tonight. In the second verse, the singer becomes more protective of their heart- they won't be won over with dried up roses and a Zippo lighter. However, it seems that the suitor's efforts have been successful- the singer's wick has been ignited, and they assure their lover that they're in it for the long haul. All in all, "Blaze it up" is a powerful love song about the unpredictable nature of romance and the importance of taking risks.
Line by Line Meaning
Go, strike the flint
Begin the ignition process by striking flint against a hard surface
If you think it can make a spark
Only attempt to ignite the flame if you believe the flint has the potential to create a spark
Stack fuel for a fire
Gather and arrange materials that will easily burn and fuel the fire
If there's a chance that this will burn
Only proceed with the fire if there exists a possibility that it will ignite and burn
Guard off the rain
Protect the flame from being extinguished by the rain
From wind brewing in the dark
Ensure that the fire is not extinguished by the strong wind that arises in the dark
And after you do
Even after these efforts are made
I still might just blow you off and turn away
I may still choose to disregard and ignore you
If you want to light my heart
To ignite my emotions
Use a candle, not your Bic
Use a candle instead of a disposable lighter
Put up on dry land
Be sure to stand on dry ground
Sea of Love is full of drips
Avoid the potential hazards of water by staying on dry land
Pour the petrol on the cloth
Apply gasoline to a piece of cloth
Torch gripped tight in your fist
Hold a torch firmly in your hand
If you think you can be
If you believe you can become
My cardiac arsonist
The person who lights a fire in my heart
Blaze it up
Ignite the fire
Blaze my heart tonight...
Set my heart ablaze tonight
You don't really think that you
You do not actually believe that you
Can light my soul afire
Have the ability to deeply ignite my soul
With dried up roses and a Zippo
Using ineffective means to light the fire
My outer shell is fireproof
I have become resilient to being easily affected by others
My wick has just ignited
My emotions have just been triggered and ignited
So you had best be taking cover
You should protect yourself from the consequential emotional effects that may arise from igniting my heart
Set fire)
Ignite the fire
Go higher
Make the flames reach new heights
Feed our
Satisfy our
Desire
Emotional and physical desires
No never
Absolutely not
Whatever
Regardless of the situation
Oh we're
We are
Forever
Indefinitely and eternally
Contributed by Elliot J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@monsta222
Go, strike the flint
If you think it can make a spark
Stack fuel for a fire
If there's a chance that this will burn
Guard off the rain
From wind brewing in the dark
And after you do
I still might just blow you off and turn away
△If you want to light my heart
Use a candle, not your Bic
Put up on dry land
｢Sea of Love｣ is full of drips
Pour the petrol on the cloth
Torch gripped tight in your fist
If you think you can be
My cardiac arsonist△
□Blaze it up
Blaze it up Blaze it up
Blaze my heart tonight…□
You don't really think that you
Can light my soul afire
With dried up roses and a Zippo
My outer shell is fireproof
My wick has just ignited
So you had best be taking cover
Set fire Go higher
Feed our Desire
No never Whatever
Oh we're Forever
@hidekihanai87
今でも突然聞きたくなる曲やわー
@jae-yeonyu4809
17년만에 다시 들어도 진짜 최고!!!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️ 역시 명품은 그 가치가 변하지 않는다!👍👍👍
@mikknroll
なつかしい。1曲目にこの曲もってくるあたりにセンスを感じたわ。もうだいぶ前のアルバムになるけど色あせないね。
@sumesusumesu
mikknroll このアルバムは捨て曲がありませんね！
@osp6999
여름휴가 갈때 마다 듣는 노래 쵝오!! 이번에 제주도 가서도 무한반복했네요!!ㅎㅎ
@Mahalik_L
20년전부터 하우스댄서들에게는 잊혀지지 않을 원픽 명곡
@nasmz0815
懐かしい！CD引っ張り出して聞かなきゃ！
Qué recuerdo!!!
@rnoguera45
Wtf was this deleted from spotify!! This was a bop
@VanSquall
It's back! Think they added it back on there sometime last year.
@hommemysterieux4794
Je l'écoute encore en 2020 !!!!!