They are widely credited to have spearheaded the "Shibuya-kei" movement of Tokyo in the 90s, along with Flipper's Guitar.
They are known for their eclectic and energetic compositions, which often sound like "new" releases from the late 1960s hipster scene. Their catchphrase--"A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular"--captured the group's ironic stance but eager attitude. The group broke up in March 2001.
A hugely prolific group, Pizzicato Five would release at least an album-per-year along with various EPs and remix albums during their 16 year-career.
Both Nomiya Maki (野宮真貴) and Konishi Yasuharu(小西康陽) currently enjoy solo careers - with Konishi Yasuharu(小西康陽) producing other artists ranging from Puffy and SMAP to Cornelius and kahimi karie(カヒミ・カリィ) - alongside collaborative remix compilations - from Ella Fitzgerald and The Supremes to classic Disney and Thunderbirds (as in Super-Marionated) music on his Shibuya-based Readymade Records label.
On Thursday March 31st, 2011, exactly 10 years after Pizzicato Five disbanded, Konishi Yasuharu announced a new solo project called Pizzicato One. The first release, titled One and Ten Very Sad Songs, consists of covers of English songs, each featuring vocals by various internationally-known artists from around the world.
Eclipse
Pizzicato Five Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Translators: ed valdez, ayumi suzuki, and ted mills
Kamera ga chotto bureta
Moo ichido
Anata ga sukoshi yureta
Moo ichido
Sekai ga sukoshi kaketa
Sono mama de ugokazu ni
Hora ne subete sakasama
Taiyoo ga kakuresoo yo
Moo ichido
Anata ga mienaku naru
Moo ichido
Sekai ga kiete shimau
Sono mama de ugokazu ni
Film ni tojikomeru no
Machi ga yureru
Tsuki ga kakeru
Machi ga moeru
Anata ga te o furu
Camera ga chotto bureta
Anata ga sukoshi yureta
Taiyoo ga kakuresoo yo
Anata ga mienaku naru
-------------------------------------
The camera shook a bit
Once again
You're swaying a bit
Once again
The world is slightly cracked
Don't move, just stay there
See, it's completely upside-down
The sun has almost disappeared
Once again
And now I can't see you
Once again
The world is completely out of sight
Don't move, just stay there
Wrapped up in film
The town sways
The moon wanes
The town is aglow
You wave your hand
The camera shook a bit
You are swaying a bit
The sun has almost disappeared
And now I can't see you
The lyrics of Pizzicato Five's "Eclipse" are poetically ambiguous, drawing upon a sense of romantic detachment that is both unnerving and compelling. The song seems to be sung from the point of view of a photographer watching their subject as an eclipse takes place. The camera shakes a bit, reflecting the photographer's nervousness at the beauty of what they are seeing. The subject is also swaying, possibly caught up in the moment, but perhaps also reflecting the disorientation that can come from a solar eclipse, where the world turns upside-down. The world itself seems to be cracking, and everything appears to be out of place.
The lyrics continue to describe the eclipse, with the sun disappearing and the subject fading into obscurity, as if they are being consumed by the event. The photographer, however, remains detached, content to capture the moment on film. The town is described as swaying, and the moon is waning, heightening the sense of instability and impermanence. Yet, in the midst of all this, the subject still waves their hand, a small anchor of humanity in a sea of uncertainty.
Overall, the song presents a dreamlike, surreal landscape, where everything is slightly off and out of reach. It is a meditation on the beauty and danger of the unknown, and the way people can be swept up in it, both in wonder and in fear.
Line by Line Meaning
The camera shook a bit
The singer's perception shakes, but the shift isn't great
Once again
This action and feeling is familiar to the singer
You're swaying a bit
The listener is visibly and repeatedly moving
Once again
This action and feeling is familiar to the artist
The world is slightly cracked
The world is flawed and not ideal
Don't move, just stay there
Stay in this slightly flawed state rather than trying to fix it
See, it's completely upside-down
The singer sees the world as backwards or upside-down
The sun has almost disappeared
The day or time is ending and moving towards nightfall
Once again
This action and feeling is familiar to the artist
And now I can't see you
The listener is now out of view or out of sight
Once again
This action and feeling is familiar to the singer
The world is completely out of sight
The world is completely hidden or obscured
Don't move, just stay there
Stay hidden or obscured - don't make any actions that might reveal you
Wrapped up in film
The world is captured in a layer of protection, like film
The town sways
The physical world around the singer is in motion
The moon wanes
The moon is moving towards a new phase, opposite of waxing
The town is aglow
The physical world around the artist is illuminated or radiating light
You wave your hand
The listener makes an action or gesture to the singer
The camera shook a bit
The singer's perception shakes, but the shift isn't great
You are swaying a bit
The listener is visibly and repeatedly moving
The sun has almost disappeared
The day or time is ending and moving towards nightfall
And now I can't see you
The listener is now out of view or out of sight
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Johannes Pong
on ポプリ
Holy $#it what a masterpiece. It might even be my favourite P5 album (so hard to choose)! Wow sounds even better than 1996. Konishi sensei is a genius. Timeless. No. It sounds like the future as well as disarmingly nostalgic. All Feelz.
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Jutt