The popular music of the late 60’s and 70’s in the United States was primarily made up of what people deem as “Psychedelic Music.” Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain was in ‘71 and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of The Moon was ‘73, two genre defining and landscape changing albums that would go on to define the term, “Psychedelic Rock.” Although, the first time the actual word psychedelic was put on physical music was The Deep’s Psychedelic Moods in 1966. The Deep was pretty much a session band led by Rusty Evans, a folk artist who once was sharing the stage with the likes of Bob Dylan. Evans discovered the small psychedelic scene happening in Los Angeles at the time and flew back to Philadelphia and formed The Deep. Within two days Psychedelic Moods was recorded and released in October 1966.
All the while, a different country was getting a hold of this new form of rock music. Overseas, Japan was giving birth to some of the genres most eclectic musicians and creating their own form of this new, young sound. While the American scene was influenced by psychedelic drugs like LSD, the bands in Japan did not take much part in these practices. They were taking influence from the drug laced ballads of the USA and putting their own flavor on it. Bands like Masahiko Sato & Sound Breakers were giving the genre an electronic twist while groups like The Happenings Four were using harmonies and up-beat instrumentals to create a sort of acidy-pop sound.
Some bands stuck to the traditional sound, groups like Apryl Fool and Food Brain kept to the folk-roots of the genre in their sound. These guitar driven groups have more than just song structure in common. One key member gave them a distinctive sound that also gave Japanese psychedelic music its own personality. Keyboardist Hiro Yanagida played on some of the most genre defining albums that emerged from this creative period. Food Brain’s Social Gathering, Apryl Fools’s sole album named after the band, and the aforementioned Masahiko Santo & Sound Break’s album Amalgamation all showcased Yanagida signature keyboard playing. All of these projects garnered acclaim across Japan and eventually the U.S. as well. These albums have gained wide popularity over the years and each have seen multiple reissues across the globe.
All while recording and playing in Apryl Fool and Food Brain, Yanagida went on an incredible run of solo material spanning four albums throughout the ‘70s. His solo debut Milk Time came out in 1970 followed by his self-titled project in 1971, 1972 Delivered the album Hiro and 1973 brought us Hirocosmos. These four albums separated Yanagida from his peers in terms of work ethic and stylistically.
A stand-out from Hiro Yanagida’s vast discography is his solo debut Milk Time. A ten song opus bringing Yanagida’s all-over-the-place production style and advanced keyboard playing to the forefront of the arrangements. Milk Time mixes the free-flowing formats of jazz where each instrument has a time to shine but the sounds these instruments are making are directly influenced by the psychedelic music coming out of the U.S. Songs like “Running Shirts Long” show off Yanagida’s arrangement talents while a song like “Happy, Sad” seems more like Hiro simply putting on a clinic of ivory tickling. He is able to pull melodies from out of thin air and play the keys at speeds some might think are impossible. Milk Time was Hiro Yanagida’s introduction to the world as more than just a keyboard player, but also an exciting band leader and composer in his own right.
Although it was rare for Yanagida’s bands like Food Brain to last longer than one album, the relationships built during those recording sessions yielded past the group’s lifespan. Hiro Yanagida is credited on the solo album of Food Brain’s Guitarist, Shinki Chen’s off-shoot band Shinki Chen and Friends. Yanagida has also taken the producer and arranger role on multiple releases from Teichiku Records. Throughout the 70’s and leading into the 80’s, Yanagida continued to arrange and produce some of the most exciting and new music Japan had to offer.
After an illustrious career of being a part of some of the biggest albums in Japan’s popular music history, all while creating an impressive solo catalog, where is this talented man now? Not much is available online about Hiro Yanagida’s current gigs or projects. Except for one website alluding to the fact that he is creating jingles for commercials and TV shows. Wherever this influential keyboardist is doing and whatever he is doing while there, his impact on psychedelic music can not be overlooked and will never be forgotten.
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