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Days of Rona: Tana Haugo Kawahara of Eternal Elysium

Posted in Features on May 5th, 2020 by JJ Koczan

The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.

Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.

Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan

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Days of Rona: Tana Haugo Kawahara of Eternal Elysium (Japan)

How are you dealing with this crisis as a label? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?

All three members live in completely different locations inside Japan. From this year, with the new lineup, we meet once a month for a two-day rehearsal in Nagoya, at Okazaki’s Studio Zen. February’s and April’s rehearsals were both cancelled due to virus concerns regarding travel to and from different parts of Japan. We have a few gigs scheduled during the second half of this year, and so far no cancellations have been made. All of us are in good health.

What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?

Japan declared a formal state of emergency for the entire country on April 16, but because of the way the Japanese Constitution is written, the government doesn’t actually have the power to enforce any kind of quarantine or lockdown. It’s “suggested” or “recommended” for people to limit their movement, work from home when possible, etc. I live in a small village deep in the mountains so the situation is completely different from the big cities — lots of space and few people is normal around here. Even still, people are concerned, so more folks are wearing masks than usual, and the local restaurants, including mine, are doing take-out only and/or limiting operation hours. This also reduces the number of tourists coming out to the countryside from the cities.

How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?

Everyone agrees, it’s a weird time. Difficult and uncertain on so many levels.

Events and gatherings of all kinds have been cancelled, lots of people are either out of work or told to stay home, so there’s financial worry and additional stress for many. And for some other people, they don’t seem to care about it or comprehend the situation at all.

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?

Earth has spoken, we need to listen. Looking forward to the day we can gather to make and enjoy music with our brothers and sisters again!

www.eternalelysium.com/
http://eternalelysiumshop.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Eternal-Elysium-official-160089987381948/
https://www.facebook.com/RobustfellowProds/
http://robustfellow.blogspot.com/
robustfellow.bandcamp.com

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Eternal Elysium, Searching Low and High: Found at Last

Posted in Reviews on November 30th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

eternal-elysium-searching-low-and-high

To be sure, if you’re looking to start a collection of underrated and ripe-for-broader-appreciation riffage, there are probably few better ways to kick off than with Eternal Elysium. The long-running Nagoya-based outfit trace their stoner rocking Sabbathian loyalties back more than 20 years at this point, and they have a discography chock full of memorable songs that have gone rampantly undervalued in their time. Accordingly, one can only applaud the efforts of Ukrainian imprint Robustfellow Productions in giving due homage to Eternal Elysium‘s 2005 fourth album, Searching Low and High, which from the initial boogie of “Reefer Happiness” through the Hendrixian strut of “Twilight High” and into the depths of 16-minute jammer finale “Green Song” makes just about a perfect lead release for what’s been dubbed the Robust Relics Series.

Given new cover art by Yura “xNinja” Nagorniy and a complete 2017 remix and remaster courtesy of Eternal Elysium founding guitarist/vocalist Yukito Okazaki, the new version of Searching Low and High is comprised of 10 songs and runs a suitably robust 73 minutes thanks in part to the inclusion of two bonus tracks, “Eternal Elysium” (13:53) and “The Spiral Conclusion” (6:59), but even without these, it’s a substantial work of heavy rock idolatry, digging into the roots of the style and focusing less on nuance of presentation than quality of songcraft. That’s not a tradeoff you’re ever going to hear me complain about, and indeed, the band works it to their advantage even for a weirdo interlude like “Approaching Stranger on the Electric Trail of Dreams,” efficiently bringing a sense of atmosphere to the otherwise straightforward attack of the subsequent post-grunge of “No Isolation.”

Following their 1996 debut, Faithful, the next two Eternal Elysium records — 2000’s Spiritualized D and 2002’s Share — were released by MeteorCity, marking their introduction to North American audiences. They’ve had a number of EPs and splits out along the way, including one in 2007 with Black Cobra, and have issued two full-lengths since Searching Low and High in 2009’s Within the Triad and last year’s excellent return, Resonance of Shadows (review here).

Originally issued on Diwphalanx Records with a follow-up vinyl through Hydro-Phonic in 2011, Searching Low and High finds Eternal Elysium at an interesting point in the arc of their overarching progression, confident enough four records deep to throw a little country swing into “Before the Morning Comes” as might a Pepper Keenan-fronted C.O.C. or to play off acid folk on the 1:42 aside “Hazy Sublime” earlier, but well aware that the core of their approach lies in the thickened groove of a song like second cut “Not So Far,” which answers the faster initial rollout of “Reefer Happiness” by unfolding a doomer nod before turning at its halfway point to madcap stoner punk that here jumps from one channel to the other as it makes its way through its careening course toward a solo-topped bookending slowdown.

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The opening salvo, followed immediately by the aforementioned “Hazy Sublime,” represents the very roots of what works best about Searching Low and High, but Eternal Elysium aren’t content to rest on that alone, and the substance of the album proves more varied and more satisfying than it would if they stuck to the same ideas across the span. And it’s precisely there that the band’s experience as songwriters becomes most relevant and, frankly, easiest to discern.

Earlier outings showcased no shortage of fervent stonerism and were righteous in doing so, but with Searching Low and High, Yukito, bassist/vocalist Tana Haugo and drummer Antonio Ishikawa move fluidly between a more varied swath of influences in a way that, in context, seems to provide a model they’d follow even on Resonance of Shadows, planting their feet firmly and moving outward from there. As the organ-laced “Before the Morning Comes” jives into the psychedelically languid “Green Song,” the trio effectively draw the listener along this path as they go, and the final act of immersion into drift is made all the more satisfying by its dynamic ebbs and flows throughout, guitar leads taking the fore of the new mix with a steady rhythmic foundation behind.

Capped with a fadeout and feedback, “Green Song” gives Searching Low and High a fitting conclusion — gone with no return — but the bonus tracks assure that the proceedings aren’t done yet. The eponymous “Eternal Elysium” appeared on the band’s demo in 1992 and “The Spiral Conclusion” featured on their 2012 split with SardoniS, but both were also on the Hydro-Phonic vinyl as well, so they’re hardly out of place here, and if you’re prone to complain about an extra 20 minutes spent with Eternal Elysium coming out of your speakers, you’re probably not taking on a reissue of Searching Low and High in the first place. Another jam. More nodding riffs. Zero argument.

It will be fascinating to see where Robustfellow takes its Robust Relics Series from here. Of course, I’ve discussed on numerous occasions the treasure trove of pre-social media heavy rock and roll that exists both in and out of current print, so there’s no shortage of fodder for the imprint to dig through and stand behind for reissue should it choose to do so, but in beginning with Eternal Elysium, a clear signal and a high standard have been set, and whether Searching Low and High will ultimately mark a departure point into the discographies of other acts or a series of revamped offerings from the Japanese rockers on their own, its arrival is as welcome as its riffs are timeless.

Eternal Elysium, Searching Low & High (2005/2017)

Eternal Elysium website

Eternal Elysium webstore

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Eternal Elysium on Twitter

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Eternal Elysium to Reissue Searching Low and High for Robust Relics Series

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 25th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

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I’ve applied this kind of standard before, I know, but the truth is there are two kinds of people who aren’t going to be down with Eternal Elysium reissuing a fully remixed and remastered version of their 2005 album, Searching Low and High, to kick off Robustfellow‘s new venture, the Robust Relics Series. You know those kinds of people? You guessed it: Jerks and squares. Everyone else should have no trouble getting down, either with the concept or the execution. Not saying I’ve heard it or anything or that I have the mp3s on right now, but the record sounds awesome.

Speaking of awesome, the long-running Japanese doom rockers issued their sixth album, Resonance of Shadows (review here), in 2016 and it was an absolute riff-rolling gem. The trio also contributed the track “Highflyer (Remix)” to Robustfellow‘s expansive 3CD Electric Funeral Cafe Vol. III compilation (review here) earlier in 2017, so this isn’t exactly the first time the band and the Ukraine imprint are working together, despite being a marked deepening of the relationship between the two.

Announcement came down the PR wire with new album art and so on:

eternal-elysium-searching-low-and-high

Robustfellow Prods. To Re-Release the Classic Album of Japanese Heavy Psych/Doom Legends – Eternal Elysium

Robustfellow Prods. is happy to present a new activity supporting the robust scene – Robust Relics Series {RRS}. Here we rediscover robust albums from the past , giving them new life. We create new artwork with one of our artists, complete audio remaster and add bonus tracks from the respective period. RRS reissues are going to be produced with maximum attention to details while paying respect to the original feel of the release.

The first RRS release is going to happen with legends of Japanese heavy psych/doom scene – Eternal Elysium and their fabulous fourth album, Searching Low & High. It was originally released by Diwphalanx Records [CD, PX-132] in 2005, with a vinyl edition from Hydro-Phonic Records [2LP, HPR-247] in 2011.

12 years since its original release, Searching Low and High has become a hard-to-find issue on Discogs and eBay, so we decided to take a robust shocel and dig deeper.

“I think people can feel more raw and natural vibes on this remix version. And I feel this one is still deep and heavy. The big differences in sound between the original release and this remix/remaster are the textures and feeling of air/ambience,” Yukito Okazaki comments. “Those are the things I’m really aware of and taking care of now.”

The album retains the same energy of the moment, each track on the plate is catchy and memorable. Robustcrew considers this album an instant classic release and highly recommends it for everyone who is into heavy psych/doom/robust scene today!

Reissue features:
– Artwork by Yura “xNinja” Nagorniy [Robust Artist]
– Two bonus tracks (appearing on CD for the first time)
– Complete remix/remaster by Yukito Okazaki at Studio Zen in July-August 2017

Eternal Elysium in 2017 is:
Yukito Okazaki-guitar, vocal
Tana Haugo-bass, vocal
Antonio Ishikawa-drums

www.eternalelysium.com/
http://eternalelysiumshop.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Eternal-Elysium-official-160089987381948/
https://twitter.com/ETERNAL_ELYSIUM
https://www.facebook.com/RobustfellowProds/
http://robustfellow.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/robust_fellow
robustfellow.bandcamp.com

Eternal Elysium, “Green Song” (original)

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