Due to the effects of COVID-19, we have experienced the loss of freedoms, favorite stores, and cherished places that we have taken for granted over the past three years. We also feel that world peace is going from bad to worse every day. It is during these days that we have been working on this album.
Therefore, we wrote the songs with the image of the changing scenery of the city over time, and we titled the album “Afterimage” to include the meaning of our own common sense changing.”
re:plus
THE RELEASE
Being among the most prominent jazz musicians & producers in Tokyo, re:plus teamed up with leading Japanese keyboardist Osamu Fukuzawa for a heart-melting, 8-piece jazz/lofi album called Afterimage. The project was inspired by the way the Pandemic changed our lives, including all of us on the inside – hence the name.
“What I was conscious of was expressing the scenery of the city where we live through music.
When we made “never”, I’d just moved to a new town. I was walking around my previous town where I lived for so long time and my new town, then I realized that time will never come back. It didn’t feel pessimistic but a little bit sentimental. The song reflected those personal experiences and scenery.
Through this album with re:plus, I sometimes used several nature soundscapes recorded by me at Fukuoka, Japan. I like using the sounds of scenes from everyday life.”, shares Osamu Fukuzawa.
The sound defies the oversaturated lofi genre by adding mind-bending jazz compositions – all created in a way that will “firmly stay in the listeners’ minds”, as the artists elaborate. In the album, you’ll find beautiful keys, soft beats & a number of guest artists – including renowned guitarist Kazuki Isogai (with 7 releases on Stereofox Records) on “Town bustle” & established saxophonist Yuichiro Kato (Superfly & Kaela Kimura live bands) on “Hakumei”.
*The cover art is a photo, taken by re:plus himself at a temple in Kyoto.
THE ARTIST
re:plus
re:plus is Hiroaki Watanabe – a pianist & producer based in Tokyo. His debut single “Everlasting Truth” was released in July 2009 and reached No. 1 on the iTunes hip-hop chart in Japan. His debut album with the same name has been a super long-running hit, selling over 25K copies to date.
- 30+ editorials on Spotify, including Road Trip To Tokyo, Mellow Beats, Midnight Chill, New Music Wednesday, and Jass Fusion Japan
- Supported on Apple Music’s Jazz Scene: Japan, Lofi Jazz, Lofi Japan
- Supported by PlayStation Japan
- Featured on Amazon Music’s LoFi Hip Hop
- Featured on Deezer’s Lofi Japan
- 1st single “never” topped up the iTunes Global Jazz Chart
- Featured on Amazon Music’s Lo-Fi Hip Hop
- Supported by 240k independent playlists
Osamu Fukuzawa
Osamu Fukuzawa is a composer and keyboardist from Fukuoka, Japan, influenced by hip hop, jazz & much more – drawing inspiration from the likes of Nujabes & re:plus. Aside from self-releasing, he works for both indies and major artists in Japan – a song he produced and co-wrote in 2021 reached #1 on the Spotify viral chart in Japan.
- Produced and co-wrote a song in 2021 that reached #1 on the Spotify viral chart in Japan
- Featured on Apple's Lo-Fi Japan, Lo-Fi Jazz, Jazz Scene: Japan, among others
- Added to Spotify's Road Trip To Tokyo, Midnight Chill, New Music Wednesday & more
- Supported on Deezer's lofi coffee, chill lofi, etc.
- Highly-engaged Amazon Music audience
- Collaboration with re:plus (reached #1 in iTunes Japan)
