Kama Aina, Club Kama Aina (Rumraket)

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"Kama Aina" is apparently a Hawaiian term meaning "native" or "islander dweller". As Kama Aina the musical concept, Takuji Aoyagi creates delicate chamber music for the most basic and therefore most profound instruments - various breeds of guitar, accordion, piano and percussion.

Imagine wandering into an unlikely cross between a tiki lounge, an intimate folk club just off campus in a small university town, and a European style old-world café, and you´ve got an idea of the slightly skewed mood of the "club" Aoyagi has created.

Adding to the uniqueness is the curious Tokyo-Glagow connection, as he visits the dour Scottish industrial city to collaborate with cellist Isobel Campbell, The Pastels and multi-instrumental talent Bill Wells.

Listening to this music does a heart good. It is calming, romantic (especially the title track), and fun in a way that will not make you laugh out loud but will pull at the corners of your mouth. Club Kama Aina is an irony-free zone, which allows an otherwise wonderfully naive and loveable instrument like the electone, a Japanese organ, to shine unselfconsciously on its showcase tracks "Wedding Song" and the Latin-tinged "Mud Cat".

The "Scottish" pieces are more skeletal, fragile to the touch and minimalistic in an overall context already without unnecessary window-dressing. All colour has been drained out but exquistely so. The sweet male/female vocals by two of the three Pastels on "Millport" are of e.e. cummings-like succinctness.

The character of Club Kama Aina is relaxed. Just melodic ideas that get let out into the meadow to meander and play for a while.

http://www.rumraket.com