Laidbook – The Beginning Issue 01

Origami Productions has brought together some musicians and artists into the same stable to embark on a rather original project. Starting this August, the label will be releasing a new laidbook CD each month retailing for the unbelievably low price of ¥1,000. The attractive package features a CD with seven songs and ten art cards.

On the music side, laidbook is a four-piece unit made up of musicians who have all released albums in their own right. The band features mabanua on drums, Shingo Suzuki on bass, Yukihiro Atsumi (Thirdiq) on guitar and 45 a.k.a SWING-O on keyboards and they play some very soulful music.

All seven tracks are originals and the opening track You Are Music is a homage to the Mizell Brothers’, and they have really nailed the sound down well. That’s where the retro stops, however, and the rest of the album has a very contemporary sound. I Only Want You is an catchy R&B number produced by Think Twice with Schubert and Manchilde on vocals that is begging for more airplay over the summer. For the remaining songs, most have a nice laid back soulful feel that reminds me a little of Myron, though the top is a superb uptempo number with afrobeat overtones.

The package is not just about the music, however, as there are ten art CD jacket-sized cards featuring images produced by the band members and others in the Origami Productions team. each card is distinctly different in style, with most good enough to be used as cover art in their own right.