rhetorical question (I got the new 3-CD Momus compilation, Public Intellectual: An Anthology 1986-2016)

When I was in the second year of high school, I felt bittersweet at the end of summer holiday 1996. Twenty years ago around this time, I was so messed up... my ex-boyfriend that I first-kissed had already got a new one, my mother had too high hopes for me that I could be happy in her way, and I felt as if I were walking alone in the dark world.

(me, 17 years old, the second from the right)

I liked music. I often listened to Flipper's Guitar and Pizzicato Five at that time, but also listened to the music that was seen on the hit chart. I liked singing rather than listening to music. Singing in the bathroom has been making me so refreshed in my life. Having said that, there's the music I prefer listening to. That is Momus. I was listening to his music alone in my room. His words were too sexual and dark for an innocent girl of tender years, but at the same time, his voice was too delicate, comforting and sensuous. I didn't tell anyone that I liked his music (only my mom and one of my friends knew) because I didn't want anything but his music in my own world.

Decades later when I saw his CD at Rough Trade, billyburg in winter 2015, I just remembered that I used to listen to Momus. I bought his CD because I and Jackson wanted the tickets for 'TV on the Radio' live performance being held at Rough Trade. At the Michael's house we stayed, I tried listening to Momus but I didn't feel anything. Instead of that, I got a little surprised to know that Momus seemed to live in Osaka.

(Rough Trade, NYC)

After coming back to Japan from the Donut Tour 2014-2015, I tried to find out all of my Momus CDs which were somewhere in my room of my parents' house. I didn't find some of them, and  unfortunately they were all my favourites...but I didn't care because I didn't remember them well...

Recently I got the new 3-CD Momus compilation, Public Intellectual: An Anthology 1986-2016, by chance.  Listening to the first one, I noticed I would have to be careful. Because the music is so vivid and interesting that I almost got a flashback... If I looked at the song titles, I feel surprised to remember the most part of them, particularly One and Two. And I wonder why I liked him so much even though I barely understood his lyrics.

(rest of my Momus CDs, some are not his own. The yellow one on the lower right is the compilation)

I think eace of his songs gives the listeners some surprises. Sometimes it comes linguistically and sometimes melodically or vocally. This compilation really reminds me of that. For me, his music was something which definitely made me feel alive in a hard time. And that's why I like and remember his music now. Also his music has a diversity of music genres. I can't tell what genres they are because I don't know much about music. But I can hear acoustic guitar, electronic sound, melodious sound, monologue, rhyme, inspiring rhythm, and so forth. And when I listen to 'Nervous Heartbeat', I feel gura gura, piri piri and fuwa fuwa. Ah, he's in Osaka now! I will try to get some music works of him soon.