"Share" is the third full-length album in the band's discography and the second release for Eternal Elysium in the Robust Relics series | Robustfellow Prods. ("Searching Low & High" was released in 2017 - https://bit.ly/3HHtKeN)
US-based label “Meteor City” and the German’s "I used to fuck People like you in Prison" released «Share» on CDs and vinyls in 2002.
Release Date for Robust Relics reissue is set exactly 20 years after the original edition on February 25, 2022
Share Tracklist
1. Schizy
2. Feel the Beat
3. Movements and Vibes
4. Waiting for the Sun
5. Machine
6. No Answer
7. Love is All
Release Info
MC:
• Pro-done cassette tape, manufactured in EU
• strictly limited to 50 copies
• Oldschool plastic box
• Thick booklet
• Shape DL card
• ltd. to 50 copies
CD:
• replication CD
• 2-panel digipak, gloss lamination
CD L [Robust Edition]:
• Alternate Cover artwork
• Collectable cards, signed by band members
• Digital DL Card for MP3/FLAC/WAV
• Exclusive Laminated Sticker
• OBI Strip
• ltd. to 50 hand-numbered copies
remaster from Yukito Okazaki
• three bonus tracks
• new cover of the release from Lviv artist Dmytro «Dimorphic»
Eternal Elysium Discography:
x1996 – Faithful • CD [Cornucopia]
2000 – Spiritualized D • CD/LP [Meteor City / Peolpe like You]
2002 – Share • CD/LP [Meteor City / Peolpe like You]
Eternal
Elysium may not have the international fame of BORIS or Church Of
Misery but these guys are still considered pioneers of the
International Psych Doom/Stoner Metal scene. The band have been going
since 1991 and have released a wealth of fantastic Doom/Stoner Metal
riffs over the years and across 6 critically acclaimed albums.
Their
most acclaimed album is probably 2005's – Searching Low & High
– which has been given a new lease of life courtesy of RobustFellow
Prods. As that cool label is reissuing the album on DD and CD. The
album has been digitally remastered and remixed by lead
guitarist/vocalist Yukito Okazaki with stunning new artwork to match.
I
caught up with Yukito Okazaki (Vocals/Guitars) recently where we
discussed about this classic album and future plans for the band.
Hi
Yukito. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you
today.
Pretty
good. Thanks to you guys for giving us the opportunity to get the
word out about us to people.
We
are here to talk about the reissue of your classic album –
Searching Low & High. How did the idea came about to reissue the
album on CD. Was it your idea or RobustFellow.
We
got a great offer from RobustFellow last year. I was surprised and
glad, because we were often talking about how most of our past
albums are out of print. We asked what they wanted to do, and they
explained their plan very much. That's totally great, so we decided
to create something great with them.
Why
that particular album. Why not other earlier albums of the band.
I
understand what you're saying. There are a few reasons: the
first point was that we needed to check the old contracts and
situations of each album. At least with Searching Low & High we
knew we were free to reissue for CD and digital releases. Vinyl of
this album (released by Hydro-Phonic Rec) is still alive, so we
didn't think we wanted to do that again. It took some time to clarify
the situations with some of the other albums.
And,
there is a more important point. This album is the 4th, but also the
first release of the current lineup. I love every album we put out,
and I'm sure Searching Low & High has great vibes. I remembered
what we felt then. Lots of beautiful people helped and supported us
so much. Almost 12 years have passed since we made this. 12 years is
the timing when the Japanese zodiac has made a complete cycle.
Perfect.
Did
you have any other label offers to release the remastered album on
CD. Are there plans for a vinyl release in the future.
Not
really, we remastered it for this project. I don't want to spoil any
surprises of future plans. Anyway, there’s gonna be great
gifts for those who are waiting for reissues of more of our works.
Can
you tell people what is different about this album compared to the
original.
The
biggest change is the sound image. I mixed both the original
and this reissued version, and I tried to pull some ornaments out of
there to get the sound of the real recording environment back.
Enhancements that I made on original mix sometimes covered what we
were doing, so I was carefully taking out the excess. I think the
total balance became much better than original. Shape of sounds
became a little mellow, but still heavy, even more. I took out some
trippy dubs, and modified others. And, I added some dubs only a
little bit after I made natural mix. I think you guys can catch our
vibes more.
You’ve
included two songs that appeared on the vinyl version of the album –
Eternal Elysium and The Spiral Conclusion. Why were these not
included on the original CD version of the album.
We
recorded these two 4, 5 years after the original release, just
for bonus on LP, so it was impossible. Well, I remixed both tracks
for reissue release, so I think fans who already have listened on LP
can enjoy again.
I’ve
heard the new version and it sounds so much better than the original
version. Was it an easy or hard experience remastering the entire
album.
Thanks.
I actually tried only remastering first, but I felt the it was
possible to make the original sound even greater. I think that's
right decision. It made value so much more.
Did
you feel apprehensive or feel under pressure when remastering and
remixing the album. As the album is held in high regard within the
Doom/Stoner/Psych Rock scenes.
Yes,
I did, obviously. But, that's not for rating from people. It
was like I was fighting with my own previous work. This hard work was
a kind of big trial, especially for me as mixing engineer.
The
new artwork for the album is stunning. Why did you decide to go with
new artwork and not the original artwork. As the original artwork is
very cool and superb within its own right.
Honestly,
because I felt tired to do artwork at the time. Eternal
Elysium has kind of D.I.Y. mind, so original artwork was created by
me and my wife who have much experiences to do graphic design. But,
that usually takes a lot of my energy. And RobustFellow introduced
some great artists/drawers from Robust team. So we decided to work
with their artist. Anyway, cards of original artworks are included on
reissue package, so you can enjoy both.
Did
you have much involvement with the new artwork. Or did you leave that
decision upto RobustFellow.
Not
too much. I suggested just some real Japanese tastes.
Does
it surprise you to this day at how people still hold Searching Low &
High in such high regards.
Yeah,
I didn't think people feel like that. For me, the things I'm
deeply into are usually what we're doing, so I didn't care much about
past releases. I appreciate people keep checking our old titles.
Did
you realize you had something special on your hands when you
originally released the album.
Well,
I felt we've got something special and am in another dimension
just after every release. I had some kind of confidences about the
sound, but I couldn't imagine somebody really wanted this album to be
reissued.
Did
you ever notice or realize the insane high prices people were selling
and buying copies of the CD & Vinyl on eBay when the album was
originally released. How did that make you feel.
That's
pretty crazy. I didn't check how much people spend getting the
original one, but I also understand people’s feeling. I just
remember how I spent lots of money when I got some rare items of
Black Sabbath long ago, ha ha. Anyway, I hope this reissue makes good
opportunity to listen to the real sound that we created for
listeners.
Will
any of your other albums be getting the same reissue treatment that
Searching Low & High has recently gone through.
I
think so. We're certainly planning other reissues. When this reissue
of Searching Low & High sells well, our upcoming reissue
projects will be smooth.
What
are the future plans for Eternal Elysium. Any new records or
forthcoming tours that fans can look forward to.
We
were playing very much after releasing latest album last last
year, but we couldn't show what we’ve got happening overseas for a
few years. We hope to back to Europe as soon as possible. I think if
the voices of people who want to check us are getting louder, it's
gonna be possible. Please support us.
Thanks
for doing this interview. All the best with the new version of the
album.
Thank
you so much, too. I hope everybody feels great to live well.
That's the main message from Searching Low & High. Have a great
life. Peace.
Words
by Steve Howe and Yukito Okazaki
Thanks
to Claire at Purple Sage PR and RobustFellow Prod for arranging this
interview. Thanks to Yukito for doing this interview. Searching Low &
High is available to buy on CD via RobustFellow Prod now.
Release
date: October 27th
2017. Label: RobustFellow Prods. Format: CD/DD
Searching
Low & High (2017 Reissue) – Tracklisting
1.Reefer
Happiness 05:48
2.Not
So Far 06:24
3.Hazy
Sublime 01:42
4.Twilight
High 05:46
5.Approaching
Stranger On The Electric Trail Of Dreams 02:29
6.No
Isolation 06:47
7.Before
The Morning Comes 06:26
8.Green
Song 16:49
9.Eternal
Elysium (Bonus Track) 13:53
10.The
Spiral Conclusion (Bonus Track) 06:58
Members
Yukito
Okazaki - guitar, vocal
Tana
Haugo - bass, vocal
Antonio
Ishikawa - drums
Review
Japanese
Psychedelic Doom Rock band - Eternal Elysium - may not have the same
international fame as Boris or Church Of Misery but they're still a
majorly important band for Japanese Psych, Stoner Rock and Doom Metal
music in general. They've released a wide range of different albums
over their twenty six year career. Their most famous and most
acclaimed album is perhaps their 2005 album and fourth overall.
Searching Low & High.
This
album showed the band exploring heavier and progressive sounds with
an equal focus on psychedelic rock as well. The album has been
released on CD and Vinyl over the years. You can buy copies of the
album on eBay and other websites for extortionate prices. Now the
album is being reissued via RobustFellow Prods and their first
release on their Robust Relics imprint.
What's
so different to this version of the album compared to the original?
Well the album has been digitally remastered and remixed by lead
guitarist/vocalist Yukito Okazaki for a fresher and more dynamic
sound. This version has two new tracks that were only featured on the
vinyl version. This is perhaps the most complete version of the album
that has been released to date.
I'm
going to do a brief review of this album. As it's my fave album from
Eternal Elysium.
Searching
Low & High shows a band creating their most definitive work. As
they explore different sounds such as Prog Rock and merge it with
their familiar trippy psych based Doom/Stoner Metal sound. Songs such
as Reefer Happiness, Not So Far, Twilight High, No Isolation and the
epic Green Song show Eternal Elysium's passion for creating a classic
sounding Stoner Metal album that has influences from bands such as
Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Cream and Grand Funk Railroad. The mood
can be extremely heavy at times though the band are wise enough to
experiment with their music. As there are moments where the band opt
for a more "Jam" driven style of Doom/Stoner Rock.
The
album still sounds remarkably fresh despite being released originally
twelve years ago. The two bonus tracks - Eternal Elysium and The
Spiral Conclusion - are a welcome addition to an already classic
album. I've heard rough versions of these songs on YouTube but never
have they sounded as good as this. As both of these tracks sound more
vibrant and even spaced out at times.
If
you're new to the world of Eternal Elysium then don't go expecting a
straight forward Doom/Stoner Metal album. As Searching Low & High
is anything but. This is an album that pulls a few surprises along
the way that you wouldn't expect. Some parts of the album have been
influenced by jazz style progressive beats and that allows the
Doom/Stoner Metal vibes to be more psychedelic.
Searching
Low & High can be considered a masterpiece of the genre. The
album deserves to be considered as such as it is such a different
sounding album now compared to the original. Now the album is
finally receiving the "deluxe" treatment that it richly
deserves.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to RobustFellow Prods for the promo. Searching Low & High is
available to buy now here.
This
honoured band was born in Japan, Nagoya, in the year 1991, this means
that Eternal Elysium celebrate their 25th
birthday this year. And how else could the band celebrate such a date
if not with release of another album? So Yukito Okazaki (guitars,
vocals), Tana Haugo (bass), vocals) and Antonio Ishikawa (drums)
present their new work named “Resonance of Shadows”.
They
already played it live in small tour which took place in three cities
in Japan, and they already think about spreading these tunes further
abroad. What do they plan? How does “Resonance of Shadows”
differ from previous full-length “Within the Triad”? How was the
band spending these seven years that lie stretched between both
records?
Let’s
ask Zaki and Tana themselves.
Hello
Eternal Elysium! How are you? What’s new in the camp of Eternal
Elysium?
Tana:
Hi Aleks, thanks for doing the interview with us. It’s 2016 which
means the band has been in existence for 25 years and we’ve just
released our sixth album. The current lineup has been at it for 13
years. Wait, you asked about something new?!
Eternal
Elysium new album “Resonance of Shadows” is already finished; did
you already receive your portion of praise and exaltation?
Zaki:
Lots of people gave us great reactions soon after we put that out.
Those are much better than before in Japan. I think the new album is
finding new fans.
Tana:
We released this one on Okazaki’s label, Cornucopia, so the whole
process has been completely DIY, which means it takes us some time.
There's
a long break between “Within Triad” and new album. Is being in
the band an integral process for you or something that you usually do
when you have free time?
Tana:
The band is a major part of each three members’ lives. We rehearse
twice a week and gig regularly in Japan. The time between albums is
long, but in that time we have also released a split 10” and CD
with our buddies SardoniS and our mini-album “Highflyer” came out
on CD and vinyl in 2012-13. Often the two formats have some time
between them, and we usually need
to record something for
bonus tracks as well.
Zaki:
I learnt a lot about the 2011 disaster in Japan. The result is that I
found a kind of truth in all this, and I decided to try to spread
much more great vibes and thoughts from our music. I was drifting on
a sea of despair and sadness while I was looking for any information
that would give me hope for the future. I found the current answer,
finally, and that content became some of the lyrics for songs on the
new album. The term between our last album and this new one is almost
the same as the distance from the edge of despair to hope.
What do you put in
the new album’s title?
Tana:
Looking at it simply, Okazaki wanted to use some form of the word
“resonate” and I wanted to use some form of the word “shadow”.
We wanted to express the hope and healing power of music, resonating
through the universe, while acknowledging that there are dark things
happening beneath the surface, hidden, in the shadows. Duality,
positive and negative, dark and light, despair and hope. All of this
is vibrating around us. Shadows are deceptively simple. They can
convey so much and yet reveal so little. The blur of a shadowy line
leaves so much to the imagination~ is the truth beautiful or hideous?
Eternal Elysium –
Cosmic Frequency
Eternal
Elysium had no songs with Japanese lyrics though I know that it
sounds cool alongside doom metal tunes (thanks to Ningen-Isu and
probably Corrupted!), don’t you want to finally try it?
Tana:
Yes, we’re actively singing in Japanese now! We started sneaking
some Japanese lyrics in on “Within the Triad” and since then the
use has increased. “Resonance of Shadows” is close to half and
half, English and Japanese. Dual-language is the natural state of our
existence here, for me especially. Also, as Okazaki began to feel
stronger about the messages he’d like to convey in songs, he
realized he could express himself much better in his native language.
Japanese listeners have definitely picked up on this. Ironic isn’t
it that the lyrics for the cover song, “Hiroshima”, by the great
Flower Travellin’ Band, a Japanese band, are actually in English!
Zaki:
I got back to my roots, my early musical experiences. I remember
singing traditional Japanese songs a long time ago, but after the
shock of heavy/hard rock such as Sabbath, Purple, Zep and so on, I
lost all interest in singing Japanese songs. My early vision of
Eternal Elysium was to release our albums overseas. I couldn’t
imagine anyone being interested in bands using Japanese at the time I
launched Eternal Elysium in the early 90s. So singing in English was
not too unnatural for me.
How
do you see band’s progress on the new album? What are your personal
achievements in “Resonance of Shadows”?
Zaki:
We became more expressive than in the past. That's a result of
playing a lot, both on gigs and in the studio, and trying to know
each other better. We noticed many points that we didn't have, and
we’re still polishing our skills so we can better convey our vibes.
We’ve made judgments about what we can and can’t do well,
throwing some of it out and going for a more simple approach. Amount
of overdubs was less than past releases. We want to show more clearly
what we're doing. This approach is a better match with the contents
of lyrics. My score for the newalbum is
great. I can say this album is still a transition point. I like the
quality of this new one, but I’m not completely satisfied, because
I believe in our potential. We'll progress more in the future,
totally.
Another
important new idea that I brought to this recording is changing the
tuning of our strings a bit higher. The point is to play at 528hz, a
natural, organic frequency/tone. Some people say that 528hz has the
power to cure DNA damage. I absolutely feel different vibes from this
tuning. I hope people listen and feel great resonance from new album.
Search for info about this magical tone if you're interested.
Tana:
“The Breeze Says Go” is the first song that I’ve written for
Eternal Elysium. Okazaki is our chief song-sculptor and writer, with
jam sessions being our principal source for new material, so “Breeze”
is a bit of a new path.
Eternal Elysium -
Hiroshima
When
did you start to write “Resonance of Shadows” songs? How many of
them are included in the album and is there something left after the
record session?
Zaki:
The oldest tune on new album is "Views on C#". This song
was included on 10 inch "Mysterious Views in Stone Garden",
so that was 2008. We kept playing this instrumental as an
opening
tune on gigs. We began to play this song really well and the
arrangement was changed and polished, so I decided to record it
again. We began writing the other songs in 2011, and needed a long
time to get enough to make a full-length. Some tunes were used for
the EP and Split, and a lot songs and ideas were thrown out too.
How
long did you record the album? Does the experience of being together
in one band for so long make it easier and faster task?
Tana:
The basic tracks were recorded mainly over a couple weeks in
September-October. The guitar overdubs, vocals, mixing and processing
then took place over the next several months. We worked at Studio
Zen, which is where we rehearse and Okazaki has his recording studio,
so we had the freedom to take our time. We functioned much better as
a total group for this recording session, but nothing is ever “fast”
with Eternal Elysium.
Eternal
Elysium played with Nepenthes and resurrected Greenmachine in July!
The first one has an ex-member of Church of Misery in its lineup, the
second one was a well known outfit some time ago, so I’m wondering
are there any new names in Japanese doom scene?
Zaki:
I want to introduce some local doom bands from our hometown, Nagoya.
First one is nibs. I'm just mixing their debut album. They have great
technique to play doom rock. Cornucopia will release their debut
album soon. Vomit Monster is not a new band, but I don’t think you
know them. They released a full-length from Cornucopia too. Stone
Banquet is playing doom/stoner sound. Crocodile Bambie is also a
great stoner/desert rock band. Amber Vial is playing
doom/ambient/post rock. From other areas in Japan, Ithaqua is playing
psychedelic doom/sludge. They released an album last year, you should
check. Fucho made a great album, too. Ele-phant has an interesting
blend of doom and post rock. Japanese doom/stoner scene is still
small, but it’s gradually growing.
Tana:
As for some new names on the scene: Most of these bands have been
around for a while, but maybe not well known outside Japan. Ithaqua
from Kochi, playing a psychedelic mashup of Melvins and High on Fire,
dark and heavy sludgesters, Bloodshot, from Takayama, they give me
chills. Then there’s The Donor, kind of like Greenmachine’s
“younger brother”, hailing from Kanazawa, their guitarist also
plays now as a Greenmachine member. From our hometown, Nagoya,
Crocodile Bambie rocks the desert-stoner rock sound.
Eternal Elysium –
Sunset Puff
Don’t
you plan to get out with these two bands outside Japan and do a small
tour together to support “Resonance of Shadows”?
Tana:
That would be epic and we can dream, but there are no plans for the
three bands to tour together outside Japan.
Did
you ever live through creative crisis? Did you suffer from the lack
of ideas?
Tana:
Of course! After so many years together, we sometimes find ourselves
falling into familiar patterns and comfortable grooves. Not only in
the group, but as an individual too. It happens, but you just have to
keep going, climb to the next peak. Inspiration is everywhere, but
you need all of your senses to be receptive to it which can be tough
when you’re in a routine, with the band and with life. I get a lot
of good juice from spending time out in the woods and mountains, away
from digital chatter, surveillance cameras, and pointless hustle and
bustle. Trying something creative outside of music and exploring the
work of other artists too, are prime sources of inspiration and offer
new perspectives and concepts which can send me on a new trip
musically.
It
seems that Eternal Elysium regularly takes part the split albums, do
you plan for one more split in nearby future?
