Danny Fujikawa has been dealing in some heavy, emotive beats lately under the operating handle, SWiiiM, rolling with the Lightwave Records crew. The uphill running of romantic affairs are expressed from the ex-Chief artist through contemporary dance music conventions produced like cannons firing at unpredictable times, and at unpredictable ranges. Hear this and more on our privy listen to the upcoming Cellophane Castle album.
As seen in the recent water submerged video made with labelmate and The Delta Mirror frontman Chris Acosta; Danny opens up his arms to offer up everything on “All My Things”. Lightwave being an imprint to push forward to the spotlight those places where contemporary LA beats can appeal and effect the deepest personal reaches. The clubbed out modulations get washed away into the furthest dimensions of empathetic expression that is hard for most to often express. “Ballad of Prince Harry” puts the royal flush out on the table, and gets into the electro pop hedonism accompanied by lines like, “I had the most fun with you, when you let go”. “Cortexiphan” unleashes it's kind of enhanced mental space abilities in a track titled ripped out of the fictitious drug from the television program, Fringe. “Dying for Love” finetunes the special effect modules before echo-landing into the crash pad, where the guitars perpetually tumble down the voice guided tunnel, reaching for the elusive light that lurks at the end's arrival.
Starting with an old film sample of a shoot out, “First Republic” starts up more driving rhythms that cruises through the appeal back board rhyth track reinforcements, staying with you in the hook where Danny sings, “just remember what my heart looks like, as I take the money and drive”. Things get spaced out in the cosmic farewell apology, “Golden Ship”, with the emotive endurance edict, “I'm God”, that has surprising moments with flirtations of, “I definitely get lonely, I'm actually pretty friendly, feel free to come visit me”. Once again, the Lighthouse sound, if you will, shines through on “King of Venice” where personal stories spring forth a flip back of alliterating.
And like anyone that understands the up and down wave-like structure of all proper electronically involved music, SWiiiM takes it off the deep end with plenty of feeling on “Moon Outshines The Sun”. “Nowhere To Go” gets the high beams going and moods coasting, while “Science Girl” sends the chemistry spinning toward the recess memories outside the classroom. After the blistering display of the album's electronic fireworks, “Soho (After The Weekend)” sound almost conventional, as “Through the Fire” fits in further romanticism with three allotted spaces of extended synth building bars. And after that entire experience, the private plane descends from it's latidue flying solo on, “We Aren't We In Love”, that makes a final plea in closing that leaves with cassette taped tapped samples of heartsick nostalgia.
Get a tour inside SWiiiM's Cellophane Castle fortress, as we have a chat with Danny Fujikawa and get death defying stories behind the making of the “All My Things” video.
In a world obsessed with crystal palaces, castles of cards, what do you feel was the defining nature and mission behind the plastic wrap transparency and vulnerabilities of the great, Cellophane Castle?
You sir, hit the nail on the head. even more specifically referring to Los Angeles and New York, which are the only places i've ever lived. Growing up in Los Angeles, has had a warping effect on my outlook in general, but that's not to say that I don't love and appreciate LA or New York for a humongous cornucopia of reasons. Not trying to hate. but hating plenty of it. Or rather, them. Haha just kidding, but i will say for the record, that I am a fan of and for castles of cards.
The video for “All My Things” with you in an underwater cage is pretty intense, and freaked us out pretty good. How did you, Chris Acosta and company go about making such a death defying video?
Well, I almost died. twice! haha. Not a joke. The scuba safety dude, an awesome dude, wasn't immediately there with with the regulator [scuba mouth piece] those two times but I'm glad that he eventually provided it. I also couldn't see shit and was shivering my ass off. At first I wasn't able to do it. It's actually giving me anxiety right now just thinking about it. But there was a crew of about 20 amazing people who came out that day, who more importantly volunteered, and so there was no way was going to not man up and do it- to the extent of my abilities. IShooting that video was probably the most intense experience of my life. In retrospect, I'm an idiot for doing it, however, the end result was, is, something that not every idiot gets to experience, know i'm sayin? I could ramble on for pages about that day. Anyway, Chris was the man behind the video. The director and brains if you will. He also did a great job editing. It was a gosh darn chaotic day and after my six hour shoot, he had to film his music video for “Goldfish”! All in all, I'm happy that i survived.
Well, also too, it seems like both you and Chris share certain elements of making very personal music through the vehicle of electric fueled electronic atmospheres. Do you both trade creative notes often in the Lightwave camp?
Chris and my musical tastes are like two peas in an iPod.
Every artist has a story behind titling their moniker with an added consonant or vowel or two. What is the story behind the extra i's in SWiiiM?
It was originally just the four letters swim, then Google Search Engine behooved me to change it in some way. Two i's is already trademarked by some water and power company if I remember correctly. I thought three would be ridiculous and then thought, that's okay, and then thought about how I've always wanted to represent my two brothers and I in some way since the very beginning. And the name seemed even more appropriate than it was originally…
SWiiiM's Cellophane Castle will be available October 8 from Lightwave Records.
