Jun Miyake about "Innocent Bossa in the Mirror"

It is without a doubt my love of making "mixed breed" music that has brought me to where I am today. The idea of taking different concepts, genres ideas and combining them in ways that are unexpected in hopes of creating a new sound that is all at once vaguely familiar yet entirely new is what interests and inspires me most as an artist. Withmy last two records I investigated the concepts of "exotic" and "erotic". This time around the notion of "innocence" seemed somehow the appropriate direction to take; and it wasn't hard for me to decided on the genre through which I wanted to explore this: Bossa Nova.

Being a Japanese artist who can't speak Portuguese, can't sing, can't play guitar and has not made it apoint to specialize in Brazilian music, the idea of choosing Bossa Nova might at first strike you as odd. I knew my only hope was to approach it with a purity of heart. an "innocence". I also kew I'd need a partner; and not only a singer, but someone who could write beautiful yet twisted lyrics in Portuguese and was familiar with what I'd been doing as an artist-and, of course, in possession of an innocent heart!

Arto Lindsay was the only choice. My friend Arto has a wonderful ability to to understand things intuitively and without the need for a huge exchange of words. When I discoverd Arto was coming to Japan with Vinicius Cantuaria, I knew I was absolutely on the right path. Arto and Vinicius joined me in Tokyo just after performing at a music festival in Kawaguchiko. When we got together and played, it was as if we were messengers on a mission who were possessed by a Muse. I'd play a vocal line to Vinicius' guitar while Arto was putting a chunk of this as a way to start an album, just three people suddenly thrown together with the challenge to create - NOW ! - but it worked. And in the end, it was a very fresh, very innocent and blissful experience. More musicians were brought in later to round out the songs and when we were finished, I was cetain I'd accomplished what I'd set out to create : an interpretation? a reflection, really? of Bossa Nova that was somehow specifically mine. Thanks everybody ! I've taken great care in finishing "Innocent Bossa in the mirror" in hopes of making this moment eternal.