The tale of Sleeping Beauty is a classic fairy tale that has been retold and reimagined in various forms over the years. One common version of the story involves an evil witch who places a curse on the beautiful princess, causing her to fall into a deep sleep. This curse can only be broken by true love's kiss. The evil witch is often depicted as a dark and sinister character, filled with malice and envy. Her motives for cursing the princess can vary, but one common theme is her jealousy towards the princess' beauty and happiness. In some versions of the story, the evil witch may also have a personal vendetta against the princess or her family, seeking revenge for past wrongs.
I love this song that the three of them left under the name, “HASYMO.” The gentle gaze seems to give a sense of maturity. I hope I will see this state of mind someday.
Most of the lyrics are in Japanese, and unlike the previous records surreal, sometimes dystopian themes, straightforward love songs comprise most of Naughty Boys. Produced by YMO Engineered by Mitsuo Koike assisted by Akitsugu Doi Mixed by YMO with Mitsuo Koike Mastered by Teppei Kasai at CBS Sony Shinanomachi Studio.
In some versions of the story, the evil witch may also have a personal vendetta against the princess or her family, seeking revenge for past wrongs. The evil witch's curse is a pivotal moment in the story, as it sets the princess on a path of slumber and waiting for her true love to awaken her. The curse creates a sense of suspense and tension, as the fate of the princess hangs in the balance.
Cornelius tells us how Yellow Magic Orchestra & Yoko Ono influenced his new LP 'Dream in Dream'
Japanese artist Keigo Oyamada is back with Dream in Dream, his first Cornelius album in six years. Of a piece with his other work, Dream in Dream is lush pop that is easy to enjoy but its deceptively simple exterior gives way to many layers that become apparent on closer listens. It’s out today and you can stream it below.
We asked Oyamada to tell us more about the album for our Influences series. While most pick 10 items, he only chose two artists but then went very deep on each. “I believe this album has been influenced by all the music I have heard, but the most profound influence comes from performing and recording,” Oyamada says. “For me, this was thru my experience with the three members of Yellow Magic Orchestra and Yoko Ono.” He tells us about working with Ono, YMO’s Haruomi Hosono, and the late Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, and how it relates to not just this record but everything he’s done.
Read that below.
Cornelius – Influences Behind ‘Dream in Dream’
YMO (Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yukihiro Takahashi and Haruomi Hosono)
YOKO ONO
I believe this album has been influenced by all the music I have heard, but the most profound influence comes from performing and recording. For me, this was thru my experience with the three members of Yellow Magic Orchestra and Yoko Ono.
In the late 1970’s, YMO was so popular in Japan that they became a social phenomenon. Their music was played all over town and they were on TV along with other mainstream programs such as comedy shows. As an elementary school student at the time, it was a natural fit for my ears.
The first record I heard was a mini-album called, Multiplies which was dubbed onto a cassette tape by an older cousin. There were some comical short skits in between the songs which I was interested in at first, but gradually became interested in the music as well. I remember this image from a cassette tape TV commercial that was shown often at the time.
It was a very good time when such surreal, mysterious, and experimental images were shown on public media such as TV. It left a big impression on me as an elementary student.
I think YMO was a kind of fruition for Japanese culture that was widely exported to foreign countries along with the Invader game and Walkman. After many years in the early 2000s, I was invited to be a guest on Mr. Hosono’s radio show at the time the album, Point was released. I once had sukiyaki (Japanese hot pot) with Mr. Hosono at my cousin Joi’s house. I was young then and too nervous to speak and was surprised. At the time, Mr. Hosono spoke highly of Point and on the way home asked me to help in producing Yukihiro Takahashi’s next project which led to the “Sketch Show” unit with Mr. Y. Takahashi and Mr. Hosono. This song is on their first album, which was written when they were my age now.
This is a song that was often performed by METAFIVE and YMO, which I later joined. I love the track, including the lyrics. The arrangement done by Towa Tei (DEEE-LIGHT / METAFIVE) is wonderful. I also enjoyed performing with METAFIVE (a band that Mr. Y. Takahashi and Mr. Towa Tei formed).
The band (YMO) broke up in the end of 1981 and in 1993, after releasing one album, had a concert with The Orb at Tokyo Dome. It had been a long while since the three had performed together whereas in the early 2000’s they had gradually performed more.
The two of them (Mr. Y. Takahashi and Mr. Hosono) came back together as Sketch Show and Mr. Ryuichi Sakamoto (aka Mr. R. Sakamoto) joined and called their unit HUMAN AUDIO SPONGE. I think the minimalist sound of glitch and electronica naturally brought the three of them together.
At the time, I was asked to join in Mr. R. Sakamoto’s album. Mr. R. Sakamoto came to my studio from New York, and we recorded together for about three days. We improvised listening to Mr. R. Sakamoto’s tracks and sketches and Mr. R. Sakamoto assembled the material we played together.
This became the album called CHASM and I was also asked to play in his band. The members of his band included an Austrian guitar ambientist, Christian Fennesz and my childhood idol, Steve Jansen (formerly of JAPAN). The most memorable songs from that period were minimalistic and hypnotic with a clear social message of War & Peace.
I also performed together with the YMO members on a TV news program.
The three of them resumed their activities rather frequently as YMO till around 2013. I also joined as a guitarist and performed in festivals and toured the U.S. One of the most memorable performances from that time was “1000 Knives”:
The track title is from Mr. R. Sakamoto’s first album and we performed it often in YMO and this is for a national TV program that Mr. R. Sakamoto had teaching music called, “scola”. This is the drum and bass session of Mr. Hosono and Mr. Y. Takahashi’s funky performance. I also think Mr. R. Sakamoto’s beautiful harmony is wonderful.
Around the same time, apart from YMO, with the recommendation from Sean Lennon and Yuka Honda, I joined Yoko Ono’s Plastic Ono Band, and took part in two albums and a tour. Yoko is intelligent, lovely, bold, honest and has the most tasteful sense of beauty. She had so much energy in her small body and I couldn’t tell where it came from. She’s the strongest life form I have ever met. This is the most impressive song from that period.
This is a song with Yoko and my tenori-on which Sean and Yuka developed and created. Yoko improvised and sang these verses in no time and showed everyone her vision for the song. For me, it was the most unforgettable experience I had ever felt in a recording session.
It was also impressive to play with Lady Gaga. Her performance was amazing, and she was so sweet and completely professional.
In 2013, Mr. Y. Takahashi invited me to join a band called METAFIVE. The members of the band were, Yukihiro Takahashi, Towa Tei (formerly of Deee-Lite) and my good friend Yoshinori Sunahara along with Leo Imai who’s a bit younger, and Tomohiko Gondo who plays euphonium and electronics. It was the six of us.
I was happy to be playing under another band name for the first time in many years. I was awakened to the pleasure of being a guitarist, which was something I couldn’t do in my own band. The most impressive song from then was:
I think Mr. Y. Takahashi was 64 yrs old at the time. Sharp, funky with wonderful physical performance. METAFIVE was scheduled to release an album in 2020, however, Mr. Y. Takahashi’s illness was discovered during the recording process along with the pandemic and various misfortunes including the commotion related to the Tokyo Olympics. The band released two albums but ended activities.
I wrote this song for METAFIVE’s second album and Mr. Y. Takahashi liked it very much. I was able to naturally turn my feelings I had from the pandemic into a song.
I felt a feeling from this song and took a singer-songwriter direction for Dream In Dream. I decided to include my solo version of this song in the album.
Two members of YMO passed, one after the other this year. As a child, I never dreamt that I would have such a big connection with these three people in my life. I really miss not being able to talk or perform with them anymore, but I think I will continue to learn many things from the music they left behind.
The last song on Dream In Dream is called “All Things Must Pass,” which is the same title as George Harrison’s song that Mr. Y. Takahashi was fond of. In my song, I’m singing about the Buddhist concept of “all things are impermanent,” which means that all things change, are born and disappear. But I don’t see it as emptiness. I think it will put me at ease a little if I can see it in a macroscopic way.
Mr. Hosono is in good health. I think he is the most distinguished person who has made the music scene in Japan. In a career that began in the late 1960’s, he has created tremendous amounts of works in various genres, all of them have a wonderful brilliance. I think he can work his magic and I hope he continues to be well and do what he loves.
I love this song that the three of them left under the name, “HASYMO.” The gentle gaze seems to give a sense of maturity. I hope I will see this state of mind someday.
Cornelius has live dates coming up in Japan:
This is a song that was often performed by METAFIVE and YMO, which I later joined. I love the track, including the lyrics. The arrangement done by Towa Tei (DEEE-LIGHT / METAFIVE) is wonderful. I also enjoyed performing with METAFIVE (a band that Mr. Y. Takahashi and Mr. Towa Tei formed).
The evil witch's power is often seen as unbreakable, making the quest for true love's kiss even more challenging. Throughout the tale, the evil witch may try to thwart the efforts of the prince or any other potential suitors who dare to try and awaken the princess. She may create obstacles and traps, testing their commitment and determination. Despite her wickedness, the evil witch ultimately becomes a catalyst for the development of the story and the characters involved. In some versions of the story, the evil witch may experience a change of heart or redemption towards the end. This can add complexity to the character and offer a glimmer of hope for her redemption. However, in other versions, the evil witch maintains her villainous nature until the very end. Overall, the evil witch in Sleeping Beauty serves as a powerful antagonist, driving the conflict and making the quest for true love's kiss all the more challenging. Her dark and malevolent nature creates a sense of danger and suspense, making the tale a timeless classic..
Reviews for "The Evil Witch's Quest for Power in Sleeping Beauty"
1) Jessica - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with "Evil Witch Sleeping Beauty". The story was poorly written and lacked originality. The characters were flat and the plot was predictable. Overall, it was a letdown and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating fairytale retelling.
2) Michael - 1 star
I can't believe I wasted my time reading "Evil Witch Sleeping Beauty". The writing was amateurish and the dialogue felt forced. The story had potential, but it fell flat. The characters were one-dimensional and I couldn't connect with any of them. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
3) Sarah - 2 stars
"Evil Witch Sleeping Beauty" was a disappointment. The pacing was off, and the story felt rushed. The characters were underdeveloped, and I didn't feel invested in what happened to them. The overall execution fell short, leaving me bored and uninterested. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating fairytale retelling.
4) David - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Evil Witch Sleeping Beauty", but it failed to deliver. The writing was subpar, with awkward phrasing and repetitive descriptions. The plot was lackluster and lacked originality. The characters felt shallow and I couldn't connect with any of them. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it.
5) Emily - 3 stars
"Evil Witch Sleeping Beauty" had potential, but it didn't live up to my expectations. The writing style was decent, but the pacing was uneven. The plot had some interesting elements, but it felt disjointed at times. The characters were intriguing, but their development was lacking. While it wasn't the worst book I've read, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it either.