ZUTOMAYO... Production Journal...! (ENG) (Translation by GPT) I worked so hard on this project that I ended up giving up on creating subtitles halfway throughโฆ I didnโt have the energy left, so I decided to replace them with a simple (though not really simple) script ๐ Track I: Byoushinwo Kamu (Bite the Second Hand) - In my opinion, this is probably the most famous song by ZUTOMAYO, so I worked on it first. (It was originally intended to be the first track from the start.) But, whatโs thisโฆ? ZUTOMAYOโs songs are inherently complex in composition, with so many elements packed in, so when I first started working on this track, my first thought was, โWhat evenโฆ? How do I turn this into jazz?โ (Though, to be honest, thatโs a constant challenge for me ๐). - A big reason is that most of ZUTOMAYOโs famous tracks are composed in minor keys. When trying to rearrange these into jazz (with my limited skillsโฆ), thereโs always a risk that it might end up sounding like a cheesy minor bluesโฆ? So, handling minor-key songs requires a delicate touch to preserve their essence! - Anyway, to avoid such pitfalls, I decided to give the song a Latin jazz twist. But rather than going for a typical fast-paced Bossa Nova or Samba vibe, I aimed for a more playful rhythm to make it interesting (I always promise myself to keep it simple, butโฆ yeah). - As youโll hear, thereโs Samba, some unusual Latin rhythm (even I donโt know what it is-itโs just something that came to mind), a halftime groove that you might hear in rock, and even a brief - Swing section! If you listen closely to how I transformed the original melody, I think youโll find it enjoyable. ๐ Track II: Nouriueno Cracker (Cracker on the Brain) - For the second track, I chose โNouriueno Cracker,โ which happens to be my personal favorite among ZUTOMAYOโs songs. It used to be โByoushinwo Kamu,โ but after revisiting their discography, this song stole the spot as my ultimate favorite! - Because itโs my favorite, I poured so much effort into arranging it that it ended up being nearly 9 minutes longโฆ (I really shouldโve held back a bit ๐). It might feel a bit lengthy, but I hope you enjoy listening to the fun arrangement from start to finish! - The chords in this track feel like they were practically designed for jazz funk. Thatโs the direction I started with, but as usual, I ended up hopping across multiple genres. - My favorite part of the original song is undoubtedly the bridge-โKiridasenai kimochi wa kazatte oku yoโฆโ-and the belted section that follows, leading into the pre-chorus. Itโs a part I listened to on repeat because I loved it so much. I had a lot of fun rearranging that section, so I hope you enjoy the new twist compared to the original! - Towards the end, I also incorporated two main melodies from the intro and interlude, which might be fun for you to pick up on. ๐ Track III: Humanoid - This is an amazing track featuring drum work by Chimochimo, who always graciously indulges my absurd requests. Iโm so grateful! - The original tempo exceeds 150 BPM, making it incredibly fast (I gave up singing along after two seconds ๐). If I hadnโt gone for up-tempo jazz or samba for this track, the arrangement couldโve turned into something unbalanced and awkward, so I had to choose one of the two. I went with the more challenging optionโฆ Samba. (This genre carries a risk of sounding tacky if not handled carefully!) - I think this track works well as easy-listening background music. - The addition of lead instruments since the last playlist gives it a fuller sound, making it more enjoyable to listen to! - I also used even rhythms here and there for smoother transitions and to add some variety (because pure Latin rhythms arenโt as fun for my ears). - My favorite part of this track is definitely the latter half. It maintains some of the original sections, loops the riffs, and ends with a saxophone soloโฆ I absolutely love that part. ๐ Itโs almost like a stream-of-consciousness solo! Track IV: Saturn - Another fantastic track featuring drums by Chimochimo. Huge thanks again for putting up with my ridiculous requests! - This one is a straightforward Bossa Nova. Not much else to say! - The original has both an album version and an acoustic version on KZbin. Personally, I preferred the acoustic version, so I arranged this based on its chords. Track V: Truth in Lies - I worked especially hard on the latter half of this track. For some reason, whenever I arrange Swing, I can never seem to end it as Swingโฆ so, yet again, I ended up with another strange, stream-of-consciousness arrangement. ๐ - Iโm getting tired as I write this, so Iโll stop hereโฆ (You can tell these descriptions are getting shorter and shorter). Track VI: Study Me * This was supposed to be Track VIโฆ but I forgot to work on it (really, I did). So, letโs save it for the second playlist. And just like that, I ended up with 5 tracks totaling 38 minutes. ๐ As always, thank you so much for listening! Since I worked so hard on this, how about a subscription and a like? ๐
anyone else notice how once you turn ZUTOMAYO into jazz then a lot of their music just starts sounding like "Just the Two of Us" by Bill Withers? It's cuz the chord progression is often super similar :)
truly one of my favorite bgm channels. i was so excited to see Jazzoppa did ZUTOMAYO arrangements. lately, theres so much ai generated bgm on youtube, and it feels upsetting. Jazzoppa makes such good pieces from their own talent... i'm so amazed every time. thank you for your hard work!! i hope to enjoy your channel for many, many years!
Oooohh yes! Guess I found my playlist for the day ^_^ I'm so impressed with your ability to constantly put out such incredible arrangements!! I'm hoping you'll do a Pokemon arrangement some day too, but this is absolutely beautiful as well
I'm in awe upon reading that you perfomed most of the instruments that are included in the mix, it's a really magnificent job. Thanks for such awesome music