Kodoku no Akatsuki

"Kodoku no Akatsuki" (孤独のあかつき, "The Solitude of Dawn") (also known by its French title "La Solitude de l'aube"[1]) is a song by Japanese musician Ringo Sheena. It was released as one of the A-sides of her 14th single, along with the song "Irohanihoheto", released on May 27, 2013.[2] The release date was the 15th anniversary of the release of Sheena's debut single "Kōfukuron" in 1998.

"Kodoku no Akatsuki"
A pixilised image of a red apple on a black background. White text listing the title and the artist' name features in the centre, written vertically.
Physical and full-length edition "Irohanihoheto/Kodoku no Akatsuki" cover.
Single by Ringo Sheena
from the album Hi Izuru Tokoro
ReleasedMay 27, 2013 (2013-05-27)
Recorded2013
GenrePop
Length3:04
LabelEMI Music Japan
Songwriter(s)Ringo Sheena, Aya Watanabe
Producer(s)Ringo Sheena
Ringo Sheena singles chronology
"Irohanihoheto"
(2013)		 "Kodoku no Akatsuki"
(2013)		 "Koroshiya Kiki Ippatsu"
(2013)

Background and development

In early 2012, Sheena's band Tokyo Jihen disbanded, and released a string of releases, including the extended play Color Bars, the live compilation album Tokyo Collection, the B-side collection Shin'ya Waku, and performed their farewell tour, Bon Voyage. On May 16, 2012, Sheena released her first post-Tokyo Jihen solo work, the digital single "Jiyū e Michizure." This song acted as the theme song for the TBS drama Ataru, starring Masahiro Nakai.

It was later revealed that Sheena was heavily pregnant with her second child during the single's release. As she did not feel it was appropriate to link single promotions with the birth of a child, she waited until her Tōtaikai concerts in November to reveal this.[3]

Writing and production

Sheena worked together with producer and guitarist Yukio Nagoshi on the song, as well as "Irohanihoheto". Sheena had previously worked with Nagoshi during her Ringo Expo concerts in 2008, and on the songs "Zero Chiten Kara," "Togatta Teguchi" and "Yokyō" on her solo album Sanmon Gossip (2009).[4][5] Her previous Tokyo Jihen bandmate Ichiyo Izawa played the harpsichord on "Irohanihoheto." Bassist Hitoshi Watanabe had previously worked with Sheena as a member of Bōtoku Vitamin, one of the bands who performed on her album Utaite Myōri: Sono Ichi (2002). Drummer Noriyasu Kawamura previously worked with Sheena on her debut album Muzai Moratorium (1999).[6]

"Kodoku no Akatsuki" is a song featuring lyrics written by screenwriter Aya Watanabe, who wrote the screenplay for the NHK morning drama Carnation.[7] This is the first time Sheena did not write the lyrics to a promoted single track. The pair had worked together on Carnation, as Sheena had written the eponymous theme song, but had never met face to face before.[7] After being asked to write a theme song for an NHK show called Switch Interview: Tatsujintachi, Sheena was inspired by the concept of the program, in which a team of interviewers ask and debate topics. She wanted to express this teamwork nature in the song, so asked Watanabe to write the lyrics.[7] She came up with the melody for the song after hearing her son and her elementary school age niece singing the children's song "Kaijū no Ballad."[7]

Promotion and release

The song was released a month after the single's first A-side, "Irohanihoheto", was made available for download digitally. "Kodoku no Akatsuki" was used as the theme show for the NHK Educational TV program Switch Interview: Tatsujintachi.[7] During Sheena's Tōtaikai concerts in November 2013, Sheena performed an English language version of "Kodoku no Akatsuki".[8]

Critical reception

OK Music reviewers felt that "Kodoku no Akatsuki"'s "sentimental lyrics and electric piano are impressive", believing that it would be a popular song at Sheena's live concerts.[9]

Track listing

All music is composed by Ringo Sheena

Full-length single
No.TitleLyricsArrangerLength
1."Irohanihoheto"Ringo SheenaR. Sheena3:19
2."Kodoku no Akatsuki"Aya WatanabeR. Sheena3:04
Total length:6:24

Personnel

Personnel details were sourced from the liner notes booklets of "Irohanihoheto/Kodoku no Akatsuki" and Hi Izuru Tokoro.[10][11]

Single version

Performers and musicians

Technical and production

  • Uni Inoue – recording engineer, mixing engineer
  • Shohei Kojima – assistant engineer
  • Kozo Miyamoto – assistant engineer
  • Shigeo Miyamoto – mastering engineer
  • Fumio Miyata – musician coordinator
  • Hiroshi Satō – assistant engineer
  • Yuji Tanaka – instrument technician

Nobuneko version

Performers and musicians

  • Masato Abe – cello
  • Tomoyuki Asakawa – harp
  • Great Eida – concertmaster
  • Hirohito Furugawara – viola
  • Shigeki Ippon – contrabass
  • Akane Irie – violin
  • Yuri Kaji – viola
  • Ayano Kasahara – cello
  • Tsukasa Kasuya – violin
  • Nagisa Kiriyama – violin
  • Takashi Konno – contrabass
  • Ayumu Koshikawa – violin
  • Minoru Kuwata – violin
  • Yoshihiko Maeda – cello
  • Erika Makioka – cello
  • Kioko Miki – violin
  • Shōko Miki – viola
  • Mariko Muranaka – cello
  • Nobuhiko Nakayama – programming
  • Yuki Nanjo – violin
  • Tatsuo Ogura – violin
  • Sachie Onuma – viola
  • Takayuki Oshikane – violin
  • Neko Saito – conductor, string arrangement, solo violin
  • Teruhiko Saitō – contrabass
  • Ringo Sheena – arrangement, MIDI
  • Kojiro Takizawa – violin
  • Takashi Taninaka – contrabass
  • Seigen Tokuzawa – cello
  • Chizuko Tsunoda – violin
  • Leina Ushiyama – violin
  • Amiko Watabe – viola
  • Yūji Yamada – viola
  • Daisuke Yamamoto – violin
  • Haruko Yano – violin
  • Tomoko Yokota – violin

Chart rankings
Charts (2013) Peak
position
Japan Billboard Japan Hot 100[12] 72
Japan Oricon weekly singles[13]
  • "Irohanihoheto/Kodoku no Akatsuki"
 8

Sales
Chart Amount
Oricon physical sales[14]
  • "Irohanihoheto/Kodoku no Akatsuki"
 25,000

Release history
Region Date Format Distributing Label Catalogue codes
Japan May 27, 2013 (2013-05-27)[2][15] CD, Full EP digital download EMI Records Japan TOCT-40420
Taiwan May 31, 2013 (2013-05-31)[16] CD Gold Typhoon I5321

References
  1. "Les Couleurs Chantent / La Solitude de l'aube / SHEENA RINGO". Kronekodow. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  2. "いろはにほへと/孤独のあかつき [Single, Maxi]". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  3. Sheena, Ringo (2014). 党大会　平成二十五年度神山町大会 [The Party Convention: 2013 Kamiyama Event] (Blu-ray) (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: EMI Records Japan. 念願の女の子を授かりまして、現在育児中です。ごめんなさい。 だけど、その時お報告申し上げなかったのは赤ちゃんのリリースと、椎名林檎最新シングルのリリースが、見事にバッティングしており、折角の真っ新な命を図らずも親の商売の宣伝に駆り出す恰好にしてしまうような事態を、危惧したためです。 [I was gifted my hearts desire, a little girl, who's currently nursing. I'm very sorry. However, I didn't say anything at the time because the release of my baby, and the release of my new single were amazingly scheduled for the same time. I was worried about having a long-awaited brand new life unexpectedly tangled up with her parents' publicity for work.]
  4. Ringo Expo 08 (Media notes) (in Japanese). Ringo Sheena. Tokyo, Japan: Universal. 2009.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. Sanmon Gossip (Media notes) (in Japanese). Ringo Sheena. Tokyo, Japan: Universal. 2009.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. Muzai Moratorium (Media notes) (in Japanese). Ringo Sheena. Tokyo, Japan: Toshiba EMI. 1999.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. "椎名林檎、Wタイアップ・両A面シングル・リリース決定！" (in Japanese). Universal. April 1, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  8. 党大会 平成二十五年神山町大会 (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  9. "椎名林檎 いろはにほへと/孤独のあかつき - Single" (in Japanese). OK Music. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  10. Irohanihoheto/Kodoku no Akatsuki (Media notes) (in Japanese). Ringo Sheena. Tokyo, Japan: Universal. 2013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. Hi Izuru Tokoro (Media notes) (in Japanese). Ringo Sheena. Tokyo, Japan: Universal Music Japan. 2015.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. "Japan Billboard Hot 100 2013/06/10". Billboard (in Japanese). June 10, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  13. 「いろはにほへと／孤独のあかつき」 椎名林檎 (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  14. "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree']. Oricon. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  15. いろはにほへと (in Japanese). Tsutaya. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  16. 椎名林檎/ 色彩詠唱/孤獨的破曉 (in Chinese). G-Music. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
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