Kaidan (5th Anniversary Edition)

This is the 5th anniversary edition of Meitei's first album "Kaidan" (2018).

Lafcadio Hearn's masterpiece "Kwaidan," which adds its own interpretation to legends and ghost stories from all over Japan and elevates them into literary works, was a major inspiration for the direction of this work, and songs such as "Sazanami," "Kotto," "Shoji," and "Moroshi" can be said to be homages to Lafcadio Hearn's work. The band was also influenced by manga artist Shigeru Mizuki, with "Toba" and "Jizo" being created as homages to Mizuki's manga "GeGeGe no Kitaro."

This 5th anniversary edition is a joint release by two Singaporean labels, Evening Chants, the original release company, and KITCHEN. LABEL, the label that released the "Kofu" series, and includes two bonus tracks. It also comes with an 8-page booklet with commentary on the songs by Meitei himself.

The voices in the gravestones and monsters are apparently original lines recited by Meitei himself. The entire LP exudes the humidity and strangeness of Japan, and the smoky clear disc invites you into Meitei's world. (Ammel)