Thank You Kirin Kiki / Rindert Lammers

"Thank You Kirin Kiki" (2025) by Rindert Lammers.

Lindert Lammers' debut album, Thank You Kirin Kiki, is an ambient jazz work that weaves personal narrative and cinematic imagery into a heartfelt expression of gratitude. Born in Vulpen, the Netherlands in 1994, and raised in a creative family, Lindert developed a passion for composing music from an early age.

While studying history at university, Lindert suffered a tragic skiing accident that saw him suddenly lose three loved ones. This caused him to stop his studies and distance himself from his faith. Facing questions with elusive answers, he began to seek solace in film, visiting his local independent cinema up to four times a week using a Cineville Pass (unlimited cinema access). This routine sustained him and also became a key source of inspiration for the cinematic soundscapes that appear in Thank You Kirin Kiki.

The album's title track and centerpiece was inspired by a scene in the film Shoplifters, starring Japanese actress Kirin Kiki. In the film, Kiki plays the grandmother of a "chosen family" made up of people who have lost or fled their families. In a scene just before she dies, she improvises two "thank yous" to her family. This heartfelt expression of gratitude resonates deeply with Lindert and leads into the album's fourth track, "Sleep Well Hiroshi Yoshimura," which features an audio clip of her reading comments from YouTube videos of Hiroshi Yoshimura. Lindert says:

"My brother and I were looking through the YouTube comments section and noticed a lot of really beautiful, personal messages. We wanted to put those comments to music, so we asked different people to read them aloud. In the end, we didn't use most of the ideas, but this audio clip has stayed with us ever since."

This debut album bears a name that every Japanese person has seen. As the story quoted above suggests, the songs are based on the theme of gratitude and are incredibly moving. Don't miss Joseph Shabason's saxophone (Ammel).