20-20-20 
V.A. : V.A. : International Sad Hits
-volume one: Altaic Language Group- (TÜ/S-KO/JAP,pub.2006)****°
Whilst the duo Damon & Naomi released their debut in 1992 titled "More Sad Hits", it only relates to the CD as they are the compilers of this "international" album.
Those who love music in the way I do, (so not as a way for background to direct socializing), for the love of the music itself, and for the creativity and potentional of human heartfelt expressions), it is easy to relate this to melancholic songs and to sense the beauty in them.
This compilation is done with much love and care and a deeper interest in such songs, also with the story behind the person. Like with the Sachiko Kanenobu reissue (reviewed here around the same time), the booklet gives us a presentation of the textual qualities, and also gives us an idea of moving hearts behind the artists themselves, more than as with just dry biographical facts.
Secondly, I think it is a very beautiful and caring idea to bring a Turkish artist (Fikret Kizilok), a Korean artist (Kim Doo Soo) and two Japanese artists together, and show how all their expressions can be felt equally from the heart, with the same sense of expressing the language like poetic music, even in such a way the emphasis on singing is not different for the Turkish, Korean and Japanese artist.
The characters are also not just ANY artist. Fikret Kizilok might be the most important and gifted independent folk artist from Turkey from the last 40 years or so, while I can also say the same for Kim Doo Soo. They also prove honest integrity is not just a quality of the early seventies. For Japan it is also no doubt that Kan Mikami's entrance in the Japanese folk scene was one of the most distinctive (they didn't mention his incredible appearance with the Tenjyo Sajiki group, although his film appearance was mentioned).
Personally I like very much Fikret Kizilok's first poetry/surreal music album (which is mentioned), and I like Kan Mikami's early work more as well. The compilers preferred to respect their re-appearances to the new scene. These are more directly word and song-focused, and fit in fact very well in a compilation together.
I had a few albums from Tomokawa Kazuki before as well but found him rather esoteric. This compilation gives a much better and easier first access to his work.
I cannot recommend this album enough. I always liked a lot Kim Doo Soo and Fikret Kizilok and also was very much aware of Kan Mikami's true potential. And what can be a better introduction that this compilation ? The biographical presentation, the song texts, the way the songs fit together and all are just too perfect to miss. I can say a lot more on this, but it's up to the listener to discover the details by just buying the album, or by listening to a few introduction audio files on the net.
PS. Kim Doo Soo's two latest albums seem to be available outside Korea here and there on the net. Just buy them next.
