by To mark the exclusive 20th anniversary of the TV anime’ Samurai Champloo,’ the four iconic CDs crafted for the anime by Nujabes, Fat Jon, FORCE OF NATURE, and Tsutchie will be reissued in limited-edition paper jackets on Wednesday, June 26th.
“Samurai Champloo” aired on Fuji Television/Kansai Television’s late-night slot in 2004, is a TV series directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, who also directed the science fiction anime “Cowboy Bebop .” With its innovative visuals and music that combine elements of historical drama and hip-hop to create a truly “Champuru” style, it captivated not only anime fans but also hip-hop fans. It was highly acclaimed domestically and internationally as a groundbreaking work then. I am.
For this work, Director Watanabe, known for his deep knowledge of music, selected Nujabes, a rare track maker who rocked the lo-fi hip-hop scene and created many followers overseas, from Ohio, USA. Fat John, the Ample Soul Physician, has been active since the 2000s as a core member of the Cincinnati hip-hop group Five Deez and has also released a solo album produced by Nujabes. “Fat Jon”, FORCE OF NATURE, a unit consisting of KZA and DJ KENT, who has worked on remixes for numerous artists and has a presence as a top runner in the domestic and international club scene, has been active since the dawn of Japanese hip-hop. Four artists from Tsutchie continue to lead the scene as SHAKKAZOMBIE ‘s track makers.
In addition to tracks by Nujabes and Fat John, the four groups created the song for “Samurai Champloo,” which includes the opening theme “Battlecry” by Nujabes feat.Shing02 and the ending theme “Shiki no Uta” by MINMI. ” departure, “Masta” which includes tracks by FORCE OF NATURE and Tsutchie, Nujabes, Fat John, FORCE OF NATURE, and MINMI’s “Who’s Theme” which was the insert song (ending theme of episode 12). 4 CDs: ” Impression ”, which includes “Tsutchie ”, and “Playlist ”, which contains tracks by Tsutchie.
It was released in 2004 and was a smash hit, but it disappeared from the market and is now in premium status. It is still fresh in my memory that it was reissued as an analog version in 2022 and became an unusual hit with sales of over 30,000 copies in total for the four titles.
In 2024, which marks the 20th anniversary of the start of TV broadcasting of “Samurai Champloo,” it has been decided that the CD4 work will be reissued in paper jacket format. There will also be unique benefits for those who purchase two albums simultaneously, as well as a VOS limited set that includes four albums and an original tote bag.
This will be an excellent opportunity for those who purchased the CD at the time of its release, as well as those who learned about the work after it was aired on TV, to immerse themselves in the music world of Samurai Champloo on a CD in the main music format of the time.
In addition, to commemorate the 20th anniversary, a pop-up event will be held at YEN TOWN MARKET in Shibuya PARCO from June 15th (Saturday) to display collaborative items by the culture shop “YEN TOWN MARKET®.” Apparel products that focus on famous scenes in the anime and unique designs exclusive to this collaboration are also in the works. This collaboration and the CD reissue are worth paying attention to.
