All Songs from the Album Atom Heart Mother Played by Genshi Shinbo! - Pink Floyd Trips 2021 Event Report Part 2 - April 3, 2021

Photo by Koichi Morishima Photography

This Pink Floyd tribute band was started by a group of professional musicians that go by the name of Genshi Shinbo. Their live concert “PINK FLOYD TRIPS 2021”, which was held on April 3rd, was divided into 3 sets.
In the first set, Genshi Shinbo overwhelmed the audience with Floyd's masterpieces. As the excitement of the audience reaches a climax, the band begins to play the second set of all the songs from the masterpiece Atom Heart Mother!

Atom Heart Mother is the masterpiece album that Pink Floyd released in 1970.
In a time where psychedelic music jackets that covered the albums dominated, AHM became a hot topic the art design group Hipgnosis took a vastly different approach to their idyllic and novel design.
The title song recorded on the analog A side is a work of genius that boldly uses cello, brass band, and chorus, and occupies the entire A side for 23 minutes. It seems that when Pink Floyd first came to Japan, this song was performed as a simple composition with only four members of the band playing it; but even so, it was the biggest highlight of their show in Japan as can be seen in various books and magazines.

The Japanese fans have been waiting to experience a band performance where they reproduce Atom Heart Mother with the same instrumental composition as the album. The time has finally come for us to enjoy letting the music flow over our whole bodies!

After the first set, the set changed during the intermission. The seats for the brass band, the cellist, and microphones for the chorus are being set up, the excitement was already heating up in the venue.
After the set change, members of Genshi Shinbo, the 10-piece brass band, 9 chorus singers, the cellist, and the conductor also appear on the stage. I feel so excited watching the gorgeous stage.

Photo by Koichi Morishima Photography

And the low range organ starts the growling drone quietly, followed by the sound of noble brass instruments... Hearing the intro makes me sit in disbelief as I come to the realization that I am going to actually be listening to "Atom Heart Mother" in its entirety...
The masterpiece on the A side of the album is finally beginning!

1. Atom Heart Mother

1) Father’s Shout

Photo by Koichi Morishima Photography

As soon as this magnificent section begins, the main theme of the song permeates through the concert venue, and a whirlpool of excitement also starts overflowing from the crowd. The fans who gathered here must have felt as if all the feelings on the title song “Atom Heart Mother” erupted all at once, and it must have been an unforgettable moment!
This concert not only has real brass instruments, but also the Hammond gave me goosebumps as soon as I heard it as a fan of 1960’s-70’s rock.

2）Breast Milky

The cello tone, which sounds even deeper in live performances, is fantastically entwined with the arpeggio on the keyboard. Then a dreamy guitar solo comes in, and it is just like moving in a trace. But then, the part that turns around and becomes intense is perfectly recreated as it was on the album. As expected, Takehiko “shake” Kogure on guitar nails it! The chorus made this part even more exciting, and I am impressed that I am listening to “Atom Heart Mother” right now.

Photo by Koichi Morishima Photography

3) Mother Fore

Photo by Koichi Morishima Photography

This section begins with an organ and an impressive bassline. Lovely Reina’s voice, Reika Tomita’s voice, and the chorus are beautifully intertwined together. Reika sings the harmony to Reina’s voice as if she is chasing Reina. This harmony quietly creates suspense in the majestic atmosphere, which is an indescribable thrill. Also, I don’t think it’s easy to keep the balance of the sound after drums and bass join even though they’re professionals. I’m just so impressed with their sense and hard work that only people who understand the real thrill of this part can do.

4) Funky Dung

Photo by Yuki Kuroyanagi

This is the most rocking section of “Atom Heart Mother”. It features a fascinating guitar solo, but when you listen to it live, Takehiko “shake” Kogure’s guitar sounds even more like Gilmour’s rock and bluesy tone, which is so cool. At the same time, the groove created by the rhythm section consisting of Yutaro Ogita’s bass and Katsumi Kashiwabara’s drums, and the hot electric piano by Harunobu Okubo liven up the guitar solo. A hot groove that is common to the performance of “Sheep” that is played in the first set. I also feel that this is a significant key for Genshi Shinbo to be a top-class tribute band. I found myself enjoying the sound of the band Genshi Shinbo rather than just listening to a Floyd tribute band as my ears became addicted to the groove. In the latter half of this section, I enjoyed the detailed reproduction of “Atom Heart Mother” such as Yoshitaka Mikuni’s synth and chorus parts. It’s a blissful time.
Then, after returning to the main theme, the song veers into the avant-garde section.

5）Mind Your Throats, Please

Photo by Yuki Kuroyanagi

I thought this section was the most difficult section to reproduce in the song. A keyboard battle between Yoshitaka Mikuni and Harunobu Okubo develop the Mellotron and create fantastic sounds. Vocalist Kenneth Andrew sings in a high-pitched voice that echoes all over the concert venue. My palms are starting to feel sweaty... They’ve managed to play it perfectly to the end.

6) Remergence

Photo by Naoko Shikai

The last section of “Atom Heart Mother”is called “Remergence”. This also seems to be very difficult to balance all the parts in a live performance, but after doing it perfectly, they reprised the main theme in “Breast Milky”.

Photo by Koichi Morishima Photography

The ending by the whole band, chorus and brass is a magnificent finale that can only be experienced in a live concert. I want to listen to it again! If Ron Geesin who arranged the original song listened to this, he would be amazed at the groove and reproducibility that is unique to Genshi Shinbo.

Photo by Yuki Kuroyanagi

Photo by Koichi Morishima Photography

The band and brass band remained on stage and before the roar and big applause stopped, a song on the B side started...

2. If

“If” is an acoustic work by Roger Waters. Yutaro Ogida, who sang “Pigs on the Wing 1” in the first set lets us hear a really flavorful vocal performance. The distorted guitar solo sounds like it expresses Roger’s suffering in the song, as well as the reproducibility of Gilmour’s guitar. Also, is it only me or does everyone feel that the sounds of the piano and electric guitar have a more rock taste from those days than the original? I think this detail is attributed to the sound that only Japanese tribute bands can create in live performances.

Photo by Koichi Morishima Photography

3. Summer ‘68

Photo by Yuki Kuroyanagi

“Summer ‘68” is a pop number written by Richard Wright. The brass band that remained on stage stands out again. The live performance makes the sound more British and elegant than you hear in the original version of this song on Floyd's record. An ensemble by two keyboardists gives you the piano and Hammond sounds at the same time. I really feel like I travelled back to 1968.

4. Fat Old Sun

This is an easy folk rock song written by David Gilmour. It is also played in Gilmour’s solo performances, but not only does the guitarist reproduce the arrangement faithful to the album, but his overwhelming love for Gilmour can be felt from the guitar solo.

Photo by Yuki Kuroyanagi

5. Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast

Rise and Shine
Sunny Side Up
Morning Glory

Another suite decorates the end of the album Atom Heart Mother. They incredibly reproduce a song that contains musique concrète! It’s not only this song, but the richness of the sound from each instrument is tremendous, and it resonates throughout our whole bodies. Was the sound effect produced by the band maybe? It’s so realistic. I felt as if I stepped into a breakfast room, which was exactly what the name of this live concert entitled “PINK FLOYD TRIPS” deserves.

The second set where they reproduced all songs off the album Atom Heart Mother was:
It’s not hard to imagine that they gave a considerable amount of energy into the reproduction of the first song “Atom Heart Mother” only. It wouldn’t have been possible with just love for Pink Floyd. It was a special moment that I experienced the miracle that will go down in Japanese rock and Western rock music history in Japan.

Photo by Koichi Morishima Photography

And the performance still goes on.
What kind of surprise is waiting for us in the third set?

PINK FLOYD TRIPS Set 2 - April 3, 2021 Club Citta', Kawasaki

Genshi Shinbo
Takehiko “shake” Kogure (Guitar)
Yoshitaka Mikuni (Keyboards)
Harunobu Okubo (Keyboards)
Yutaro Ogida (Bass, Guitar, Vocals)
Katsumi Kashiwabara (Drums)
Kenneth Andrew (Lead Vocals)
Lovely Reina (Chorus)
Reika Tomita (Chorus)

Genshi Shinbo Official Youtube channel started!

Genshi Shinbo Official Website
http://pinkfloydtrips.com/
Facebook：@pinkfloydtrips
Twitter：@genshi_shinbo
Instagram：@genshi_shinbo

Before ending this article, here is an item that will pull at all the Pink Floyd fans’ heartstrings, which is available now at Sound House!

CHANDLER LIMITED / RS124

The official re-created model of the RS124 tube variable-mu compressor that was used at Abbey Road Studios in the 1960’s.
The RS124 was developed as a new compressor that EMI engineers at that time independently improved the ALTEC 436.
It was used in most recordings done in the 1960’s-70’s at Abbey Road Studios, England.
The historic rock sound represented by Pink Floyd and The Beatles can be reproduced by this hardware as it was in those days instead of the pseudo sound plug-in. The RS124 is the official hardware equipment of EMI and Abbey Road Studios.