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From their 1st album "Bunmei Kaika - East West," some tracks, including the new song "Whiskey, on the rocks," are now available for pre-release streaming!
From their 1st album "Bunmei Kaika - East West," some tracks, including the new song "Whiskey, on the rocks," are now available for pre-release streaming.
The tracklist has also been released, so please check it out.
Sora Tomonari 1st Album “Civilization and Enlightenment - East West”
November 12, 2025 Digital Release
Streaming & Download
https://tomonarisora.lnk.to/EastWest
▼Tracklist
1. ACTOR
2. One whiskey, on the rocks.
3. Glaring Girl
4. Alibaba
5. Roar
6. Oni no Utage
7. Bedroom
8. East West
9. Bergamot
10. Metro Blue
11. Coffee - Album Ver.
12. Carnival of the Moon
13. Evening Festival
14. white out
The 1st album, "Civilization and Enlightenment - East West," is a work that showcases the current position of Tomonari Sora, an artist who effortlessly transcends genre and era boundaries, based on the concept of "drawing a world map with music." Starting with Japanese sensibilities, melodies, and rhythms, it develops a diverse sound approach incorporating musical elements from around the world, including funk, jazz, folk music, and electronica. It is a challenging and conceptual album that pursues a flexible musicality that is not bound by existing frameworks, embodying the "enlightenment" of the artist.
▼Tomonari Sora's comment
Since my musical debut in 2021, I've been aiming to release this album, and I'm finally releasing it. The title, "Civilization and Enlightenment," embodies the fusion of East and West in my own music, as well as my intention to evolve with the times.
While "Oni no Utage" and "Niramekko" have led to more opportunities for people to appreciate my Japanese-style work, this album is not just about that image; it's also my "answer." I wanted to travel freely through the vast sky of music, rather than being confined to one place. That's how this album was born.
Overall, this is a conceptual work that pushes my aspect as a storyteller to its limits. At the same time, it's an album that depicts Sora Tomonari as a "mixture of East and West," weaving together Japanese sensibilities with overseas music and modern sounds.
I wrote the lyrics, composed the music, and arranged all the songs myself. In particular, for tracks M2, M4, and M12, I teamed up with Ren Ogihara (BLACK BERRY TIMES), a friend of mine since high school and my musical partner, and the new songs are especially worth listening to.
Through making this album, I feel like I've gained a little understanding of who I am. However, "Meiji Kaika" (Civilization and Enlightenment) is only a condensed part of who I am, and not everything I am. There are still many things I want to do in the future.
One thing I can say with certainty is that the past six months of production have been the most enjoyable time of my musical career so far.
I would be delighted if you would listen to all 14 tracks, from the first to the 14th, for the full 42 minutes, just like reading a collection of short stories.
The tracklist has also been released, so please check it out.
Sora Tomonari 1st Album “Civilization and Enlightenment - East West”
November 12, 2025 Digital Release
Streaming & Download
https://tomonarisora.lnk.to/EastWest
▼Tracklist
1. ACTOR
2. One whiskey, on the rocks.
3. Glaring Girl
4. Alibaba
5. Roar
6. Oni no Utage
7. Bedroom
8. East West
9. Bergamot
10. Metro Blue
11. Coffee - Album Ver.
12. Carnival of the Moon
13. Evening Festival
14. white out
The 1st album, "Civilization and Enlightenment - East West," is a work that showcases the current position of Tomonari Sora, an artist who effortlessly transcends genre and era boundaries, based on the concept of "drawing a world map with music." Starting with Japanese sensibilities, melodies, and rhythms, it develops a diverse sound approach incorporating musical elements from around the world, including funk, jazz, folk music, and electronica. It is a challenging and conceptual album that pursues a flexible musicality that is not bound by existing frameworks, embodying the "enlightenment" of the artist.
▼Tomonari Sora's comment
Since my musical debut in 2021, I've been aiming to release this album, and I'm finally releasing it. The title, "Civilization and Enlightenment," embodies the fusion of East and West in my own music, as well as my intention to evolve with the times.
While "Oni no Utage" and "Niramekko" have led to more opportunities for people to appreciate my Japanese-style work, this album is not just about that image; it's also my "answer." I wanted to travel freely through the vast sky of music, rather than being confined to one place. That's how this album was born.
Overall, this is a conceptual work that pushes my aspect as a storyteller to its limits. At the same time, it's an album that depicts Sora Tomonari as a "mixture of East and West," weaving together Japanese sensibilities with overseas music and modern sounds.
I wrote the lyrics, composed the music, and arranged all the songs myself. In particular, for tracks M2, M4, and M12, I teamed up with Ren Ogihara (BLACK BERRY TIMES), a friend of mine since high school and my musical partner, and the new songs are especially worth listening to.
Through making this album, I feel like I've gained a little understanding of who I am. However, "Meiji Kaika" (Civilization and Enlightenment) is only a condensed part of who I am, and not everything I am. There are still many things I want to do in the future.
One thing I can say with certainty is that the past six months of production have been the most enjoyable time of my musical career so far.
I would be delighted if you would listen to all 14 tracks, from the first to the 14th, for the full 42 minutes, just like reading a collection of short stories.
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