About this Record
Before Sunrise is the enchanting 2021 debut album by Tokyo-based singer-songwriter and producer Nana Yamato, released via Brooklyn indie imprint Dull Tools (co-founded by Parquet Courts’ Andrew Savage). Combining lo-fi synth-pop, delicate bedroom pop, and DIY post-punk sensibilities, Yamato creates a dreamy, melancholic universe filled with intimate vignettes in both Japanese and English. Produced and mixed alongside Jonathan Schenke, the album stands out for its charming, hand-drawn aesthetic, distinctive yellow obi-strip, and playful character illustrations that extend across the cover art and enclosed insert booklet.
Tracklist & Notes
Side A:
1. Do You Wanna (3:57)
2. If (2:42)
3. Burning Desire (3:50)
4. Gaito (3:03)
5. Dreamwanderer (2:16)
Side B:
1. Fantasy (3:14)
2. Polka Dot Bells (0:17)
3. Before Sunrise (3:06)
4. Voyage et Merci (2:43)
5. Under the Cherry Moon (3:17)
6. Morning Street (0:27)
7. The Day Song (3:04)
All songs written by Nana Yamato. Mixed & mastered by Jonathan Schenke. Released on Dull Tools (33 1/3 RPM). Includes custom yellow OBI strip and illustrated insert zine booklet.
「デザイン素敵！聴いた形跡なし」
(Wife’s thought: Love the design! Absolutely zero evidence it’s ever been played, though.)
