Take Off (Folks EP)

Take Off is the first extended play by Japanese band Folks, independently released on March 29, 2013.[1] It was the band's first release, and their only self-issued album before their major label debut under Ki/oon Music in 2014.

Take Off
EP by Folks
Released	March 29, 2013 (2013-03-29)
Recorded	2012—2013
Genre	Indie rock, indie pop, shoegazing
Length	20:30
Language	Japanese
Producer	Folks
Folks chronology
Take Off (2013) Newtown (2014)

Background and development

Folks first formed in 2013 when former Galileo Galilei members Fumito Iwai and Kazumasa Noguchi moved back to their birthplace of Hokkaido to start a band, and officially became a unit in January 2013. Iwai and Noguchi asked former Guild member Yoshitomo Kobayashi to join their band, and they moved to Sapporo, renting a house with Iwai's older brother Katsutoshi Iwai and his friend Masatsugu Takahashi, who also had a separate band.[2] All five people practised music in their own rooms, but because Katsutoshi Iwai's room was a Japanese style room, the other band members could hear him through the thin shōji walls.[2] In late 2013, Fumito Iwai heard his brother creating the song "River," and liked it so much he asked to arrange the song. All the house-mates loved the completed song, and decided to merge their two bands to create Folks.[2]

Writing and production

Take Off was recorded from Summer 2012, when Folks was a three-member unit, until March 2013.[3] The majority of the extended play features songs written by Fumito Iwai and featuring vocals by him, except the song "River," which was written and sung by Katsutoshi Iwai. Fumito Iwai mixed, arranged and produced Take Off by himself.[4] The band based themselves at their parents' houses in Eniwa, Hokkaido, and recorded songs in Fumito Iwai's bedroom in Megumino.[5]

Iwai felt that Take Off was influenced by Oasis, and other English indie rock musicians such as James Blake and Bombay Bicycle Club.[5] he felt the lyrics were influenced by Galileo Galilei vocalist Yūki Ozaki's lyrical style, and by Galileo Galilei's music in general.[5]

For the July 2013 iTunes release of the album, Take Off was remastered by Yoshinori Sunahara.[6]

All songs, except the intro "Take Off" were later used for their major label debut extended play Newtown (2014), including the song "Gaga" which was retitled "You're Right."

Promotion and release

The album was first released on March 29, 2013 to download service Vibirth.[1] On April 6, 2013 at Sound Lab Mole in Sapporo, Folks held the album release party live, and also sold physical copies of the album there.[7] [8]

The physical version was released at Sapporo music store Ongaku Dokoro in July 2013,[9] and later at Hokkaido music chain Gyokkodo on October 8, 2013.[10] The extended play was released globally on iTunes on July 31, 2013.[11]

The band made their first festival performance, at the Rising Sun Rock Festival, on August 17, 2013.[12] They held their first radio interview on local Eniwa radio station E-niwa on August 30, 2013.[13]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Take Off"	Folks	1:01
2.	"Replica (Take Off Mix)"	Fumito Iwai	5:07
3.	"Forever"	Fumito Iwai	4:28
4.	"River"	Katsutoshi Iwai	4:23
5.	"Gaga (Take Off Mix)"	Fumito Iwai	5:31
Total length:			20:30

Release history

Region	Date	Format
Japan	March 29, 2013 (2013-03-29)[1]	Digital download (Vibirth exclusive)
	April 6, 2013 (2013-04-06)[7][8]	CD (live concert exclusive)
	July 17, 2013 (2013-07-17)[9]	CD (Ongaku Dokoro release)
Worldwide	July 31, 2013 (2013-07-31)[11]	Digital download
Japan	October 7, 2013 (2013-10-07)[10]	CD (Gyokkodo exclusive)

References

1. "大変お待たせ致しました。" [Thank you for waiting.] (in Japanese). Folks. March 29, 2013. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
2. Saori Kishiba (February 2014). "Interview: Folks" (in Japanese). Skream!. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
3. "ミュージシャン【FOLKS】" [Musician "Folks"] (in Japanese). Pilot Publishing. February 17, 2014. Archived from the original on February 18, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
4. Dai Onojima (February 12, 2014). "[Power Push] FOLKS「NEWTOWN」インタビュー" (in Japanese). Natalie. Archived from the original on February 12, 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
5. Sachi Harada (April 5, 2013). "クリエイターが繋がる界隈を作っていきたい　FOLKS 岩井郁人 2013.04.05 Friday" [Folks' Fumito Iwai: I want to create a community of interlinked creators] (in Japanese). Kram!. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
6. "北海道在住の5人組、FOLKSがキューンミュージックからメジャーデビュー" [Five member group Folks from Hokkaido make their major debut with Ki/oon Music] (in Japanese). Cinra.net. December 12, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
7. "現在Vibirthにて配信リリースされてる「Take off」ですが" [Currently Take Off is a download on Vibirth, but] (in Japanese). Folks. April 4, 2013. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
8. "4/6（土）Sound Lab mole Presents "FOLKS「 Take off 」Release live"" (in Japanese). Folks. March 29, 2013. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
9. "【NEWS】ライブ会場限定で販売していたCD版のMiniAlbum『Take off』ですが" [(News) Currently the CD version of the mini-album Take Off was sold at lives, but] (in Japanese). Folks. July 17, 2013. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
10. "今年のRSRのRISING★STAR枠に出演し素晴らしいステージを見せてくれた恵庭市在住の5人組【FOLKS】" (in Japanese). Gyokkodo Aurora. October 8, 2013. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
11. "Take Off - EP" (in Japanese). iTunes. 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
12. "北海道発5人組バンド、FOLKSがキューンからデビュー" [Hokkaido five member band Folks to debut under Ki/oon.] (in Japanese). Tower Records. December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
13. "しろくま通信" [Polar Bear Transmission] (in Japanese). Folks. August 30, 2013. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.