Words by: Sam Walker-Smart
If there is one thing every collector loves, it’s a list. Head over to Rate Your Music— the go-to encyclopedia for LP enthusiasts—and browse their top albums of all time. Nestled between King Crimson’s Red and Slints influential Spiderland, you’ll find a lesser-known gem: LONG SEASON by the oddly named Fishmans, sitting at number 28. Scroll a bit further, and you’ll discover their final studio album, Uchū Nippon Setagaya, trailing just behind Radiohead’s breakthrough effort, The Bends. Rate Your Music users have also voted Fishmans’ live release 98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare as the greatest live album of all time. Not bad for a group many outside of Japan have never heard of. Even with their impressive ratings and reviews on Rate Your Music, the question of who Fishmans really are deserves a thorough exploration. Understanding their true significance goes beyond a simple answer and requires a deeper look.
Formed in Minato City, Tokyo, in 1987, the trio of Shinji Santo (guitar/vox), Kin-Ichi Motegi (drums/vox), and Kensuke Oijima (guitar/vox) came together through a songwriting collective to create a dub group. Before long, they recorded a demo of “Blue Summer” with original bassist Susumu Hisamatsu, who was soon replaced by Yuzuru Kashiwabara, solidifying the outfit’s core lineup going forward. Listening to “Blue Summer” now ( a live version appears on 1995’s Oh! Mountain), newcomers will instantly grasp the essence of what Fishmans are about. The track showcases their brand of psychedelic, dreamy dub music, all elevated by Santo’s strange falsetto and yelps. It’s both foot-tappingly accessible and utterly alien.
While Japan’s love of reggae is a topic worth exploring on its own, what’s crucial to this story is how Fishmans grabbed the attention of influential dub producer Kazufumi Kodama during a live show. Kodama signed them to Virgin Japan and produced their first album, 1991’s Chappie, Don’t Cry, which offered a fun take on rocksteady pop. Although enjoyable, it lacked the astral tones that the band would later master. Enter producer ZAK, aka Kazuyuki Matsumura, a member of Fishmans’ live ensemble, who began working with the group in the studio starting with their fourth single, 1993’s “Walkin’.”
Moving forward, frontman Santo and ZAK collaborated closely, most notably on the Setagaya Trilogy—the group’s final three albums released under the Polydor label. Beginning with 空中キャンプ (Kūchū Camp) in 1996, the trilogy sees the artists’ integration of psychedelia, dream pop, and downtempo into their sound. With Polydor allowing them to establish their own personal studio, Waikiki Beach in Meguro City, ZAK had the freedom to experiment and create a sonic landscape for the songs to inhabit.
The highlight of Kūchū Camp, “BABY BLUE,” exemplifies Fishmans’ newfound confidence. Easily the band’s biggest hit, it features a steady rhythm complemented by dreamy synths, wistful guitar lines, and stirring strings, creating a hypnotic effect. The track captures the sound of a hazy summer afternoon in six minutes of groovy pop. “ナイトクルージング (Nightcruising)” further explores textured sounds, with ZAK building a backdrop of crackling tape and NASA communications while the guitars echo in an eternity of reverb. The album stands as their most acclaimed work in Japan and is the ideal starting point for newcomers.
With their own studio secured and a fanbase bigger than ever, Fishmans released their most courageous artistic statement just nine months after their Polydor debut. Conceived during the sessions for Kūchū Camp, LONG SEASON is a 35-minute epic, essentially a single track divided into four parts, and an extension of the preceding teaser single, “Season.” The album, in the band’s own words, takes the listener “on a journey from the heat of summer to another world of tranquility.” It’s a trance-inducing endeavor and remains the most popular release among the band’s growing legion of Western fans. In an era marked by lo-fi chill mixes and a resurgence in psychedelia, its appeal is both timely and timeless.
Fishmans bookended this intense flurry of activity with 宇宙 日本 世田谷 (Uchū Nippon Setagaya), a one-hour collection of some of the band’s most accomplished tunes to date, albeit resulting from a tumultuous recording process. Burdened by touring and promotional commitments to their label, the band was exhausted. Tensions also arose between Sato and ZAK over production choices, with the frontman’s creativity driving him to submit demos that left little room for input from the other members. Despite feeling sidelined, Motegi and Kashiwabara reluctantly accepted that Fishmans could continue as a solo outlet for Sato’s songwriting. ZAK, however, jumped ship, and the Waikiki Beach studio was closed just three weeks after the album’s release. Uchū Nippon Setagaya would be their final LP.
The band continued to tour the following year while Sato pushed their sound in more esoteric directions with the single “ゆらめき in the Air.” By December 1998, Fishmans played what was intended to be a farewell gig for departing bassist Kashiwabara. Tragically, it became their final performance. On March 15, 1999, Shinji Santo suddenly died of heart failure at the age of 33. The show, 98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare, marks the band’s final statement and the best example of the beautiful and strange world they had created over the past decade. From the swirling rhythms of “MELODY” to a full 40-minute version of “LONG SEASON”, it’s a magnificent live album that not only stands tall next to their studio albums, but may even surpass them. Few bands achieve such an accomplished yet bittersweet conclusion.
So, who exactly are Fishmans? Simply put, they are Fishmans— a humble dub-loving trio that took the genre’s groove and propelled it into new, uncharted territories. Despite their acclaim and major label backing, they never had the opportunity to play at a major festival in their home country, nor did they build an international fanbase during their time. Luckily, we live in a more connected world today. So do yourself a favor: dive in and lose yourself in one of the most eccentric and exceptional bands of the past few decades. Go ahead, daydream, “BABY BLUE.”