With CHAI

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Luke produced for CHAI from the 2022 Sub Pop remix of Miracle through WHOLE, theme of the NHK drama Koisenu Futari, and MY DREAM, theme of the film The Fish Tale.

CHAI were four people from Nagoya: MANA and KANA up front, with YUNA and YUUKI. They called the idea NEO KAWAII. Pop, punk, funk, and a bright look, pushed against the narrow idea of what counts as cute in Japan. Pitchfork's early profile describes the project as an argument for liking yourself.

The records run from their own Japanese releases to PINK, then PUNK, then WINK on Sub Pop. Sub Pop's page for WINK says the remote collaborations were part of the sound, and that the band was looking outward.

The first credit is Miracle, the Scoobert Doobert remix, on the 2022 EP WINK TOGETHER, beside remixes by Confidence Man, ZAZEN BOYS, Busy P, STUTS, and Beenzino. In an interview with Amiri Kawamura, MANA says she found Scoobert on Spotify's New Music Friday, put the song on her Instagram story, and he wrote back. She asked him to arrange まるごと, and the feeling she wanted was romantic and nostalgic. She never names the playlist song. The credit order on this site says it was I'm an Idiot.

WHOLE, まるごと, is the one that traveled. Sub Pop says San Diego's Scoobert Doobert produced it, with a feel borrowed from 1990s Japanese TV dramas. Apple Music credits the programming and the arrangement. It became the theme of the NHK drama Koisenu Futari (恋せぬふたり). The series later won the 59th Galaxy Award's Special Prize and an Arts Festival Excellence Award, and Erika Yoshida won the Mukōda Prize for the script. Those prizes belong to the drama, and to Yoshida.

MY DREAM, 夢のはなし, was written for the film The Fish Tale (さかなのこ), starring Non. Sony Music Japan credits Walton with the sound production. Non's Japan Academy Prize for the film is hers.

That's Love, ラブじゃん, was a Japan single. He played it, produced it, and mixed it.

He also produced だれかおるやろ feat. CHAI, the theme for Shingo Murakami's series on NTT Docomo's Lemino. TAKATSU-KING is Murakami, of SUPER EIGHT, and CHAI is featured. It opens on "Dare ka oro yaro, baby." The song and its video premiered on April 19, 2023. Walton mixed it and played drums, bass, and guitar. The show credit names MANA and KANA. His name is not on it, and the song never came out on CD or on streaming.

When the album CHAI came out on September 22, 2023, the notes of congratulations included Non, Kaho Nakamura, Orono, Rivers Cuomo, and Sui Ishida.

The last show was March 12, 2024, at EX THEATER ROPPONGI. Sony Music Japan released it on Blu-ray on July 3, 2024: the full show, about 106 minutes and 22 songs, plus a short documentary. Two songs he produced are on that setlist, ラブじゃん third and まるごと eleventh.

Some playing and singing on the sessions never reached the public credits. Sound & Recording Magazine in Japan wrote about the studio work. After the band ended, he mixed OKAME and produced for KOMAGOME.

CHAI, in order of credits

Pitchfork lists “Miracle (Scoobert Doobert Remix)” on CHAI’s WINK TOGETHER EP. NME names Scoobert Doobert as producer on “WHOLE,” the NHK 恋せぬふたり theme. Paste covers the WHOLE single. Sony Music Japan documents 「まるごと」 / WHOLE as the drama theme with Scoobert Doobert on sound production. In order: “I’m an Idiot” reached Spotify New Music Friday (2021); CHAI heard the song; Walton remixed “Miracle” for Sub Pop’s WINK TOGETHER (2022), then produced WHOLE (NHK theme) and sound-produced MY DREAM (film theme), both 2022.

• WHOLE / まるごと : CHAI · "WHOLE" / 「まるごと」 · 2022 · produced by Scoobert Doobert · NHK drama theme · Sony Japan / NME / Paste public record

Press and screen coverage: Pitchfork · NME · Paste Magazine · Sony Music Japan · Sub Pop .

• I'm an Idiot : Spotify New Music Friday · 2021
• I'm an Idiot : CHAI hears the song
• Miracle (Scoobert Doobert Remix) : Sub Pop remix credit · 2022
• WHOLE / まるごと : Production / NHK theme · 2022
• MY DREAM / 夢のはなし : Sound production / film theme · 2022

Pitchfork publishes the WINK TOGETHER tracklist including Miracle (Scoobert Doobert Remix); NME states WHOLE was produced by Scoobert Doobert and names Koi-senu Futari; Paste covers the WHOLE single in the same release window; Sony Music Japan's official CHAI pages document まるごと as the NHK drama theme with Scoobert Doobert on sound production. Sub Pop Mega Mart, SoundBetter, and YouTube release metadata list individual roles on WHOLE. Third-party bios and analytics pages repeat the same sequence. Sources: Pitchfork · WINK TOGETHER tracklist (Miracle Scoobert Doobert Remix) · NME · WHOLE produced by Scoobert Doobert · Koi-senu Futari theme · Paste · WHOLE single coverage · Sony Music Japan · まるごと NHK theme · Scoobert Doobert sound produce · Sub Pop · WINK TOGETHER (Miracle Scoobert Doobert Remix) · Sub Pop Mega Mart · WHOLE (produced by Scoobert Doobert) · SoundBetter · WHOLE (producer / arranger / mixing engineer) · Sony Music Japan · MY DREAM / 夢のはなし · Music Metrics Vault · artist bio · Love Music More · public bio . Catalog · Press credits.

See also: Press & credits · Catalog