Jan Linton + Fluid Japan: Forbidden Colours – HK/US – DL [2025]

1. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – Forbidden Colours 5:11
2. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence [instrumental] 5:11

Last winter we enjoyed the crystalline beauty of Fluid Japan’s cover of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence,” where Fluid Japan, working with a piano recording by Reiko Minimikawa, crafted three different mixes of the beautiful instrumental. Along with complementary instrumental material of their own to make a good EP. But it remained an instrumental. The soundtrack version of the theme to the film “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence.” There was also the single version of the song, with a vocal by frequent Sakamoto collaborator David Sylvian, known as “Forbidden Colours.”

Another year later, and frequent collaborator Jan Linton has added his vocal as well as further instrumental touches, to the song to give us an excellent vocal version of what must have been a daunting prospect; a cover of “Forbidden Colours.” First Linton added his vocal to the solo piano “Tokyo mix” from last year. Adding string synths and synthetic koto percussion to fill things out a little. Then the ball bounced back to Fluid Japan where Todd Lewis added synth atmospheres to the intro, produced the final mix, and then handed it off to Walt Wistrand for mastering. What do we get?

The stillness and perfection of the intro felt like watching slow motion footage of diamonds tumbling onto velvet. Effulgent glints of light momentarily blinding us while we were unable to look away. Linton’s string synths carried us aloft with the song as if on a warm updraft. Then his vocal made its presence felt as he occupied a similar range to Sylvian here, but his voice is quite different to Sylvian’s. His sensitive crooning actually recalls that of Thomas Leer to my ear.

It’s heartbreakingly beautiful and the conceit of adding the instrumental of this version [quite different to any of the mixes on the 2024 EP] as the B-side is not in the least self-indulgent. Indeed, this single beckons to be played on a loop, which is how I always experience it thus far. All of the versions that Fluid Japan have released of this can be rolled into a playlist that can begin to meet our need for beauty and delicacy. As we can hear below.

It dropped on Christmas Eve as a last minute Christmas present to us all. It’s yours for a mere $1.50 yet worth so much more, so top it up! It’s available at both the Fluid Japan and Jan Linton Bandcamp stores, so if you buy from one, don’t forget to investigate the other! Both artists complement each other extremely well and if you enjoy one, I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying the other! There’s a reason why they collaborate so often. DJ hit those buttons! We’ll see you next year. Same Monk-Time…Same Monk-Channel!

BUY FROM JAN LINTON | $1.50

BUY FROM FLUID JAPAN | $1.50

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