AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY YEARS (MAYBE)
Born in Japan.
When Jenka got bored with school, she stole her daddy's acoustic guitar and started to write songs. She didn't mean to sing all those songs but there was no one who wanted to sing it. She got no choice.
After releasing her first solo album "sweet grape sugar beats" in 1995, again she got bored with her life in Tokyo. So she decided to go to Scandinavia with an invitation from a Swedish record company in 1996.
Contrary to Jenka's expectations, it took nearly a year to finish the recording of her second album "be." with a Swedish producer Tore Johansson (The Cardigans, Franz Ferdinand, OK GO etc). And she had to sneak into the legendary Tambourine studio in Malmö when it wasn't booked, and learned how to record her vocals all by herself with the mixture of analog and digital recording equipments. She found that was so fun to do. (Jenka doesn't allow anyone to be in the room or studio when she records her vocals nowadays.) In the end of 1997, "be." was finally released.
With some experiences of recording, Jenka realized that she wouldn't have to go to a real big recording studio for her whispering vocals. She actually loved the great minimal sounds like the Velvet Underground or Young Marble Giants. It means she could sing at a kitchen table or in a bed room, like when she wrote songs. Her music was becoming even more closer to "private". In 1999, she released her third album "skiss" which means "sketch" in Swedish.
- the interesting reference about Jenka around this time (click a link below) -
"JENKA" cuts Japan's music scene with originality and talent (By: Kenny Ehman)
on WEEKLY JAPAN UPDATE 1998-12-31
In 2000, no wonder Jenka liked the idea to record her vocals with the Russian Lomo microphone at a bathroom, in an acoustically fixed shower booth with lovely christmas lights at Yuka Honda's private studio. It was very first time to make an album with all Japanese lyrics for Jenka. So she chose two Japanese producers - Yuka Honda (ex Cibo Matto) & Zentaro Watanabe (Chara, hitomi etc) - and recorded it in New York and Tokyo.
Later in the year, she released her forth album "home is where the heart is".
Leaving Sony Music Entertainment / Epic Records in 2001, Jenka was heading to London to spend all weekends at the Borough Market and Old Spitalfields Market. She likes to write songs in her head while walking around with the morning coffee there.
Today, Jenka's songs have been released in Japan, Sweden, Germany and USA on both indie & major labels. As a performer, she has been featured on tracks of the Mopeds (Sweden), Mathieu Boogaerts (France) and Hideki Kaji (Japan). Meanwhile, she has written songs for S.E.S (South Korea), The d.e.p (a Japanese band featuring Vivian Hsu from Taiwan) and Tomoyo Harada (Japan) as a song writer.
Jenka is traveling the world without thinking but feeling something still.
All she knows is she can write and record songs wherever she is. And her home is where her heart is.
NOTICE
Jenka likes to accept your friend request if you are "really" interested in her works. And the "friends" should respect each other enough.
However, please understand: Jenka's Myspace page is NOT for the marketing / promotions of your bands / companies.
Jenka appreciates your understanding of this scheme.
