Mariko Hamada releases her first original album in eight years, "Gokujo," on her own label "Camellia Records"! She welcomes members of the band "Gokujo," formed in 2024 - Manabu Hiyama, Ayumi Hashimoto, and Marino Ikemura - along with percussionist Genta Egawa as guests, delivering high-quality music for adults. With diverse arrangements spanning solo, ensemble, and full band, each distinctive sound shines. The jacket illustration is by Hiromi Matsuo, who comes from the same hometown as Hamada and enjoys popularity both in Japan and abroad for her retro-classic world. As her eighth original album, this is Mariko Hamada's first fully self-produced work. Her duo with close friend Marino Ikemura, with whom she toured nationwide from 2022 to 2023, adds vivid color through their well-matched playing and Ikemura's graceful chorus. Another major highlight is her reunion with cellist Ayumi Hashimoto, their first collaboration since 2013's "But Beautiful." On a self-cover of "The Crow" from her first album, Hashimoto's arrangement paints a solemn world reminiscent of the opening of a film. The album title, which is also the band name, "Gokujo," comes from Manabu Hiyama's original song "Gokujo no Waltz." Special guest Genta Egawa's masterful percussion adds further depth to the acoustic-based, richly layered sound throughout the work. Embracing classical, jazz, and kayokyoku alike, this music evokes both nostalgia and novelty at once - something that seems as though it could exist anywhere, yet exists nowhere today. Such high-quality, rich music comes to fruition here.