Album Notes

S.S. Hanami is a melodic rock band that incorporates aspects of traditional Japanese music such as the koto (Japanese harp) as well as influences from anime, J-Rock, and Visual Kei.

Frontman and founding member Robert Adams first heard the koto in the background music of a movie. He didn’t even know the name of the instrument, but was so enchanted by its sound that he felt compelled to learn how to play it. He researched traditional Japanese music until he found out that the harp-like instrument he had heard was called the koto. Shortly after, he acquired a koto of his own, and eventually he found an instructor who could teach him how to play it.

Robert continued studying koto while also taking voice lessons and songwriting classes at his university. In December of 2008, he gathered together friends and studio musicians to begin recording a single. He named his new solo-project/band S.S. Hanami, combining the initials of his favorite anime character with the Japanese word that means “cherry-blossom viewing.”

Although influenced by traditional Japanese music and poetry, the band also takes a lot of cues, both musically and aesthetically, from more contemporary aspects of Japanese culture such as anime, J-Rock, and Visual Kei. When asked about the inspiration behind S.S. Hanami, Robert replies, “I try to write songs that make me feel the same way that the most moving scenes from my favorite anime make me feel. There’s something about the art style of anime and manga that really reaches out to me. I don’t limit myself to drawing solely from Japanese culture though, as I receive inspiration from many other sources, such as the work of British Romantic poets John Keats and Percy Shelley.”