⌈ Sakuraphon CD – Japanese producer of reissues of historical piano recordings with high-fidelity transfer, minimal noise restoration and natural mastering sound, founded by Hisao Natsume. See: → www.DISCOGS.com ⌋

I REMEMBER HOW SURPRISED I was with the information that there are companies in this world producing brand new clean wax cylinders designed for the phonograph, invented by Thomas Alva Edison and patented in 1887. It was offered at the time by the now probably non-existent Vulcan Cylinder Record Company. Not only had it been almost one hundred and fifty years since the device for reading vibrations recorded on a roller was presented, but Edison's idea ultimately lost out to a patent by German immigrant Emil Berliner.

⸜ The owner of the record label, Mr HISAO NATSUME

In 1987, Berliner unveiled the first version of the turntable and its assigned medium, the turntable disc. Although the patent was originally for recording on a cylinder, during its improvement the medium became a flat, circular plate. Recording was done spirally on zinc coated with a layer of wax diluted with gasoline. Such a plate was then immersed in a bath of chromic acid, which etched it where the engraving cut a path in the wax layer. A plate prepared in this way could be reproduced many times. It also served as a matrix for making copies stamped in ebonite. In 1898 ebonite was replaced by shellac, which essentially improved the quality of the reproduced sound.

Today, records from this period are generally referred to as “shellac”, although not all are made of this material. As we read in Bloomsbury Publishing's encyclopedia entitled Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, in Part 1 devoted to music media and the industry, shellac is a natural resin obtained from insect excretions (Latin Kerria lacca). This insect, in great quantities, can be found in India, Burma and Thailand. In fact, in the plates, the material makes up only 14% of the volume. The rest is, among other things, carbon and a calcium filler.

Another element distinguishing such recordings is their rotational speed. Today we are using two values – 33,33 and 45 rpm (rounds per minute), while shellac discs rotated with the speed of around 78 rpm. According to the Yale University website:

Earliest speeds of rotation varied widely, but by 1910 most records were recorded at about 78 to 80 rpm. In 1925, 78.26 rpm was chosen as a standard for motorized phonographs, because it was suitable for most existing records, and was easily achieved using a standard 3600-rpm motor and 46-tooth gear (78.26 = 3600/46).

Thus, these records became known as 78s (or "seventy-eights"). This term did not come into use until after World War II when a need developed to distinguish the 78 from other newer disc record formats. Earlier they were just called records, or when there was a need to distinguish them from cylinders, disc records.

The duration of 78 RPM recordings is about three to five minutes per side, depending on the disc size:
12": ca. four to five minutes
10": ca. three minutes

⸜ The history of 78 RPM recordings, Yale University Library, → web.library.YALE.edu, accessed: 7.01.2024.

Music recorded on shellacs discs was mostly never later transferred to either vinyl or digital records. Some people can't get over this loss. The Sakuraphon label wants to change that:

Sakuraphon was established as a CD label specializing in the reissue of unknown masterpieces by legendary masters of 19th century pianism and forgotten pianists. For the reissue, the piano 78rpm recordings from the Natsume Collection were carefully selected and electrically reproduced by cartridge with optimized settings and recorded in high resolution format. In the mastering process, the rich information on the original recordings is faithfully picked up and transferred, eliminating any changes to the original sound caused by the editing process. I hope you will feel the natural and fresh sound as if you were listening to the records as they are on your home audio system.

→ About, → SAKURAPHON.net, accessed: 7.01.2025.

▌ Record label

THE JAPANESE TOKYO-BASED Sakuraphon record label that we would like to tell you about includes the following information on its website:

Each turntable disc manufactured since around 1898 by the late 1950s and played at about 78 rpm is called “78” by collectors. The materials from which the records were made and with which they were coated also varied; shellac eventually became the most common material.

Generally speaking, 78s are made of brittle material, which uses shellac resin (hence their other name is shellac records). During and after World War II, when supplies of shellac were very limited, some 78 rpm discs were pressed with vinyl instead of shellac, notably the six-minute 12-inch 78 rpm discs produced by V-Disc for distribution to U.S. soldiers during World War II.

⸜ Ibid.

The company's founder, Mr. HISAO NATSUME, says he founded Sakuraphon in late 2008 with the idea of releasing CDs. He is passionate about shellac discs and he had set up the 78 RPM blog much earlier (more → HERE). So, it's not surprising that the record label specializes in reissues. What's more, its founder is also a fan of piano music. That's why, as we can read on the company website, it deals with reissues of “unknown masterpieces by legendary masters of 19th century pianism and forgotten pianists.”

Thus, the selection of recordings consisted of a selection of piano music pieces recorded between 1900 and 1950, issued on shellac 78 rpm discs in Mr. Natsume's collection. They are ripped from the records using a modern turntable equipped with a suitable cartridge. The signal is recorded digitally and processed to remove crackle, noise and other imperfections associated with the medium. As we can read:

Changes to the original sound caused by editing work are eliminated as much as possible, and the rich information recorded on the original recordings is faithfully read and transferred. We hope you feel the natural and fresh sound, just as if you were listening to the recordings on your home audio system.

⸜ Ibid.

I came across Sakuraphon CDs, if I'm not mistaken, while browsing through the “Stereo Sound” magazine. It must have been somewhere around 2015, or a bit earlier, because the first two titles I have are from that year. They surprised me with both the sound and the way they were issued. Their sound was excellent, for such old recordings, of course. But above all, it was incredibly musical, and by that I mean the kind of music that causes an experience similar to the one we have at a concert.

The way they are issued is equally well developed. At the beginning, Sakuraphon discs could be purchased both as CD-Rs and CDs – today only in the latter format. The covers and printing applied to the discs are excellent, polished, tasteful and made with exceptional attention to the type of atmosphere the music creates. The discs themselves resemble shellacs from above, with a label in the middle and grooves on the outside. And yet the whole thing is quite simple – it's a paper sheet folded in half, front and back, into which a cardboard box with a CD is inserted; the discs are in the form of a mini LP.

Mr. Futoshi Takei, who uses the musical pseudonym HISAO NATSUME, talks about his passion and record label exclusively for HIGH FIDELITY.

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WOJCIECH PACUŁA • Please tell us about yourself, your career, hobby, etc.
HISAO NATSUME • I was born in Tokyo in 1967. Outside of music, the things that are important to me are my family, my dogs, art and cooking.

My grandfather was a shamisen virtuoso in Asakusa and my father was a designer, so I decided from an early age that I wanted to pursue music and art as a career; Shamisen (jap. 三味線 shamisen or samisen) is a Japanese musical, stringed, plucked instrument, and its name in Japanese literally means “strings of three tastes” – editor's note). I learned design from my father's work, and learned piano at a nearby Yamaha piano school for six years from the age of six. When I was 14, I met Chopin, Scriabin and PINK FLOYD, and decided to pursue a career in music.

The first Chopin recordings I heard were Chopin: 19 Nocturnes by Artur Rubinstein and Farewell Concert at Besançon by Dinu Lipatti. That was when I started started collecting records by old pianists. Around the same time, I was inspired by a Scriabin roll of his own compositions that I heard on FM radio, and I began to teach myself the piano again, eventually becoming able to play Etudes Op. 8-12.

I was also influenced by Kraftwerk, YMO, Isao Tomita, and Osamu Shoji, and started multi-track recording with a synthesizer. I still continue to do DTM as a hobby, and I am in charge of all the lyrics, composition, vocals, etc. For a short period of time, I also received private piano lessons from Mr Yamato, who was a student of Leo Sirota. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that I didn't have the patience to be a classical pianist.

My work career began in my 20s when I made my debut in a band called BGM Victor, but I had a fight with the agency and soon quit. I then worked for an IT company for 12 years as a web designer and art director while continuing my amateur band career. This career as a designer has been useful in creating Sakuraphon's jacket art. By the way, when I work as a designer, I use my real name, Futoshi Takei.

In my late 20s~30s, I became very busy with my work in the web industry, and I tried to give up collecting records many times, but every time I gave up, I would find a rare record that I wanted. That hasn't changed even now.

WP • How did you come up with the idea of creating a record label?
HN • I am the originator of Sakuraphon. In my 30s, I formed a band that I was the leader of, and learned sound engineering techniques such as recording and mastering while working at a professional vintage audio shop. There, I particularly liked using UREI, AVALON DESIGN, devices, etc.

⸜ Turntables used in Sakuraphon for digitalizing 78 rpm discs and listening to them for pleasure

I thought I would use my knowledge as an engineer to create a CD reissue label specializing in 78 rpm records. I received an offer from DISKUNION to start up the DIW Classics label, part of DIW Records. I was able to work on about 20 titles with DISKUNION. I had a very valuable experience with that. But DIW Classic did not accept 78rpm records due to their poor sound quality. So, to use the existing material somehow, I started my own label, Sakuraphon.

WP • What is the goal and purpose of Sakuraphon?
HN • The purpose is to convey the charm of forgotten pianists, convey the history of pianism, and to preserve old records for future generations. I hope to revive pianists as artists, not as athletes who compete in technical competitions. And my goal is to release all the precious 78 rpm records (6000~7000 discs) I have collected during my lifetime on CD. It is my joy to be able to communicate with music lovers from all over the world, regardless of borders or language.

WP • How do you find 78 rpm records and select them?
HN • It’s been 35 years since I started collecting 78rpm records. I still visit 78rpm shops in Japan several times a month. At that time, when purchasing from overseas, I would send a large number of want lists to dealers via air mail or fax and then purchase or win items at auctions.

WP • How do you digitalize and remaster the records?
HN • I am also in charge of digitalization. am the only one who handles everything except writing the liner note.

The equipment used is as follows:
• AD/DA converters: Joplin Mk 3, Mutec MC3 + USB
• DSD recorders: TEAC SD-500HR, Korg MR-2000S
• Noise reduction: CEDAR (Computer Enhanced Digital Audio Restoration), iZotope RX
• PC: Apple MacBook Pro

WP • Do you master PCM on your computer, or simply record it directly onto a CD-R?
HN • My mastering recorders (TASCAM and KORG) record DSD signal. So, I first make a DSD recording on the hardware recorder and then copy the file to the computer. The next step is to convert the DSD file (1 bit) to PCM 88.2 kHz, 32 bits (float) already in the computer. After that, I use audio editing software to reconstruct the input file. Since Sakuraphon does not currently produce CD-Rs, I send all our files to a CD pressing plant.

WP • Has the work organization or equipment changed since you set up the label?
HN • The equipment I use for recording is constantly improving. The biggest changes recently are the addition of two new phono preamps and a change of arm. I've also used better equipment on the digital side by adding an external clock and constantly replace phono interconnects, power supplies and phono mats with better ones. When Sakuraphon's studio moved to a new location three years ago, I changed the wall outlets to audio-grade outlets. However, I think most changes in my audio system result from sound edition software updates.

⸜ A listening room, also used for celebrating life

WP • What kind of music do you listen to?
HN • I regularly listen to the 78 rpm classical music records that I have in my collection. Recently, I've also been listening to a lot of instrumental musicother than piano, such as chamber music and orchestral records.

This is a bit long, but that's the history of my listening to music

˻ I ˺ Teenager
• CLASSICAL MUSIC – Chopin, Scriabin, Mahler, Ravel, Faure, Tchaikovsky,, Isao Tomita
• ROCK – Pink Floyd, John Lennon, YMO, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Syd Barrett, Kraftwerk, David Sylvian, Kate Bush, Osanna, Goblin, Visage, Cocteau Twins, Ambitious Lovers, Logic System, Suzanne Ciani
• JAZZ – Mal Waldron, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Grover Washington Jr, Shakatak, Yuji Ohno

˻ II ˺ Middle age
• CLASSICAL MUSIC – Beethoven, Liszt, Brahms, Prokofiev, Palmgren
• JAZZ – Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, Karin Krog, Judy Roberts, Frank Cunimondo Trio, Molly Drake
• LATIN – Joao Gilberto, A. C. Jobim, Tenorio Jr., Caetano Veloso, Marcos Valle, Edu Lobo, Dóris Monteiro, Nara Leão, Jorge Ben,
• SOUL, AOR – Curtis Mayfield, Gil Scott-Heron, Marvin Gaye, Leon Ware, Gino Vannelli, Michael Franks
• ROCK – The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Cardigans, Suede, Radiohead, Morrissey

˻ III ˺ Recent
• CLASSICAL MUSIC – Mozart, Debussy, Schubert, Franck and light classical music arranged for
Salon Orchestra and various instruments
• ROCK – Donald Fagen, Arto Lindsey, Blonde Redhead, Jamie Isaac, PREP, Clairo

WP • What kind of an audio system do you use?
HN • My system is designed specifically for 78 rpm transfers, not for listening. I have always used vintage Yamaha speakers, which have been in our house since before I was born. The rest of my system looks like this:

• Turntables: Technics SP10 Mk 2 (with the Dynavector DV505 cartridge) and Garrard 401 (with an oil dump arm)
• Phono EQ: Soulnote E-2, M2TECH Joplin Mk 3, KAB Souvenir EQS Mk 12
• Cartridges: Stanton, Denon, Nagaoka, Shure, Ortofon, etc.
• Headphones: Sony (MDR-900ST, MDR-M1ST)

WP • What is the biggest market for Sakuraphon?
HN • Asia (Japan, China, Taiwan). But I would like to raise awareness of the importance of this music all over the world.

⸜ Mr. HISAO NATSUME once again

WP • What are your plans for the year 2025?
HN • I plan to complete the series “Pupils of Leschetizky” and publish a continuation of the series “Leo Sirota Archives”. This year I had the opportunity to meet many interesting people in Japan, including Leo Sirota’s granddaughter, NICOLE GORDON and her husband, and the pianist SARA DAVIS BEUCHNER and her students, and build trusting, almost family-like relationships with them. Next year, I would like to continue developing projects related to them.

I will also be releasing CDs in the next few years With 78 rpm recordings of selected Japanese pianists. I also plan to reissue CDs of pieces for string instruments, chamber music and salon orchestras. I want to release CDs that I would personally enjoy listening to. More recently, I've also been lecturing on 78 rpm records and piano roll restoration and writing columns about 19th-century pianists and historical recordings for music magazines. In 2025, I plan to become even more active in these activities.

WP • Thank you for the conversation and I wish you great new reissues! HN • Thank you very much, too! Warm greetings for “High Fidelity” readers. ●

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The Sakuraphon label CDs can be purchased directly from its website.