Carpe diem. Seize the day. That about sums up how this whole thing came together and apart…
When the pandemic took hold in early 2020, I was living in Kobe, Japan with my wife, Erica. Up until this point, I had been spending a lot of my free time playing music with my good friend, Jimmy MacGillivray.
Jimmy and his wife owned a building in downtown Kobe, right next to the ancient Ikuta Shrine, which contained three businesses: Rudiez Studios, a set of four rehearsal spaces; Rudiez Cafe, a neighborhood gathering place for musicians and artists; and Art House, a live venue on the top floor with a 30+ year history. When the lockdowns started, Jimmy and I took advantage of the time and quiet atmosphere to convert one of the rehearsal spaces into a recording studio.
For the next two years, that studio became my saving grace—a space where I could explore my creativity without bounds. As soon as we set up the recording capabilities, I began sending tracks back and forth to my longtime friend, collaborator, and mixing engineer Roland Lim III who was in Chicago at the time, resulting in a truly global musical project.
We had no idea that anything like this could happen or even be a possibility for us. At the same time, we knew that it wouldn’t last forever; my wife and I had plans to move permanently to the US, and Jimmy and his family also had plans to return to Canada while being in negotiations to sell the studio's building. Because of this, a sense of urgency surrounded all of our music work, hence the title of this EP—Carpe Diem (seize the day).
In late 2022, Jimmy and his family sold the building and Rudiez Studios no longer exists. All of the songs we recorded there are a testament to that special time in Kobe during those two years. While I recorded dozens of songs there, both for myself and for other artists, the songs on this EP stand out as what I believe to be my best original work to date.
Only in post-production did Roland form this collection into a cohesive musical statement. His contribution, while behind the scenes, was immense. I owe a great debt of gratitude to him for helping me fully realize the potential in these songs and to fashion them into a collection that we can both proudly stand behind.
I am deeply grateful to be able to share this music with you. Enjoy!
Tyler Nimon
Carpe Diem EP
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Extras
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Turn the Pages
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That’s Alright
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Come and See
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Red Bird
All music and lyrics written by Tyler Nimon, except “Red Bird” (written by Doug Norris, arranged by Tyler Nimon)
Produced by Tyler Nimon and Roland Lim III
Recorded at Rudiez Studios in Kobe, Japan
Mixed and Mastered by Roland Lim III in Chicago, IL (www.mixingbyrolandlim.com)
Personnel:
Tyler Nimon - All vocals, musical instruments (except drums), and recording engineering
Hideki Enomoto - Drums (tracks 2-5)
Kozo Okamoto - Drums (track 1)
Roland Lim III - Mixing and mastering (all tracks), sound effects (track 1)
Cover photo by Erica Nimon; edited by Roland Lim, Jr. (www.rlimphoto.com)
Special thanks to Erica Nimon, Roland Lim III, Jimmy MacGillivray, Tomoko Togashi, Doug Norris, Hideki Enomoto, Kozo Okamoto, Yasu at Guitarworks Roost, Ryohei Sano, James Hamilton, Blake Alexander, John Toczek, Paul Apice, Roland Jr. and Annabelle Lim, Akemi and Miyoshi Hayashi, John and Michele Nimon, Cody Nimon, Jacob Nimon, Margaret Nimon, and Mike and Carol Tychewicz.
