Produced and engineered by Tyler Nimon
Mixed and mastered by Roland Lim
All music and lyrics by Gak Komiya
Additional musical parts by Tyler Nimon and Ryohei Sano
Recorded at Rudiez Studios (Kobe, Japan), July-August 2022
1. Flying Man Gak Komiya - Lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric lead guitar Ryohei Sano - Backing vocals, bass, lead guitar, electric guitar noises Teruki Kanno - Drums Tyler Nimon - Electric piano, organ, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, electric guitar noises 2. Phyramidia Gak Komiya - Electric rhythm and lead guitar Ryohei Sano - Lead vocals, bass, electric rhythm and lead guitar, acoustic guitar Teruki Kanno - Drums Tyler Nimon - Electric lead and rhythm guitars, organ, Mellotron, synthesizer, backing vocals, street sounds 3. Roll and Roll Gak Komiya - Vocals, electric rhythm and lead guitar Ryohei Sano - Vocals, bass, electric rhythm guitar Teruki Kanno - Drums Tyler Nimon - Cowbell, tambourine 4. Moon Ocean Gak Komiya - Vocals, electric rhythm and lead guitar Ryohei Sano - Vocals, bass, electric rhythm guitar Teruki Kanno - Drums Tyler Nimon - Backing vocals, slide guitar
Liner Notes by Tyler
During the summer of 2022, I was approached by Chameleon to produce their first EP at Rudiez Studios in Kobe. We worked under a bit of a time crunch–I was only in Japan for the summer and shortly after I would leave, Rudiez Studios would close permanently. The initial plan was for the group to record a basic EP, capturing the live sound of the band. The plan was for Teruki Kanno (drums) and Ryohei Sano (bass) to come in first to lay down rhythm tracks, and then have Gak Komiya record guitar and vocal overdubs. After the initial rhythm track sessions, I got a sense of the songs and began to see their true potential. With this in mind, and realizing that this would likely be our last chance to work together, I suggested that instead of trying to replicate their live sound, we should turn the EP into a full production, taking each song as far as it would go. I showed the band some examples of my previous production work and they agreed to go forward with the full production. Over the course of the summer, which was the hottest recorded summer in Japan, the band came in nearly every day to work on the EP. No one knew that this was going to be such an undertaking, but once the songs started to take form, it was impossible to turn back–it became clear that we were onto something very special. The dedication of everyone was incredible; we worked long hours in the studio, even though the air conditioning had broken shortly after beginning our work.
Each of the four songs on this EP is unique and represents a particular rock style: “Flying Man” is a whimsical, acoustic-driven tune that crescendos into screaming guitar solos, traded back and forth by Gak and Ryohei; “Phyramidia” is an epic psychedelic journey, heavily inspired by Pink Floyd; “Roll and Roll” is a fun, straightforward rock tune and is an accurate representation of the band’s live work; “Moon Ocean” is heavy, fuzzed-out blues at its finest, with a memorable chorus sung by Ryohei. When we began work on this EP, none of us would have guessed that it would turn into such a production. I’m extremely proud to have worked with Chameleon on this record and can say that this is some of my greatest work as a producer and arranger. I have to thank the band sincerely for trusting me during this process and having faith in my vision for their songs. I also need to thank my lifelong friend and musical partner, Roland Lim for mixing and mastering the record. There is absolutely no way we would have ended up with such an excellent record without his masterful touch and dedication. Finally, I extend my deep gratitude to Jimmy MacGillivray, the proprietor of Rudiez Studios. Without his selfless generosity and unwavering support, the entire Rudiez experience never would have existed. Looking back on this now, it seems like a dream. Rudiez Studios, which provided us all with the space to meet each other and grow as musicians and as people is gone. The time I spent at Rudiez Studios was some of the best in my life. While it is no more, recorded artifacts such as Chameleon’s EP help it to live on forever. Tyler Nimon
