NEW EP: Jun Parker 色褪せたフォトグラフ 'Faded Photograph' Cassette
Jun Parker's 色褪せたフォトグラフ 'Faded Photograph' EP, featuring extended 'Tailor Made Love' and new tracks, to launch at Cassette Week Japan 2025
A celebrator of all things retro, Japanese-Australian songwriter Jun Parker is releasing a Cassette Tape as part of Cassette Week Japan 2025; a four track tape out on Monday 13 October and out across streaming services on Wednesday 22 October. Alongside the EP announcement, Jun has been selected as a finalist for the 2025 Asian Australian Leadership Awards for his cross-sectoral contribution to Australia-Japan relationships in arts and science.
Following his three consecutive years of physical releases on Tanzaku CD, Jun’s new EP 色褪せたフォトグラフ (Faded Photograph) spotlights his signature blend of Shōwa-era Japanese romantic sentimentalism and contemporary grooves in the title track ‘色褪せたフォトグラフ (Faded Photograph)’; arranged by Japanese producer Rillsoul, and features a further three tracks ‘Omoide Beaver’, ‘Yvonne’, and ‘Tailor Made Love’. The cassette is accompanied by minimalistic cover artwork from illustrator Taku Bannai, pairing the sound with his surreal urban style and collages of paper-cut figures that bring together warmth, connection, and a sense of nostalgia.
Each track telling its own story, Jun wanted to capture the spirit of late 70s and 80s Showa-era female romantic sentimentalism, choosing to create sentences in a feminine style inspired by artists from his childhood. ‘When a man sings in this style, it almost always speaks of unrequited love or break-up, which aligns with the themes of this song. Using motifs like the bookmark or Matisse, and framing cinematic scenes, I hoped to echo the dynamism of icons like Yumi Arai’ - Jun Parker.
Reflecting two of the three writing systems in Japanese, the title track ‘色褪せたフォトグラフ (Faded Photograph)’ combines them; a hallmark of Japanese music titles from the 70s, 80s, and 90s that was once dismissed as dated and leans towards nostalgic.
About Cassette Week
Cassette Week (formerly Cassette Store Day) is an annual global event promoting cassettes as music media. Launched in London in 2013, it has grown worldwide. After pandemic-related disruptions, it relaunched in 2021 as a week-long festival in Europe, the US, and Asia, with the US event succeeding the original. Japan, which officially joined in 2016, celebrates its 10th year with various projects. The country continues to experience a cassette boom, with new players and tapes inspired by the 70s and 80s Maxell "UD" series.
Currently based in the rural coastal town of Portland, Victoria, Jun has a passion for Retro Tokyo sounds and the musical style of “City Pop.” Jun was born in Japan, grew up in Australia, and has always had an inseparable connection with all things retro, groovy, and mellow from the '70s and '80s. He has performed at music festivals across various states in Australia and Japan, making his way to Europe in 2023 for a show in Lyon, France, and his music has received support across major national radio stations in Australia, including SBS, ABC, Triple J, and Double J. Named alongside Harry Styles, and Ginger Root, Jun was mentioned on GQ Japan Magazine as a global artist incorporating nostalgic Japanese pop sounds.
In 2023, Jun was selected for The Boite’s Portfolio Project, Victoria’s iconic multicultural music organisation, creating opportunities for culturally diverse musicians. Through his bilingual lyrics, he intertwines Australian landscapes, seascapes, and borderless urbanism with Japanese retro sentimentalism, exploring universal themes of love, loss, and the philosophy in between.
Dive into Jun’s world of retro formats as he brings the East and West together through this reinterpretation of genre and culture.
色褪せたフォトグラフ (Faded Photograph) EP out Wednesday, 22 October
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