"Dugo is my life's work."
So begins Izutani in his liner notes to Lingua Franca, his latest solo album under the moniker Dugo and the first to be released on Brave Wave.
While Izutani is well known to video game fans for his contributions to the Metal Gear and Bayonetta series, his body of work spans across genres in Japanese popular music as well, perhaps most notably his work for pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki.
But Lingua Franca, with its development lasting almost 10 years, is close to Izutani's heart.
From a 2015 interview with VGMO, Izutani explains: "I started Dugo in order to discover my own musical identity, without thinking about its financial aspects or whether it would actually be released. [...] Dugo is what represents me, so it’s going to be subjective and personal for me. It needs to be something I can do with no strings attached."
To bring the vision of his grand solo project to life, Izutani enlisted the help of a talented international team of violinists, guitarists, and artists, including commissioning album art photography from Brave Wave's own Mohammed Taher.
The result is a genre-defying, multifaceted album — much different than anything Izutani has composed before yet still retaining his signature sound. We're excited and proud to present this unique, deeply personal album to fans and newcomers alike.
Lingua Franca is available from today on Brave Wave in digital, CD, and — for the first time ever for a solo artist on the label — a limited vinyl release signed by Izutani himself.
Visit Brave Wave's store to order, or use the widget to preview the tracks below.
The signed vinyl set is available for pre-order from our partners at Bigwax.