Koroshiya Kiki Ippatsu

"Koroshiya Kiki Ippatsu" (殺し屋危機一髪, "Close Shave Assassin"), also known by its English title "The Assassin's Assassin,"[1] is a single by Japanese jazz band Soil & "Pimp" Sessions, featuring singer and songwriter Ringo Sheena. It was released on June 12, 2013, digitally and on June 26 as a single, two months after Soil & "Pimp" Sessions' single "Jazzy Conversation," and one month after Sheena's single "Irohanihoheto/Kodoku no Akatsuki."[2][3]

"Koroshiya Kiki Ippatsu"
A woman sitting on a table. Behind her are different views of men in 1920s/1930s inspired suits, most holding guns. At the top left is a bullet hole in glass, and a black-and-white photo of a man.
Single by Soil & "Pimp" Sessions and Ringo Sheena
from the album Circles and Ukina
B-side
  • "Pimp Panther"
  • "Spy High"
ReleasedJune 12, 2013 (2013-06-12)
Recorded2013
GenreJazz, punk jazz
Length2:35
LabelVictor Entertainment
Songwriter(s)Ringo Sheena, Tabu Zombie
Soil & "Pimp" Sessions singles chronology
"Jazzy Conversation"
(2013)		 "Koroshiya Kiki Ippatsu"
(2013)		 "Omote Nothin' Ura Girl"
(2014)
Ringo Sheena singles chronology
"Kodoku no Akatsuki"
(2013)		 "Koroshiya Kiki Ippatsu"
(2013)		 "Nippon"
(2014)

Background and development

Ringo Sheena had taken an interest in the band in the early 2000s, attending live concerts of theirs before their debut in 2003.[4] They had collaborated several times in the past, the first time on the digital single "Karisome Otome (Death Jazz Version)" in 2006. They collaborated again in 2009 on Sheena's song "Mayakashi Yasaotoko" from the album Sanmon Gossip,[5] and the Soil & "Pimp" Sessions song "My Foolish Heart" on their album 6.

"Koroshiya Kiki Ippatsu" was a single released to commemorate Soil & "Pimp" Sessions' 10th anniversary.[6] It was the second collaboration single released by Soil & "Pimp" Sessions in 2013, after "Jazzy Conversation" with Rhymester. These were compiled on the album Circles, an album featuring Soil & "Pimp" Sessions collaborating with different vocalists. Similarly, at the end of 2013, Ringo Sheena released the album Ukina, an album that compiled collaborations she had undertaken between 1998 and 2013.

Writing and production

The song features an arrangement by conductor Neko Saito, who has collaborated with Sheena on many occasions. This was rare for Soil & "Pimp" Sessions, as they generally did not collaborate with outside arrangers for their music.[4] As such, the song features many instruments that are not present in other Soil & "Pimp" Sessions songs: a string section, the timpani, and the harp.[6] A bonus track on Circles, "Koroshiya Kiki Ippatsu (Death Jazz Ver.)," features an arrangement by Soil & "Pimp" Sessions.[6]

Promotion and release

On September 27, 2013, Soil & "Pimp" Sessions held a live at Billboard Live in Tokyo. Sheena made a guest appearance, performing "Koroshiya Kiki Ippatsu" and her previous collaborations with the band, "My Foolish Heart" and "Karisome Otome." The single's B-side "Pimp Panther" was also performed by the band.[7] During Sheena's Tōtaikai concerts in November 2013, she performed "Koroshiya Kiki Ippatsu" with her concert band.[8]

Music video

The Yuichi Kodama-directed music video was released on June 1, 2013.[6] It features the members of Soil & "Pimp" Sessions as assassins on a luxury liner, and Sheena as a woman manipulating them.[6] The video was nominated at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards Japan for the Best Collaboration video.[9]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangerLength
1."Koroshiya Kiki Ippatsu"Ringo SheenaR. Sheena, Tab ZombieNeko Saito2:39
2."Pimp Panther" (ピンプパンサー Pimpu Pansā) Tab ZombieSoil & "Pimp" Sessions4:07
3."Spy High" ShachōSoil & "Pimp" Sessions4:08
Total length:10:54

Personnel

Personnel details were sourced from Sheena's official website.[10]

Soil & "Pimp" Sessions

  • Goldman Akita – contrabass
  • Jōsei – piano, keyboards
  • Midorin – drums
  • Motoharu – saxophone
  • Shachō – agitator, songwriting (track 3)
  • Tabu Zombie – trumpet, songwriting (track 1, 2)

Other musicians

  • Tomoyuki Asakawa – harp (track 1)
  • Great Eida – concert master (track 1)
  • Midori Eida – violin (track 1)
  • Takashi Hamano – violin (track 1)
  • Ayano Kasahara – cello (track 1)
  • Eriko Kawano – viola (track 1)
  • Ayumu Koshikawa – violin (track 1)
  • Nobuhiko Maeda – cello (track 1)
  • Yoshihiko Maeda – cello (track 1)
  • Yukinori Murata – violin (track 1)
  • Tatsuo Ogura – violin (track 1)
  • Neko Saito – conductor (track 1)
  • Ringo Sheena – vocals, songwriting (track 1)
  • Midori Takada – timpani (track 1)
  • Mayu Takashima – viola (track 1)
  • Kōjirō Takizawa – violin (track 1)
  • Chizuko Tsunoda – violin (track 1)
  • Daisuke Yamamoto – violin (track 1)
  • Haruko Yano – violin (track 1)

Chart rankings
Charts (2013) Peak
position
Japan Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay[11] 39
Japan Billboard Japan Hot 100[12] 18
Japan Oricon weekly singles[13] 14

Sales and certifications
Chart Amount
Oricon physical sales[14] 12,000

Release history
Region Date Format Distributing Label Catalogue codes
Japan June 12, 2013 (2013-06-12)[3] Digital download Victor Entertainment
June 26, 2013 (2013-06-26)[2] CD, Digital download (EP) VICL-36788
July 13, 2013 (2013-07-13)[15] Rental CD

References
  1. "Talk of the Town / SHEENA RINGO". Kronekodow. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  2. "殺し屋危機一髪 [Single, Maxi]". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  3. 殺し屋危機一髪 (in Japanese). Universal. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  4. Taihei Kubota (August 8, 2013). "特集 SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONS" (in Japanese). Music Shelf. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  5. Sanmon Gossip (Media notes) (in Japanese). Ringo Sheena. Tokyo, Japan: Universal. 2009.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ニュース (in Japanese). Victor Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  7. "SOIL×椎名林檎、六本木夜景をバックに豪華セッション" [Soil x Sheena, luxurious session backed with the Roppongi night skyline] (in Japanese). Natalie. September 27, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  8. 党大会 平成二十五年神山町大会 (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  9. "「VMAJ」今年のMCはT.M.R.、道重さゆみ、w-inds" [TMR, Sayumi Michishige and w-inds. MCs at this years VMAJ] (in Japanese). Natalie. March 28, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  10. "『殺し屋危機一髪』 / SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONSと椎名林檎" (in Japanese). Natalie. June 7, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  11. "Adult Contemporary Airplay 2013/07/15". Billboard (in Japanese). July 15, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  12. "Japan Billboard Hot 100 2013/07/08". Billboard (in Japanese). July 8, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  13. 「殺し屋危機一髪」 ＳＯＩＬ＆“ＰＩＭＰ”ＳＥＳＳＩＯＮＳと椎名林檎 (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  14. "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree']. Oricon. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  15. 殺し屋危機一髪 (in Japanese). Tsutaya. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
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