This is another attempt at apolitical song- allowing the  listeners to make up their own mind about an issue. This is a song about the Kamikaze pilot suicide attacks on allied shipping at the in 1944/45. The word Kamikaze means ‘divine wind’.

Japan was losing the war,  so Vice Admiral Onishi proposed using young pilots to fly planes packed with explosives into enemy ships. They were 21 years old ‘volunteers’ on a divine mission. There task was carried out with great ceremony involving keepsakes, prayers, a last meal, white headbands and so on. Only average students were selected to avoid using up clever students or picking ones unable to fly.

4000 pilots died sinking about 50 ships, damaging a further 300, with 5000 allied sailors killed and 5000 injured ( the biggest loss in the war). However,  this was  also a catalyst for the dropping of the atomic bomb which killed ca 300,00 people over time.

Absolute loyalty to Emperor Hirohito ( the supreme leader)  was a key issue, with personal sacrifice seen as the highest honour. The pilots we dying for him and Japan. He survived and visited the USA in 1975

‘The only way to win the war’ was the phrase used to try and break American will power, but in reality, hardened their attitude to using the bomb as ‘the only way to win the war’, leading to surrender. 

This is another attempt at apolitical song- allowing the  listeners to make up their own mind about an issue. This is a song about the Kamikaze pilot suicide attacks on allied shipping at the in 1944/45. The word Kamikaze means ‘divine wind’.

Japan was losing the war,  so Vice Admiral Onishi proposed using young pilots to fly planes packed with explosives into enemy ships. They were 21 years old ‘volunteers’ on a divine mission. There task was carried out with great ceremony involving keepsakes, prayers, a last meal, white headbands and so on. Only average students were selected to avoid using up clever students or picking ones unable to fly.

4000 pilots died sinking about 50 ships, damaging a further 300, with 5000 allied sailors killed and 5000 injured ( the biggest loss in the war). However,  this was  also a catalyst for the dropping of the atomic bomb which killed ca 300,00 people over time.

Absolute loyalty to Emperor Hirohito ( the supreme leader)  was a key issue, with personal sacrifice seen as the highest honour. The pilots we dying for him and Japan. He survived and visited the USA in 1975

‘The only way to win the war’ was the phrase used to try and break American will power, but in reality, hardened their attitude to using the bomb as ‘the only way to win the war’, leading to surrender. 

I went for souring vocals like a plane crashing into a ship. I also used choir like background vocals to give the song a divine, religious hymn like tone. The lyric video was of one man in one plane, a lonely place to be. And how all the pilots much has felt.

I selected a gravel voiced male singer to give the song a heavy presence. I compare the thoughts of the men alive, with the young men selected and the fear they must have experienced.It a sombre blues type song ( not the most cheerful), which stays away from the political debate to a large extent

I guess what I am really doing is questioning humanity in general and how we could ever as a race ,think this was an acceptable way of ending a war. Whilst sending young conscripts to their deaths in Ukraine  continues to this day

The keepsakes and customs now seem little more than background details. If my son Thomas had been involved I would be wordless.