Hitomi “Penny” Tohyama – Tokyo Funk Diva

Wewantsounds Records maintains its impressive track record of high-quality reissues with its latest release. This time, they feature the music of Hitomi “Penny” Tohyama, a Japanese pop and funk singer whose style beautifully blends City Pop, funk, and catchy pop grooves, resulting in a fun listening experience. As always, the Continue Reading

Yoichi Kamimura & Olli Aarni – Kōri no ryokō / Jäämatkailu

Yoichi Kamimura, a Japanese composer, teams up with Finnish musician Olli Aarni for a release on mappa, a Slovak record label.  From mappa’s Bandcamp site: “Water can retain or wash away memory; flowing or freezing. It gives life and shapes earth, while frozen imprints of an ancient past are waiting Continue Reading

Virgo – Novel

Mahorka Records has surprised us with a release that leans less toward experimentation and more toward the style of Sakamoto. Although the talented Japanese artist Virgo is categorized as performing IDM (Intelligent Dance Music), this release is much more elegant than that genre suggests. In fact, it resembles something you Continue Reading

The Obi Strip: How a Japanese Paper Band Became a Collector’s Grail

Nick Zanca, writing for Discogs.com, discusses the ubiquitous obi strip, which is so common in Japan—and even in China—that it has become a significant part of record collecting culture. Ironically, these strips were originally intended to be discarded. Today, a mint condition obi strip can actually enhance the value of Continue Reading

Meiko Kaji – Yadokari + Shura No Hara 7-Inch

I can think of few record labels who so lovingly press their vinyl reissues like WewantSounds does.  We’re thrilled to announce that they have republished Yadokari, a sublime work by Meiko Kaji, perhaps most well-known in America as one of Quentin Tarantino’s musical muses, but who wowed Japanese audiences with Continue Reading

Ghost – Temple Stone

In honor of my first trip to Japan, I am pleased to present you with my favorite psych album from the country.  Ghost was a collective led by multi-instrumentalist Masaki Batoh.  This particular album is dripping with psychedelic folk references, bringing an eerie vibe to what would have been known Continue Reading