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
Japan
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
Hiroshi Wada & His Mahina Stars – Yoru No Komori Uta (1964)
No review today due to having some foot problems, but I will leave you with a tune by Hiroshi Wada & His Mahina Stars. Hiroshi was a Japanese bandleader who worked with Hawaiian music. I came across him on accident thanks to Facebook and the lounge band Pink Martini, and 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
Merzbow – Tauromachine (Remastered)
Due to the vastness of Merzbow’s catalog, I took a break from keeping up with his work for a while. Today, I stumbled upon a release from 2023, and it remains as brutally noisy as ever. I have noticed that, with clearer editing and digital recording, the intense noise he 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
No Reviews Today – Travel Day
I will be traveling from Tokyo to Beijing today. What an experience that was!
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
KK NULL – Extropy
From the days when his old band Zeni Geva were the kings of noise rock, KK Null has consistently published loud, noisy, brutal albums that would put most metal bands to shame. This is a bit different in focus, however, as the Bandcamp notes explain below: “From the opening track, Continue Reading