Ramble Records out of Australia have published a unique album here – one that should be seen as a modern psychedelic rock masterpiece. From their Bandcamp site: “Shūko No Omit, the name of the band, featuring Yonju Miyaoka on guitar and Vocals, his older brother Taiju Sugimori on bass and Continue Reading
Japan
Isiliel – 月虹創聖記
It’s not often that I run into a combination of black metal and shoegaze music (blackgaze), but Japan’s Isiliel is such a beast. For black metal, the vocals are rather elegant and symphonic. Interesting and well done.
Akiko Yano – To Ki Me Ki
There is no better way to tell the story of this gorgeous and lovingly remastered release by Akiko Yano than to let our dear friends at Wewantsounds to explain it for themselves: “Wewantsounds is proud to continue its Akiko Yano reissue series with the release of the singer’s third studio Continue Reading
Takashi Kokubo & Andrea Esperti – Music For A Cosmic Garden
We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records (charming name, better known by its acronym WRWTFWW) has released a rather unique album. It pairs Japanese ambient/environmental legend Takashi Kokubo (Ion Series) and Italian & Swiss trombonist Andrea Esperti (Esperti Project) working under the name of Music For A Cosmic Garden. From Continue Reading
mama!milk – Concert at Art Gummi Kanazawa, 2022
mama!milk are a project out of Japan who mix the experimental music vibe of Pauline Oliveros and tango. Weird mix, but beautiful in its own way.
Akira Sakata (坂田明) – a.k.a. Tombo (赤とんぼ)
Akira Sakata may be best known internationally for collaborations with guitarist and composer Jim O’Rourke and bassist Bill Laswell, but in Japan and among jazz aficionados, he’s also known as one of Japan’s best purveyors of spiritual jazz. This album is his latest, and it’s imbued with deepness and humor Continue Reading
Various Artists – Pacific Breeze 2: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1972-1986
From Light In The Attic Records, this is perfect Sunday listening: “With Pacific Breeze 2: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1972-1986 we dig deeper into those sounds of bubble-era Japan. From the proto-City Pop funk of Bread & Butter and Eiichi Ohtaki to the crate-digger favorites Eri Ohno and Continue Reading
Chihei Hatakeyama – The Ancient Forest V
I can’t say I’ve ever had the pleasure of introducing Chihei Hatakeyama to my readers before, but he is a master of elegant sound design. These three compositions are based on his travel to Amami Oshima, north of Okinawa.
Ayako Shinozaki – Music Now For Harp
Great news, yet again, has been provided to us by our dear friends at Wewantsounds! From their Bandcamp site: “Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the first international reissue of Ayako Shinozaki’s hard to find LP “Music Now For Harp” released in 1974 by Nippon Columbia. The LP was released on Continue Reading
Akiko Yano – Iroha Ni Konpeitou – LP Deluxe Edition with 4p insert and OBI strip
The ever-fantastic Wewantsounds is giving the gold-star treatment to Akiko Yano, wife of the recently departed Ryuichi Sakamoto and fine musician in her own right, collaborating with Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi, David Sylvian, Mick Karn, Charlie Haden, Bill Frisell, Thomas Dolby, and a host of others. From the label’s Bandcamp Continue Reading