Japan YMO

Japan YMO, yes i didnt forget about them, in fact it was YMO that first brought japanese music home to me. For 5 years i collected most i could get my hands on at that time -early eighties. Then in 1984 YMO folded and somehow the distribution channels towards Europe dissappeared aswell.

YMO was originally conceived as a studio project by Hosono, the other two members being recruited session musicians - the idea was to produce an album fusing orientalist exotica (cf their cover version of Martin Denny's Firecracker) with modern electronics. However the first album (with its cutting-edge production) was very popular, and the studio project grew into a fully fledged touring band and career for its three members. In fact it was Hosono's previous album "Paraiso" which started it all , and lay at the base of the name aswell as it was released as Haruomi Hosono and the Yellow Magic Band , anyway track 6 Femme Fatale has the YMO recording together for the first time.

For a few short years YMO were recording, performing and producing others aswell as releasing solo work, i wonder where that Kraftwerk comparison has come from, them germans were never that active, nor have i recognised much humor in their work.
Making abundant use of new synthesizers, samplers, digital and computer recording technology as it became available, YMO's popularity and influence extended beyond Japan. In fact 6,5 studio albums wasnt that much considering their combined solo output passes a 100 albums by now, but as said they really wizzed at the time. A decade later they got together again but the release of that album was marred by a rights issue about the YMO name and some samples, though Technodon is a good album they found out that working together as YMO no longer provided the energy and inspiration it once did. Though Hosono and Takahashi with the occasional dash of Sakamoto have released several albums these last years under the name of Sketch Show.

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Hosono, Haruomi and the Yellow Magic Band - Paraiso (78)
Ryuichi Sakamoto - 1000 Knives Of (78)
Yello Magic Orchestra - YMO I (79)
YMO - Xoo Multiplies (80)
YMO - Technodelic (82)

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Haruomi Hosono and the Yellow Magic Band - Paraiso (78 * 207mb)

In ways the fore runner of YMO as the closeness of the name implies, on femme fatale the trio records together for the first time. Still this is Hosono doing his thing. The style here is exotica and more like a tropical band album than a synth album so musically this isn't much connected with YMO's style apart from YMO carrying over many exotica references on the debut, as such Parasio is relatively distant from YMO (Cochin Moon is actually closer to YMO due to heavy synth use) and Takahashis debut solo "Saravah" could clame that pre YMO title.



01 - Tokyo Rush (3:31)
02 - Shimendoka (4:44)
03 - Japanese Rhumba (3:33)
04 - Asatoya Yunta (2:13)
05 - Fuyiyama Mama (2:49)
06 - Femme Fatale (5:00)
07 - Shambhala Signal (3:36)
08 - Worry Beads (4:27)
09 - Paraiso (4:33)

Hosono @ Home
Hosono discography
Hosono @ Amazon

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Ryuichi Sakamoto - 1000 Knives Of (78 flac 326mb)

Ryuichi attended the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he earned a B.A. in music composition and an M.A. with special emphasis on both electronic and ethnic music. This, his first album, shows where he was going at the time, Sakamoto had just spent some time helping out at Hosono's Paraiso album and he would be producing Takahashi's first soloalbum " Saravah" later that year. So the future YMO brethern acquinted themselves thoroughly in 1978, the next years he spend working with them , until the offer of a movie role aswell as the soundtrack composing of Merry Christmas mr. Lawrence opened up a new avenue to him, by now he has composed some 20 scores, apart from his other work.



01 - Thousand Knives Of (9:34)
02 - Island Of Woods (9:50)
03 - Grasshoppers (5:16)
04 - Das Neue Japanische Elektronische Volkslied (8:05)
05 - Plastic Bamboo (6:31)
06 - The End Of Asia (6:21)
Xs
07 - Riot In Lagos (4:06)
08 - Lexington Queen (4:50)
09 - Warhead (4:32)

Sakamoto @ Base
Sakamoto @ Amazon

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Yellow Magic Orchestra - YMO I  (79 flac 214mb)

Although this is the very first album released by the Yellow Magic Orchestra, it is immediately very good. YMO gets into the groove straight away. Humour is the word here the sheer fun they must have had making it clearly shines through and, I find, is irresistible.
Both this and their second album have that initially disorienting blend of the old and the new, a theme expressed visually by the robot-girl in kimono on the cover. This means familiar pop-music forms dressed up in vaguely oriental synth sounds, which at the time were quite advanced technologically. At first hearing it can sound slightly kitschy, which perhaps it was meant to be, but repeated listening also reveals quite complicated and musically interesting, indeed orchestral arrangements. The vocoder-sounds may appear outdated, but the overall sound is still fresh and original after all these years



01 - Computer Game (Theme From "The Circus") (1:48)
02 - Firecracker (4:51)
03 - Simoon (6:27)
04 - Cosmic Surfin' (4:54)
05 - Computer Game (Theme From "The Invader") (1:01)
06 - Yellow Magic (Tong Poo) (6:14)
07 - La Femme Chinoise (5:53)
08 - Bridge Over Troubled Music (1:16)
09 - Mad Pierrot (4:21)
10 - Acrobat (1:12)

YMO @ FanBase
YMO @ Amazon

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YMO - Xoo Multiplies ( 80  179mb)

This album has had a confusing array of releases,  well record company's what do you expect ? But as such its a good album, plenty to enjoy.



01 Jingle 'Y.M.O.' (0:20)
02 Nice Age (3:46)
03 Snakeman Show (1) 1:56
04 Tighten Up (Japanese Gentlemen Stand Up Please!) 3:41
05 Snakeman Show (2) 2:05
06 Here We Go Again - Tighten Up 1:07
07 Snakeman Show (3) 1:26
08 Citizens Of Science (4:30)
09 Snakeman Show (4) 2::08
10 Multiplies (2:57)
11 Snakeman Show (5) 3:45
12 The End Of Asia 1:32

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YMO - Technodelic (82 flac 268mb)

I had a hard time chosing between Technodelic and BGM i like both albums very much, ive chosen Technodelic as its a little more adventurous- specialy vocally and i think its a classic which productionwise lacks just that edge which would have completely raised it above everything else ( no chance it will ever get a full kling klang treatment), that said it sure was one of my favourite albums of 1982.



01 - Pure Jam (4:30)
02 - Neue Tanz (4:59)
03 - Stairs (4:15)
04 - Seoul Music (4:47)
05 - Light In Darkness (3:39)
06 - Taiso (4:22)
07 - Gradated Grey (5:34)
08 - Key (4:34)
09 - Prologue (2:32)
10 - Epilogue (4:22)

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* All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !

Japan V

Japan V and were still in the early eighties and on vinyl, that is apart from Yani, this is a rip from a cd John Zorn compiled from Akiko's mid eighties work, Logic System showed that programming moogs and synths does have a creative part. Susan's short music career was cut short by war and not to forget the full schedule of her backing band YMO, whose members were releasing solowork everyyear aswell. What me Worry being the result of Takahashi working a lot with befriended british popstars resulted in an almost british electro pop album. Yen records commemmorated itself with a fine sampler and founder Kunihiko Murai with a special 12 " track God Be With Us Till We Meet Again. As an off bonus a soundphile A drumbattle in Highest Fi of the day

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Logic System - Venus (81)
Susan - The Girl Can't Help it (81)
VA - Yen Memorial (85)
Yukihiro Takahashi - What, Me Worry ? (82)
Akiko Yani - John Zorn 84-88 Compilation
The Drum Battle (79)
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Logic System - Venus (81 * 249mb)

Logic System is a musical project of Hideki Matsutakem he started as an assistant for Isao Tomita in the 70's and is well-known as the sequencer programmer and modular synthesizer operator for the Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), but he wasn't a member of YMO. He worked on several of their albums and toured with his huge collection of synths. He also did sequencing work for numerous technopop albums for other artists, particularily in the early 80's. In 1996 he performed in a big concert event organized by Isao Tomita and was also guest on Towa Tei albums. On his website is a huge number of MIDI files he released, with some of YMO's original songs. He released 3 albums under the moniker Logic System, Logic, Venus and Orient Express.



01 - Venus (5:00)
02 - Morpheus (3:06)
03 - I Love You (4:44)
04 - Plan (3:00)
05 - Take A Chance (4:29)
06 - Automatic Collect, Automatic Correct (5:25)
07 - Be Yourself (5:03)
08 - Prophet (5:05)
09 - Metamorphism (4:08)
10 - Equivalent (0:33)

Logic System @ Info
Logic System @ Amazon

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Susan - The Girl Can't Help It (81* 67mb)

Susan was born Susan Nozaki in Japan, her mother was Japanese, her father a US serviceman with French ancestry. She has starred in musicals and presented TV shows, made many appearances in commercials and is now re-establishing herself as a performer of techno-pop music. Susan has recently made links with young fashion designers in Japan and she is working to popularise the Japanese Gothic Lolita style in a more sophisticated way. Her music is technopop in style, mainly featuring synthesisers and drum machines. n 1980, Yukihiro Takahashi from the Yellow Magic Orchestra met Susan at a TV studio and was impressed by her energetic personality. This led to her re-launching her career as a pop singer. Yukihiro and Susan collaborated with co-producer Kenji Omura on an album “Do You Believe In Mazik? The album featured all three YMO members (Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Takahashi), Kenji Omura, Makoto Kubota (Sandii & The Sunsetz) and Hajime Tachibana (The Plastics)

By 1981 it was decided to launch Susan in Europe. She took part in a campaign alongside Ippu-Do, Sandii & The Sunsetz and YMO to promote Japanese pop music in the West. The same year Susan recorded her second album with the YMO members, called “The Girl Can't Help It”. This time, guest musicians included Masami Tsuchiya (Ippu-Do/Japan), Shigeru Umebayashi and Sandii. The material on this album uses a mixture of styles. A big launch event was planned for Susan in the UK in early 1982. Various TV appearances that had been arranged and a single version of “I Only Go Out At Night” was released. Unfortunately, this coincided with the outbreak of hostilities between the UK and Argentina over the Falkland Islands and so her trip was cancelled. Next year she married a member of the Rokkets, got pregnant and well family life.. Meanwhile 2007 she's back performing and recording aswell as working in fashion.



01 - You're My Number One (4:09)
02 - Koi Seyo Otome (3:33)
03 - Training (4:16)
04 - Blow-Up (2:25)
05 - I Need Your Love (4:12)
06 - I Only Come Out At Night (5:06)
07 - Go Go (3:39)
08 - Nuit De Saint-Germain (4:08)
09 - Tokyo Sue (4:46)
10 - My Love (4:56)

Susan

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VA - Yen Memorial (85 * 99mb)

YEN Records existed from 1982 to 1985. Hosono and Takahashi had a great deal of creative input on just about all of them. It was an imprint of Alfa so sometimes people identify Alfa material erroneously as YEN. During those years they released well over 30 albums and 16 singles (depends on how you count). Nearly all of the albums are superb and worthwhile. In 1993 Alfa Records apparently went bankrupt and was purchased outright by Toshiba EMI. They issued the landmark and now out of print YEN BOX collections and kept some material in print. They also reissued many new best of collections with no unique material.

When Yen Records founder Kunihiko Murai died, all Yen artists participated in this album or remixes and an original 12". Takahashi and Hosono produced album consisting of-- a 12" with (writers in parenthesis parenthesis) God Be With You Till We Meet Again and an album



01 - Yen Artists - God Be With Us Till We Meet Again (7:43)
02 - Yen Artists - Platonic Stochastic(edit) (4:33)

03 - Yellow Magic Orchestra - Rydeen (Remix Version) (3:26)
04 - Hajime Tachibana - Rock (New Recording) (3:22)
05 - Sandii & The Sunsetz - Sticky Music (Makoto Kubota , Yasuhiko Terada French Remix) (3:23)
06 - Guernica - Maronie Dokuhon (Akitsugu Doi , Koji Ueno Remix) (3:41)
07 - Miharu Koshi - Petit Paradis (English Yasuhiko Terada Remix) (3:38)
08 - Inoyama Land - Pokala (Akitsugu Doi , Makoto Inoue , Yasushi Yamashita Remix) (2:25)
09 - Keiichi Ohta - Seean No Kodomoichiba (Akitsugu Doi , Koji Ueno Remix) (3:46)
10 - Koji Ueno - Adagietto (Yasuhiko Terada Remix) (3:25)
11 - Yukihiro Takahashi - It's Gonna Work Out (Yoshifumi Iio Remix ) (4:19)
12 - Super Eccentric Theater - Beat The Rap (Yoshifumi Iio Remix ) (3:18)
13 - Testpattern - Modern Living (Masao Hiruma, Yoshifumi Iio Remix) (4:08)
14 - Jun Togawa - Do Not Renai (New Recording) (1:40)
15 - Interior - Hawks (Daisuke Hinata , Yoshifumi Iio Remix) (3:28)
16 - Tamao Koike - Kagami No Naka No Jugatsu (Yasuhiko Terada Remix) (3:40)
17 - Haruomi Hosono - Yunemiru Yakusoko (Original Version) (3:18)

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Akiko Yano - J Zorn Compilation ( 84-88 Flac 259mb)

Born Akiko Suzuki in 1955, (Tokyo, Japan), Akiko Yano studied jazz piano in high school and recorded her first album, Japanese Girl, in 1976. To the familiar wispy, girlish voice of Japanese idoru, Yano added something different: a whimsical sense of mischief and the ability to simultaneously sing and improvise on the piano. Japanese Girl caused a sensation in the Japanese music scene, with Yano standing out from the J-pop scene of the time as something entirely original and different. After a failed marriage to Makoto Yano, the producer of Japanese Girl, she went on to become the wife and musical partner of Ryuichi Sakamoto, soundtrack auteur and former member of legendary '80s Yellow Magic Orchestra. The partnership saw Yano join YMO on tour worldwide in the early '80s as support keyboardist, and she began to cultivate her own following in the US. Little Feat supported her on the West Coast, and she also participated in recordings with UK rock band Japan, led by David Sylvian (who still writes songs with Sakamoto), and Thomas Dolby. Separating from Sakamoto, she moved to New York in the '90s, where she now gigs regularly and records with a range of musicians, mostly in the jazz field.



01 - Highland
02 - Ramen Tabetai (I Want to Eat Ramen)
03 - Mufujotai (Eye of the Hurricane)
04 - Pastorale
05 - Gokigen Wanisan
06 - Owari No Kisetsu (Season of Parting)
07 - Omocha No Cha Cha Cha (Toys Go Cha Cha Cha)
08 - David
09 - Greenfields
10 - Komado Kara (From a Small Window)
11 - Fuimukeba Kaeru
12 - Home Sweet Home

Akiko @ Base
Akiko @ Amazon

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Yukihiro Takahashi - What, Me Worry? (82 flac 347mb)

Another Takahashi album, unfortunately i dont have his first "Saravah "(78) produced by Sakamoto , one which would fit nicely in the YMO history. Next time I will post the 2 other solo albums by Sakamoto and Hosono that were released that year and which laid the groundwork for the emergence of YMO. More on that in my next post.
Meanwhile here we have Yukihiro sounding very british eighties , clearly the title inspired to do what he liked and not to live up to others expectations. This being his 4 th solo album, with another 20 or so that followed to date, Hiro almost keeping up with Hosono output wise.



01 - What, Me Worry? (1:05)
02 - It's Gonna Work (4:00)
03 - Sayonara (5:33)
04 - This Strange Obsession (3:42)
05 - Flashback (5:17)
06 - Real You (4:45)
07 - Disposable Love (4:29)
08 - My Highland Home In Thailand (1:11)
09 - All You've Got To Do (3:31)
10 - It's All Too Much (4:41)

11 - Futari No Kage Ni (4:39)
12 - Disposable Love (Japanese version) (4:29)
13 - Ich Bin Der Glucklichste Mensch Auf Der Welt (4:00)

Yukihiro @ Base
Yukihiro @ Amazon

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The Drum Battle (79 * 54mb)

This is a bonus, a bit out of the regular musical context, however it is an example how the Japanese tried to achieve the highest sound quality sound onto vinyl, their pressings already had a high status this album is a socalled direct master cut, no inbetween tape adding distortion limiting seperation etc, so the cymbals crash and the snares snap . All this suits the jazz format , live cutting in the studio. Well something for the freaks i guess, as it aint very long and in line with the drive for best audioquality i upped the grade to ogg-9 here .



01 - Jumping At The Woodside (5:20)
02 - Bernie's Tune (7:03)
03 - Drum Boogie (11:43)

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* All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !

Japan IV

Japan IV, again all vinyl rips, rather time consuming but hey those Beatniks were terribly cool in their day, and dare i say still have held some aura..the beat generation..existentialism big questions , break on thru to the other side..Miharu Koshi is H Hosono's muze and she will not dissapoint you either. Those frank Chickens have taken themselves always more serious then their name or lyrics suggest. Masami Tsuchiya had been flirting with andronygy like David Sylvian or his mate on this album Ryuichi Sakamoto Bowie comes to mind but the music is great.Yukihiro Takahashi the singing YMO drummer shows what he can do with a little help from his friends. Lastly an outside extra as it is a comedy radioshow mainly in Japanese, so get it and tell your friends what it is about..

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Beatniks - Exitentialism (81)
Miharu Koshi - Tutu (83)
We Are Frank Chickens (84)
Masami Tsuchiya - Rice Music ( 82)
Yukihiro Takahashi - Neuromancer (81)
Snakeman Show - Bootleg (83)

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Beatniks - Exitentialism ( 81 * 57mb)

In 1981, elsewhere in Japan, the not-nearly-as-popular-but-still-great Moon Riders had just released the highly regarded "Camera Egal Stylo," which marked their about-face into new-wave, and were working on the highly-regarded album "Mania Maniera," which was apparently too bizarre to release upon its completion in 1982. Lots of elevated regard was floating around between YMO and them apparently. Therefore no surprise that the 1981 album by the Beatniks, the on-again-off-again collaboration between YMO frontman and drummer Yukihiro Takahashi and head Moon Rider (and Earthbound soundtrack scribe, to you video game fans) Keiichi Suzuki, is as fantastic as it is.

The oddly named "Exitentialism" (yes, ExiTENtialism...don't ask me!) is, to be sure, a bit tilted in the YMO direction. YMO, and especially Takahashi, were stars; the Moon Riders were and are Not. Consequently, Exitentialism is a bit of a 60%/30% split in Takahashi's favor--not a huge problem, as by this point Keiichi Suzuki's voice was at the beginning of its steady decline. As an album, Exitentialism plays like a combination of YMO's "BGM" (think U-T and Cue), the Moon Riders' "Camera Egal Stylo". They released 4 more albums over the 2 decades that followed. Exitentialist A Go Go [1987] , Another High Exit [1994], The Show Vol.4 Yohji Yamamoto Collection Music [1996] , M.R.I. Musical Resonance Imaging [2001] . Easy does it...



01 - Le Sang Du Poete (2:24)
02 - No Way Out (4:05)
03 - Ark Diamant (4:00)
04 - Now And Then... (3:52)
05 - Loopy (2:58)
06 - Une Femme N'est Pas Un Homme (3:26)
07 - Mirroris (3:27)
08 - Le Robinet (3:01)
09 - L'etoile De Mer (3:36)
10 - Inevitable (5:38)

Beatniks @ Amazon

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Miharu Koshi - Tutu (83 * 67mb)

Miharu Koshi made her debut as Kayo-kyoku idol singer and started her artistic activity with the YEN label as she became crazy about multiple recording with synthesizers. She's become one of the most intriquing characters in Japanese electronic music culture, almost always involved when there is something going on with Haruomi "Harry" Hosono, Hosono Jr, or Ryuichi Sakamoto. She has collaborated with Thomas Dolby as well.

Her style is really interesting and fresh and new. She often sings in German or in French. Wonderfully ambient and intriguing. tracks made with old analog synthesizers programmed by Hosono are really fantastic and you can recognize them to be Harry's work just as soon as you hear them. Haruomi Hosono's Omni Sight Seeing was another CD I found in which Miharu Koshi beautiful voice and genuine style shines through. Tutu is her 4th album she's been releasing a steady stream of albums since 1979 Her latest album is Corset (2003) which was produced by Haruomi Hosono naturally.



01 - L'Amour Toujours (3:44)
02 - Laetitia (5:50)
03 - Scandal Night (4:19)
04 - L'amour... Ariuwa Kuro No Irony (5:25)
05 - Sugar Me (3:38)
06 - Pussycat (4:47)
07 - Keep On Dancing (5:06)
08 - Nichiyo Wa Ikanai (5:20)
09 - Petit Paradis (4:11)

Miharu @ Base
Miharu @ Amazon

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Frank Chickens - We Are Frank Chickens (84 * 71mb)

A three-month vacation Kazuko had been planning turned into a four-year absence from her native Japan, during which she brought all the joys of Japanese youth culture to the jaded London punk scene. Hooking up with two other vibrant Japanese women – Kazumi Taguchi and Moriko Iwatsudo – Kazuko Hohki created The Frank Chickens and produced work that took avant-garde pop from the bargain bins of the 1980s and launched it into the next millennium. Using fashion, art and electronics, The Chickens pioneered future pop.

With their brilliant use of simplistic drama, fast wit and spontaneity making for a fun live show, they were invited to support, The Smiths on another successful jaunt around the country. A second collaboration with Beresford and Toop produced the excellent GET CHICKENIZED (1987) with subject matter even more mind-bending than before. It included tales of runaway lesbians and female wrestlers, ironic rap (“Yellow Toast”), and a traditional tune from the Chindon Ya – Japanese street advertisers.



01 - Cheeba Cheeba Chimpira (4:47)
02 - Mothra (4:59)
03 - Green Banana (3:41)
04 - Madam Fatal (6:37)
05 - We Are Ninja (3:23)
06 - Yellow Detective (3:56)
07 - Shellfish Bamboo (4:18)
08 - Pikadon (3:37)
09 - We Are Frank Chickens (4:42)
10 - Saké Ballad (3:09)

We Are Frank Chickens @ Base
We Are Frank Chickens @ Amazon

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Masami Tsuchiya - Rice Music (82 * 279mb)

Bowiesque guitarist Masami Tsuchiya, leader from the Ippu Do. . Tsuchiya's voice is high but gutsy and always in control (even when yelling) — on Rice Music his first solo LP Masami gets lots of help from YMO's Ryuichi Sakamoto, and several tracks include members of Japan (the band) and Bill Nelson on e-bow guitar. He toured with Japan during the oil on canvas tour. He returned to Ippu Do but in 85 said goodbye.



01 - Rice Music (4:00)
02 - Se! Se! Se! (4:19)
03 - Haina-Haila (4:32)
04 - Tao-Tao (4:03)
05 - Neo-Rice Music (1:58)
06 - Kafka (4:27)
07 - Rice Dog Jam (4:30)
08 - Secret Party (4:11)
09 - Silent Object (2:21)
10 - Night In The Park (5:53)


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Yukihiro Takahashi - Neuromancer (81  flac 270mb)

Yukihiro Takahashi first came to prominence as the drummer of The Sadistic Mika Band, and became known to western audiences after this band (led by Kazuhiko Katoh, formerly of The Folk Crusaders) toured and recorded in the United Kingdom. After the Sadistic Mika Band disbanded, some of the members (including Takahashi) formed another band called The Sadistics, who released several albums. Finally Takahashi recorded his first solo album Saravah in 1978, later that year. he joined Ryuichi Sakamoto and Haruomi Hosono to form the Yellow Magic Orchestra.

After the Yellow Magic Orchestra disbanded in the mid 80s, Takahashi went solo and released a large number of solo albums, primarily intended for the Japanese market. Takahashi has collaborated extensively with other musicians, including Bill Nelson, Iva Davies of Icehouse, Keiichi Suzuki of the Moon Riders (often as a duo dubbed "The Beatniks," although Suzuki essentially functioned as a member of Takahashi's backing band during the Moon Riders' brief hiatus) and in particular Steve Jansen.



01 - Glass (6:01)
02 - Grand Espoir (4:38)
03 - Connection (5:03)
04 - New (Red) Roses (3:46)
05 - Extra-Ordinary (4:22)
06 - Drip Dry Eyes (5:29)
07 - Curtains (3:41)
08 - Charge (2:33)
09 - Something In The Air (4:50)

Yukihiro @ Base
Yukihiro @ Amazon

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Snakeman show - Bootleg (83 * 76mb)

This is a little extra for my Japanese visitors as all the gags from the Snakeman radio show are in Japanese, and well the rest of us will be lost without translation, however there's a nice YMO 5 min.megamix to start of the album..introduced by wolfman jack. The cover art ain't half bad either..



1 - Snakeman Show Introduction
2 - YMO Medley
2.1-Technopolis
2.2-Rydeen
2.3-Tong-Poo
2.4-Nice Age
2.5-Behind The Mask
2.6-Insomnia
2.7-Multiplies
2.8-Citizen Of Science
2.9-Multiplies
2.10-Solid State Survivor
2.11-Absolute Ego Dance
2.12-Firecrackers

3 - Snakeman show Gag 1
4 - Snakeman show Gag 2
5 - Snakeman show Gag 3
6 - Snakeman show Gag 4
7 - Snakeman show Gag 5
8 - Snakeman show Gag 6
9 - Snakeman show Gag 7

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* All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !

Japan Sushi

Japan Sushi, well i expected a longer stay in the hospital, that didnt come about, so i might aswell do a regular post on a slightly short notice. Again all vinyl rips , all with an arty touch, some tastes to be acquired..

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Japanese sushis..

Toshinori Kondo - Taihen (84)
EP-4 - Lingua Franca-X (83)
E.D.P.S - Blue Sphinx (83)
Haruomi Hosono - Philharmony (82)
Sheena & The Rokkets (80)

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Toshinori Kondo - Taihen ( 84* 228mb)

Toshinori Kondo (December 15, 1948 ) is an avant-garde and jazz trumpeter and the most celebrated improvising musician of his country. He has lived in Japan, New York City, and Amsterdam. In college he was a member of the band "Funky Beaters" and by 1976 he was a member of an ensemble which gained some notice in his native Japan. His early influences were Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis. That said, his style is quite distinct from theirs and influenced by his religious studies, among other things. In the mid-1970s his career gained new momentum on moving to NYC, where he worked with members of the 'Downtown' scene, including Bill Laswell and John Zorn; his first solo album coming out in 1979. Back in Japan, Kondo formed International Music Activities (IMA). Releasing "What Are You Talking About?" (IMA, 1983). "Kuuchuu Fuyuu" (Domo, 1983 - Absord, 1999). Taihen (Polydor, 1984) backed the trumpet with the rock format of guitar-drum-bass. Metal Position (EFA, 1985) used a similar setting with the addition of Haruo Togashi's synthesizer and piano. Konton (Epic, 1986) featured a line-up of trumpet, keyboards, guitar and drums. His proximity to rock music was confirmed by the EP China Boogie (Polydor, 1985), featuring Bill Laswell, Anton Fier, Fred Frith, etc.Later he moved to the Netherlands where he lives today. He has kept a comparatively low profile in the Netherlands and has little to no connections to the Dutch jazz scene. In 2002 he worked on an international peace festival in Hiroshima after being approached by the Dalai Lama about organizing one. He has also done musical, and possibly acting, work for Japanese crime films. He is currently known for Free jazz and electronica music. In these, or related, capacities he has worked with DJ Krush and Tom Cora. He is also known for being avant-garde and was a former member of Praxis.



01 - Taihen (7:42)
02 - The Day After (6:36)
03 - Takao Blue (5:59)
04 - A Song For Buddha (7:11)
05 - Oiwake (5:42)
06 - Shosuke-San (7:22)

Kondo @ MySpace
Kondo @ Amazon

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EP-4 - Lingua Franca-X ( 95 * 30mb)

Experimental, Funk, Cold Wave, members ; Kaoru Sato (Voc), BANANA Kawashima ( keyboards).], Tatsuo Kohki (gitar), Yung Tsubotaj (Percussion), Tohru Sanjo ( drums), Koh Sakuma (bass). Couldnt find much else on them besides being from Kyoto and this discography. Seifuku Nikutai ( 83), Released as cassette book. Multilevel Holarchy ( 83), Lingua Franca ( 83), The Crystal Monster (85), Five To One ( 85) , Lingua Franca X ( 93) Released as book, Found Tapes ( 94 ) .



01 - Coco (8:00)
02 - dB (5:17)
03 - Zoy (4:42)

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E.D.P.S - BLUE SPHINX ( 83 * 61mb)

E.D.P.S. was lead by Tsunematsu Masatoshi and is qualifiable as art-punk/wave I guess



1 - To Rule The Night 4:48
2 - Death Composition 4:27
3 - Be Your Slave 4:32
4 - This Time 3:42
5 - Ma Wa Re 3:04
6 - Sphinx 2:44
7 - Namari No Yoni 4:51
8 - It's Your Kingdom 7:42
9 - Too Much Dream 6:28

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Haruomi Hosono - Philharmony ( 82 flac 251mb)

Mr. Hosono started his musical activity with Apryl Fool, a legendary psychedelic rock band, in 1969. Since then, he has played a critical role in Japanese music history moving to Happy End, Tin Pan Alley, Y.M.O. He also established \EN label (with Mr. Takahashi) and Non Standard, and he is eager to discover new artistic talents.

Philharmony captures Hosono's genius, as he deftly uses the (then) emerging technology of digital sampling, it was originally recorded way back in 1982 and represents the first time digital sampling was ever used to construct an entire musical album. It begins with Picnic, a quirky little instrumental that is neither ambient nor structured, but in a league, like so many of Hosono's works, all by itself. The second track, Funiculi Funicula, is a uniquely Japanese and more uniquely Hosono-esque "adaptation" of the traditional Italian folk song.
The real ambient pieces on the album, Birthday Party and Air-Condition, are typical Hosono all the way - eerie, dark, a-musical, enthralling, and even aggressive; finally disintegrating into a loose cloud of fractured noise. These two tracks are actually the antithesis of the harmonic, relaxing, passive, and even genteel ambient style developed by that other musical trailblazer of the 70's and 80's. Brian Eno, this is most definitely NOT! The title track is simply incredible. Philharmony is a brilliant display of musical technology for technology's sake, as Hosono uses only a digitally sampled voice to construct the entire piece. More Hosono later this month.



01 - Picnic 1:58)
02 - Funiculi Funicura (4:35)
03 - Luminescent/Hotaru (4:25)
04 - Platonic (4:24)
05 - In Limbo (2:26)
06 - Living Dining Kitchen (3:48)
07 - Birthday Party (3:52)
08 - Sports Men (4:06)
09 - Philharmony (3:27)
10 - Air-Condition (4:38)
bonus Videogame music EP ( ogg 24mb)
11 - Super Xevious (8:50)
12 - Gaplus (5:20
13 - Tower of Draga (1:46)

Hosono @ Amazon

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Sheena and The Rokkets (80 * 54mb )

Mentai Rock is the name given to the collection of Japanese artists who gained national popularity during the late 1970's. Continuing through the early 80's, the collective had little in common other than their origin - the Hakata ward of Fukuoka City. The phrase, Mentai Rock, was derived from the name of a local delicacy, mentaiko, made from roe. Many believed that their origin also had a common influence on the overall sound, despite the wide variety of genres represented, one of its bigget names was Sheena and the Rokkets. They supported Elvis Costello on his 78 Japan tour, which was their first ever tour, they recorded this their first album after that and saw it released spring 79. Alfa records picked them up , and their next albums "Synkou Pack" "Channel Goo" "Pinup Baby Blues" and "NEW HIPPIES" followed the next 5 years. Inbetween Sheena did a soloalbum"BEAUTIFUL" with Haruomi Hosono



01 - Batman theme
02 - You May Dream
03 - Sentimental Fool
04 - Omae Ga Hoshii (one more time)
05 - Lazy Crazy Blues
06 - Moonlight Dance
07 - Stiff Lips
08 - Heaven or Hell
09 - I Got You, I Feel Good
10 - You Really Got Me
11 - Radio Junk
12 - Rocket Factory

Sheena @ Amazon

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* All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !

Japan Do

Hello, sorry i missed last wednesdays post, i had a bicycle accident ended up in hospital with broken collarbone and bruised ribs, a knock on the head, which followup research has me having to return, basicly im on weekend leave, so no post next wednesday either.

Therefor a bit briefer as ususal, a second batch of vinylrips from early eighties Japan, i start off with the first YMO member to appear in this context, dont worry there will be more, even when just a fraction. Joji Hiroti fills the rootsy/jazzy spot and even if he aint that new age as these days and as one might gather from the cover, latenight music. Lizard then again isnt, Japans first real new wave band which left the island to look for the vibe, recorded their first with JJBurnel (strangles) upon return they'd seen enough to produce the follow up Babylon Rocker themselves, Sandii moved from background singer to the front, great move by the looks of it, anyway she weaves some great tunes with her okinawen music brothers . The Snakeman Show great album its not necessary to understand any Japanese here just catch the drift ...

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Ryuichi Sakamoto - Left Handed Dream (81)
Joji Hirota - The Wheel of Fortune (81)
Lizard - Babylon Rocker (81)
Sandii & The Sunsetz - Immigrants (82)
Snakeman Show - Pithecan Thropus Erectus Strike Back (83)

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Ryuichi Sakamoto - Left Handed Dream (81 Flac 295mb)

Ryuichi Sakamoto (born January 17, 1952 in Tokyo, Japan) studied at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he graduated with a BA in composition, and a Master's degree with special emphasis electronic and ethnic music. Sakamoto began his career in the late 1970s, working as a composer, arranger and producer with some of Japan's most popular rock, jazz and classical artists. He released his first solo album in 1978 but came to fame as a member of Japanese synth-rock outfit Yellow Magic Orchestra with co-founders Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi. He collaborated with David Sylvian on a number of singles and most of Sylvian's albums. He appeared in the 1983 Nagisa Oshima film Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence alongside British rock singer David Bowie; he also wrote the film's musical score. He won the Academy Award for his score to the 1987 Bernardo Bertolucci film The Last Emperor. He has also written soundtracks for Pedro Almodovar's film High Heels, and Oliver Stone's Wild Palms. Sakamoto was married to a Japanese pianist and singer Akiko Yano, collaborating with her on some of her recordings. He is also known as a critic of copyright law, saying it is antiquated in the information age.



01 - Boku No Kakera (4:01)
02 - Saru To Yuki Gomi No Kodomo (5:08)
03 - Kacha Kucha Nee (4:20)
04 - The Garden Of Poppies (5:36)
05 - Relâché (3:58)
06 - Tell'm To Me (4:30)
07 - Living In The Dark (5:17)
08 - Slat Dance (2:49)
09 - Venezia (4:43)
10 - Sarunoie (2:18)
original bonus ep
11 - The Left Bank (4:22)
12 - The Arrangement (4:49)
13 - Just About Enough (4:35)
14 - Once In A Lifetime (4:53)

Sakamoto @ Base

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Joji Hirota - The Wheel of Fortune (81 * 64mb)

Hirota was born in North Japan. At the age of eleven, he began a lifelong study of percussion and has been composing from the age of thirteen. He studied at the Kyoto City University of Arts. In 1972 he was invited by Stomu Yamashita to be the musical director and percussionist of the Red Buddha Theatre. In 1977 he became the musical director and percussionist for the Lindsay Kemp Dance Company. Hirota toured extensively throughout Europe, Mexico, Canada and the USA, South America and Japan.He has released four solo albums, "Sahasuhara", "Wheel of Fortune" "Rain Forest Dream" and "The Gate". In 1991, Lindsay Kemp Dance Company won the Time Out Award for best dance company for their production of "Onnagata" for which Hirota wrote and performed the music.



1. Sublimation
2. The Sunlight Peak
3. Water Dragon
4. Reminiscence
5. Pure Joy
6. A Song Soars Tomorrow
7. Dreams of Silver River
8. Fire Dragon
9. Celestial Voice
10. The Wheel of Fortune

Hirota @ Base

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Lizard - Babylon Rocker ( 81 * 69mb)

In 1979, LIZARD released the debut album with Punk sound using synths produced by Jean Jacques Burnel in Stranglers. Momoyo, a leader of the band, is the free producer of Japanese Rock scene.....

He was 17 years old. Momoyo formed the first band, named 'Electric Moth'. In 1973, They changed the name "Red Lizard". In 1978, Momo met JJ from the Stranglers, he invited us to LONDON, 1979 summer. They changed the name to "LIZARD" and went to LONDON. At that time, they had the recording for first album and have some gigs in the UK. The next year, 1980, Lizard produced their second album in  'BABYLON ROCKER'. Followed by their 3rd album'GYMNOPEDIA' Neuromantic Album a year later.

 Lizard dissolved once. 1982-1987 'LIZARD' Momo worked as a project under same name.It was not a band any longer. And Momoyo was going down the underground. And Now, The Project has been reborn as the AI program in BABYLONIC STUDIO. Latest work is the sound track of 'Alexander' an animation film made in the Republic of Korea. At same time Momoyo is working as the producer of i-wave.net, i-wave.com, the next coming dual music-sites for EAST, Hongkong, Macao, Singapore, Tokyo.



01 - Rock n Roll War
02 - Goodbye Plastic Age
03 - Asakusa Rock
04 - Instant Dream
05 - Kids..Babylon Rocker
06 - Moonlight Lover
07 - Lizard Song
08 - Kwangju Fighting
09 - Baby Hit Yourself
10 - Sa Ka Na
11 - Dum Gum
12 - Sa Ka Na dub

Lizard @ Base


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Sandii and The Sunsetz - Immigrants (82 * 287mb)]

Sandii is a colorful veteran of the Japanese music business, who has gone through a number of stylistic changes over time, yet still maintained a substantial audience. Born Sandii Suzuki in Hawaii, with a mix of Japanese, Spanish and American blood, she moved to Tokyo in the early 70s and became a DJ on NHK radio. After winning a Yamaha sponsored songwriting contest in 1976, and having a solo hit single “Mystery Nile” in 1979, Sandii joined up with Yuyakegakudan, (who later became the Sunsetz), a group led by guitarist Makoto Kubota, who she later married. Kubota was an experienced musician, who had traveled extensively and picked up a variety of musical influences, including New Orleans, reggae, and various types of Asian music. Amazingly, their first gig together as a band was opening for Yellow Magic Orchestra at Budokan in 1980.

Sandii’s first album, Eating Pleasure (1980), was sung entirely in English, and received much critical attention. Her second album Heat Scale (1981), was recorded in Ibiza, Spain, and released in a total of 17 countries. Both albums were produced by Harumi Hosono of YMO. Sandii’s model-like good looks definitely helped the band draw attention, and amongst the band’s international fans were Melody Maker writer Adam Sweeting and David Bowie. Their third album, on which they became Sandii & the Sunsetz, entitled Immigrants (1982) featured guest appearances by David Sylvain , by which time they had fused Western rock and techno-pop with Japanese and Okinawan traditional elements. While trading on the striking looks of their lead vocalist, they were also creating songs of the calibre of 'Dreams Of Immigrants' (magnificently surreal backbeat rhythm track) and 'Open Sesame' (the epitome of techno-folk). Viva Lava Liva '84 on Sire was a compilation of material from Eating Pleasure, Heat Scale and Immigrants in remixed or live variants. Next came Banzai Baby '86 on EMI. 'Sticky Music' (a top ten in Australia) was revisited in French on Yen's two-disc Graduation remix and rarity anthology, a signpost to one of the singularities of her career: her ability and readiness to sing in many languages. She also duetted with Stephen Duffy on (the misnamed) 'Something Special' '86 from the film Knights And Emeralds on 10 Records. Sandii and the Sunsetz' Rhythm Chemistry '87, One Love '88 and the compilation Orientation '89 were all on EMI; there was growing disenchantment with their musical direction, not least because they were being groomed for an American audience and losing their special identity. Speaking of the process, Sandii told Mojo '95, 'We just couldn't put our minds together to go in that direction but we tried anyway. It didn't work out.' The group disbanded;



01 - dreams of immigrants
02 - open sesame
03 - living on the frontline
04 - the mirrors of your eyes
05 - you get what you need
06 - jinjirogeh-the chunk o' funk
07 - perfect strangers
08 - illusion
09 - wanted
10 - where the fire still burns


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Snakeman Show with Melon - Pithecan Thropus Erectus Strike Back ( 83 * 68mb)

Snakeman Show is originally a radio program (Raido Osaka -> TBS) and it broke out among New Wave boys and girls with the insertion to Y.M.O.'s mini 25 cm album "Multiplies". This was an outstanding work by betraying the expectation of ordinary people as a plan after a major hit of "Solid State Survivor". It made Masato Eve who was a voice actor for the President Deathler and Katsuya Kobayashi who is a master of English very major thanks to Moichi Kuwahara as a brain.
About how Snakeman Show started... Moichi Kuwahara was deeply inclined to the movie "American Graphity" released in the early 70's which Wolfman Jack appears while working the Japanese edition of "Rolling Stone", an American counter-culture magazine. Katsuya Kobayashi was producing the BGM for the bar "Scotch Bank" run by VAN, men's clothing brand leveraging the mimic of Wolfman Jack. Kuwahara was so impressed by Kobayashi's mimic and Kuwahara asked Katsuya Kobayashi to be a main personality of the radio show which started after discontinuing "Rolling Stone". Kuwahara was exploring the program which can inspire the imagination by creating an imaginary character (admiring Wolfman), and Kuwahara convinced Mr. Kobyashi to call Snakeman Show by Snakeman, not Katsuya Kobayashi, as he happens to be born in the year of snake.
The Pithecan Thropus Erectus Strike Back album came about in collaboration with the x Plastics members who went ahead as Melon, recorded at the Pithecan club.



01 - Introduction (0:44)
02 - Do the Pithecan-Happy Age (7:36)
03 - Gag 1 (1:07)
04 - Pure Innocence (3:50)
05 - Gag 2 (3:37)
06 - International Dance (3:26)
07 - Pithecan Ondo (0:44)
08 - La Poupee Automate (2:34)
09 - Tune From Rangoon (3:36)
10 - Miserlou (2:49)
11 - Gag 3 (2:50)
12 - Fly Me To the Moon (4:06)
13 - Emerald Sea (1:21)
14 - Jungle Flower (5:14)


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* All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !

Japan 1

Hello,

The first signs of civilization on the Japanese Archipelago appeared around 10,000 BCE with the Jomon culture, characterized by a Mesolithic to Neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer lifestyle of pit dwelling and a rudimentary form of agriculture. Decorated clay vessels from this period, often with plaited patterns, are some of the oldest surviving examples of pottery in the world. This Jomon culture continued to 400 BC, one of the enigmatic figurines they left us were the socalled Dogū produced towards the end of the Jomon culture. The purpose of the Dogū remains unclear, but most likely, the dogu acted as effigies of people, that manifested some kind of sympathetic magic. For example, it may have been believed that illnesses could be transferred into the Dogū, then destroyed, clearing the illness, or any other misfortune. There are other theories that state that the Dogu may be linked to extra-terresterials. The figures resemble 'space suits' complete with rivets and a helmet/face mask. The large eyes are also reminiscent of the traditional 'Grey' type alien.




Japan comprises over three thousand islands, the largest of which are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic, including Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji. Japan has the world's tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.

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Vinyl San

Far East Family Band-NIPPONJIN ( Join Our Mental Phase Sound) (75)
Ondekoza - 3 (80)
Plastics - Welcome Back (81)
Various - Tokyo Mobile Music 1 (81)
Ippu-Do - Radio Fantasy (81)
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Far East Family Band-NIPPONJIN ( 75 Flac 305mb) - Join Our Mental Phase Sound

Far East Family Band spawned the careers of three guys. Their names being Fumio Miyashita (who often released his albums under simply the "Fumio" name), Akira Ito, and most of all, Masanori Takahashi. Maybe you might not know Masanori Takahashi by that name, but you know him as Kitaro, the prolific New Age artist of the 1980s and 1990s.

But what Far East Family Band did in the 1970s was not New Age at all, but mainly progressive rock, with the occasional Japanese influence. Nipponjin is the band's second album and contained remakes of songs from their previous album, The Cave - Down to the Earth (1975), and Far Out (1973), an album from Fumio Miyashita's previous band, Far Out. Klaus Schulze also produced Nipponjin, and you can hear some of his influence, particularly on "Undiscovered Northern Land". That piece mainly consists of droning, with some bamboo flute and Mellotron.

The album's real centerpiece is without a doubt, the title track. It starts off rather mellow, complete with electric sitar, with vocals (in English), but then the album kicks in with a killer guitar jam, eventually the band starts chanting "Om", as well as repeatedly chanting something in Japanese. Some of the mid-tempo parts of this song justifies why FEFB is regarded as the Japanese Pink Floyd. A totally amazing song! The next song, "The Cave" is the FEFB sound in a nutshell.



01 - Nipponjin (16:50)
02 - The Cave (8:37)
03 - Undiscovered Northern Land (2:54)
04 - Timeless (4:26)
05 - The God Of Water (2:06)
06 - River Of Soul (8:28)
07 - The God Of Wind (2:33)
08 - Movin' Lookin' (1:39)
09 - Yamato (0:48)
10 - Mystery Of Northern Space (5:57)

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Ondekoza - 3 ( 80 * 46mb)

From their base on remote Sado Island in the Sea of Japan, traditional Japanese taiko (drum) group Ondekoza have crisscrossed the world as virtual cultural ambassadors for Japan. Their unique crusade has spearheaded a revival of interest in the taiko at home, as well as stimulating a surge of interest that has led to the founding of taiko groups abroad . Formed in 1969, Ondekoza were the brainchild of Tagayasu Den. In communal life on Sado Island, Den subjected his apprentices to rigorous physical training in addition to technical training in the art of the mighty taiko. His goal was to produce a group whose mental toughness would be equal to the demands of the mighty drums and able to withstand the challenges of the road.
In 1975, Ondekoza made their American debut. In one noteworthy performance, the members performed a full set after completing the Boston Marathon. The group toured America, Europe and Japan to critical acclaim.

In 1981, largely in response to a movie project that was by all accounts a financial and artistic failure, members of Ondekoza broke off to form the group Kodo while Tagayasu kept the name and most of the company's drums.



A (16:00)
B (17:15)

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Plastics - Welcome Back ( 81 * 79mb)

Welcome Plastics (the first LP) and six songs from Origato Plastico (the second LP). THE PLASTICS were often compared to THE B-52’s. The upbeat music and quirky presentation were similar, but in many ways THE PLASTICS had a darker view of humanity. Smiling, and using its latest machines, they invented a wonderful pop-music which remains an impressive and original statement. In English, they critiqued society, experimented with new sounds, and had so much fun, that no one took offense. Here, in the U.S., most didn’t even notice.
These songs were re-recorded for U.S. release, (also released in Japan). I love the original versions, but believe every song was improved here. There’s a cleaner, fuller sound, and the vocals are more intense. This is a refined presentation of THE PLASTICS, and a great introduction to the band. They spent a lot of time in New York, and made a sincere attempt to break into the U.S. market. Why they weren’t able to, I don’t know. Their sound was probably just too unique, but their music inspired a lot of the more interesting Japanese bands that are playing today!



01 - Delicious (2:30)
02 - Diamond Head (3:35)
03 - Peace (3:05)
04 - Ignore (2:50)
05 - Cards (4:45)
06 - Top Secret Man (2:32)
07 - Copy (2:35)
08 - Good (3:20)
09 - Park (3:50)
10 - Robot (3:30)


Plastics @ Amazon

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VA - Tokyo Mobile Music 1 ( 81 * 63mb)

Conceived by David Claridge, who apparently traveled around Tokyo with a hand-held Sony cassette recorder (featured on the front of the album) and inserted snippets of ambient city sounds and overheard conversations between the cuts which provide the actual meat of the album.

Liner notes: "Collating the tracks for this album has not proved to be the easiest of tasks. However I hope these tracks will serve as a foretaste of what is to come from Japan in the future. The Mobile Suit Corporation will be focussing on the East and unearthing as much new talent as possible. David Claridge"



SFX Bullet Train Passing
01 - Hikashu - New Tribe
SFX Riding The Bullet Plus Announcement
02 - Akiko Yano - Rose Garden
SFX Bus Journey To Shibuya
03 - Earthling - You Go On Natural
SFX Pachinko Parlour In Shinjuku
04 - Yukihiro Takahashi - Mirrormanic
05 - Shoukichi Kina - Mimichiri Bozu
SFX Demonstration At Shibuya
06 - Lizard - Sa Ka Na
SFX Video Games In Ginza
07 - Hikashu - The Model
SFX Fire In Downtown Asakusa
08 - Salon Music - Hunting On Paris
SFX Indecisive Guy In McDonalds Shibuya
09 - Akiko Yano - Canton Boy

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Ippu-Do - Radio Fantasy (81 * 61mb)

Ippu-Do debuted in 1980 with the new wave-influenced Normal, on which the trio (Tsuchiya on vocals and guitar, Akira Mitake on keyboards, and Shoji Fujii on drums) sound a little like a Nipponese version of New Musik or Split Enz. The trio quickly followed this with Real, which was more of the same, but 1981's Radio Fantasy (the trio's first release outside of Japan) was almost completely electronic. The group went on hiatus after that release, with Tsuchiya beginning his solo career and his temporary membership in Japan (played guitar with Japan on the Asian tour documented on the live album Oil on Canvas). A best-of disc, Lunatic Menu, was released in 1982 in Japan and the U.K. YMO's Ryuichi Sakamoto collaborated with Tsuchiya on his 1982 solo album Rice Music.

When Ippu-Do reappeared in late 1983, they were reduced to a duo of Tsuchiya and Mitake. Supported by drummer Steve Jansen and keyboardist Richard Barbieri of Japan and American bassist Percy Jones, the duo recorded the danceable Night Mirage, a supple blend of Japan's crystalline sound with some surprising R&B and funk rhythms. A two-disc live set with this lineup, Live and Zen, came out in 1984, but Tuschiya returned to his solo career at that point, bidding farewell to Ippu-Do with a well-chosen compilation in 1985.



01 - Radio Cosmos (2:15)
02 - Time Of The Season (4:14)
03 - Radio Fantasy (2:44)
04 - Yomotolo-Waiya (1:43)
05 - China Step (2:41)
06 - Radio Japan (2:45)
07 - Imitation Cha Cha (2:59)
08 - Morning Menu (1:47)
09 - Magic Vox (4:46)
10 - Mission Impossible Theme (2:24)
11 - Dubling Radio (0:56)
12 - Listen To Me (4:23)
13 - I Need You (3:59)

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* All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !

TransSiberia-China Express

Hello again, a trans - siberian post coming up ending in China. But first, as noted in the comments many of my links have been scrapped, after i re uploaded the eurosonic ones again last weekend to divshare, sunday they mailed me and told me i was in breach and they scrapped all links i had there, it was no joke. Safe to say i wasnt very happy about all this, specially as my aim is to see those that get so little of the limelight to get some. I guess there's an enormous pool of hamburger terrorists.

Well this musicmeal acquires some adventurous tasting, but as most of you probably know these guys know their cooking.

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Yat-Kha - Yenisei-Punk
VA - The Heart of Tuva
Altai Hangai - Naariits Biilye ( Let's Dance)
VA - Voice of the Dragon
Double Fish - Hackers, My One Week
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Yat-Kha - Yenisei-Punk (95 * 106mb)

If you've never seen one mouth singing two or three separate simultaneous melodies, you really need to get out more. Go to Tuva, for example, a remote republic in Siberia surrounded by mountains and filled with moonshiners, miners and cows. There you will find shamanic folk songs played on unpronounceable instruments by bearded men with grizzly, guttural voices that will pimple your skin forever.

Yat-Kha was founded in Moscow in 1991, as a collaborative project between Kuvezin and Russian avant-garde, electronic composer Ivan Sokolovsky. The project blended traditional Tuvan folk music with post-modern rhythms and electronic effects. Kuvezin and Sokolovsky toured and played festivals, and eventually took the name “Yat-Kha,” which refers to a type of small, Central Asian zither similar to a Chinese Guzheng that Kuvezin plays in addition to the guitar. In 1993, they released a self-titled album on the General Records label. After the release of Yat-Kha, Kuvezin and Sokolovsky parted creative ways and Kuvezin went on to release five other albums under the name Yat-Kha with other musicians (and less of an emphasis on electronics), beginning with Yenisei Punk in 1995, with morin khuur player Alexei Saaia, subse quently released; Tundra's Ghosts (1996/97) , Dalai Beldiri (1999), Aldyn Dashka (2000), Bootleg (2001, live), Tuva Rock (2003), Re-Covers (2005) and
Bootleg 2005 another live album.

The Re-covers record made the biggest splash, from the opening strum of Led Zeppelin's 'When The Levee Breaks', 'Re-Covers' sets its stall as a reverent but unapologetic album. Simmering the song to its bones, Kuvezin rebuilds it as a Siberian folk masterpiece, his unnervingly deep growl spinning a magical, mesmeric tale over the delicate instrumentation. Unfortunately his work is hard to come by, so here's a chance.



01 - Solun Chaagai Soviet Churtum (5:11)
02 - Karangailyg Kara Hovaa (Dyngyldai) (3:07)
03 - Kaa-Khem (5:11)
04 - Kuu-La Khashtyn Baaryndan (4:11)
05 - Kamgalanyr Kuzhu-Daa Bar (3:20)
06 - Irik Chuduk (3:25)
07 - Chashpy-Khem (4:18)
08 - Kadarchy (4:54)
09 - Chok-La Kizhi Yry (4:07)
10 - Een Kurug Kagban-Na Men (2:56)
11 - Toorugtug Taiga (4:23)
12 - Kargyram (10:32)
13 - Kozhamyk (3:46)
14 - Doshpuluurum (2:26)

Yat Kha @ Base
Yat Kha @ Amazon

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VA - The Heart of Tuva (96 * 152mb)

Within a region of Siberia/Mongolian border that is called Tuva, there is more freezing weather than all of the Great Lakes region combined, surrounded by mountains and desert. This is a land where wrestling, games with sheep bones and carnivore appetites are a standard. In 1921, a group of herders created this country after Russians, Chinese, Turks, Huns, Mongols and other armies had over-run the land continuously.

So, what exactly is 'throat singing' then? Basically, it involves overtones that are heard in new music, applied to voices. Höömeï is the name applied to it though it is really only one of three or four styles also including sygyt and kargyraa. You hear a deep humming groan, mixed with a high pitched whistling sound. To practice this art, it's recommended not only to carefully practice proper breathing/inhaling and diet (no cold food before trying to do it) but also to, in the words of champion singer Kongar-ool Ondar, "be in an very uplifted mood; your soul, your inner spiritual voice, must be strong." Sometimes, three voicings are heard in one person's singing. Usually, it's done acapella by a single voice (but with its multi-voicing style, a singer may sound like a whole group). Unlike anything you've ever heard.



01 - Kongar-ool Onda - Medley of Throat Singing Styles Accompanied by Doshpuulur
02 - Aldyn-ool Sevek - Demonstration of Kargyraa
03 - Oleg Kuular - Collection of Hoomei Styles
04 - Oorzhak Khunashtaar-ool - Bolur-daa-bol, Bolbas-daa-bol
05 - Oorzhak Khunashtaar-ool - Eder-daa-bol, Etpes-daa-bol
06 - Bilchi-Maa Davaa - Hoomei Lullaby
07 - Shaktar Shulban - Demonstration of Sygyt and Kargyraa
08 - Kongar-ool Ondar - Dymzhuktaar
09 - Kaigal-ool Khovalyg - Fantasy on the Igil
10 - Kongar-ool Ondar - Fast Words
11 - Kongar-ool Ondar - Shamanic Prayer for Richard Feynman
12 - Nadezhda Kuular and the Tuvan State Ensemble Sayani - Teve Haia (Camel Rock)
13 - Sainkho Nahchylak - Bai-laa Taigam
14 - Mikhail Alperin et al - Prayer I
15 - Huun-Huur-Tu, with the Bulgarian Women's Choir Angelite et al - Fly, Fly My Sadness
16 - Oleg Kuular, Michail Alperin, et al - In the Cathedral
17 - Oleg Kuular, Michail Alperin, et al - Tuvan Industrial
18 - Albert Kuvezin and Yat-Kha - Yenisei-Punk
19 - Paul 'Earthquake' Pena - Kargyraa Moan
20 - Kongar-ool Ondar and Paul 'Earthquake' Pena - What You Talkin' About


Heart of Tuva @ Amazon

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Altai Hangai - Naariits Biilye ( Let's Dance)

Altai-Hangai is a group of musicians and singers from Mongolia. Named after the Altai mountains and the Hangai steppes, large natural reserves in Central and Western Mongolia. It all started in 1993, at the begining of summer, near a small village called Khudlaani Nuur. Here the locals, and some travellers gathered to celebrate - the summer games, like wrestling, arching and car maintanance (!) all well supported by plenty of wild Kumis ( fermented mare's milk, beerlike alcoholcontent). Here after partaking the bandmembers, Palamshav Childaa (Good Day), Ganbold Muukha (Inflexible Metal), Ganzorig Nergui (Strong Heart) , Byambakhishig Lhagva (Saturday's Present) met and gave their first spontanous concert.Since they have spent much time spreading their music through Europe and the US. Using traditional Mongolian instruments and forms, not only do they produce traditional music, but they have recently started producing some jazz fusion music as well. As for releases its hard to get a picture, they lack a webpresence "Gone with the wind" and this Let's dance are the only titles ive come across.



01 - Joroo Mori
02 - Tsatsal
03 - Jargalan
04 - Ikh Tatlaga
05 - Baltsin Kheer
06 - Naariits Biilye
07 - Tawan Khazakh
08 - Seden Zaluu
09 - Tooraan Tsagaan
10 - Jonon Khariin Yawdal
11 - Uyeiin Ulaan Tsar
12 - Göölöö Gemgomiin
13 - Sarig Tsagaan Ingenii
14 - Mongoliin Bükh
15 - Shuvtardag
16 - Hoton Ardiin Tatlagariin
17 - Khan Khökiig Nuruu
18 - Buuwein Duu
19 - Tsogtaal Biilye
20 - Bögööjei Gelgui Yakhaw
21 - Khotgoidiin Unaga
22 - Hangain Magtaal


Liner notes
Altai-Hangai @ Amazon

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VA - Voice of the Dragon ( 05 * 210mb)

This compilation CD was issued on the occasion of the Amsterdam China Festival 2005. Voice, well voices of the dragon would be better , this cd includes many different communities, from Tibetans and Mongolians to Miaao, Yi, Uighur, Tujia and Koreans, not to mention the Manchu, Zhuang and Buyi chinese speaking but with their own musical culture. China has the size of europe with more than double the number of inhabitants. Music and high spirits form an inseparable unity in chinese culture, be it the ritual- court music or wilder village bands, high-brow meditations for zither or the ebullent opera, all express a deep heartfelt joy and passion for life and music. A commitment that's been continued by current day pop, rock and avant garde.

The tracks on these cd's are not neatly grouped by region or genre, they form on on going 'soundscape' with deliberately programmed contrasts and unexpected cross-links. Enjoy this musical journey, "Yi lu shun feng !"



Voice of the Dragon 1 (*103mb)

01 - Li Jun, Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe - Peking Opera 'Farewell At Sha Bridge'
02 - Gong Linna, Musicians Of Wu Xing Et Al - 'Walking The Path Of Life'
03 - Hong Kong Sinfonietta Tsung Yeh - Liu Tianhua 'Beautiful Night', For Strings
04 - Various Artists - Dong Vocal Polyphony (Guizhou) 'i Use A Blue Cloth To Hide My Heart'
05 - Wu Man, Pipa (Lute) - Improvisation, For Pipa Solo
06 - Huo Yanggang, Banhu (Fiddle) - 'Qinqiang', For Banhu Solo
07 - Sheng Xiaoyun, Vocals Pipa - Suzhou Story Singing 'Parting At West Lake'
08 - Zhan Yangming (Bamboo Flute) & Ensemble - 'Ripening Grapes In Turfan'
09 - Three Excerpts - Zhuang And Yao Vocal Polyphony (Guangxi)
10 - Ma Guoguo, Jew's Harp - Jew's Harp Solo Of The Yi 'Torch Festival Night'
11 - Uyghur Musicians From Xinjiang - Raq Muqam Of Ili
12 - With Robert Zollitsch, Zither - Urna_ 'Öör Yörtönch', Mongolian Chant
13 - Lin Shicheng & Gao Hong, Pipa - Pipa Duet 'Three Six' (San Liu)
14 - Li Shiren Et Al - Shawm Band Music From Liaoning 'Blow The Fair'
15 - Shen Wei Et Al., Guangzhou - 'Thunder In Drought', Cantonese Music
16 - Shanghai Chinese Orchestra_Xia Feiyun - Zhu Jian Er 'Days Of Emancipation'
17 - Liu Yilong, Shanghai Kunqu Troupe - Kunqu_ Excerpt From The Opera Nie Hai Ji
18 - Dai Xiaolian, Qin (Zither) Solo - 'Parasol Leaves Dancing In The Autumn Wind'
19 - Chong Liao, Piano - Wang Lisan_ 'Sonatina' For Piano (1957), Part 1
20 - Qiu Ji, Zheng (Zither) Solo - Xu Xiaolin 'Ode To Guizhou'
21 - Nieuw Ensemble - Guo Wenjing_ Drama, For 3 Percussionists (2003) (Excerpt)
22 - CNSO_Chen Zuohuang - Red Detachment Of Women (1965) (2 Excerpts)

Voice of the Dragon 2 (107mb)

01 - Adia & Jui-Chuan Chang, Taipei, Taiwan - Taiwanese Rock_ 'Xu' _ 'Chang'
02 - Second-Hand Rose Band - Beijing Rock_ 'Picking Flowers'
03 - Yuan Sha, Zheng (Zither) Solo - 'Raindrops Falling On The Plantain'
04 - Zhan Yongming, Dizi (Bamboo Flute) Solo - 'Spring Morning On West Lake'
05 - Subhendra Rao, Sitar, Gao Hong, Pipa, Ty Burhoe, Tabla - 'Morning' (Excerpt)
06 - Tanzin, Gannan (Amdo Tibet) - 'Thunder Echoes', Tibetan Folk Song
07 - Chinese Orchestra Of The Beijing Central Conservatory - 'Flowing Waters'
08 - Unidentified Singer, Qinghai - 'Sweet Voiced Cuckoo' Tibetan 'bluegrass'
09 - Folk Musicians, Changsha - Funeral Music For Shawm Band (Hunan)
10 - Wu Tong & China Magpies - 'Blue Little Flower' (Lanhuahua)
11 - Chen Mei-O, Han-Tang Yuefu - 'Outside The Garden' Nanguan (Excerpt)
12 - Hubei Provincial Museum Ensemble - Hubei Chime Bells_ 'Moonlit Night'
13 - Liang Yurong - Cantonese Opera_ 'Ode To Xiao Mingxing' (Excerpt).ogg
14 - Various Artists - Miao Mouth Organs (Guizhou)_ 'Making The Girls Smile'
15 - Quanji - 'Let Us Meet Where The Grass Is Green', Miao Folk Song
16 - Xianxia Society, Shanghai - Jiangnan Teahouse Music_ 'Lao San Liu'
17 - Various Artists - Yi Vocal Polyphony (Yunnan)_ 'Mother's Little Girl'
18 - Li Yatai, Jiangsu - 'In Liuhe Town Lived Old Liu', Chinese 'rap' (Kuaiban)
19 - Tianjin Buddhist Ensemble - Buddhist Music_ Xingdao Zhang (Excerpt)
20 - Quanzhou Marionette Troupe Orchestra - Guo Xian Cao, Puppet Theatre Music
21 - Wang Falan, Bingling - 'Mountain Song', Gansu Folk Song (Hua'er)
22 - Yang Xue, Erhu (Fiddle) Solo - Liu Tianhua_ 'Bird Call On The Mountain'
23 - Wang Jianhua Et Al - 'Havoc In Heaven', For Chinese Percussion (Excerpt)


Compilers

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Double Fish - Hackers (ep2)My One Week(ep3) ( 05 * 67mb)

Zhu Jianhui aka Double Fish is a Chinese artist and musician whose work circulates internationally, his interest in contemporary global culture, hacker aesthetics, and art shapes shapes his practice. In addition to his music, Double Fish founded the independent record label, Reconfiguration Records (www.reconfiguration-records.com) and released the label's first compilation,"The Sound of Silence Project, including artists from mainland China, Hong Kong and Poland.

In October 2005, electronic music label Bedzoo Records pressed Double Fish's first EP1 "inter net" while the Polish label, Audiotong, launched his EP2, "hackers." Other pieces are on the compilation "Shanshui Records Landscape 2" which contains the "Single Hackers (generation 2)." Similarly, the magazine "I Love Rock 'n Roll" enclosed his single, "z6," on volume 32 (2005) and "Experimental No. 1" on volume 15 (2004).Performances include "Improvisational Noiz Play" in Guangzhou, China (2005). More recently Zhu performed "Mini MIDI" at the Beijing MIDI Festival and other solo material at the 3rd 2pi music festival in Hangzhou, China. Professionally, he is working with the director Caofei to compose music and sound effects for the "Pearl River Delta Hero" for the 2nd China Guangzhou Triennial (Nov 2005).



01 - Danger Signal (1:24)
02 - Supernatural Visit (2:41)
03 - Clockwork Toy (2:40)
04 - Hackers (Generation One) (3:57)
05 - Noncasual Attack (3:57)
06 - Liquid Program (2:27)
07 - Electronic Frog (2:00)
08 - Machine Man (2:45)
My One Week
09 - Not White!!!
10 - Interview
11 - Interview Again
12 - Make your own beat
13 - Happy Cat(RMX Com.A)
14 - Galaxy
15 - No Sunday

Double Fish @ Base

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* All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !