Hello,
Today's artists was a Japanese synthpop trio of the early 1980s led by singer/songwriter Masami Tsuchiya.. ..............N'Joy
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Ippu-Do debuted in 1979 with Normal, made up of Tsuchiya on vocals and guitar, Akira Mitake on keyboards, and Shoji Fujii on drums. Led by androgynous, Bowiesque guitarist Masami Tsuchiya, this Japanese trio stepped into the commercial void created by Yellow Magic Orchestra's decreased group activity. It's hard to make out what the songs are really about since most have only a chorus or bridge in English, but the lyrics seem simpleminded enough — themes of romantic fantasy, travel and technology evidently dominate. Tsuchiya's voice is high but gutsy and always in control (even when yelling) — he's got his shtick down pat, and his guitar playing fits. Ippu-Do alternates between modernized arrangements of '50s and early '60s vocal pop-rock melodies and steaming, heart-pounding rock'n'roll, sometimes in the same song. They also use reggae syncopation and synthesizers, so all bases are covered. Between 1980 and 1981 they released two follow-ups, Real and Radio Fantasy, the latter of which would be their first release outside Japan. The group thereafter went on hiatus, and Tsuchiya began a solo career.
They reappeared in late 1983 as a duo of Tsuchiya and Mitake. They were supported by drummer Steve Jansen and keyboardist Richard Barbieri of Japan as well as bassist Percy Jones, they recorded 1983's Night Mirage. One live album, Live and Zen, was released in 1984. Despite this, Tuschiya returned to his solo career shortly after.
Not to be confused with the Aum Shinrikyo scientist Masami Tsuchiya, who was sentenced to death for his involvement in the 1995 Sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subway, this Masami Tsuchiya is much more happy to walk around in space-age stewardess outfits and unleash face melting guitar solos on the unsuspecting public
Tsuchiya formed Ippu-Do in 1979 along with keyboardist Akira Mitake and percussionist Shoji Fujii and the group released their first album, "Normal," that same year (with the name " Ippppu-Do" on the cover) Crafted with standard New Wave sensibilities, their debut can be a bit of a frustrating listen as Tsuchiya's generally painful vocals, backed by a plodding rhythm section and numbing production, occasionally give way to sharp synthesizer programming, groovy rhythms and supreme guitar shredding. It's a bit like Japan's first album, actually, since Ippu-Do find themselves sticking to second-fiddle rock archetypes more often than to their own, and much stronger, ideas.
Their next two albums, 1980's "Real" and 1981's "Radio Fantasy," followed the same general pattern, mixing low-tier New Wave with moments of occasionally brillant technopop. These records come off equally as frustrating, as it's clear the band isn't playing to their full potential.
Ippu-Do finally seemed to get their act together with the 1982 single "Sumire September Love," a light hearted pop track that reached #2 in Japan, sold 800,000 copies and was used in a Kanebo Cosmetics commercial . Masami, like how David Sylvian totally changed his vocals for Japan's "Quiet Life," Tsuchiya's vocals are completely calmed down on "...September Love." Without the phony rock howl, Tsuchiya comes off as a much more comfortable and confident singer (though his voice is still pretty limited), and it leaves a lot more room in the mix for the track's punchy synthesizers and out-of-nowhere violin solo.
Following "...September Love's" success, Ippu-Do took a short break for Tsuchiya to record his first solo album, "Rice Music," and play guitar with Japan during their Sons of Pioneers tour in 1982. One of Tsuchiya's best efforts, "Rice Music," is a consistent set of songs with somewhat avant leanings. Tsuchiya thows in the ususal East vs. West, traditional vs. modern stuff one would expect from someone working in the shadow of Yellow Magic Orchestra, but he, along with his cast of excellent guest musicians, uses those themes to great effect. It's worth tracking down a copy of the album just for the guests, who include Steve Jansen, Mick Karn, Ryuichi Sakamoto (on the track "Kafka"), Bill Nelson and Percy Jones. Tsuchiya even has photographer Masayoshi Sukita (famous for his pictures of David Bowie in the 70s) "playing" a Polaroid SX-70 on the album!
After returning from his tenure as Japan's tour guitarist, Tsuchiya re-formed Ippu-Do with Akira Mitake to record a fourth album, 1983's "Night Mirage." Percussionist Shoji Fujii didn't return to the band for this album, and they instead enlisted Steve Jansen to play drums. Richard Barbieri also contributed to the album, and his synth programming can be heard all over the track "Moon Mirage." Tsuchiya's time touring with Japan clearly influenced him substantially, and the LP plays as a fantastic companion to the material on Japan's "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" and "Tin Drum." The album is filled with similarities to Japan's work, from jilted East/West funk to Erik Satie inspired compositions. However, the LP still stands extremely strong on its own and is likely Tsuchiya and Mitake's finest recording.
Ippu-Do called it quits after releasing a live album in 1984 and Tsuchiya and Mitake managed fairly well with their solo careers through the end of the 80s. Tsuchiya has since released another six solo albums, though none have reached the caliber of "Rice Music." Tsuchiya also landed a gig with the Duran Duran offshoot Arcadia (more proof of Nick Rhodes' idolization of all things related to David Sylvian) and contributed to their excellent 1985 LP, "So Red the Rose."
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Tsuchiya formed Ippu-Do in 1979 along with keyboardist Akira Mitake and percussionist Shoji Fujii and the group released their first album, "Normal," that same year (with the name " Ippppu-Do" on the cover) . Crafted with standard New Wave sensibilities, their debut can be a bit of a frustrating listen as Tsuchiya's generally painful vocals, backed by a plodding rhythm section and numbing production, occasionally give way to sharp synthesizer programming, groovy rhythms and supreme guitar shredding. It's a bit like Japan's first album, actually, since Ippu-Do find themselves sticking to second-fiddle rock archetypes more often than to their own, and much stronger, ideas.
Ippu-Do - Normal (flac 332mb)
01 Adventure 2:29
02 "Break-Out" Generation 2:34
03 Moonlight Love Call 3:16
04 TV Scene 1:04
05 Electric Doll 4:56
06 Panic In The City 3:08
07 I Love You 4:07
08 Do You Know? 3:01
09 Chinese Reggae 2:46
10 Escape 2:12
11 Don't Worry Baby 4:18
12 Morning Fantasy 3:17
Bonus
13 More Realistic 2:58
14 Dis-Communication 4:15
15 Adventure (Shinjuku Loft February 9, 1980) 2:06
16 "Break-Out" Generation (Shinjuku Loft February 9, 1980) 2:22
17 Panic In The City (Shinjuku Loft February 9, 1980) 3:16
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Their next two albums, 1980's "Real" and 1981's "Radio Fantasy," followed the same general pattern, mixing low-tier New Wave with moments of occasionally brillant technopop. These records come off equally as frustrating, as it's clear the band isn't playing to their full potential.
Ippu-Do - Real (flac 268mb)
01 German Road 6:04
02 Broken Dummies 2:48
03 Lonely Pilot 3:18
04 In Side / Out Side 2:35
05 Mysterious Night - Out Side / In Side 5:05
06 Heiderburg Symphony 3:14
07 Funk #9 (A Present For Disco People) 3:05
08 Neu! (Changing The History) 6:17
09 Helpless Soldier 6:06
10 Lunatic Guitar 2:20
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
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 with Japan (UK). "Radio Fantasy" was also released on Epic in the U.K., but there are some differences vs. the Japanese version (also released in several other countries). The Japanese cover art is illustration, but the U.K. used the picture of the three members which was used for the back side while using the illustration for the back side. The U.K. version eliminated "Imitation Chacha" in A-side, and contained the English version of "Chinese Reggae" which was originally on the album "Normal". English lyrics were done by Peter Barakan.
Ippu-Do - Radio Fantasy (flac 298mb)
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
Bonus
14 Listen To Me (English Version) 4:20
15 Chinese Reggae (English Version) 2:43
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
After returning from his tenure as Japan's tour guitarist, Tsuchiya re-formed Ippu-Do with Akira Mitake to record a fourth album, 1983's "Night Mirage." Percussionist Shoji Fujii didn't return to the band for this album, and they instead enlisted Steve Jansen to play drums. Richard Barbieri also contributed to the album, and his synth programming can be heard all over the track "Moon Mirage." Tsuchiya's time touring with Japan clearly influenced him substantially, and the LP plays as a fantastic companion to the material on Japan's "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" and "Tin Drum." The album is filled with similarities to Japan's work, from jilted East/West funk to Erik Satie inspired compositions. However, the LP still stands extremely strong on its own and is likely Tsuchiya and Mitake's finest recording.
Ippu-Do - Night Mirage (flac 405mb)
01 Plants' Music 6:07
02 African Nights 4:51
03 Rain In My Heart 4:33
04 Water Flower 1:42
05 Lonely Sea Lion 4:41
06 Sorrow 1:32
07 Dream Of The Gypsies 3:08
08 "Sail On" 5:46
09 Moon Mirage 5:07
10 Crystal Leaves 4:08
Bonus
11 Alone 3:42
12 Things To Worry About 2:08
13 Fear For The Future 4:55
14 In Time-Out Of Time 4:31
15 Nightgulls 5:19
16 Never Mind 5:14
17 Moonlight Magic 3:38
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
By 1985's live album, Ippu-Do was just a duo, aided by two ex-members of Japan (with whom Tsuchiya toured and recorded) plus English bass ace Percy Jones. Despite its recent vintage, the album portrays the band treading musical water with jagged, arty treatments of old material (the group's and Tsuchiya's), plus a version of the Zombies' "Time of the Season." Despite stylistic growth, Ippu-Do needs new content to make it meaningful. Which never came because Ippu Do split, Masami Tsuchiya and Akira Mitake went solo, more on that next week.
Ippu-Do - Live and Zen (flac 420mb)
01 Kaimaku 1:09
02 Listen To Me 4:27
03 Time Of The Season 3:48
04 Magic Vox 4:35
05 Makuma 0:27
06 Secret Party 3:40
07 Violation 3:20
08 African Nights 4:52
09 Rice Music 5:07
10 Sumire September Love 3:46
11 Night In The Park 5:49
Bonus
12 Starlight Shower (Special Re-Mix)
13 “AQUA” Nostalgy
14 Lonely Sea Lion (Live From ''file Tour 1983'')
15 B-Side Passion
16 German Road (Live Version)
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Today's artists was a Japanese synthpop trio of the early 1980s led by singer/songwriter Masami Tsuchiya.. ..............N'Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Ippu-Do debuted in 1979 with Normal, made up of Tsuchiya on vocals and guitar, Akira Mitake on keyboards, and Shoji Fujii on drums. Led by androgynous, Bowiesque guitarist Masami Tsuchiya, this Japanese trio stepped into the commercial void created by Yellow Magic Orchestra's decreased group activity. It's hard to make out what the songs are really about since most have only a chorus or bridge in English, but the lyrics seem simpleminded enough — themes of romantic fantasy, travel and technology evidently dominate. Tsuchiya's voice is high but gutsy and always in control (even when yelling) — he's got his shtick down pat, and his guitar playing fits. Ippu-Do alternates between modernized arrangements of '50s and early '60s vocal pop-rock melodies and steaming, heart-pounding rock'n'roll, sometimes in the same song. They also use reggae syncopation and synthesizers, so all bases are covered. Between 1980 and 1981 they released two follow-ups, Real and Radio Fantasy, the latter of which would be their first release outside Japan. The group thereafter went on hiatus, and Tsuchiya began a solo career.
They reappeared in late 1983 as a duo of Tsuchiya and Mitake. They were supported by drummer Steve Jansen and keyboardist Richard Barbieri of Japan as well as bassist Percy Jones, they recorded 1983's Night Mirage. One live album, Live and Zen, was released in 1984. Despite this, Tuschiya returned to his solo career shortly after.
Not to be confused with the Aum Shinrikyo scientist Masami Tsuchiya, who was sentenced to death for his involvement in the 1995 Sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subway, this Masami Tsuchiya is much more happy to walk around in space-age stewardess outfits and unleash face melting guitar solos on the unsuspecting public
Tsuchiya formed Ippu-Do in 1979 along with keyboardist Akira Mitake and percussionist Shoji Fujii and the group released their first album, "Normal," that same year (with the name " Ippppu-Do" on the cover) Crafted with standard New Wave sensibilities, their debut can be a bit of a frustrating listen as Tsuchiya's generally painful vocals, backed by a plodding rhythm section and numbing production, occasionally give way to sharp synthesizer programming, groovy rhythms and supreme guitar shredding. It's a bit like Japan's first album, actually, since Ippu-Do find themselves sticking to second-fiddle rock archetypes more often than to their own, and much stronger, ideas.
Their next two albums, 1980's "Real" and 1981's "Radio Fantasy," followed the same general pattern, mixing low-tier New Wave with moments of occasionally brillant technopop. These records come off equally as frustrating, as it's clear the band isn't playing to their full potential.
Ippu-Do finally seemed to get their act together with the 1982 single "Sumire September Love," a light hearted pop track that reached #2 in Japan, sold 800,000 copies and was used in a Kanebo Cosmetics commercial . Masami, like how David Sylvian totally changed his vocals for Japan's "Quiet Life," Tsuchiya's vocals are completely calmed down on "...September Love." Without the phony rock howl, Tsuchiya comes off as a much more comfortable and confident singer (though his voice is still pretty limited), and it leaves a lot more room in the mix for the track's punchy synthesizers and out-of-nowhere violin solo.
Following "...September Love's" success, Ippu-Do took a short break for Tsuchiya to record his first solo album, "Rice Music," and play guitar with Japan during their Sons of Pioneers tour in 1982. One of Tsuchiya's best efforts, "Rice Music," is a consistent set of songs with somewhat avant leanings. Tsuchiya thows in the ususal East vs. West, traditional vs. modern stuff one would expect from someone working in the shadow of Yellow Magic Orchestra, but he, along with his cast of excellent guest musicians, uses those themes to great effect. It's worth tracking down a copy of the album just for the guests, who include Steve Jansen, Mick Karn, Ryuichi Sakamoto (on the track "Kafka"), Bill Nelson and Percy Jones. Tsuchiya even has photographer Masayoshi Sukita (famous for his pictures of David Bowie in the 70s) "playing" a Polaroid SX-70 on the album!
After returning from his tenure as Japan's tour guitarist, Tsuchiya re-formed Ippu-Do with Akira Mitake to record a fourth album, 1983's "Night Mirage." Percussionist Shoji Fujii didn't return to the band for this album, and they instead enlisted Steve Jansen to play drums. Richard Barbieri also contributed to the album, and his synth programming can be heard all over the track "Moon Mirage." Tsuchiya's time touring with Japan clearly influenced him substantially, and the LP plays as a fantastic companion to the material on Japan's "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" and "Tin Drum." The album is filled with similarities to Japan's work, from jilted East/West funk to Erik Satie inspired compositions. However, the LP still stands extremely strong on its own and is likely Tsuchiya and Mitake's finest recording.
Ippu-Do called it quits after releasing a live album in 1984 and Tsuchiya and Mitake managed fairly well with their solo careers through the end of the 80s. Tsuchiya has since released another six solo albums, though none have reached the caliber of "Rice Music." Tsuchiya also landed a gig with the Duran Duran offshoot Arcadia (more proof of Nick Rhodes' idolization of all things related to David Sylvian) and contributed to their excellent 1985 LP, "So Red the Rose."
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Tsuchiya formed Ippu-Do in 1979 along with keyboardist Akira Mitake and percussionist Shoji Fujii and the group released their first album, "Normal," that same year (with the name " Ippppu-Do" on the cover) . Crafted with standard New Wave sensibilities, their debut can be a bit of a frustrating listen as Tsuchiya's generally painful vocals, backed by a plodding rhythm section and numbing production, occasionally give way to sharp synthesizer programming, groovy rhythms and supreme guitar shredding. It's a bit like Japan's first album, actually, since Ippu-Do find themselves sticking to second-fiddle rock archetypes more often than to their own, and much stronger, ideas.
Ippu-Do - Normal (flac 332mb)
01 Adventure 2:29
02 "Break-Out" Generation 2:34
03 Moonlight Love Call 3:16
04 TV Scene 1:04
05 Electric Doll 4:56
06 Panic In The City 3:08
07 I Love You 4:07
08 Do You Know? 3:01
09 Chinese Reggae 2:46
10 Escape 2:12
11 Don't Worry Baby 4:18
12 Morning Fantasy 3:17
Bonus
13 More Realistic 2:58
14 Dis-Communication 4:15
15 Adventure (Shinjuku Loft February 9, 1980) 2:06
16 "Break-Out" Generation (Shinjuku Loft February 9, 1980) 2:22
17 Panic In The City (Shinjuku Loft February 9, 1980) 3:16
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Their next two albums, 1980's "Real" and 1981's "Radio Fantasy," followed the same general pattern, mixing low-tier New Wave with moments of occasionally brillant technopop. These records come off equally as frustrating, as it's clear the band isn't playing to their full potential.
Ippu-Do - Real (flac 268mb)
01 German Road 6:04
02 Broken Dummies 2:48
03 Lonely Pilot 3:18
04 In Side / Out Side 2:35
05 Mysterious Night - Out Side / In Side 5:05
06 Heiderburg Symphony 3:14
07 Funk #9 (A Present For Disco People) 3:05
08 Neu! (Changing The History) 6:17
09 Helpless Soldier 6:06
10 Lunatic Guitar 2:20
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
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 with Japan (UK). "Radio Fantasy" was also released on Epic in the U.K., but there are some differences vs. the Japanese version (also released in several other countries). The Japanese cover art is illustration, but the U.K. used the picture of the three members which was used for the back side while using the illustration for the back side. The U.K. version eliminated "Imitation Chacha" in A-side, and contained the English version of "Chinese Reggae" which was originally on the album "Normal". English lyrics were done by Peter Barakan.
Ippu-Do - Radio Fantasy (flac 298mb)
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
Bonus
14 Listen To Me (English Version) 4:20
15 Chinese Reggae (English Version) 2:43
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
After returning from his tenure as Japan's tour guitarist, Tsuchiya re-formed Ippu-Do with Akira Mitake to record a fourth album, 1983's "Night Mirage." Percussionist Shoji Fujii didn't return to the band for this album, and they instead enlisted Steve Jansen to play drums. Richard Barbieri also contributed to the album, and his synth programming can be heard all over the track "Moon Mirage." Tsuchiya's time touring with Japan clearly influenced him substantially, and the LP plays as a fantastic companion to the material on Japan's "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" and "Tin Drum." The album is filled with similarities to Japan's work, from jilted East/West funk to Erik Satie inspired compositions. However, the LP still stands extremely strong on its own and is likely Tsuchiya and Mitake's finest recording.
Ippu-Do - Night Mirage (flac 405mb)
01 Plants' Music 6:07
02 African Nights 4:51
03 Rain In My Heart 4:33
04 Water Flower 1:42
05 Lonely Sea Lion 4:41
06 Sorrow 1:32
07 Dream Of The Gypsies 3:08
08 "Sail On" 5:46
09 Moon Mirage 5:07
10 Crystal Leaves 4:08
Bonus
11 Alone 3:42
12 Things To Worry About 2:08
13 Fear For The Future 4:55
14 In Time-Out Of Time 4:31
15 Nightgulls 5:19
16 Never Mind 5:14
17 Moonlight Magic 3:38
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
By 1985's live album, Ippu-Do was just a duo, aided by two ex-members of Japan (with whom Tsuchiya toured and recorded) plus English bass ace Percy Jones. Despite its recent vintage, the album portrays the band treading musical water with jagged, arty treatments of old material (the group's and Tsuchiya's), plus a version of the Zombies' "Time of the Season." Despite stylistic growth, Ippu-Do needs new content to make it meaningful. Which never came because Ippu Do split, Masami Tsuchiya and Akira Mitake went solo, more on that next week.
Ippu-Do - Live and Zen (flac 420mb)
01 Kaimaku 1:09
02 Listen To Me 4:27
03 Time Of The Season 3:48
04 Magic Vox 4:35
05 Makuma 0:27
06 Secret Party 3:40
07 Violation 3:20
08 African Nights 4:52
09 Rice Music 5:07
10 Sumire September Love 3:46
11 Night In The Park 5:49
Bonus
12 Starlight Shower (Special Re-Mix)
13 “AQUA” Nostalgy
14 Lonely Sea Lion (Live From ''file Tour 1983'')
15 B-Side Passion
16 German Road (Live Version)
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
There's something with the link of "Normal". Thank you for the music of Ippu-Do.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Lima, Perú
Hello Lima, forgot to enter the link, it's there now. N Joy
ReplyDelete"Electric Doll" is such an amazing track. Masami's rocking like a demon on that thing.
ReplyDeleteShall be giving 'Night Mirage' a listen to - thanks for the intro. & the ogg. option :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this entry; I've had Ippu-Do on my "must investigate" list for a long time.
ReplyDeleteWow..never thought I'd see these ! Any chance of uploading Rice Music and Out of Reach from the boxset? ..either way, thanks again
ReplyDeleteHey, could you please reload the links to all the albums besides Night Marage? Thanks!
ReplyDeletereupload pls!!!!!
ReplyDeletethank you so much from Chile
Would really really apreciate it if you could reupload these gems...!
ReplyDeleteThanks