compiled by Nicholas D. Kent
email: ndkent "at" optonline.net

Last updated 07.09.23

(*) means I don't own this album

(@) means I've listened to this album but don't own it

thanks to Rodney Alan Greenblat

The Techno Cayo and ¥EN pages on this site contain more various artist albums


Atom Kids

Tribute To The King "O.T."

(@) 1998 WEA WPC6-8522

Tribute to Japan's most famous manga artist and animation producer Osamu Tezuka.

I don't have all the track titles translated.

  1. W.3 - -YOU+ Ikuno Takaki (Jungle Smile)+Genki Hitomi,+Hiroyuki Nanba
  2. ? - Cosa Nostra featuring Kiyoshiro Imawano
  3. Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy)-- Shonen Knife
  4. ? - Maki Nomiya (Pizzicato Five) + Dimitri From Paris
  5. ? - Ken Takagi
  6. Fushigina Melumo--Cibo Matto
  7. Omukae de gonsu-- Haruomi Hosono (original composition)
  8. ? -Kazufumi Miyazawa
  9. Janguru Taitei (Kimba the White Lion) -- BOREDOMS (original theme by Isao Tomita)
  10. ? -Tadanobu Asano + Bloodthirsty Butchers
  11. ? -EL-MALO
  12. ? -80's Kinniku Shojotai
  13. Ribon no Kishi (Princess Knight)-- Anji (original theme by Isao Tomita)
  14. ? -Yui Nishiwaki
  15. ? -Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy) -- Sean Lennon
  16. ? -CHOCOLAT
  17. ? -Motoharu Sano (remix by CMJK)

I was once at a Tezuka animation screening in NYC with a borrowed CD. This strangely familiar looking woman in front of me saw I had it and it turned out to be Miho Hattori with a different hairstyle from when she was doing a lot of gigs with Cibo Matto. She was a little upset the label hadn't gotten her a copy yet! ... and I guess I was a little too starstruck to make good conversation. Well I guess if it wasn't somone elses CD I could have given it to her.

the question inspired by this album is: Does Sean Lennon sing like Rodney Greenblat or does Rodney sing like Sean ?


Band's Eye View
Sounds Sampler No. 8

1982 CBS (UK) lp S.S.8

A British sampler. Interesting to see YMO and Ippu Do on the same album. Notes about the artists in English.


Beatwave Japan

2005 download on iTunes starting 05.2.21

1. Midnight Samba - Elektel feat.Tomoko
2. Ganesha - Pyokn
3. Microdiver (pal @ pop remix) - 7 O'Clock Shadow
4. Sound Goes On - TreMoReLa
5. Usuzumi-Iro-Zensen - Pyokn
6. Garota De Toquio - Elektel
7. Tom Vac - Kousuke Ogawa
8. Go Out In The Rain (Like A Kabbadie) - TreMoReLa
9. Ease - Yasuhiro Yamada
10. Junkpilichy On - Sportscut

official page with previews and band bios

The British based Sonic360 label assembled this download-only compilation. (available on iTunes starting February 21, 2005)

I've been hearing more bands lately usually comprising one or 2 guys working with electronic beats and repeating hooks -- poppy loungy stuff with influences varying from bossanova to video games. Including a female vocalist they get a boost in cute/sonic appeal and live potential.

Sonic 360 refers to the style overall as electro-pop (I'd agree). This is a fun new collection of it.


Chilscape Compilation, Vol. 1

Into The Soft

1993 VAP cd: VPCC-84408

compiled by Kay Nakayama (Something Wonderful).

  1. The Jedi Knights: Solina (the Ascension)
  2. As One: We No longer Understand
  3. Spacetime Continium: Pod
  4. Something Wondetrful: Sky Room
  5. Interloper: Surrender
  6. Haruomi Hosono: Paradise ver 1 (non-album track)
  7. Being: Mune
 


   

Chilscape Compilation, Vol. 3

mineralization

1996 VAP cd: VPCC-84411

compiled by Kay Nakayama (Something Wonderful).

  1. Peter Benisch: Junoctal
  2. Extended Branch Brothers: Two Lone Swordsmen (sabres of paradise related)
  3. Ingrid De Lambre: Le Blues nue au soleil mix
  4. Something Wonderful: Cafe Terrace
  5. Tura: Reishi
  6. Wildflower: Circular (DJ Kudo & Kay Nakayama)
  7. John Beltram: Decembers Tragedy

Kay Nakayama Presents

Deepfield

Chillscape Compilation Vol.5

1999 Chilscape CSCD-2011

  1. Something Wonderful: Bionics
  2. Tatsuaki Washida: Above
  3. Masa + Ree K: You Are Not Who You Were
  4. Neuetanz: Move
  5. Chillchill: Ring
  6. Phaedra feat. Calm: Temps
  7. Acchan: Skysleeper
  8. Tatsuaki Washida: Capsule
  9. Something Wonderful: ?? Earth
  10. Kay Nakayama and Yoshiaki Ochi: Contact#1

chillscape.com

the above site has a listing of volumes I don't have


Daisy World Tour

1996 Daisyworld SYDW-0001

  1. Etherscape - Swing Slow (Miharu Koshi and Hosono)
  2. Static Seeds - Tetsu Inoue & Jonah Sharp
  3. Overcome the Programming - Atom heart
  4. Sleep Cruise - Paul Schütze
  5. Smoothness Above All Else - Machine Paisley (Atom Heart)
  6. Organic Mango - HAT (Hosono, Atom Heart, Inoue)
  7. Daisy 'Bicycle built for Two' - Swing Slow
  8. Living Without You - World Standard (a Randy Newman cover)
  9. Music for Seashore - Pacific 231
  10. Pirouette - Tatsuhiko Asano
  11. Sao - Light in Darkness
  12. Medium Feedback - Mitsuto Suzuki

This is an intro for the Daisy World label. Many of the tracks are non-album. A trippy and pleasant album


Destroy all the Monsters

millennium GODZILLA remixes

(@) 99.11.20 TRIAD COCP-50197

the cover has the blurb: monster against monster... "millennium GODZILLA remixes" produced by Triad, stereo

  1. Godzilla -- MAD 3
  2. Godzilla Rids the World of the Bass Invaders (Asian Dub Foundation Remix)
  3. Son of Godzilla the readymade retouched; AUDIO-MUSICA °3003 --Konishi of Pizzicato 5
  4. Digital Hardcore Mix-- Atari Teenage Riot
  5. Godzilla Walk -- Takeshi Ueda
  6. Godzilla Main Theme (Godzilla vs Skagodzilla Mix) -- Audio Active
  7. Godzilla's Theme Ken Ishii's Remix
  8. Break Through the Showa Era -- Chari Chari

While this has and opens with the expected de rigeur Metal version of the Godzilla theme with sound effects, there are enough varried name artists to keep it amusing.

Konishi treats his track like some La Dolce Vita-era film soundtrack with a worldly Italian woman expounding a monolog mentioning Godzila. No idea about what his exact refrences are. He is using Satoh's more cool cat themes rather than the more brooding elegance of the more familiar Ifukube themes.

Atari Teenage Riot turn in a rather subdued reflection of themes and sound effects with hints of 60s avant garde classical compositions. (unless of course their track and Ueda's are swapped, since it is a little like what I've heard from ATR.)

The ska track is a little tepid.


Down To The Resort

(@) Alfa cd: 32XA-67

  1. Jungle Flower - Water Melon Group
  2. Wasser - Inoyama Land
  3. Ryugu - Testpattern
  4. Moon Flower - Water Melon Group
  5. Apple Star - Inoyama Land
  6. Board Walk - HINATA, Toshihumi
  7. Hot Beach - Interior
  8. On A Clear Day - Water Melon Group
  9. Glass Chaim - Inoyama Land
  10. The Gate Of Japonesia - Water Melon Group

Exotica themed. Reissued material, some of it from ¥EN releases. The old style cat# leads me to believe this has been out of print since the early 1990s if not late 80s.


Echoes of Youth

(*)1983 Kenwood Records

Jerry Leibowitz: A fine compilation featuring World Standard, Katra Turana, Honey Moons, El Nino, Keni Inoue, The Trombones, Yann Tomita. Compiled and additional recording produced by Makoto Kubota.


FLAG SHIP PARTY vol.2

00 Flag Ship Records CD FSR-004

Buggle suggested this full length low cost compilation featuring Jelly Fish, SVD, ELEKTEL, Sketchboy, flower flower, and bands I'm translating to Young 100V and Murine Head. The style as described on the cover is "No Wave, New Vibe". I'd say Jelly Fish and Elektel are the stand out bands.


TITLE :ARTIST

  1. STOP THE TECHNOPOP: Y-SETU-O
  2. KOI HA JASMINE:jellyfish
  3. SEKUHARA (SEXUAL HARASSMENT):KIREINA KOUMORI
  4. BREAK BEAT SCIENCE: ELEKITEL
  5. LA SCHATTE POSEUSE : ZUNBA FEATURING PETIT POIS
  6. TOKYO GUARDSMAN: MANIAX#2
  7. SUMMERNIGHT ANASTASIA :PARANOIA106
  8. SUNFLOWER 2020:Mac Donald Duck Eclair
  9. TEXAS :Mac Donald Duck Eclair
  10. AKISAME ZENSEN: KIREINA KOUMORI
  11. KOI NO DENSHI BLOCK (DENSHI BLOCK OF LOVE):ELEKITEL
  12. KASSAI:PARANOIA 106
  13. NAMIDA NO TARGET:MANIAX#2
  14. COSMIC BANCHO(Nostradamus REMIX):UCHU YOUNG
  15. SPACE GIGOLO-gigolo's lament remix-:jellyfish
  16. THE END OF TISSUE:Y-SETU-O

Futuretron Sampler

01.06.25 Pop Academy Records cd: POPCD-001

This is an indy compilation of up and coming synth pop bands and is worth catching and supporting.

Lets see-- Jellyfish are impressive as usual though I liked their Flagship Party material more. Y-Setsu-O attracted a lot of attention in '99, when, as a YMO parody band, Hideki Matsutake sat in with them for a live show. Their sound is great though their voices and vocal work are really annoying and difficult to listen to. Petit Pois has a voice in the Kahimi Karie and HiPosi manner and sounds sweet. Mac Donald Duck Eclair do bring cuteness in fun quantities. Maniax #2 delivers a technopop sound with vocals and surfy guitar melodies. Much of the album has some of 21st Century DIY edge to it for better or worse.

-------

here is some info from producer, TARO YOSHINO (who is also a member of Maniax #2)-

Futuretron is a new word combining future, retrospect, and (elec)tron.
"Playing retrospective future by electronic system" is the concept of this album.

the bands on the album are:

Y-SETU-O is a YMO parody band.

ELEKITEL and jellyfish have also appeared on the compilation FLAG SHIP PARTY vol.2.

Zunba was a former menber of UCHU YOUNG. PETIT POIS is bosanova singer.

The first recorded tune from MANIAX#2 is on this album.

Mac Donald Duck Eclair are Cute unit, their debut CD "many many Sweet" have attracted attention in not only with Synthe-POP fans but also with Cult Guitar fans .

KIREINA KOUMORI is an incomparable cult unit from TOKYO.

PARANIOIA 106 is an anonomous unit from OSAKA. SUMMERNIGHT ANASTASIA combined two tracks SUMMERNIGHT TOWN (originally by MORNING MUSUME) and ANASTASIA (T-99). KASSAI is covered nunber from NAOMI CHIAKI who is a popular japanese ENKA singer.

UCHU YOUNG covered COSMIC SURFIN' by YMO on this album, for this tune, UCHU YOUNG were Zunba(synthe) and SASA (Voice). But since Jun. 2001, UCHU YOUNG has had a member change. Now UCHU YOUNG are HIDE-AKI(Synthe) and SASA.

http://getit.at/popacademy


Hearing

(*) 99.7.1 FOA cd: FRCA-1023

unknown contents including H. HOSONO, B. ENO, JAH WOBBLE, DJ KRUSH, WORLD STANDARD, AYUO TAKAHASHI, JON ANDERSON, AUDIO ACTIVE, MIHARU KOSHI etc.
unlikely to have anything rare.


Is Release A Humour? ~We Love Telex~

94.1.21 Alfa cd: ALCA 556

1.Moskow Diskow (Remixed By Kimitaka Matsumae)
2.Twist A Saint-Tropez (Readymade; Twist A Tokyo Mix By Yasuharu Konishi)
3.Pakmovast (Re-Program By Yoshinori Sunahara)
4.Rock Around The Clock (Remixed By Seiji Toda)
5.Cafe De La Jungle - My Time (Pea-Pea Ga-Gabble Mix By Yann Tomita)
6.Moskow Diskow (Martian Version By Kimitaka Matsumae)

out of print CD where technopop artists remix Telex tracks. Alfa had liscenced the influential Belgian band Telex's albums for Japanese release. The wildly unexpected Yann Tomita mix features suGar from Havana Exotica and soon to be Buffalo Daughter.


Japanese Homegrown Vol. 3

(*) 1998 Tower Records and Gianormous Records. ORA1013

Chester Campbell writes: The CD also says "It is kind of a mixed bag", but some of the tracks are good.

  1. Kaikaku-Reformation - Ryu
  2. Michael in the Cage (remix by Source Direct) - Sugizo
  3. El De Sic - Geodezik
  4. Swampy Murder (mug thug swing Mix) - Cycheouts
  5. Mesocyclone - Kirihito
  6. No. 10 - Buzz
  7. Mission to Earth - Simply Jeff
  8. Who Dares to Care Me? - DJ Shufflemaster
  9. O.Y.M. - Captain Funk
  10. Weed Specialist (Remix) - Audio Active
  11. Child and Animals in the Forest - Nobukazu Takemura

Were the staff at Tower smokin somethin?


Ici Tokyo

1996 Bond Age (France) cd:7562820

Compilation of an intentionally wide variety of Japanese music featuring the off beat though avoiding really experimental or hard stuff. A good bet since the import wasn't expensive and has a thick booklet and CD-ROM section. A unique quirky bonus is a quicktime of Sandii caught backstage on a camcorder singing acapella. A bit strange that 2 artists have 2 tracks with so much music out there. Are they friends? Affiliated with the label?

Artists: Tokyo Champloo (x2), Jun Miake (x2), Wakai Bon, Demi Semi Quaver, Kakashi, Sandii, Haruomi Hosono, Goddess in the Morning, Keisuke Sakurai, Tokyo Cult House, Yasuake Shimizu.


MidiBestFile

1985 School/Midi cd: 35MD-1009

Compilation made up of singles from MIDI and My Heart label albums. P.S. - MIDI here hasothing to do with computer music MIDI files or interfaces ;-)

There are 2 Ryuichi Sakamoto arranged tracks sung by Taeko Onuki, presumably from her albums. Lots of Moonriders related tracks I'm told.. Also single versions of Steppin' Into Asia and Fieldwork by Sakamoto, EPO, Tachibana, Nobuyuki Ponta Unit and a nice track I hadn't heard before (a single?) from Ayuo Takahashi.


Mix-Up Vol. 4 featuring Fumiya Tanaka

(*) 1996 Sony S3 486794 2

Chester Campbell writes: It was recorded live at Club Rockets in Osaka, Oct. 5, 1996 from 2:30 am.

  1. Jamm'In (MXU Edit) - Fumiya Tanaka
  2. Insistence - Fumiya Tanaka
  3. Speak To Me - Regis
  4. Pump It - DJ Funk
  5. Hangover - DJ Power Out
  6. Step To Enchantment (Stringent) - Millsart
  7. Flash - Fix
  8. Armani Tracks Part. 2 - Robert Armani
  9. Wiggle - Wyndell Long
  10. Gloss - Fumiya Tanaka
  11. The Danger - Jeff Mills
  12. Language Barrier - Surgeon
  13. Why?+For Whom? - Steve Bicknell
  14. Leaf - Morganistic
  15. Demolition Man - 2-Men On Wax
  16. Toggle (Original Mix) - Tan-Ru
  • 17. Distortion - DJ Skull
  • 18. Stop Screamin - Wax Master Maurice
  • 19. #2 (MXU Edit) - Fumiya Tanaka
  • 20. Funky Squad - Karafuto
  • 21. Pump The Move - E-Dancer
  • 22. Relay - Blue Maxx
  • 23. #1 (MXU Edit) - Fumiya Tanaka
  • 24. Wet Floor - Traxmen
  • 25. No Title - Dean&Deluca
  • 26. Reverting - The Purpose Maker
  • 27. Crimes&Misdemeanours - Morganistic
  • 28. Encounter - Outline 29) Java - Jeff Mills
  • 29. It One Jah (Steve Bicknell Re Edit) - Advent
  • 30. Allerseelen (Jeff Mills Remix) - DJ Hell
  • 31. Enforcement (Mills Mix) - Cyrus
  • 32. i9 - Jeff Mills 34) B2 (AX-009) - Jeff Mills

does anyone have a list of the entire Mix-Up series? CC has listed the info off the Ishii one on my Ishii page.


MIXED "0"

1997 Zero Gravity cd: ZGV-015

this compilation is mixed tape style. All 14 Zero Gravity CDs are mixed into 4 CD tracks by Kazunao Nagata. With no index marks you can't tell whats what though. A pity. Nice packaging. Zero Gravity is a sublabel of Transonic.

artists: Suzukiski, Pacific 231, Temdendam Suay, Strange Garden, Kazunao Nagata, Utah Kawasaki, Tagomago, Tamari, Dub Sonic Roots, Masaaki Kikuchi, Trio Rakant, Nerve Net Noise, Arche-type


Mobile Suit Corporation

The Tokyo Mobile Music I

(*) 1982 Phonogram Records

Jerry Leibowitz: 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. Performers are: Hikashu, Akiko Yano, Earthling, Yukihiro Takahashi, Shoukichi Kina, Lizard & Salon Music.


Musique Non Stop

A Tribute to Kraftwerk

98.9.23 Toshiba/EMI cd: TOCT-10455

A tribute album put together by Koichi Makigami of Hikashu. One could quibble- medium sized acts - not the legends, the most impressive track (Buffalo Daughter's Autobahn) is also the nearest to a recreation, etc. Still its quite entertaining. Bits that struck me are Hikasu's strong vocals, Maywa Denki's electro mechanical not electronic sound, Hajime Fukuma's (P-MODEL) mostly unrecognizable cover version. Makoto Inoue's traditional Japanese sounds (though sampled).

  • The Model - Hikashu
  • Computer Love - Teruo Nakano
  • Autobahn - Buffalo Daughter (without Mooog, he's since returned)
  • Tanzmuzik - Yasushi Yamashita
  • Radioactivity - Hikashu
  • Showroom Dummies - Melt Banana
  • Atem / Harmonika - Kimitaka Matsumae
  • Dentaku - Satoru Wono featuring Maywa Denki
  • Sex Object - Zeni Geva
  • Its More Fun to Compute - Takku Ishino (Denki Groove)
  • Musique Non-Stop - Hajime Fukuma (P-MODEL)
  • Europe Endless - Makoto Inoue

  • NET 17 / NET 17

    1996 Think Sync Integral Records cd: TSCA001

    an album of 11 ambient, technopop and electronica tracks by various artists. Think Sync Records is run by Yasuhiko Terada who has been a long time engineer for Haruomi Hosono and was a musical collaborator on N.D.E. Hosono's track is ambient.

    Artists are flipflop, nicely nice, snowhere, P•O•S, Mitsutaka Tajiri, Katsu Kimura, memo flora, Takeshi Senoo,Yasuhiko Terada, Haruomi Hosono.

    Yasuhiko Terada mixes most tracks (as most if not all were recorded @ his pro studio.) He's the producer and probably a member of P•O•S.

    catch some online previews from this label here


    Pacific State

    1997 Deviant (UK) 2cd: DVNT30CD

    This is a double cd from the UK overviewing Japanese electronica. I didn't find it anawhere as much a revelation as say Fish Smell Like Cat or Sushi 3003, but still its a worthwhile intro to a lot of acts. I guess because of liscencing there are lots of glaring omissions and the some of the included acts seem a little similar to me. Also of note is, aside for the un-talked about in the booklet Miharu Koshi and a guest female vocal or 2, all the acts are guys. Still I'd recomend it. The compilation title is surely inspired by a track title from the UK band LFO.

    The 36p booklet gives a mini article/interview with each act. Wonderful! --I am deeply perplexed though! There are 13+ writers doing the notes. Where did these people come from! Its all professional, but its weird that there are so many British people who know Japanese music, were they just a bunch of music writers assigned to re-writing press bios? I sure don't run regularly run into much in-depth material written in English on Japanese acts.

    disk one (more techno)

    • Tatsuya Oe - The Warning (he uses the sound-alike Kraftwerk data sample CD Robots and Computers a lot :)
    • Ken Ishii - Dinosaur R (his newer hard sound)
    • Boom Boom Satellites - Soul Screamer
    • Takkyu Ishino - Bote
    • Ken Inaoko - Silent Speaker
    • Subvoice - Worker
    • Quadra - Quadra Loops
    • DJ Q'Hey - Synfunk
    • Co-Fusion - Aqua Boogie
    • Nobukazu Takemura - Cross
    • Web - Creepy Crawley

    disk two (more ambient)

    • Doctor YS & The Cosmic Drunkards - Secret Samba
    • Hoodrum - Emotion
    • Yoshinori Sunahara - Elegant Space
    • DJ Krush - Matsuri
    • Swing Slow - Paradise V.2 (Hosono and Koshi)
    • Rei Harakami - Device Versa
    • Prism - Soft Tone (Susumu Yokata)
    • Masahiko Hagio - Cool Pot
    • Bust Boom Choker - Shake Down
    • Dazzie-T & Quicky - Techattack

    compilations on Pussyfoot (UK)

    This is Howie B's label. Toshi Nakanishi presumably selected or helped select the tracks. He does the the art on the CDs.

    Fish Smell Like Cat

    (@)1997 UK cd: Pussyfoot CDLP005

    this is retro/exotica/ambient with Nakanishi, Water Melon and a number of mostly Japanese bands. loads of fun. Includes one of the first appearances of the Fantastic Plastic Machine. As far as I can tell this is the only readily available appearance of Ahh! Folly Jet (formerly of A.D.S.) Except for the openner, the Water Melon tracks seem exclusive.

    One of the best compilations out there

    Howard Greenberg recognizes much of this material from a Japanese compilation turn the knob

    1. Moonshaker - Water Melon
    2. Albatross - Water Melon
    3. Urin - Chari Chari
    4. Sea Breeze #C - Chari Chari
    5. Round & Round (+Medley Sound Sculpture no. 2)- Typhoon Tosh
    6. She Was Beautiful - Ahh! Folly Jet
    7. Snakes and Ladders (+Sound Sculpture no.1) - Typhoon Tosh
    8. Bugis Folktales - Chari Chari
    9. Mr Salesman (I think this is the EP mix, different than the album) - Fantastic Plastic Machine
    10. Mahalo Hotel- Arrow Tour
    11. The Sound is... - Mad Vibes and Kensuke Shiina
    12. Ring of Fire - Kensuke Shiina
    13. Bamboo Love Shack - Water Melon
    14. Utaki - Chari Chari


    Pussy Galore

    1997 UK cd: Pussyfoot CDLP007

    James Bond meets Acid Jazz. Doesn't quite cut it. They don't do actual James Bond covers, so it's kind of an ersatz excercise.

    bands are: Spacer, Dobie, Natural 7, Chari Chari, Sie, Daddy Long Legs, Nakanishi & Bernstein, Kensuke Shiina, Dr. Zaius, Minatone, Naked Funk, Headrillaz, Love T.K.O., Typhoon Tosh


    Suck It and See

    1998 Pussyfoot (UK) 2cd: CDLP069, US released also

    The theme to this double CD or LP seems to be porn.

    bands are: Love TKO, Kensuke Shiina, Daddylonglegs, Roudoudou, Tiff McGinnis + 3 Wheels Out, Fantastic Plastic Machine, Sielab, Nick Faber, Lego, Sie, Deadly Avenger, Hyper Crad, Tim 'Love' Lee, Howie B., DJ Miku, Chari Chari, Spacer, Inevidence, Naked Funk

    If you can stand listening to this lengthy release there's a couple good tracks, but for the most part it strikes me as sort of "wow, porn sounds, aren't we clever"


    SUMMER OF RAINBOW 97

    97.7.25 eastwest AMCM-4321

    Ritual Of The Stars - Solar Quest
    Polymatrix - Ochi Brothers
    TensionTamer, EZ Mix Two - SOMETHING WONDERFUL
    Camberwell Green - Mixmaster Morris vs. Jonah Sharp
    WaterFlow (edited) - Art Man
    Cranes & Turtles - Dub Squad
    LeeLa#6 - Hiroki Okano
    Chandan (Languorous Mix) - Makyo
    Biogenic Freqency Haruomi Hosono


    Super Best of Alfa Ambient Collection

    96.9.26 Twin CD Set. ALCA-5115/5116

    Disc 1

    1: Loom / YMO
    2: Dhyana Pura / Sunsetz
    3: Gong Loop / Sunsetz
    4: Picnic / Haruomi Hosono
    5: Living-Dining-Kitchen / Haruomi Hosono
    6: Luminescent / Haruomi Hosono
    7: In Limbo / Haruomi Hosono
    8: Sports Men / Haruomi Hosono
    9: Air-Conditioning / Haruomi Hosono
    10: Crescent Moon / Testpattern
    11: Beach Girl / Testpattern
    12: Catchball / Testpattern
    13: Modern Living / Testpattern
    14: Techno Age / Testpattern
    15: Ring Dance / Testpattern
    16: Ocean Liner / Testpattern

    Disc2

    1: Hot Beach / Interior
    2: Technobose / Interior
    3: Luft / Interior
    4: Hawks (Rimix) / Interior
    5: Flamingo / Interior
    6: 25 Dec. 1983 / Haruomi Hosono
    7: Pokara (Remix) / Inoyama Land
    8: Pon / Inoyama Land
    9: Shüffer / Inoyama Land
    10: Wässer / Inoyama Land
    11: Collecting Net / Inyama Land
    12: Glass Chaim / Inoyama Land
    13: Apple Star / Inoyama Land

    Scans and track info about this out of print release comes from Chris Lingwood. Thanks!

    As the 90s progressed Alfa became more or less a label of reissues and compilations. Quite a number of double CD compilations for the price of one CD came out with similar cover design. Most compiled the works of one artist. This one collects ambient material from ¥EN Records connected artists from the early 80s. A few tracks weren't originally ¥EN label releases but all the artists are associated with ¥EN Records and all come from the early 80s when Alfa had other mostly newer artists working in the Ambient genre. So it is kind of curious this wasn't called ¥EN Ambient but I'm sure there was some in-house reason.

    Chris mentions Hot Beach by Interior is the standout track in his opinion.

     

    Sushi 3003

    (@)1996 Rough Trade (UK) RTD34600062. Also released in Japan and Germany

    1. SP1200 Productions: My Super Lover (Towa Tei/Toshihiko Mori)
    2. Calin with Fantastic Plastic Machine: Samba de minha namoradinho
    3. Les 54321: Bond Street
    4. Mari: My Favourite Things (written & produced by Yasuharu Konishi)
    5. Tokyo's Coolest Combo: Comment te dire adieu (Konishi again)
    6. Havanna Exotica (members went on to form Buffalo Daughter): Surfin' On Moog (Konishi produced)
    7. Hajime Tachibana: Moog Power (with Towa Tei, from "Bambi" album)
    8. Kahimi Karie: Good Morning World
    9. Cornelius: Cannabis
    10. 5th Garden: I Dig Rock & Roll Music
    11. Hiroshi Takano: 5th Garden (with Towa Tei)
    12. Date Of Birth: Aim at El Paso
    13. Jumbo: Boy From Ipanema
    14. K-taro (ex- Pizzicato Five): Sweden, Heaven & Hell Pizzicato (aka "Mana Mana")
    15. Pizzicato Five: Nita Di Marzo (from "Romantique 96")
    16. Chiharu Iwamato: Kiss (written & produced by Konishi)

    PR Comments: A good value compilation including some exclusive tracks. The CD booklet contains informative biographical notes, a photo of each artist and an essay on the history of Japanese pop which focuses on Hosono in particular. Konishi and Towa Tei helped compile the CD - most of which features either one or the other!

    NK: Also a Cornelius connection with many tracks. The sound is most definitively Shibuya-kei, so if you want to hear what that sound is like, this is the album to get.


    Sushi 4004

    1998 Bungalow (GER) cd: bung 036

    1. Midnight Bowlers - Bowlers in Space
    2. Hi-Posi - You Are My Music
    3. Fantastic Plastic Machine - S'ill Vous Plait
    4. Yoshinori Sunahara - 2300 Hawaii
    5. Man From Electone - K2
    6. Kahimi Karie - Alcohol
    7. Yukari Fresh - Yukarin' Disco
    8. Collette - Samba De Sunny Side Up
    9. Oh! Penelope - Lait au Miel
    10. Takako Minekawa - Fantastic Cat
    11. DOB - Some Kinds Of Love
    12. Sweet Robots Against The Machine - Hello Baby
    13. Neil & Iraiza - Tragedy Of The Softrocker
    14. Qypthone - Drive Music
    15. Cornelius - The Microdisneycal World Tour (Sean O' Hagan Mix)
    16. Pizzicato Five - Lesson 3003 (part 1)  

    thanks to Marco van Meerten who typed this up and sent it to me!

    Bungalow and the music press are calling this music "Club Pop", which I guess is okay, it does differenciate it from mainstream J-Pop, which of course it is far from. The only problem I can see in the genre name Club Pop is that there is a lot of mainstream commercial Japanese club/dance music (Avex) which is pop oriented and sells massively which has nothing to do with this scene! The sound here id far from unpopular, but is definitely a side path in the larger picture of J-Pop. Calling it Club Pop has the regrettable side effect of seeming to group this sound with a lot of mainstream pop acts doing remixes or entirely orienting themselves toward a club sound, a sound quite different from this sound.

    While many people call this sound Shibuya-kei and some people object to grouping these acts I still think Shibuya-kei is a much more descriptive name because there is no confusion with mainstream pop oriented Japanese club music.

    Anyway while IMHO this album has fewer styles going on, it's still well worth getting and a good addition since it mostly has music newer and more current than Sushi 3003.


     

     

    TECHNO POP

    04.8.25 BMG cd: BVC2-31038

    An international collection of excellent vintage Techno Pop tracks.
    Good selection of favorites and good but hard to find tracks

    1. M - Popmuzik
    2. Hosono - Sports Men
    3. Testpattern - Ryugu
    4. FOE - World Famous Techno Pop
    5. Sakamoto - Relache
    6. Laurie Anderson - O Superman
    7. Takahashi - It`s Gonna Work Out
    8. Sandii and the Sunsetz - Sticky Music
    9. Plastics - Pate
    10. DAF - El Que
    11. Japan - Quiet Life
    12. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
    13. YMO - Cue

    thanks: Giles Duke, Yoichi Ito,


    TOKYO NEW WAVE OF NEW WAVE '98

    98.9.25 TicNstar MSR-TIN-006

    1.BOOGIE TECHNICA / POLYSICS
    2.HUMAN CYBORG RELATIONS / SPOOZYS
    3.24 HOURS ON LINE /MOTOCOMPO
    4.8mm PAPA / SKY FISHER
    5.WHICH / POLYSICS
    6.SECRET MISSION / SPOOZYS
    7.YOU THINK YOU'RE A MAN / MOTOCOMPO
    8.OUT ON HAY'S / CHICAGO BASS
    9.BUTTERFLY / audipop
    10.YESTERDAY / audipop
    11.WAR OF THE PLANET / SPOOZYS
    12.DAT1 / MOTOCOMPO
    13.BECAUSE / POLYSICS
    14. Pink talk / SKY FISHER
    15. Tokyo rescue / SKY FISHER
    16 Jasmine tea / CHICAGO BASS

    This is a beautifully packaged (though it lacks notes) and very important album for it introduces the whole Neo New Wave scene and its major players on an indy CD (which isn't even full price). All these bands have a style that harks back to the live synth band style of 1979-80. I suspect its out of print and may be a collectors item.

     


    Trojan Horse

    1993 ¡Por supuesto! cd: STAP-0312

    01. Organization: Space Ball
    02. B-2 Dep't: Swimming Pool
    03. Parapets Dummy of wire
    04. Click Slipp: Dust On The Cleaner
    05. Instant Cytron: Summer Wine (years later worked with Rodney Greenblat)
    06. Nobumitsu Honda: Indian
    07. GNP: Mechamacho
    08. Makoto Yamaguchi: Mach
    09. Captain Age: Paper Driver
    10. Controlled Voltage: Closed Eyes View (Hajime Fukuma and Sunao Inami are members)
    11. Teruo Nakano: Imagine (excellent cover of the John Lennon song!)
    12. Kimitaka Matsumae: Circles, Children & Bridges
    13. Tokyo Towers: filtering water of love
    14. B-2 Dep't: Trance Pacific 00

    This is a fairly rare synthpop compilation which came around when there was not so much of this kind of music out. Lots of early computer graphics give the layout a kind of primitive look, bit the listening is diverse and interesting. Buggle mentions the producer and Tokyo Towers' member Kenso Kato had a radio show that played these acts.


    P-Vine's TECHNO CA-YO Collection


    YEN Records


    thanks: Rodney Alan Greenblat


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