Search "japan" 4736 Items

LP | 2023 | JP | Original (P-Vine)

Release: 1993 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Hip Hop

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It might blow up, but it won't go pop!

De La Soul’s third studio release, Buhloone Mindstate, released on September 21, 1993, saw the group evolve into a new sound as they continued to grow stylistically and musically. There were several moments on the album which proved the band had matured. "I Be Blowin'" was a departure as the track was an instrumental featuring saxophone playing by Maceo Parker. The introspective "I Am I Be" showed De La Soul at their most self-referential to date. "Long Island Wildin'" was a collaboration with Japanese hip hop artists Kan Takagi (Major Force) and trio Scha Dara Parr (sdp). The album's first single, "Breakadawn", used a sample of Michael Jackson's "I Can't Help It" and Smokey Robinson's "Quiet Storm". De La Soul collaborated for the first time with Gang Starr's Guru on "Patti Dooke", and female MC Shortie No Mas who was prominent on many tracks on the album and showcased particularly on "In The Woods". The album ended with an old school Biz Markie collaboration called "Stone Age".

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Yanaco

Colors

LP | 2022 | US | Original (Waxwork)

Release: 2023 / JP – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Following his debut EP tttwoface from the Belgian label Urban Waves last year, Tokyo based electronic musician Yanaco has defined their sound, focusing their wide range of influences into what is no doubt one of the finest ambient albums to come out of Japan in recent years.

Samples, programmed electronics, and synth pads are layered with care and precision to create an ineffable serenity that calls to mind the works of both Hiroshi Yoshimura and Aphex Twin, while still being distinctly Yanaco. Look no further than opening track “Colors”, with its lush production and downtempo beats, to see what Yanaco does best. The beats and relaxed vibe are reminiscent of the best electronic music to come out of the 90’s, during the golden age of ambient house.

Yet the opportunity provided by a full length album sees Yanaco stretch out into other forms of ambient music, such as on “Kidou (Orbit)”, which takes inspiration from new age music with its use of harp and strings; or “Dawn”, in which a clarinet and saxophone play lines that could have been taken from an R&B track over a chorus of gently looping electronics and warm synth pads. You can even hear traces of the ever-popular “Lo-Fi Hip-Hop beats” in the slinky guitar tone of “When”. Despite the broad range of influences, these 12 tracks flow seamlessly into each other, achieving a level of cohesion that few musical projects ever reach. All you need to do is put down your needle, close your eyes, and you’ll find yourself in ambient analog bliss.

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Masaru Sato

OST The Sword Of Doom

Release: 2022 / US – Original

Genre: Soundtracks

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Waxwork Records is honored to present THE Sword OF Doom Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Masaru Satô! Directed by Kihachi Okamoto, The Sword of Doom is a 1966 Japanese samurai movie that tells the bloody and brutal tale of revenge and redemption. This deluxe LP features new artwork from Yuko Shimizu and marks the first time that the soundtrack is available on vinyl!

Starring Tatsuya Nakadai and featuring Toshirô Mifune, The Sword of Doom tells the story of Ryunosuke Tsukue, a masterful but heartless swordsman in feudal Japan. After deliberately killing an opponent in a training exercise, Tsukue then murders his mistress and flees town. After spending time in a haunted geisha house, Tsukue sees the ghosts of all his victims and spirals into madness, leaving a trail of destruction and bloodshed in his wake. As time passes, the years of brutal killings and evil deeds begin to weigh on his mind, ending in a climactic battle between Tsukue, a group of assassins, and the ghost of his past.

The Sword of Doom soundtrack, composed by Masaru Satô (Yojimbo, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla), is full of dark and yet melodic cues, and takes many influences from traditional Japanese instruments and music. A minimalist yet powerful score that brings to life the struggles of Tsukue’s inner demons. The tone ranges from brash fight scene orchestrations into quiet and lilting flute themes, but underscoring it all, Satô's music feels the evils of Tsukue.

Available for the very first time on vinyl, Waxwork Records is honored to work with Toho to present The Sword Of Doom re-mastered on 180 gram Snow, Blood, Flames, and Katana swirled color vinyl, deluxe packaging, new artwork by Yuko Shimizu, heavyweight gatefold jackets with matte satin coating, a 12"x12" art print, and more!

THE Sword OF Doom Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Features:

The Complete Soundrack by Masaru Satô Available For The First Time On Vinyl 180 Gram "Snow, Blood, Flames, and Katana" Swirled Color Vinyl New Artwork By Yuko Shimizu Heavyweight Gatefold Jackets with Matte Satin Coating 12"x12" Art Print

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Pacific Breeze Volume 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987 Pink Vinyl Edition

2LP | 2023 | US | Original (Light In The Attic)

47,99 €*

2LP | 2023 | JP | Original (Pony Canyon)

Release: 2023 / US – Original

Genre: Pop

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* The latest chapter in the acclaimed Pacific Breeze series! * Artwork by renowned illustrator Hiroshi Nagai * Compiled by Yosuke Kitazawa and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab) * Newly remastered audio * 2xLP housed in a deluxe wide spine jacket with full color inner sleeves and custom die-cut OBI * Extensive artist bios by Yosuke Kitazawa * Digital mockups are not an exact representation of colors * Available in two vinyl variants: Pink or Black Vinyl

Light in the Attic’s Pacific Breeze series has supplied the world’s growing legions of Japanese music fans with an expertly curated selection of the most sought-after City Pop recordings—the mesmerizing and nebulous genre of Japanese bubble-era music of the ‘70s-’80s that encompasses AOR, R&B, jazz fusion, funk, boogie and disco. These familiar sounds are spun through the unique lens of optimistic, cosmopolitan fantasy colored by Japan’s affluence at the time. Much of the music has previously been nearly impossible to acquire outside of Japan and continues to captivate listeners with its unique blend of groove-laden escapism, even birthing wholly new genres such as Vaporwave.

Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987 marks the latest chapter in the famed series and features holy grails plus under-the-radar rarities. The collection bursts at the seams to reveal some of the greatest Japanese tracks ever laid to tape, pushing towards the edge of City Pop to reveal glimmers of the next waves of styles to spring forth from the country’s creative minds. The appearance of Pizzicato Five hint at the emergence of Shibuya-kei while the influence of hip hop and electro as an emerging global trend are also evident here through the prevalence of heavier programmed drum beats on tracks such as “Heartbeat” by Miho Fujiwara.

This volume of Pacific Breeze, like its predecessors, is a female-forward offering with many tracks being voiced by women who would become household names in Japan as actresses and pop idols. Their songs here subvert the norm and brim with an innovative spirit that shatters gender roles in favor of sonic transcendence. Techno-pop classics from Susan, Miharu Koshi and Chiemi Manabe sit alongside sublime funk from Atsuko Nina and Naomi Akimoto while Teresa Noda slides into the mix with a sultry reggae jam. The genre span is stretched wider with hypnotic jazz fusion by Parachute and Hiroyuki Namba, a synthesizer fantasy from Osamu Shoji, and magnetic pop by Makoto Matsushita and Chu Kosaka.

Although not front and center, the visionary members of Yellow Magic Orchestra are still very present on Pacific Breeze 3, with Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi taking up producer and musician roles on many of these tracks. Pacific Breeze 3 serves up a captivating musical journey that adds an essential chapter to the iconic compilation series.

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Shiro Sagisu

OST Ssss. Dynazenon

75,99 €*

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Morr Music)

Release: 2023 / JP – Original

Genre: Soundtracks

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A soundtrack vinyl record release of a popular Mecha Anime series “SSSS.DYNAZENON” (2lp Vinyl). Contains 27 tracks, all music composed by a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer Shiro Sagisu. The cover art is a special edition, newly drawn by a Japanese animator and director Akira Amemiya.

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Tenniscoats

Tan-Tan Therapy

23,99 €*

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Just over a decade ago, Japanese indie-pop duo Tenniscoats recorded »Papa's Ear« (2012) and »Tan-Tan Therapy« (2007), two albums made with musical and production help from Swedish post-rock/folk trio Tape. Originally released on Häpna, they are beautiful documents of the exploratory music made by a close-knit collective of musicians, fully at ease with each other, playing songs written by Tenniscoats and arranging them in gentle and generous ways. Released during a prolific phase of collaboration for Tenniscoats – during the late ‘00s and early ‘10s, they would also collaborate with Jad Fair, The Pastels, Secai and Pastacas – they have, however, never been available on vinyl. In collaboration with Alien Transistor, Morr Music is now reissuing these albums with bonus material.

Filled with graceful pop songs, autumnal folk tunes, and gentle yet risk-taking improvisations, »Tan-Tan Therapy« was the first Tenniscoats album to be released in Europe, after a run of albums on Japanese labels, and the excellent »Live Wanderus« (2005) on Australian imprint Chapter Music. It was also the first recorded evidence of their collaboration with the three members of Tape and that group’s extended musical family. It opens with one of Tenniscoats’ signature songs, the pop fantasia of »Baibaba Bimba«, with Tenniscoats singer Saya repeating a light-headed incantation over joyous brass. The essence of Tenniscoats is contained in »Baibaba Bimba«: uplifting melody and playful musicianship, tinged with distant echoes of winsome melancholy.

From there, »Tan-Tan Therapy« explores many hues of lustrous blue. »Oetu to kanki no Namoriuta (Given Song of Sob and Joy)« is an aquatic arbour, the musicians’ gentle performances growing together like vines and seaweed as Saya’s voice swims through the waterway. »Umbarepa!« is full of play and pleasure, sparkling with glockenspiel as snare drum tattoos push the song ever-forward. »Abi and Travel« floats past, a lovely instrumental built from shifting layers of synthesizer and pianet; »Good B.«, an extra track originally only available on the Japanese edition of »Tan-Tan Therapy«, is added to this reissue, and follows a similar thread, its humming pump and Hammond organs swirling under beautiful vocals from Saya and guest performer Kazumi Nikaido.

Throughout, you can sense the deep empathy the members of Tenniscoats and Tape have for one another. It’s a conversational, tender and, at times, fragile music that can only be created out of mutual trust and kindness, with each of the players contributing to the community of sound they’re building. There’s an element here, too, of feeling out the possibilities of what this creative meeting can achieve, something reflected in the loose-limbs sprawl of »Marui Hifo (Everyone)«, which echoes the seaside drift of Bristol post-rock group Crescent, and the following »One Swan Swim«, a dreamsong redolent of the sleepy sensorium of Robert Wyatt’s »Rock Bottom«.

The freedom and liberty at the heart of Tenniscoats is something Tape and their friends have picked up on, beautifully so, and run with during the entirety of »Tan-Tan Therapy«. This is music with its wings outstretched, wanting to take to the air, ready to fly.

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WaJazz Volume II The King RCDS Masters Black Vinyl Edition

2LP | 2023 | EU | Original (180g)

38,99 €*

Release: 2023 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Following the highly acclaimed first volume in the series, Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa continues the WaJazz exploration with another essential collection of music that contains something uniquely Japanese — focusing this time on the King Records catalog. Featuring timeless music by Isao Suzuki, Toshiaki Yokota, Akira Miyazawa, Takeru Muraoka, Yasuaki Shimizu, Masahiko Togashi, George Otsuka, and more!

Gatefold 180g heavy double vinyl LP, reverse board print. Comes with extensive track-by-track liner notes by Yusuke Ogawa.
All tracks licensed by King Record Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
Mastering and lacquer cut by Jukka Sarapää at Timmion Cutting Lab, Helsinki, Finland.
Artwork by Nker.

TEXT:

“It is my great pleasure to introduce you to the second volume of the “Japanese Jazz Spectacle” series. Following the first compilation which focused on recordings from the Nippon Columbia catalog, this time we are digging into the King Records archives. It is almost impossible to capture the whole picture of Wa-Jazz in a couple of compilation albums since it is such a broad and deep genre, however, by extracting tracks from the Nippon Columbia and King Records collections - both labels having an extensive archive of jazz music - we may be able to glimpse a part of its allure and essence. This time again, I have made the music selection with this idea in mind. The music in this compilation was recorded between 1962 and 1985 and is a brief history of Japanese jazz on King Records. Listening is believing, so I hope these tracks will capture your heart and that you will enjoy the charms of Japanese jazz.” - Yusuke Ogawa

Yusuke Ogawa has been running the Universounds store in Tokyo since 2001, specializing in jazz and second-hand, rare, and collector records. He is also a reissue supervisor, label manager, DJ, and music writer. Known for his vast musical knowledge, eye for detail, and archival skills, Ogawa has worked on more than 250 reissues and compilations – including the highly praised Deep Jazz Reality and Project Re:Vinyl series. He is the co-author of the Wa-Jazz Disc Guide and the Independent Black Jazz of America books.

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Polyphonic Cosmos: Sonic Innovations In Japan (1980-1986) Compiled By JD Twitch

2x12" | 2022 | EU | Original (Cease And Desist)

33,99 €*

Damage And Joy Clear Vinyl Deluxe Edition

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Ever since he made his first trip to Japan to DJ, Optimo Music founder JD Twitch has been bewitched by Japanese music, and particularly the vibrant, imaginative, and often far-sighted sounds which emerged from the island nation during the 1980s. Now he’s put years of digging in Japanese record shops to good use on Polyphonic Cosmos, the latest release on his compilation-focused Cease & Desist imprint.

Subtitled ‘A Beginners Guide to Japan In The ‘80s’, the collection offers a personal selection of Japanese gems recorded and released between 1981 and ’86 – a period when advances in recording and musical technology offered the nation’s artists and producers a whole new tool kit to employ. When combined with the unique musical culture of Japan, where local traditions are frequently fused with Western styles to create timeless, off-kilter aural fusions, this embrace of locally pioneered music technology had spectacular, often unusual results.

Eight years in the making, Polyphonic Cosmos provides an endlessly entertaining musical snapshot of Japanese music of the early-to-mid ‘80s with all of the open-minded eclecticism and sonic twists that you would expect from the Glasgow-based DJ.

Compare and contrast, for example, the gently breezy, morning-fresh folk-plus-electronics bliss of ‘ばら二曲 Baranikyoku (Fellini&Rota)’ by World Standard – the most familiar alias of long-serving musician/producer Sohichiro Suzuki – and the hallucinatory, slow-motion tribal rhythms, post-punk rhythms and tape delay-laden electronics of Imitation’s ‘Exotic Dance’. Or, for that matter, the tipsy mid-‘80s electronic reggae of Pecker’s ‘Sha La La’, the grungy but melodic post-punk strut of ‘You Go On Natural’ by Earthling (a track Twitch accurately describes as “sheer unrelenting groove”), and the unearthly, swirling sonics, new age instrumentation and flotation tank vocals of prolific (and seemingly mysterious) act Geinoh Yamashirogumi’s ‘Rimme Kohkyogaku Meiki’.

It’s a credit to JD Twitch’s curatorial skills that the quality never dips, and sonic surprises lurk around every corner. Consider for a moment the hard to describe, far-sighted audio immersion of D-Day’s ‘Ki-Ra’ – all languid post-pop guitar, enveloping chords, spoken word vocals, shuffling 808 beats and marimba melodies – and the two contributions from video games soundtrack specialist (and driving instrumental synth-pop specialist) Hiroyuki Namba.

The collection naturally includes some selections that have long been favourites in Twitch’s DJ sets – see Masumi Hara’s ‘Your Dream’ – as well as a handful of tracks from artists who may be more recognisable to those with only rudimentary knowledge of Japanese musical culture. The great Yasuaki Shimizu, whose work as Mariah has become far better known in recent years thanks to reissues of some of his most magical albums, is represented via ‘The Crow’, a picturesque chunk of horizontal, hard-to-define jazz-not-jazz smokiness, while the collection fittingly concludes with a sublimely funky, oddball electronic workout from Yellow Magic Orchestra legend Ryuichi Sakamoto (the frankly incredible ‘Wongga Dance Song’).

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The Jesus And Mary Chain

2LP | 2017 | UK | Reissue (Fuzz Club)

LP | 1981 | JP | Reissue (Sony Music Japan)

Release: 2017 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Originally released in 2017 on the band's own label Artificial Plastic and now being reissued by Fuzz Club Records, 'Damage And Joy' is the seventh studio album from Scottish alt-rock legends The Jesus and Mary Chain. The long-awaited follow-up to 1998's 'Munki', 'Damage And Joy' was the band's first studio album in nearly two decades and contained brand new material alongside reimagined versions of songs that had been released in various forms by the Reid brothers in between the Mary Chain's 1999 break-up and 2007 reunion. Co-produced by Youth (Killing Joke) and featuring the lead singles 'Amputation' and 'All Things Pass', 'Damage & Joy' also featured guest appearances from Scottish singer-songwriter Isobel Campbell ('The Two of Us', 'Song For A Secret') and American alt-pop star Sky Ferreira ('Black And Blues'). 'Damage And Joy' is now being given a deluxe, expanded vinyl reissue. The double LP is reissued on both black and coloured 180g vinyl with remastered audio by Pete Maher (U2, The Rolling Stones, Jack White, Liam Gallagher), a heavy tip-on-printed gatefold sleeve, printed inner-sleeves and a 16-page booklet, plus bonus tracks and an alternative track-order. Included in this reissue and available on vinyl for the very first time is 'Ono Yoko' (originally only available on the Japanese CD version of the album), as well as alternative versions of 'The Two Of Us' featuring Sky Ferreira and 'Black And Blues' featuring Isobel Campbell.

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Yukihiro Takahashi

Neuromantic

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (WRWTFWW)

Release: 1981 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Pop

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Neuromantic is Takahashi’s first solo release for Alfa and his third solo album overall. In addition to Japanese musicians Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Kenji Omura, the album also features Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay (Roxy Music), and Tony Mansfield whom he recorded with during a long stay in London. This record builds on the techno sound of YMO’s BGM (released the same year), infusing Takahashi’s unique romantic aesthetic and is considered one of his masterpieces. The sixth track, “Drip Dry Eyes' is a self-cover of a song that he wrote for Alfa artist artist Sandii.

Yukihiro Takahashi explains, “The early 80’s was one of the busiest periods of my music life...When I think back now, I think that my recording style and production process that I continue to this day may have been solidified then, during the early 80’s.”

The new reissue of Neuromatic is part of Alfa's ongoing reissue series featuring many of Yukihiro's early 80s solo albums from his first hit record Murdered by Music (1980) to his last record from his Alfa era Poisson D’Avril (1985 soundtrack to the film of the same name).

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Towa Tei

LP Orange Vinyl Edition

Tokoyo No Kuni Feat. Vega Voga Nicola Cruz, Wolf Müller & Michael Mayer Remixes

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Wrwtfww Records is very happy to announce the release of the new album from legendary Deee-Lite member Towa Tei, celebrating the 30th year of his career. It is available on (orange) vinyl for the first time outside of Japan. The album, simply titled LP features Japanese music icons Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi (Yellow Magic Orchestra), Yasuaki Shimizu (Kakashi), fellow Metafive colleagues Tomohiko Gondo and Yoshinori Sunahara, Hana, Wataru Iga, Shunji Mori, Hidefumi Ino and more. It was mixed by famed engineer Goh Hotoda and the artwork comes from painter Tomoo Gokita. Poppy, catchy, dancy, and very funky, Towa Tei’s 10th solo album is 100% delirious ride and a testament to the Deee-Lite member’s ever-expanding creativity, combining simplicity and experimentalism in the most feel-good ways. Indoor, outdoor, and every day of the year, this one will make you dance and smile! This release is a collaboration between legendary Japanese label Nippon Columbia/Better Days and Wrwtfww Records.

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Golden Bug

12" | 2021 | EU | Original (La Belle)

12,99 €*

Perpetual HHV Exclusive Easter Yellow Vinyl Edition

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Born from my meeting with japanese artist Vega Voga, ‘Toyoko No Kuni’ builds a bridge between our two cultures by creating a musical epic sounding like an imaginary, acid-drenched Toshiya Fujita movie. By homaging the 70’s Avant-garde scene and by channelling Akiko Yano and Midori Takada’s music, Tokoyo No Kuni combines a western approach to japanese traditional instruments in which lyrical vocal samples, synth lines, supersonic percussions and razor-sharp guitars drench the country of Chrysanthemums in an unsolved mystery. Remixed by Nicola Cruz, Michael Mayer and Wolf Müller, ‘Tokoyo No Kuni’ acts as the opening act of my new album Piscolabis.

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Tommy Guerrero

LP | 2016 | US | Reissue (Too Good)

21,99 €*

Diggin' Shin-Ski's Vaults Ep Black Vinyl Edition

Release: 2016 / US – Reissue

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Celebrating Tommy Guerreros work and his upcoming world wide tour, Too Good Records and HHV present a new colored run of 500 copies of his "Perpetual" album. Only available at HHV.

Tommy Guerrero continues to expand his horizons while upholding his San Francisco Bay heritage.Starting from the Bones Brigade skate team in the 80’s, he has gone on to make movie appearances, design for Levi’s in Japan, Vans shoes worldwide, Sutro eyewear (among others), sign a skateboard contract with Converse, co-found Real Skateboards and 40’s Clothing and become art director for Krooked Skateboarding, along with maintaining a prolific recording schedule. Tommy’s concerts have packed houses across the country from Café Du Nord in SF to The Knitting Factory in N.Y.C. and continue across the globe from The Underworld in London to the Fujirock Festival in his yearly tours in Japan. In 2014, Tommy performed a 15-city tour of Europe sponsored by Levi’s and plans to return again to support this new release - Perpetual. A continuation to Perpetuum, an album exclusively released in Japan in 2014, Tommy’s intent for Perpetual is “to strip the tunes down and create more of an atmosphere than being concerned with writing ‘songs’... The other idea [is] to abandon the damn computron and record everything on my Tascam 388 1/4" 8 track tape machine. The limitations with an old tape deck were welcomed with open arms - … I gotta say this is one of my faves and hope people will connect with what I [am] trying to convey. Music is all about an emotional response for me... I hope it resonates with you in a
positive way.” From Mission District punkers to Shibuya-ku hipsters- Tommy’s music does resonate in a positive way. His melodies dance lightly around your head while the rhythms build under your feet and move your hips. His is SOUL music, made by a street kid raised on Santana and Bill Withers (with more than a little nod to the Clash and Public Enemy in there, too) who – through Perpetual – continues to share that life is “about the journey not the destination.”

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Shin-Ski

7" | 2021 | EU | Original (Oonops Drops)

12,99 €*

Here Are The Courettes Colored Vinyl Edition

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Hip Hop

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Oonops's first encounter with Japanese producer Shin-Ski dates back six years when he asked him for an exclusive guest mix for his show on Brooklyn Radio. He became aware of him years ago through his group ShinSight Trio with Insight and DJ Ryow a.k.a. Smooth Current. After one more mix and two collaborations on his Resense-series plus »Oonops Drops - Vol.1« compilation via Agogo Records they started working together on a whole album of instrumentals.

For this 45 Oonops had the chance to dig through an amount of unreleased tracks and selected some of the essential essences with different influences from Jazz, Soul, Funk and much more.

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The Courettes

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Damaged Goods)

OST One Last Kiss Crystal Blue Vinyl Edition

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Remastered Reissue Of Debut Lp With New Sleeve Artwork!1000 CopiesThe Courettes' Debut Album From 2015. Recorded In Only Two Days By Kim Kix From The Iconic Powersolo In A Small, Cramped Studio In Denmark. Unpolished Tunes - Fresh, Raw And Alive Tunes - And The Garage Is Shaking! Minimal Overdubs, No Editing, No Auto Tune, No Bullshit. Punk Straight Out Of The Garage And A Lot Of Riot Grrrl Charisma.Mixed By Kim Kix And Nikolaj Heyman. The Album Features Eightoriginal Songs All In Mono. Now It's Reissued With A New Sleeve, Colored Vinyl And New Mastering Making It Sound Better And Louder Than Ever!The Courettes Are An Explosive Garage Rock Duo From Denmark/Brazil, Highly Praised By The World's Coolest Musicmagazines. Their First Single For Damaged Goods, 'Want You! Like A Cigarette', Was Released In 2020 In The Middle Of The Covid-19 Pandemic. "This Extraordinary 45 Marries A Super-Charged Pop Top Side To A Charging, Rampaging Flip" Wrotekieron Tyler (Mojo). A Brand New Single, 'Hop The Twig',Followed In Spring 2021. Back In Mono, The Duo's Third Album Is Being Mixed Now In Japan By Wall Of Sound Aficionado Seike Sato And Shows The Band In Top Form, With Great Songwriting And Spector-Esque Arrangements.

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Hikaru Utada

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Milan)

23,99 €*

LP | 1971 | EU | Reissue (Life Goes On)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Soundtracks

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Hikaru Utada's debut single “Automatic/time will tell” released on December 9, 1998 sold over two million copies, catapulting her to top-artist-status at age 15. The first album “First Love” released a few months later and marked the highest number of CDs sold in Japan, a record that remains unbroken to this day. All of her albums that followed have topped the charts. The 2007 single “Flavor Of Life” set a world record for the highest number of digital downloads. She announced a hiatus from her music career in 2010 to focus on her "人間活動/ningen katsudo/career as a person," or personal growth, returning to her career of music in April 2016 with singles “Hanataba Wo Kimini” and “Manatsu No Tooriame.” Her sixth studio album "Fantome" followed in September 2016 to great success in both Japan and abroad with a #1 on the Oricon charts stretching four consecutive weeks for the first time, a #3 on the US iTunes chart, and over a million units total in sales of CD and digital downloads. Since March 2017, She has been with Epic Records Japan a division of Sony Music Labels Inc. The year 2018 saw the release of her 7th album "Hatsukoi" on June 27, 2018, marked her twenty-year anniversary from debut, and going on her first Japan-wide tour since recommencing her music career. Footage from the tour is available as a video release under the title "Hikaru Utada Laughter in the Dark Tour 2018." The theme song for video game KINGDOM HEARTS Ⅲ "Face My Fears" was released as a single in 2019. The track was co-created with Skrillex and marked Utada's first Billboard Top 100 in the US. An EP including the A.G. Cook co-produced single "One Last Kiss" and her first self-cover "Beautiful World (Da Capo Version)" is available March 10, 2021. The two tracks are both theme songs appearing in the feature film EVANGELION:3.0+1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME (SHIN EVANGELION).

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Flower Travellin' Band

Satori

18,99 €*

12" | 2021 | UK | Reissue (Sähkö)

Release: 1971 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Can you pick up a better iconic band than Japanese Flower Travellin’ Band? Have a look at Julian Cope Japrocksampler cover with the band bare naked wildly ridin’ on their wheels. Is any description more appropriate? A sense of freedom has always enhanced their music, a heavy rock manifesto clearly informed by british stalwarts. Their second album Satori has been released on Atlantic Japan in 1971 and still is a masterpiece on its own. The band was made up of Joe Yamanaka (vocals) – possibly an eastern version of Rob Tyner MC5 - Hideki Ishima (guitars), Jun Kobayashi (bass) and George Wada (drums). By the end of 1970, they had relocated to Toronto, Canada and lived there until March of 1972. In April 1973, the band split up, but they reunited in January 2008 with all original members joined by Nobuhiko

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Ryoji Ikeda

Ryoji Ikeda EP

17,99 €*

Release: 2021 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Ryoji Ikeda is one of the most influential minimal electronic musicians and sound artists of our time. He also works as a cutting edge visual atist. He creates poetic art reducing the elements to extremes.
Ryoji Ikeda was born in 1966 in Gifu, Japan. He lives and works in Paris, France and Kyoto, Japan. These two tracks are taken from his first and third album from early/mid 90's and are previously never released on vinyl. Space was newly mixed by Ryoji Ikeda for this EP.

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Somewhere Between: Mutant Pop, Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds Of Japan 1980-1988 Cloudy Clear Vinyl Edition

2LP | 2021 | US | Original (Light In The Attic)

16,99 €*

LP | 1976 | JP | Original (Warner)

Release: 2021 / US – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Somewhere Between: Mutant Pop, Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds of Japan 1980–1988 hovers vibe–wise between two distinct poles within Light In The Attic’s acclaimed Japan Archival Series—Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980–1990 and Pacific Breeze: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1976–1986. All three albums showcase recordings produced during Japan’s soaring bubble economy of the 1980s, an era in which aesthetic visions and consumerism merged. Music echoed the nation’s prosperity and with financial abundance came the luxury to dream.

Sonically, Somewhere Between mines the midpoint between Kankyō Ongaku’s sparkling atmospherics and Pacific Breeze’s metropolitan boogie. The compilation encompasses ambient pop, underground electronics, liminal minimalism and shadow sounds—all descriptors emphasizing the hazy nature of the nebula. Out–of–focus rhythms wear ethereal accoutrements, ballads are shrouded in static, and angular drums snake skyward on transcendent tones. From the Avant–minimalism of Mkwaju Ensemble and Yoshio Ojima, to the leftfield techno-pop of Mishio Ogawa and Noriko Miyamoto (featuring members of Ymo), and highlights from the groundbreaking Osaka underground label Vanity Records, these are blurry constellations defying collective categorization.

These tracks also exist in a space of transition when the major label grip on the Japanese recording market began to give way to the escalation of independents. Thanks to the idyllic economic climate and innovations in domestically–manufactured music gear, creators on the edges were empowered to focus on satisfying their artistic visions in the open headspace of home studios. While labels like Warner Music and Nippon Columbia explored new sounds through traditional channels, it was possible for Vanity, Balcony and other indie labels, not to mention self–released artists like Ojima and Naoki Asai, to publish their work via affordable media such as cassettes, 7" vinyl, and flexi–discs.

Expertly curated by Yosuke Kitazawa and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab), Somewhere Between is a collection of music, much of it released for the first time outside Japan, that is bound more by energetic vibration than shared history, genre or scene. They are the sounds of transition and searching—a celebration of the freedom found in floating.

Note: The track “Days Man” by Yoshio Ojima is only available on the LP and Cassette versions.

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George Benson

Breezin'

14,99 €*

Release: 1976 / JP – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Used Vinyl

Medium: Near Mint, Cover: VG+

Japanese pressing without OBI!

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J Jazz Volume 3: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan

3LP | 2021 | EU | Original (BBE Music)

39,99 €*

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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LP | 1981 | JP | Reissue (P-Vine)

Phew

31,99 €*

Release: 1981 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Undoubtedly this album is one of the important discs of Japanese new wave and German krautrock history. "Phew" is Japanese female vocalist who is well known as a member of legendary punk band "Aunt Sally". She has been active in a wide range of projects and collaborated with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Seiichi Yamamoto, DAF, and Neubauten etc. This was originally released in 1981 as her solo debut album, made in legendary Conny's Studio with Conny Plank, Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit from CAN. Not only highly demanded by vinyl collectors worldwide, but also this album is outstanding in the dimension of the music. By Plank's engineering, their never fading sound-making is still innovative and no one can stand next. Now we present it as reissued LP with OBI, you can listen to the monumental work of her career in vinyl after more than 30 years since the last time it was reissued for the first time.

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Wamono A To Z Volume I Black Vinyl Edition

LP | 2020 | EU | Original (180g)

27,99 €*

LP | 2020 | US | Original (Rvng Intl.)

Release: 2020 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Japanese Jazz-Funk & Rare Groove 1968-1980 (Selected by DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite & Chintam) Active as a professional DJ in Japan since the late eighties, DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite is also a renowned remixer, compiler and producer. An avid record collector and an expert of the Wamono style, Yoshizawa published the Wamono A to Z records guide book in 2015 which instantly sold-out. The book unveiled a myriad of beautiful and rare records from a highly prolific, but still then unknown, Japanese groove scene. After many years working as a record buyer for several stores, DJ Chintam opened his own Blow Up shop in 2018 in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. A member of the Dayjam Crew and a specialist of soul, funk, rare groove and disco music, Chintam is also an expert of the home-brewed Wamono grooves. He supervised and wrote the Wamono A to Z records guide book together with Yoshizawa. With this first volume of the Wamono series, our two DJs here guide you through some of the best and rarest jazz funk and rare groove tunes produced in Japan between 1968 and 1980. Put the needle on the record, turn up the volume and dig right now into the Wamono sound - the cream of the Japanese funk, soul, rare groove and disco music developed throughout the years since the end of the sixties in Japan!

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Kate NV

Room For The Moon

LP Box | 2020 | EU | Original (Alien Transistor)

Release: 2020 / US – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Kate NV is the project of Russia-born recording artist, songwriter, and producer Kate Shilonosova. Best known in her hometown of Moscow as the lead singer and founder of the post-punk garage band Glintshake, Kate NV is also a performer in the experimental Moscow Scratch Orchestra and releases music under an alternate alias, NV. "Room for the Moon" is Kate NV's third album and second for RVNG Intl. "Room for the Moon" was inspired by memories of 70s/80s Russian and Japanese pop music and movies. The album finds Kate NV singing in Russian, French, and English. She collaborated with musicians Jenya Gorbunov (bass guitar), Vladimir Luchanskiy (saxophone), Quinn Oulton (bass guitar, saxophone), Nami Sato (Japanese Narration), and Marco Passarani (marimba). "Music knows what she wants," says Kate NV. On "Room for the Moon", the lyrical follow up to the buoyant minimalism of 2018's "FOR", NV follows this muse in fluid expression, harmonizing her lunar lullabies with a starry compositional choreography. NV says, "I always let music express herself without pressure, and with or without voice."

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Tenniscoats

Music Exists Disc 5

31,99 €*

Haruomi Hosono, Takahiko Ishikawa & Masataka Matsutoya

Release: 2020 / EU – Original

Genre: Rock & Indie

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5LP Box Set: Complete Box-Set with all 5 "Music Exists" LPs + Poster, screen-printed random color artwork.
Now finally, the great "Music Exist"-series by Tokyo-based duo the Tenniscoats is completed. Apart from the regular 4 volumes, there is a heavy cardboard box, beautifully screenprinted and hand-numbered by senorburns, in 12 different color-combinations. Inside you'll find an extra-LP of bonus-tracks and alternative versions, "Music Exists disc 5", which only comes exclusively with this box. Like on the other LPs, you’ll hear heartbreaking songs, beautifully arranged with acoustic guitar, melodica, psychedelic keyboards and soundexperiments. Also included is a A3-Poster with a drawing by Ueno not used within the previous album-artworks.

Limited one-time pressing of only 500 copies worldwide. There is a small amount of full boxes with all 5 LPs and Poster available, for those, who don‘t have any of the albums so far.

Tenniscoats have devoted followers allover the world, but their releases were always hard to find outside of Japan. Except for their album "Tokinouta", which saw a very limited run on vinyl, and the seminal "Two Sunsets", their collaboration with the Pastels (and a small handfull of 7"s), there were never any vinyl-releases, and also the CDs were hard to get for any-one, who doesn't speak or read japanese.

So, this is the chance to dive deep into the beautiful, unique world of the Tenniscoats and their opus magnum "music exists".

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The Aegean Sea

LP | 1979 | EU | Reissue (Victory)

LP | 1978 | EU | Reissue (Studio Mule)

Release: 1979 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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1979’s The Aegean Sea is somewhat of a companion piece to the previous year’s Pacific. A beautiful piece of Japanese smooth fusion-jazz with elements of traditional Greek music and Balearic grooves, it’s one of Hosono’s cleanest and most focused works to date. Long sought after by collectors this record is nearly impossible to find in original pressings outside of Japan and this is a welcome reissue of one of the greatest titles in Hosono’s seemingly infinite catalog. Essential Japanese jazz fusion.

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Eiji Nakayama

Aya's Samba

12" | 2019 | EU | Original (Sacred Court)

Release: 1978 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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One per customer only!

Johnny’s Disk Record is an independent jazz label run by the owner of jazz cafe Kaiunbashi No Johnny located in Rikuzentakata city in Iwate prefecture, Japan. The legendary label released a string of albums of high quality but down-to-earth music, spanning from modern jazz, avant-garde jazz to left-field pop. Albums such as “farewell my johnny / left alone” and “aya’s samba” has reached cult status among fans as some of the best works to come out of the japanese jazz scene. Another japanese jazz classic, Aya’s Samba was a debut effort by bassist Eiji Nakayama, who played as part of elvin jones’ jazz machine and toured with Don Friedman. This album is an important release in the johnny’s disk catalogue, not only because it is the first ever release, but also because the owner hearing the band play was the reason why the label came to be. “Aya’s Samba” is a mellow jazz samba in minor key that’s considered a japanese jazz classic. Slow ballad “yellow living” is drenched in melancholy with emotive keys and sax notes, while the dreamy “sea sea town” impresses with a captivating, expressive sax solo. The 4 tracker ends with “far-away road,” an uptempo tune with rhythmic keys.

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Lemna

Figure And Ground

12,99 €*

2LP | 2010 | EU | Reissue (Soundway)

Release: 2019 / EU – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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The Japanese artist debuts in SNTS' label Sacred Court after her previous releases in Horo with a four-track EP of hypnotic shamanic rhythms and gridding sounds.

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Lord Echo

Melodies

20,99 €*

2LP | 1975 | EU | Reissue (Speakers Corner)

Release: 2010 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Double vinyl re-issue of the classic Lord Echo debut. Features the huge single - the cover of the classic Sister Sledge track‘Thinking Of You’. Available for the first time on general release outside Japan. Look out for the brand new album Harmonies from Lord Echo - art 3 in the trilogy.

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Herbie Hancock

Flood

55,99 €*

LP | 1982 | JP | Original (CBS/Sony)

Release: 1975 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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In the summer of 1975, the Herbie Hancock Sextet made a hugely successful tour of Japan, which made people aware of a 'new' Hancock. The last LP that the keyboard virtuoso had recorded, "Thrust", was already one year old, and the film music for the Charles Bronson classic "Death Wish" was received negatively by his fans. At his concerts in Tokyo, Herbie Hancock reached back to his hits: "Maiden Voyage", "Chameleon", and the famous, soulful "Watermelon Man" made the fans at his concert hall and open-air appearances go wild with enthusiasm. Forty years later I have the courage to confess that I couldn’t have cared less about this music at the time; in Europe there was enough that was new and exciting to see and listen to. However, this re-release in its original format has given me the opportunity to check out whether this music has withstood the test of time. And I must say: it has passed the test! Just listen to Herbie at his best!
Dr. Michael Frohne

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Kimiko Kasai

Kimiko

14,99 €*

Saturnight: Cat Stevens Live In Tokyo Black Friday Record Store Day 2024 Edition

Release: 1982 / JP – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Pop

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Used Vinyl

Medium: VG, Cover: VG

Japanese pressing, no Obi.

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Cat Stevens

LP | 2024 | Reissue (Island)

39,99 €*

2LP | 2001 | JP | Reissue (Venus)

Release: 2024 / Reissue

Genre: Pop

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RSD First, Limitation: 3500

Saturnight (subtitled "Live in Tokyo") is the first live album by Cat Stevens, released only in Japan. Recorded June 22, 1974 at Sunplaza Hall, Nakano, Tokyo, Japan.

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Archie Shepp Quartet

Deja Vu

82,99 €*

Release: 2001 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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LP | 2024 | EU | Original (AvantRoots)

Charles A.D

Deep Diver

21,99 €*

In Science And The Human Heart

Release: 2024 / EU – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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The sea has long been central to Japanese culture, symbolizing both sustenance and spiritual
depth. Charles A.D.'s Deep Diver draws inspiration from this, channeling the ancient traditions
of diving and fishing into his music. Historically, the sea has influenced everything from Shinto
rituals to the livelihoods of coastal communities. In Deep Diver, this reverence flows through
aquatic soundscapes, where rhythmic waves of 90s house and Detroit techno meet Japanese
minimal production techniques, New Age and Pacific Jazz. Like the tides, the album ebbs and
flows, creating a serene yet dynamic homage to the timeless connection between Japan and
the sea.
The opening track 'Deep Diver' plunges into the depths, its abstract sound design capturing the
sensation of deep-sea propulsion. Rhythmic bubbles pulse gently alongside slow-moving
chords, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. The textures are lush yet restrained, setting a
tranquil stage that pulls the listener into a submerged world. 'Underwater Ruins' builds on this
aquatic theme, introducing rhythmic layers and bass-heavy notes reminiscent of mid-90s
Japanese ambient techno. The smooth, melodic flow nods to pioneers like Mr.YT and Susumu
Yokota, while subtly incorporating the Detroit techno influence through soulful, deep basslines.
The track feels like a fusion of ambient and techno, balancing serene tones with a rolling
groove, emblematic of Japanese techno soul. As the album progresses into 'Bubble Ring', it
becomes clear that Charles A.D. is a master of minimalism. The production is timeless, leaning
on analog techniques where echo-drenched chords and carefully layered soundscapes take on
an addictive, hypnotic quality. The simplicity of the composition is deceptive, as each element
carries weight, drawing the listener deeper into the rhythm and space between the notes.
'Merperson' is where organic rhythms truly come into play. Charles A.D. gently evolves the
patterns, allowing each percussive hit to flow naturally into the next. Soothing melodies emerge
from within the track’s structure, eventually reaching an emotional peak without ever feeling
forced. The organic nature of the arrangement creates an effortless progression that feels
deeply connected to the natural movement of water.Starting the second half with 'Deep Exploration', the theme of underwater excursions becomes
even more pronounced. Light, steady drumming anchors the track, allowing the melodic layers
to develop gradually. It unfolds with a calm, measured pace, before ending softly, almost as if
the sounds are drifting off into the oceanic depths. 'Diffuse Reflection' stands out as the most
dub house-influenced on the album, with rolling rhythms and hypnotic elements reminiscent of
Maurizio's deep, pulsing sound. Yet here, the production feels submerged, with aquatic effects
swirling around the rhythmic core, blending dub house with a fluid, oceanic touch. 'Traitors'
delves even deeper into dub-inspired territory. Deep, resonant bass hits combine with wooden
drums, while static-like sounds evoke the image of a radio tuning through static to find clarity.
Chords shimmer briefly before fading back into the liquid depths, evoking the ebb and flow of
the tide. The final track on Deep Diver 'Levitation', is a fitting conclusion, as the rhythms merge
and overlap like waves gently lapping the shore. The minimalistic arrangement allows each
element to blend effortlessly into the next, creating a sense of unity and closure. The sounds
move with the gentle grace of water, ending the album in a way that feels both complete and
open-ended, like the infinite motion of the sea.

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Hiroshi Ebina

Tape | 2024 | WW | Original (Kitchen Label)

15,99 €*

Release: 2024 / WW – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance, Classical Music

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LP | 1983 | JP | Reissue (P-Vine)

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Michigan Avenue

35,99 €*

Pacific Voyage Black Vinyl Edition

Release: 1983 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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The only album by Chicago based soul vocal group "Michigan Avenue", produced by renowned producer Clarence Johnson, known for his work with Heaven And Earth and Brighter Side Of Darkness. 1983. This is the first time the album has been reissued with the same cover design as the original release since its release. This Japanese limited edition will come with Obi-strip and some bonus tracks!

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Nautilus

LP | 2024 | EU | Original (Oonops Drops)

23,99 €*

LP | 2019 | EU | Original (Sony Music Japan)

Release: 2024 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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The brand new album "Pacific Voyage" by Nautilus from Tokyo is a breezy summertime soundtrack which combines sunny Yacht Rock with a touch of cool 80s City Pop.

The Japanese Jazzfusion trio reinterpretates stone cold classics from this era in their typical signature way of playing.

Songs like the heavy sampled "What You Won't Do For Love" by Bobby Caldwell and Toto's "Georgy Porgy" get a completely new coat of paint and fresh interpretation translated into now and tomorrow.
Followed by a who's who of tracks from Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald, Shuggie Otis, Nohelani Cypriano and Toshiki Kadomatsu to name a few.
Guest appearances on this album are from UK soul singer John Turrell (Smoove & Turrell), German rap legend Toni-L (Advanced Chemistry with Torch) and Japanese soul singer Ryuto Kasahara who worked with Grooveman Spot and DJ Mitsu The Beats so far.

Enjoy this pacific voyage.

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Sachiko Kanenobu

Misora

Release: 2019 / EU – Original

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Songs Ideas We Forgot "Eraser Smudge" Vinyl Edition

Toe

LP | 2002 | US | Reissue (Topshelf)

27,99 €*

2LP | 2024 | US | Original (Avex Trax Japan)

Release: 2002 / US – Reissue

Genre: Rock & Indie

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toe is a Japanese music group long revered in post-rock circles, while their song structures and dynamics have taken on elements from all styles of music, ranging from math-rock, jazz, pop, and R&B.
toe is composed of Kashikura Takashi on drums, Mino Takaaki on guitar, Yamane Satoshi on bass guitar, and Yamazaki Hirokazu on guitar. The band has formally played with this lineup since their inception in 1998.
The vast majority of the music is instrumental and features the swift, agile drumming of Takashi. The band is also known for melodic, clean guitar, often employing the juxtaposition of electric and acoustic. While the compositions feature the repetition of typical rock motifs, the subtle changes in beat and rhythm form a unique rhythmic dialect. The band has consistently expanded their sound throughout their musical tenure by incorporating singing, rhodes piano, mallet percussion, and electronic production elements.

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Ryuichi Sakamoto

OST Tony Takitani

83,99 €*

Release: 2024 / US – Original

Genre: Soundtracks

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Shohjo-Tai & Red Bus St Project

Escape

12" | 1984 | EU | Reissue (Thank You)

Von Spar / Eiko Ishibashi / Joe Talia / Tatsuhiro Yamamoto

Release: 1984 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

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Although all three tracks offer the listener valuable insight into the level of music production ingenuity that was going on in Japan at the time, it's "Electric City" that really stands out as an unmistakably unique dancefloor track, where the then teenage female vocalists from Shohjo-Tai are left out and a galloping 120bpm beat sets a blank canvas for a number of unexpected elements to present: completely unorthodox accents in a wide range of unidentifiable sounds, a very enthusiastic electric guitar solo, the Ennio Morricone-esque Spaghetti Western vocal moments, all of which get contrasted with a blissful chorus that reminds one that this is somehow still a collaboration with a Japanese female idol band from the 80s. A hard track to forget even in the less sober dancefloors, it is no surprise that it would be a fundamental secret weapon in the repertoire of diggers such as Dea Barandana. Can't go wrong, buy on sight. Remastered with new artwork.

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Album I-II

CD | 2024 | EU | Original (Bureau B)

Back To Rhythm Clear Lime Yellow Vinyl Edition

Release: 2024 / EU – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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The inspiration for 'Album l' and 'Album Il' began with a performance by Japanese musician Eiko Ishibashi at Cologne's Week-End Fest in 2019. For this appearance the renowned experimental musician and composer of the Oscar-winning film „Drive My Car" was joined on drums by Tatsuhisa Yamamoto and Joe Talia; both integral members of the top-level improvisational/ experimental scene in Tokyo. While in town for the festival, Ishibashi met up with the members of the Cologne-Berlin based group Von Spar who featured Ishibashi on their then new album "Under Pressure".

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Akira Ishikawa

LP | JP | Original (Nippon Columbia)

36,99 €*

LP | 2015 | JP | Original (Sweet Soul)

Release: JP – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Japanese jazz, rare groove masterpiece re-released on clear lime yellow color vinyl!

The pleasure of feeling numb all over your body with a single drum beat. Akira Ishikawa, the super funky drummer born in Japan, runs through a wonderland of grooves!

Akira Ishikawa is a super funky drummer born in Japan. His ability to freely explore and fuse jazz, rock, and African music to create a unique musicality has been highly praised in many fields. His career includes masterpieces from jazz rock to rare groove, but this work is especially beloved for its outstanding song selection and exciting musicality. "Let's Start" is a tight cover of Fela Kuti's Afro-funk, "Bongo Rock" is a dynamic song with drum breaks, and "Pick Up The Pieces" is a jazz-funk version of the Average White Band's classic song. It is full of amazing monster tunes that are hard to believe were recorded in 1975. Support from masters such as Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Hiromasa Suzuki, and Takeru Muraoka also shines. text by Yusuke Ogawa (universounds/Deep Jazz Reality)

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Nao Yoshioka

The Light

Crime In Australia Opaque Blue Vinyl Edition

Release: 2015 / JP – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Runner-Up at Apollo Theater Amateur Night! Highly Anticipated Debut Album from a Major New Talent Set to Take the World by Storm Nao Yoshioka's first album, "The Light," was recorded by three teams in the U.S., the Netherlands, and Japan. The notable vintage soul artist Brian Owens from the U.S. handled the instrumental recording and vocal direction for three tracks. In New York, Dani Elliott and Orly collaborated on songwriting and provided tracks. In the Netherlands, Shirma Rouse, hailed as the No. 1 Soul Queen, also took charge of the instrumental recording and vocal direction for three tracks. The Japanese team featured top musicians from the scene, including Takuya Kuroda, a trumpeter renowned for his work with the José James Band. Soul music, connected through Nao Yoshioka, casts its spell from Tokyo to the world.

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Party Dozen

LP | 2024 | US | Original (Temporary Residence)

30,99 €*

LP | 2024 | JP (Universal Music Japan)

Release: 2024 / US – Original

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Opaque Blue Vinyl. Crime In Australia follows 2022's The Real Work, the firstParty Dozen record that (some) people were actuallywaiting for; the one that Nick Cave sang on; the one thathad a track that billy woods jumped on for a rework; theone that took them to the USA, Europe (twice), Japan,China and New Zealand; the one that saw Party Dozenhook up with a cool US label (Temporary Residence Ltd.);the one that made Bandcamp, Stereogum, BrooklynVegan and a whole swathe of Australian radio stationsdeclare it their Album of the Day/Week/Epoch; and theone that made KEXP invite the band in for a live session,and made Sub Pop add to their hallowed Singles Club.The Real Work was not the first Party Dozen record, butit was in many ways where Party Dozen really started toput it all together. Crime In Australia continues to build ontheir arc, and elevates their ascent with a slew of newsongs that are simultaneously more focused and moreferal than anything they've ever done. And there are noguests on this one.

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Izumi Kobayashi

Nut Nuts Nuts

35,99 €*

Daryl Hall & John Oates = Daryl Hall & John Oates

Release: 2024 / JP

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Izumi Kobayashi, who has recently experienced a resurgence in popularity due to the renewed interest in city pop, is once again in the spotlight both in Japan and abroad. She has reissued her second solo album, originally released in 1982, on LP!

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Private Eyes = プライベート・アイズ

LP | 1981 | JP | Original (RCA)

14,99 €*

Painted Woman White Vinyl Edition

Release: 1981 / JP – Original

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Used Vinyl

Medium: VG+, Cover: VG+

Japanese pressing with OBI!

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Masaki Matsubara

LP | 1983 | JP | Reissue (Pony Canyon)

47,99 €*

Another Day Milky Clear Vinyl Edition

Release: 1983 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Legendary Japanese guitarist Masaki Matsubara’s two solo albums will be reissued on Pure Virgin Vinyl by Canyon/agharta label, which is known worldwide for its “city Pop” works in recent years! Scheduled for release on August 3rd 2024! A City POP classic album “sniper” featuring vocals of popular AOR singer Jesse Barish, known as the composer of Marty Balin’s hit single “Hearts”, which was also a worldwide hit tune. “Painted Woman” includes the popular song “Silly Crush”, features Eric Tagg of Lee Ritenour band on vocal, which has been played 2.5 million times on Spotify (as of March 2024) and is enjoyed by listeners worldwide, including in L.A. and Jakarta, Bangkok, Santiago, Seoul, etc.

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Fucked Up

LP | 2024 | US | Original (Fucked Up)

LP | 2024 | JP | Original (Super Fuji Discs)

Release: 2024 / US – Original

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Fucked Up formed in 2001 in Toronto, Canada. Meeting each other through the local diy hardcore punk scene they developed a cult following early on which blossomed into a long career of releasing genre expanding music.

"Another Day" is their 7th full length album, they have released over 60 7” singles, countless hours of open-format guitar music, and toured consistently all over the world since early in their career.

Their first three LPs, “Hidden World,” “the chemistry of common life,” and “David Comes to Life” have all been canonised as classic, critically acclaimed, genre defining efforts. The three to follow, “Glass Boys,” “Dose Your Dreams,” and “One Day” have challenged expectations in scope, style, and delivery, the latter which was written and recorded within the span of 24 hours.

Alongside their LPs, the band have been releasing their more experimental “Zodiac” series since 2006. Fucked Up have released 9 12”s of compositional, genre-less, long format songs (20mins plus) corresponding to the Chinese Zodiac, diving ever deeper into narrative forms including a 4 act opera (year of the horse), a musical palindrome (“onno”).

Fucked Up has toured the world extensively and under extraordinary circumstances – a vegetable oil powered school bus through the mountains of the American West Coast, a literal slow boat to China across the sea of Japan, and of course a humble van on any highway that will have them – and bring the same idiosyncrasy to the stage that they do to their records.

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Hirokazu Tanaka

Lost Tapes 17

33,99 €*

Awakening Blue Vinyl Edition

Release: 2024 / JP – Original

Genre: Soundtracks

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Hirokazu Tanaka is a Japanese composer best known worldwide for game music such as the "Metroid" and "Mother" series, as well as music for the world-renowned "Pokemon". The LP contains 17 ambient tracks carefully selected from the approximately 400 private demo tapes he left behind over the past 30 years since the 1980s!

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Hiroshi Sato

LP | 1982 | JP | Reissue (Sony Music Japan)

59,99 €*

Release: 1982 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Pop

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LP | 1970 | EU | Reissue (Le Très Jazz Club)

Terumasa Hino Quintet

Into The Heaven

33,99 €*

Passepartout Duo And Inoyama Land

Release: 1970 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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We can"t really say that Japanese jazzmen benefit (not justify in fact) from a great international fame. However, trumpet player Terumasa Hino is an exception, undoubtedly because since the 70s he has collaborated with numerous Americanmusicians : Gary Burton, Roy Haynes, Herbie Hancock ... On Into the Heaven, which was released in 1970, Terumasa Hino is surrounded by the same musicians as on Hi- Nology, released a year earlier : his brother Motohiko Hino on drums, Hiromasa Suzuki on electric piano, Kunimitsu Inaba on electric bass and Takeru Muraoka on tenor sax. The eponymous piece, which lasts more than 20 minutes, is a jazz fusion giving room to choruses and which is reminiscent of the music that Miles Davis then oï¬Çered, in what we will call his "electric period". B side opens with "Love More Train", a brilliant and long hard bop song, while the album closes melancholy with the peaceful"Feeling Blues As YouAre Feeling".

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Radio Yuga Transclear Vinyl Edition

LP | 2024 | Original (Tonal Union)

27,99 €*

LP | 2024 | US | Original (Azap)

Release: 2024 / Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Kindred spirits Passepartout Duo and Inoyama Land embody the essence of play - charting a new chapter and reinvigorating the environmental music and electronic landscape.

Passepartout Duo is formed of Nicoletta Favari (IT) and Christopher Salvito (IT/US), who since 2015 have been on a continuous journey travelling the world's corners, engaged in a creative process they term "slow music". Having been guests of many notable artist residencies and with live performances in cultural spaces and institutions, their evocative music escapes categorisation. With no fixed abode their musical pilgrimage brought them to Japan first in 2019, which prompted a deep connection to Kanky? Ongaku 'environmental music', a genre in which Inoyama Land is often associated with, soundtracking the duo's first immersive experience. In 2023 the duo revisited Japan and set out to reconnect in particular with the music of Inoyama Land, performed by Makoto Inoue and Yasushi Yamashita. The highly revered album 'Danzindan-Pojidon' (1983) produced by Haruomi Hosono amongst other well publicized and acclaimed reissues (Light in The Attic Records' Grammy-nominated compilation 'Kanky? Ongaku'), produced a global resurgence and admiration of the environmental music movement. Nicoletta took the lead to seek out Inoyama Land and in making contact successfully their intrigue and eagerness to meet was warmly reciprocated, and the group scheduled to meet in the form of a spontaneous improvisation session. "We're deeply concerned with what it means to be a duo, and what it means for people to connect through music."

Radio Yugawara is a unique one-off transmission from a specific place and point in time, unlikely to ever occur again. The respective duo's approach can really be described as "tuning in", a tuning into each other, to themselves, and to the surrounding nature of Yugawara. Like waves that travel off-world, sounds travel through the universe and can be lost forever if we don't seek them out. In finding a harmonic affinity within their instruments and a spiritual kinship in their interwoven performance, Radio Yugawara at its core is an interpretation of feeling, of close human interaction and the true essence of discovery.

"The album is both a transmission from a location, but also a tuning into the surroundings and to each other. Music in this kind of ephemeral moment is much less about active creation and more about discovering something which is already there in the air."

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Melt-Banana

3+5

29,99 €*

LP | 2024 | JP | Original (P-Vine)

Release: 2024 / US – Original

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Presenting 3+5, the long-awaited eighth album from Tokyo-based noise-rockers Melt-Banana on their own A-Zap label!

The album showcases the duo’s visionary musical approach and extraordinary abilities as performers: Yasuko Onuki’s giddy, hyperactive vocalizing and Ichiro Agata’s glitchy, cyberpunk guitar, delivered at dizzying speed, bathed in aggressive electronic sounds. Their aesthetic approach is exultantly experimental, fusing diverse genres imbued with chaotic energy. As on their previous works, the music on 3+5 is unpredictable, always filled with surprises and excitement.

3+5 synthesizes elements of a variety of extreme musics, hyper-pop, classic punk, vintage metal, and noise. It partakes of Japanese culture overall, especially the subcultures of gaming, anime and underground music.

Melt-Banana seek to offer possibilities to musicians who won’t start a band if they can’t find a drummer, young women afraid to express themselves in their own unfiltered and unique voices, bedroom musicians and egg punks seeking to blend electronic noise with live instrumentation. 3+5 provides a fresh experience and perhaps inspiration for all.

While Melt-Banana hasn’t explicitly explained the meaning behind the album’s title, 3+5, prime numbers symbolize mathematical integrity and independence, which could represent the band’s uniqueness and freedom. Why “3+5” and not “1 + 7”? One is left to ponder.

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Edbl

2010

LP | 2024 | JP | Original (P-Vine)

Release: 2024 / JP – Original

Genre: Hip Hop

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edbl is back with the brand new album! edbl has recently collaborated with artists such as Yakul's James Berkeley, Jackson Mathod, Kazuki Isogai and Jprk, and is currently enjoying considerable popularity not only in the UK but also in Asia. His new album, his first release in two years, features up-and-coming artists from the UK and South London scenes, including Turt from Summers Sons, Mercury Prize-nominated jazz musician Quinn Oulton and neo-soul singer Iyamah. The band played a show in Japan in March 2024 and the venue was fully packed and the crowd was highly charged. The track 12 'Tokyo' is reminiscent of the session with guest musician Kazuki Isogai at that show.

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Yanaco

Leaving / Arriving

12" | 2024 | UK | Original (The Quiet Village)

Release: 2024 / JP – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

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Following his debut EP tttwoface from the Belgian label Urban Waves in 2022 and 1st full album from P-vine in 2023, Tokyo based electronic musician Yanaco has released his 2nd full album! He has defined their sound, focusing their wide range of influences into what is no doubt one of the finest ambient albums to come out of Japan in recent years.

Samples, programmed electronics, and synth pads are layered with care and precision to create an ineffable serenity that calls to mind the works of both Hiroshi Yoshimura and Aphex Twin, while still being distinctly Yanaco. The album vividly expresses the theme of life from 'Leaving' to 'Arriving' through expressive songs, and is a complete album in itself, not to mention the quality of each song.

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Quiet Village

Reunion

15,99 €*

Release: 2024 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

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Quiet Village announces new label, The Quiet Village, and new single, ‘Reunion'. Matt 'Radio Slave' Edwards and Joel Martin's critically acclaimed project's first official single under the Quiet Village name in seventeen years!

Beginning life as a 'heady 6/8-time urban jazz odyssey, 'Reunion is a stunning piece of modern, Hi-Tech Jazz that draws influences from Pat Metheny, Timeline, Innerzone Orchestra, and Clyde Stubbelfield's drumming.

While previous Quiet Village material was hewn from a myriad of samples extracted from Edwards' and Martin's notorious digging, 'Reunion' and its follow-ups are drawn from a tight-knit crew of session musicians, including the likes of Jon Hester and Thomas Gandey, adding further depth and feel to the QV sound. Already a firm favourite with Gilles Peterson and Luke Una, the latter of which leaked a clip of the release via his inimitable Instagram presence and called it 'something so fucking beautiful. Tony Allen, Sun Ra meets Carl Craig, Underground Resistance, house, tech, funk, everything rolled into one'.

'Reunion’ is the first single on The Quiet Village, Quiet Village's new imprint. Despite continually producing new music and a slew of remixes, most recently for Running Back and Isle of Jura, the long-term friends and collaborators have been unable to release under their Quiet Village moniker since their LP 'Silent Movie' in 2008. While a few releases under QV and their sometime DJ aliases of Maxxi (Edwards) and Zeus (Martin) have emerged, 'Reunion' is the beginning of a new and re-energised Quiet Village that will see more original material and remixes, DJ and live touring that began in Japan in May and curated compilations of treasures, old and new, in the coming months and years.

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12" | 2024 | EU | Original (Ten Lovers Music)

Best Of Various

13,99 €*

Poem For The Lost Souls (Kuniyuki & Session Victim Versions)

Release: 2024 / EU – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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TLM034 will be our 45th release since 1996 and 25th since reforrning the label in 2019. It seemed inevitable that this release would be one of our Best Of Various EPs featuring new and established artists as we have done previously. Starting off this milestone release we have the ever growing Cumulative Collective with AskaFara. An Epic 10 minute track pushing all the right buttons for listening and the dancefloor alike. Featuring Cormac Fulton, Stefano De Santis, Takashi Nakazato, Ayumi Suzuki and Mitsuru Tanaka, musicians from England, Italy and Japan respectively. All brought together by head of the label Steve Conry who also produced and mixed the track with Stefano De Santis. Track 2 on the A side is by a new name to most, Takahiro Fuchigami with Strange Acquaintance. A beautiful broken beat track with a distinctively Japanese sound. Onto side AA and that kicks off with Melchior Sultana and The Playground. Melchior has previously released on TLM in 2022 and 2023. For 2024 he delivers a superb jazzy deep house track in his own particular Mediterranean style. Next up is Brazilian multi instrumentalist Fabio Santanna with Melô Da Cuíca, a fantastic Brazilian Boogie track. Fabio came to our attention from his release Chega Mais Lincoln on Joutro Mundo’s superb Brazilian label Onda Boa. Finally rounding off the AA side is The Robinson from Italy with Song 1. A brilliant blues tinged broken beat track that gets better every time you hear it.

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Lea Lisa

2x12" | 2024 | DE | Original (Smallville)

Release: 2024 / DE – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Following well-regarded outings on Phonica Records and Wolf Music, and a superb "Many Shades Of House" compilation released this year, Lausanne-based Lea Lisa joins Smallville Records this June with ‘Poem For The Lost Souls’, accompanied by remixes from Kuniyuki and Session Victim as a special Double-12“ package with Gatefold Cover.

For these tracks, Lea Lisa has worked with several musicians in the studio to transform the warmth and organic feel of real instruments into her musical universe. The original mix of ‘Poem For The Lost Souls’ leads, a jazzy house journey that ebbs and flows through fluttering flute melodies, ethereal chords, wandering piano and funk-infused bass grooves running atop organic percussion and disco tinged drums. On the B Side, the ‘Broken Mix’ follows, as the name would suggest, rhythmically shifting focus towards off-kilter drum breaks alongside the other melodies and again - all the ingredients that make a classic house track.

Opening the C-side on record 2, acclaimed Japanese artist and Mule Musiq regular Kuniyuki steps up to rework ‘Poem For The Lost Souls’, in typical fashion the Sapporo born producer extracts the core grooves from the original and shapes it into something uniquely his own, laden with warmth, soul and dynamics. The duo Session Victim then round out the release on Side D with their interpretation, fusing together the original synth melodies with their own amalgamation of intricately intertwined keys and atmospherics, underpinned by a shuffled rhythm section and bouncy low-end drive.

It’s coming with a gatefold cover-artwork by Stefan Marx for a cherry-blossom glimpse of Yoyogi Park in Tokyo.

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Beam Penetration And Mad Computer, Plus The Minimal Sound Of Motorcycles Special Edition

10"+CD | 2024 | JP | Original (EM)

67,99 €*

Release: 2024 / JP – Original

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Expo 70, held in Osaka, was a pivotal event for the Japanese people and their relationship with the rest of the world, demonstrating both the nation’s ongoing economic recovery from World War Two and the creative spirit of Japanese society and its artists. A series of performances, billed as “Night Events” were held at the Expo; the most radical of these was "Beam Penetration and Mad Computer, plus the Minimal Sound of Motorcycles”, but its anti-establishment feel and general madness took the Expo organizers by surprise and it was cancelled after only one night, despite being scheduled for a longer run. An air of myth developed around the event, but a recording of the event has been discovered and this release is the result. This release comprises a CD, a 10-inch record with fold-out sleeve and large obi, plus fascinating notes in Japanese and English by Kenichi Yasuda, an expert on Japanese rock music, and Koji Kawasaki, a renowned researcher of Japanese electronic music, as well as rare photos. *Special Edition includes a Cd-r of a interview program with the producers of "Beam Penetration" in 1970. At the end of the program, the Flower Travellin' Band appeared with motorcycles and performed in the studio. Also includes insert with English translation of the interview.

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12" | 2024 | UK | Original (No Fuss)

Nfrv 010

16,99 €*

LP | 2024 | EU | Reissue (Eskimo)

Release: 2024 / UK – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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It's ten up for the cultured hose label No Fuss here and they hit the milestone in style with underground Michele Chiavarini and his Jazz Codes project. Their innovative 'Jazz Was Dancing' has a monologue about jazz over jazzy keys and live-sounding jazz drums so in a word, it's jazzy. Saison adds some more bumping drums and swinging grooves to their remix and on the flip, Japan's Yuichi Inoue offers a deep house sound that also explores jazz, but in a more seductive way on 'A Night In The Room.' Sebb Junior's 'As One' is last up and slows things down with a more sensuous late-night sound full of heart.

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Aili

Nandakke? Repress

Vigilante Orange Vinyl Edition

Release: 2024 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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(incl insert) A kaleidoscopic sonic riot, Nandakke? is the hotly anticipated debut album from Japanese-Belgian duo Aili. Featuring 10 tracks of surreal electro-pop, joyful electronica, house music and more, Nandakke? is a euphoric album that sees Aili Maruyama and Orson Wouters more than fulfil the promise of their acclaimed debut EP 'Dansu'.

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Dan-E-O

LP | 2024 | US | Original (Urbnet)

29,99 €*

Little Electric Chicken Heart Clear Blue Vinyl Edtion

Release: 2024 / US – Original

Genre: Hip Hop

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Dan-e-o’s hard-hitting 6th solo album “Vigilante” is equal parts lyricism clinic and seething social commentary. From the graphic novel album cover to the unapologetic lyrical content, “Vigilante” harshly critiques social media misuse, gun violence, anti-black racism, self-hatred, jealousy and self-doubt. Inspired by both the “Dexter” and “Death Note” series, Dan-e-o’s new album title represents his commitment to “kill” all of the negativity mentioned above. Well-known for his classic debut 1996 single, “Dear Hip Hop”, Dan-e-o is every bit as punchline-heavy as you would expect on “Vigilante”. The album is also the veteran Toronto lyricist’s most provocative project to date. Taking zero bars lightly and sparing no feelings, Dan calls out such personalities as Kanye West, Donald Trump and Candace Owens while condemning Fox News, murderous police officers and the Ku Klux Klan. He even finds time to address a past toxic relationship while not missing a beat tearing into talentless rappers. The soundscape of “Vigilante” can best be described as “heavy neck-snapping boom bap”. The head-nodders are supplied by Toronto’s Big Sproxx (Freedom Writers) and frequent collaborator Charisma a.k.a. Skizzz (Monolith) as well as Japan’s S-ky THE Cookinjax. With an impressive list of featured guests including such legendary artists as Masta Ace, Saukrates and even comedy superstar, Russell Peters, Dan-e-o has created a recipe for hip-hop perfection. “These are the best 12 songs in the history of my catalogue,” insists Dan-e-o, “Period.”

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Ana Frango Elétrico

LP | 2024 | WW | Original (Mr Bongo)

25,99 €*

12" | 2024 | EU | Original (Memme Vaev)

Release: 2024 / WW – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Here at Mr Bongo we have been inundated with people asking us to reissue this release. Ana Frango Elétrico's petit cult classic masterpiece 'Little Electric Chicken Heart' from 2019, which was only ever released on vinyl and CD in Brazil and Japan, has fast become a collector's item.

Well received by fans, DJs, and reviewers on release, The Needle Drop expressed "Ana Frango Elétrico's authentically vintage fusion of chamber pop, rock, samba and jazz is a real blast!" listing it as one of its Top 50 Albums of 2019. The album's reputation has been slowly building ever since, gaining a Latin Grammy nomination in 2020, and now solidly cementing itself as a gem of contemporary Brazilian music.

Across the albums nine tracks, Ana blends elements and influences from MPB, Tropicália, indie rock, punk and pop, forging them together with a sumptuous dose of her signature style. The finesse of 'Saudade' kicks off the LP, one of Ana's most known tracks to a non-Brazilian audience. A sublime opener, beginning with a spellbinding piano solo before transcending into a beautiful dream-laden slice of warmth, complete with luscious jazzy horns and deft vocal delivery. ‘Promessa e previsões’ follows, the only track on the album not to be written by Ana, instead being penned by Chico França. It’s a swelling and sweeping twilight groover, building and breaking across absorbing peaks.

Other highlights on the album include the anthemic 'Chocolate', which was a firm favourite with a packed sing-along crowd when we heard Ana perform it live. Elsewhere, 'Se No Cinema' hits with its quirky allure, charm and catchy melodies before transforming into a carnival spirit.

Tapping into the richness of Brazil’s new wave of musical energy, the album also includes a heavyweight lineup of collaborations with artists such as Dora Morelenbaum (Bala Desejo), Tim Bernardes, Antonio Neves and Guilherme Lirio to name but a few.

A short, sweet and refreshing record, that leaves nothing to waste, marrying playful ideas with poignant themes. 'Little Electric Chicken Heart' is a future classic and will beguile fans of ‘70s Brazilian recordings, Gal Costa, Mac DeMarco, Stereolab, Superorganism, Caetano Veloso and more.

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Mariko Katsuragi

Aoyama Nights

16,99 €*

Joe Yamanaka & The Wailers

Release: 2024 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Surfing on the wave of 1980’s Nippon’s bubble of electronics and economics, fashion and the femme fatale, explosion of its pop culture and computerized technopop, and the world’s sudden fascination with everything Japan, a group of young studio musicians stemming from Tokyo’s downtown of Akihabara and Kanda came together for ad hoc recording sessions between 1982-1986. Their goal… produce the next domestic hit album, a travelogue of city pop inspired by the urban yet lonely sprawl of now globally admired Asia. Yet their vision of the concept album under the City Heights moniker never came to see the light due to the group’s sudden disbandment after the tragic loss of love.

Led by the guitarist come arranger-producer Hasegawa Joe (Jô) and keyboardist Katsurag Mariko, the City Heights sessions drew form Tokyo’s musical melting pot of early 1980s with a distinct blend of jazz, funk, boogie, spiced with a local touch of Nippon’s finest electronic instruments.

Now, restored, remastered and occasionally redubbed by Japanese music connoisseur Sten Saluveer aka Mildhans, this second, highly anticipated volume will take you on a journey through the love-longing nights of Aoyama, to the festive matsuri bustle of Jô’s hometown of Kanda, the Jasmine dreaming of Taipei, and a quirky nod to a then legendary musical superhero.

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Reggae Vibration HHV Exclusive Green & Red Vinyl Edition

LP | 1982 | EU | Reissue (Jamdung)

Release: 1982 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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HHV exclusive vinyl edition on multi-colored vinyl, limited to 100 copies. Only available at hhv.de!

Joe Yamanaka, born in Yokohama, was of mixed descent. His father was a US Army soldier who hailed from the Caribbean. He played Psychedelic Rock with the Flower Travellin' Band. He was also a philanthropist, travelling around the world to help people in countries where conditions aren't great. He himself was raised in harsh conditions as well, being born in a brothel and growing up in an orphanage. In post-war Japan, it was not easy for him to grow up looking racially different from his peers. Joe Yamanaka joined The Wailers after Bob Marley had passed away and recorded with them 'Reggae Vibration'. The very first track is also called 'Reggae Vibration' and can be seen as his introduction to the genre, being a Rock artist in his home country. You will still hear a strong Rock influence in his songs. 'Reggae Vibration' was Recorded And Remixed At Tuff Gong Studios, 56 Hope RD Kingston Jamaica, In April 14th 1982 ~ April 30th 1982

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Spiritual Jazz Volume 16: Riverside Etc.

2LP | 2024 | UK | Original (Jazzman)

Release: 2024 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Get Carter: Expanded 2LP Green Blue Vinyl Edition

Roy Budd

2LP | 2024 | US | Original (Beatball)

46,99 €*

LP | 1980 | JP | Reissue (Rca/Air)

Release: 2024 / US – Original

Genre: Soundtracks

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This is the soundtrack to Get Carter (1971), the all-time classic British gangster flick starring Michael Caine and directed by Mike Hodges. It became the bridge by which jazz musician Roy Budd successfully expanded his horizons to film music, with a score brimming with moments of his genius. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the film's opening, we drew on the original Japanese (1971) and British (1998) OST releases to put together an expanded edition of the OST - including a bonus disc featuring various different outtakes and bits of dialogue. This is the 3rd installment in Beatball's series of Roy Budd Classic Soundtrack Scores, packed with a jazzy (and groovy) score done in Budd's signature style, as well as key lines of dialogue for you to relive the scenes from the film!

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Tatsuro Yamashita

Ride On Time

57,99 €*

2LP | 2024 | JP | Original (DJ Krush)

Release: 1980 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Pop

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Originally released in 1980 Limited edition 180g vinyl Pressed on black vinyl Ride on Time is the fifth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released by Air/rvc in 1980. This record includes everything from up-tempo songs to ballads, making it an absolute masterpiece beloved by many.

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DJ Krush

Saisei

62,99 €*

LP | 2024 | UK | Original (Ghost Box)

Release: 2024 / JP – Original

Genre: Hip Hop

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DJ KRUSH announces the release of his latest album 『再生 -Saisei-』. This album marks his first independent release in the past four years since his previous work, 『TRICKSTER』. During the pandemic, DJ KRUSH reflected upon himself, honed his skills, and overcame－this is his first album remarking his new chapter after his independence. ‘Saisei’ in Japanese holds multiple meanings: to ‘Play’ music and art, to ‘Rebirth’, ‘Reconstruction’ to make something rebirth, and ‘Renaissance’ to revive art… . In 2024, on this opportunity of his independence, DJ KRUSH commits to ‘saisei’ and by repeating his commitment to ‘saisei’, he breathes new life into his creation as he carves out the future. Featured artists (in alphabetical order: Jinmenusagi, Chinza Dopeness, D.O

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Pye Corner Audio

The Endless Echo

23,74 €* 24,99 € -5%

Release: 2024 / UK – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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The Endless Echo is the fifth album on Ghost Box for the highly prolific Martin Jenkins. Pye Corner Audio cinematic electronica shifts effortlessly between brooding ambience and menacing dance floor grooves. It evokes awe-inspiring vistas and moments of sublime spine-tingling wonder. This time around Jenkins draws inspiration from scientific and science-fictional notions about the nature of time and the idea that it may be entirely unreal.

Pye Corner Audio’s discography includes eleven full length albums and many more singles and EPs across several labels. There are also remixes for John Foxx, Mogwai, Ride’s Andy Bell, Mark Lanegan, Maps, Apta, Alice Hubble, Stealing Sheep, Knightstown, Dolphin Midwives and Japanese Television.

Pye Corner Audio’s music appears in the soundtracks to Adam Curtis’s 2016 film HyperNormalisation, the 2018 Shudder TV series Deadwax, Sky TV’s 2019 sci-fi drama series Curfew and 2022 Netflix documentary Slay.

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Nippon Psychedelic Soul 1970-1979

LP | 2024 | UK | Original (Time Capsule)

27,54 €* 28,99 € -5%

Monica Lassen & The Sounds

Release: 2024 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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The kaleidoscopic psychedelia of 1970s Japan captured a fragile and fertile moment as the country sought its future in funk grooves, heavy reverb and lyrical hallucinations. The follow-up compilation to Time Capsule’s Nippon Acid Folk, Nippon Psychedelic Soul takes myriad pathways into the tripped-out undergrowth of 1970s Japan. Finding their feet at home and looking for inspiration abroad, the musicians featured here were engaged in the communal soul-searching that followed the breakdown of the 1960s protest movements. Some made it big, others drifted into oblivion. The music they left behind shimmers with intensity.

At the core was Happy End, the first project of YMO’s Haroumi Hosono, whose distortion-heavy guitar and crisp back-beat laid the foundations for Japanese lyrics that flipped the paradigm of Japanese rock music on its head. With it came a new found sonic ambition, such as in the bold Philly-soul style arrangements of producer Yuji Ohno, whose work with occult wandered Yoshiko Sai shares some of the bittersweet grandeur of Rotary Connection or David Axelrod.

Then there was Jun Fukamachi, a pioneer of Japanese synthesis, whose debut album was a carnival of orchestral funk, euphoric horn lines and rich production, complete with soaring guitar solos, psychedelic organ and a truly cinematic finale. The first and only time Fukamachi would sing on record, ‘Omae’ rips like the ultimate end-of-nighter.

Influenced by giants of the US soul scene, maverick composer Hiroshi “Monsieur” Kamayatsu (otherwise known as ‘the Brian Wilson of Japan’) went one step further, enlisting Tower of Power to play on ‘Have You Smoked Gauloises?’ The B-side to Monsieur’s biggest-selling single, it coasts with sophisticated cool - a liquid bassline and suave keys comping under a roaring trademark ToP sax solo. No surprise it found favour once more on the Acid Jazz dance floors of ‘90s London.

Such was the spirit of experimentation that big studio productions and private press releases sat side-by-side, with the likes of Momotaro Pink and Kazushi Inamura, taking their hopes of success into their own hands with the resources available to them. More reflective but no less robust, theirs was a heavy, fat-backed drum sound, soaked in dramatic, soulful psychedelia.

If some were dreamers and others space cadets, none were further out than sci-fi writer, musician, activist and self-made scientist Tadashi Goino, who transformed his own fantasy novel Messenger from the Seventh Dimension into an operatic prog odyssey with few discernible musical reference points – a majestic and completely bonkers outlier even among company as strange and brilliant as that which is collected here.

Less a compilation of a scene, as a compilation of a sentiment, Nippon Psychedelic Soul is a wild ride from start to finish, shattering the narratives of the Japanese folk and rock tradition into a million tiny pieces.

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La Jouissance

LP | 2015 | JP | Reissue (Nippon Columbia)

41,99 €*

Monica Lassen & The Sounds

Release: 2015 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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With love from Northern Europe... Erotic Mondo's hidden treasure! Long-awaited analog reissue of two Monica Lassen album titles

A Wamono erotic work produced in Japan with the setting of ``A work created for the enjoyment of men and women by a Swedish female musician named Monika Lassen, who is also active as a sexual psychologist.'' Mondo's hidden treasure. This is a rare and unusual record, with sounds that overlap with the dazzling sounds of jazz, rock, lounge, psych, etc.

The sequel was released one year after the previous work ``woman'' was well received. It's an erotic Japanese groove that knows no bounds, with more moaning voices than the previous work, heavy fuzz guitar, piercing organ, and sexy scat! A total concept album consisting of the same song at the beginning and end of both sides.

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Woman

LP | 1970 | JP | Reissue (Nippon Columbia)

41,99 €*

Takesi Inomata & Sound Limited

Release: 1970 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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With love from Northern Europe... Erotic Mondo's hidden treasure! The long-awaited analog reissue of two Monica Lassen album titles!

A Wamono erotic work produced in Japan with the setting of ``A work created for the enjoyment of men and women by a Swedish female musician named Monika Lassen, who is also active as a sexual psychologist.'' Mondo's hidden treasure. This is a rare and unusual record, with sounds that overlap with the dazzling sounds of jazz, rock, lounge, psych, etc.

A rich album that includes the ecstatic erotic psychedelic groove "Cottage" and the erotic Japanese groove "Incitation", which has an explosive drum break not only in the intro but also at the end. *Comes with color pinup poster

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Innocent Canon HHV Exclusive White Vinyl Edition

LP | 1971 | EU | Reissue (Cinedelic Orient Series)

LP | 1983 | JP | Reissue (P-Vine)

Release: 1971 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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HHV Exclusive edition on white wax, limited to 80 copies worldwide.

Original masters licensed by King Records Japan. Includes OBI and insert. 'Innocent Canon' is one of the hopelessly obscure Japanese underground albums that few people know about. It is a kind of unreleased delirious groovadelic soundtrack played by an acid-soaked Japanese big band with powerful drumming, heavy jazz fumes and delirious organ/guitar lines and luminary narration.Inomata was a well-known jazz musician at the time, but like many of his contemporaries, he went off the deep end with psychedelic music between 1970-1972. Upon the release of the record in 1970 there was a great debate among Japanese journalists who tried to catalog a genre to the record. The attempt was in vain. They couldn't figure out what it was. Rock? Jazz? They had to accept that you couldn't always label everything. Takesi Inomata & Sound Limited produce music that has nothing to do with stereotypical genres; they play to bring to life an expression of modern sensibility. The title of the album, "Innocent Canon," is particularly intriguing to analyze in relation to this concept of the fluidity of music. The same can be said of Kano Tenmei, a talented photographer and DJ, who participated in the sessions with the role of a narrator who improvises aloud, and it doesn't matter if you don't understand everything he says; what matters is being able to fit into this complex emotional quest. Sound Limited consists of 10 members, but this number varies often; Inomata always leaves the door open to anyone who wants to join the band founded on a very loose philosophy. The recording process took only 24 hours. Inomata eventually declared, "we managed to create something exciting and interesting (in such a short time)." The album opens with an acidic "Introduction," played with organ, guitar, bass and drums. It is followed by "Funeral," a flute-dominated track over an organ carpet; it is dedicated to Janis Joplin. In a triumph of brass riffs, guitar, sax and drums solos, Kano Tenmei screams "No, No..." in "Rebellion"; a psychedelic funk shake over 7 minutes long. "Toy" is reminiscent of samba, with prominent horns and an electric piano solo. "Melancholy" follows a sick guitar riff over a cha-cha rhythm, with piccolo, sax and organ solos. This is followed by the long "Lonesome" introduced by sitar. The beginning and end of the song are breathtaking, as is the schizophrenic middle section. Closing is the short "Return," a folk ballad with acoustic guitar, whistles, piano and recorders. It is fair to say that this improvisational session produced outstanding results. The artwork is original features some very strange erotic sketches.

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The Entertainers

Takesi Inomata & Sound Limited

Release: 1983 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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The Entertainers, a Miami soul band led by singer Earl Dawkins, released their debut single "Livin' For The Summer" in 1980, which became a smash hit. The Entertainers' first album, "Livin' For The Summer," was released three years later in 1983, and is being reissued in analog format with a Japanese obi. The album features an exquisite selection of soul-freaks' favorite covers, including "Hot On A Thang" by Chai Lights, "I'm in love with you" by Bobby Patterson, and "I won't cry anymore" and "What are we gonna do" by Turley Richards, as well as the aforementioned "Livin' For The Summer, The original songs, including the aforementioned "Livin' For The Summer," are also excellent blue-eyed soul music.

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Innocent Canon Black Vinyl Edition

LP | 1971 | EU | Reissue (Cinedelic Orient Series)

12" | 2024 | EU | Original (Far East)

Release: 1971 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Original masters licensed by King Records Japan. Includes OBI and insert. 'Innocent Canon' is one of the hopelessly obscure Japanese underground albums that few people know about. It is a kind of unreleased delirious groovadelic soundtrack played by an acid-soaked Japanese big band with powerful drumming, heavy jazz fumes and delirious organ/guitar lines and luminary narration.Inomata was a well-known jazz musician at the time, but like many of his contemporaries, he went off the deep end with psychedelic music between 1970-1972. Upon the release of the record in 1970 there was a great debate among Japanese journalists who tried to catalog a genre to the record. The attempt was in vain. They couldn't figure out what it was. Rock? Jazz? They had to accept that you couldn't always label everything. Takesi Inomata & Sound Limited produce music that has nothing to do with stereotypical genres; they play to bring to life an expression of modern sensibility. The title of the album, "Innocent Canon," is particularly intriguing to analyze in relation to this concept of the fluidity of music. The same can be said of Kano Tenmei, a talented photographer and DJ, who participated in the sessions with the role of a narrator who improvises aloud, and it doesn't matter if you don't understand everything he says; what matters is being able to fit into this complex emotional quest. Sound Limited consists of 10 members, but this number varies often; Inomata always leaves the door open to anyone who wants to join the band founded on a very loose philosophy. The recording process took only 24 hours. Inomata eventually declared, "we managed to create something exciting and interesting (in such a short time)." The album opens with an acidic "Introduction," played with organ, guitar, bass and drums. It is followed by "Funeral," a flute-dominated track over an organ carpet; it is dedicated to Janis Joplin. In a triumph of brass riffs, guitar, sax and drums solos, Kano Tenmei screams "No, No..." in "Rebellion"; a psychedelic funk shake over 7 minutes long. "Toy" is reminiscent of samba, with prominent horns and an electric piano solo. "Melancholy" follows a sick guitar riff over a cha-cha rhythm, with piccolo, sax and organ solos. This is followed by the long "Lonesome" introduced by sitar. The beginning and end of the song are breathtaking, as is the schizophrenic middle section. Closing is the short "Return," a folk ballad with acoustic guitar, whistles, piano and recorders. It is fair to say that this improvisational session produced outstanding results. The artwork is original features some very strange erotic sketches.

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Soichi Terada

Apes In The Net

20,99 €*

LP | 2023 | EU | Original (Kitchen Label)

Release: 2024 / EU – Original

Genre: Electronic & Dance, Soundtracks

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EP compilation Of Soichi Terada's work for the Ape Escape 1 Playstation game. TIP! Outside of the international house underground, where his early ‘90s works for the Far East Recording label he co-founded with Shinichiro Yokota are rightly celebrated as bona-fide classics, Soichi Terada is best-known for his work composing music for video games. Yet until now, few of his productions for video games have been released outside of Japan, especially on vinyl.

Apes In The Net, a six-track EP featuring music composed for the popular PlayStation 1 series Ape Escape, sets the record straight. It not only showcases Terada’s quality as a composer and producer, but also his versatility. Like much of Terada’s work on the Ape Escape series, the tracks featured don’t explore deep, New York and New Jersey influenced house sounds, but rather his lesser-celebrated love of jungle and drum & bass – a sound he fully explored on 1996 album Sumo Jungle.

“The producer of the Ape Escape games heard that and got in touch,” Soichi remembers. “They asked me to make the soundtrack, and then work on the music for the sequels after that. I used to love making music with Akai hardware samplers, synthesisers, and computers, so I played and recorded the tracks using almost the same methods as I did when I made house music. Using breakbeats and audio samples with a sampler was the most useful way to make the soundtracks.”

The six tracks on show, which were originally recorded in the ‘90s but reconstructed and remastered for Japan-only CD and digital releases over a decade ago, mix elements of Terada’s familiar deep house style – think warming chords and pads, memorable melodies, and emotive musical motifs – with blistering D&B breakbeats, 16-bit synth sounds, electronic bleeps and undeniably weighty basslines. They’ve stood the test of time and arguably sound just as fresh now as they did at the turn of the millennium.

For proof, check the soaring, spellbinding ‘Spectors Castle’, where uplifting lead lines and sumptuous chords dance atop punchy beats and growling bass, the jazzy and saucer-eyed rush of ‘Mount Amazing’ (all twinkling piano motifs, alien synth sounds, squelchy bass and skittish drums) and the intergalactic, liquid D&B excellence of ‘Time Station’, whose whistling melodies and stargazing chords are undeniably alluring.

There are plenty of other delights to be found across the EP, too, from the bustling, race-to-the-finish breathlessness of D&B/bleep techno fusion workout ‘Spectors Factory In’, and the rumbling sub-bass, creepy pads and suspenseful melodies of ‘Haunted House’, to the bombastic, all-out-assault on the senses that is ‘Coaster’, the set’s most “purist” jungle workout – albeit one that also doffs a cap to the pulsating world of big room techno.

Apes In The Net, then, celebrates Soichi Terada’s mastery as a video games composer and early Japanese junglist. Props are well and truly overdue.

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Meitei

Kofu III

The Best Of Roland Burrell

Release: 2023 / EU – Original

Genre: Hip Hop, Electronic & Dance

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Hailing from Hiroshima, Meitei, unveils the final chapter of his transformative Kofū trilogy. “Kofū Iii” marks the apex of a musical journey that began in 2020, unraveling an introspective exploration of the artist's psyche while delving deep into the essence of Japanese culture. This latest release invites listeners into the innermost sanctums of Meitei's existence — a passage filled with serenity, self-discovery, and the triumphant conquest of personal demons.

Meitei's journey has been deeply intertwined with his surroundings. His move from bustling Kyoto to the tranquil rural town of Onomichi in Hiroshima wasn't just a change of location but a profound shift in his life. Navigating through the ebbs and flows of mental well-being, Meitei found solace in the quiet, low-key energy of Onomichi, where he began creating his distinctive brand of "ambient" music dedicated to resurrecting ‘lost Japanese moods’.

"Kofū Iii" is not just a collection of songs; it's a window into Meitei's mind, where he reflects on ‘the Japanese mental landscape,’ as experienced during the period of his return to his hometown. This album stands as a testament to Meitei's evolution, from his tentative inner quest to a state of deep healing.

"Kofū” and its precursor, "Kwaidan,” germinated in the solitude of Onomichi, embodying the mysterious, vanishing essence of Japan that Meitei unearthed in the shadows of his hometown. With "Kofū III," this exploration reaches its zenith, weaving musical landscapes that transcend temporal bounds. Each track vividly paints bygone eras and vignettes, all while drawing on the rich tapestry of Japanese literature and mindscapes.

Meitei introduces listeners to the tranquil Hiroshima countryside in 'Reimei,' while 'Hiroshima' reflects upon the city's transformation. It explores Meitei's intricate relationship with the city and contemplates the ever-changing visage of contemporary Japanese progress.

Within the sonic fabric of "Kofū III," "Shisei" brings listeners to Japan's past, when tattoos bore the name "Shisei." Fueled by Junichiro Tanizaki's "Shisei" narratives, the song paints a sensual tale of a tattooed man adorning a woman with a spider tattoo.

Meitei's authenticity shines through in "Kofū III," where complex emotions metamorphose into a kaleidoscopic fusion of lo-fi bliss. In "Yume-jūya," Meitei recounts a peculiar dream and the lingering anxiety it left behind. Also, inspired by the famous Japanese writer Soseki Natsume's "Yume-jūya," Meitei's interpretation offers his own perspective on this comical and bizarre tale.

"Edogawa Ranpo" stands as a mind-bending loop track that pays homage to the genius of the lesser-known Japanese author Edogawa Ranpo, a pioneer of the mysterious and bizarre. This experimental piece melds folklore, electronic rapture, and distortion, echoing Meitei's fascination with Ranpo's work since his elementary school days.

At the core of "Kofū Iii" lies "Heiwa," originally titled "1945," encapsulating Meitei's profound reflection on peace education in his hometown and the weighty significance of acknowledging historical tragedies. Its renaming as "Peace" symbolizes his personal odyssey towards understanding and reconciliation.

As Meitei concludes his Kofū trilogy, global listeners are invited to embark on this voyage to unearth the hidden treasures of Japanese culture and the depths of the human soul. "Kofū Iii" is a meditation on the intangible threads that bind us to our past - a portal to Japan's veiled history, capturing the essence of Japan's elusive spirit through the enigmatic landscapes of Meitei's inner terrains.

"Kofū Iii" is slated for release on December 1, 2023, in 180g LP, CD, and digital formats via Kitchen. Label. Both LP and CD format are presented in a debossed sleeve with obi strip and include an accompanying 32-page booklet. This album is mastered by Chihei Hatakeyama in Tokyo, Japan.

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Roland Burrell

LP | 2023 | EU | Original (Lantern)

Special Sound Series - Volume 3: Pathetique

Release: 2023 / EU – Original

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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A mandatory selection from the Jamaican singer large catalog, recorded at Channel One Studio with the likes of Sly & Robbie, The Tamlins, Don Drummond Jr., Dean Fraser, Ansel Collins, Winston Wright. The songs have been engineered by Soldjie, Barnabas and Scientist! A legendary cast for a series of unbelievable numbers. Roland was born in Pennants, Clarendon in Jamaica and was destined to become a star from his early days at John Austin School which set the stage for a career in the music field. Growing up in Trench Town, he met Bob Marley and Toots Hibbert who gave him inspiration and counseling as he would often ‘jam’ with them. During his growing artistic years, he sang with a group called The Shades, where he encountered Lee ‘Scratch’ Perr. Along with Conrad Brown, they produced “Lonely Man.” Thereafter, Roland quickly rose to popular fame when he recorded the chartbuster “Johnny Dollar,” a song that topped the Jamaican charts in Europe, USA and Japan. He recorded his first album, “Johnny Dollar” for Tanka Records which included the hit songs “Hey Mama” and “Stormy Night.”

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Shigeo Sekito

LP | 1976 | EU | Reissue (Holy Basil)

Violent Cop (Original Soundtrack)

Release: 1976 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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We are very happy to continue the reissue series of Shigeo Sekitō's iconic "Sepcial Sound" series with its 3rd instalment, "Pathétique", a mesmerizing musical journey crafted by the visionary Japanese musician Shigeo Sekitō. Released in the 1970s, this album stands as a testament to Sekito's innovative genius and his ability to seamlessly blend genres, resulting in a captivating and groundbreaking sonic experience.

"Pathétique" showcases Sekitō's masterful fusion of jazz, funk, and electronic elements, creating a unique and otherworldly soundscape that transports listeners to a realm of musical exploration. The album features a series of compositions that are not only technically impressive but also emotionally resonant, evoking a range of feelings from nostalgia to euphoria.

The album's title, "Pathétique," is a nod to Tchaikovsky's renowned "Pathétique Symphony," and it hints at the emotional depth and complexity found within the music. Sekito's virtuosity on various instruments, including keyboards, synthesizers, and guitar, is on full display throughout the album, as he weaves intricate melodies and harmonies that take listeners on a sonic adventure.

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Daisaku Kume

LP | 1989 | EU | Reissue (WRWTFWW)

K.B. Burrell Tone Poet Vinyl Edition

Release: 1989 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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Wrwtfww Records is thrilled to announce the official reissue of Daisaku Kume's original soundtrack for the highly acclaimed 1989 Japanese crime/drama movie Violent Cop. Available for the first time outside of Japan, the album comes in a limited edition of 500 copies worldwide with a 45 rpm cut providing full audio pleasure and an iconic record sleeve featuring the movie director and star: the one and only "Beat" Takeshi Kitano!

Violent Cop marks Kitano's directorial debut - a gritty neo-noir in which he stars as a rogue detective fighting a sadistic crime syndicate, only to discover widespread internal corruption in the police force. Poetic, minimalistic, with a superb balance between small soothing moments of beauty and vertiginous sudden violence, the film spearheaded a superb international career for the multi-talented filmmaker, actor, and comedian, which includes works such as Sonatine, Hana-Bi, and Battle Royale. The release of the soundtrack on vinyl presents an excellent opportunity for fans to explore the musical underpinnings of one of Kitano's earliest creations. Daisaku Kume, known for his work as the keyboardist for late 70s fusion bands T-Square and Prism, showcases versatile musical prowess on the soundtrack, taking listeners on a sonic journey through a blend of genres including magnificent Erik Satie re-interpretations, melancholic smooth jazz sometimes reminiscent of Taxi Driver, ambient-classical, and modern Western atmospherics. It's the perfect setting for Kitano's stoic but tormented lonesome urban cowboy character. Raw power mixed with timeless elegance.

Violent Cop (Original Soundtrack) by Daisaku Kume follows the recent release of the soundtrack from another groundbreaking Japanese movie, Shin'ya Tsukamoto's Tokyo Fist (1995), with music by industrial visionaries Chu Ishikawa & Der Eisenrost, also currently available on Wrwtfww Records.

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Kenny Burrell

LP | 1969 | EU | Reissue (Blue Note)

43,99 €*

Yurika HHV Exclusive Clear Vinyl Edition

Release: 1969 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Recorded in 1957, Kenny Burrell’s third session as a leader for Blue Note presented the guitarist’s signature stylings with a crack team of hard boppers featuring Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Doug Watkins, and Louis Hayes. Previously only issued on vinyl in Japan (1979) this swinging set is given a new shine with this mono Tone Poet Vinyl Edition.

BLUE NOTE TONE POET EDITION: Mono, produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analogue master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

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Bokoya & FloFilz

LP | 2023 | EU | Original (Melting Pot Music)

24,29 €* 26,99 € -10%

Yurika Black Vinyl Edition

Release: 2023 / EU – Original

Genre: Hip Hop

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Limited to 300 copies. Only available at HHV in clear vinyl.

Acclaimed Jazzbeat-Producer FloFilz teams up with experimental HipHop/Jazz quartet Bokoya for collabo album Yurika on Melting Pot Music.

What happens when a four-headed human drum computer meets a classical trained vilonist turned beatmaker to spend time in the studio? A beautiful lily blossoms. At least this was the case when Bokoya and FloFilz entered Atelier 21 in Aachen (a Produzentengalerie für globale Kunst) for a musical encounter with no goals set. The music that was born out of these sessions is simply amazing, and we are more than happy to release them as an album under the name “Yurika” - which is a Japanese name that means “beautiful lily”. The artwork was created by Jens Roth & Jeremias Diekmann who are responsible for almost all Bokoya artworks yet. The 19-track strong instrumental album includes one vocal track featuring Japanese singer Kan Sano. FloFilz is one of Europe's most acclaimed Jazzbeat-producers with four albums on MPM under his belt. His last album “Close Distance” came out in 2022 and featured artists Alfa Mist, Blue Lab Beats, Jerome Thomas and Summers Sons. FloFilz is a classical-trained musician who not only plays the SP 404 but also violin. Bokoya describe themselves as a four-headed human drum machine that play improvised beat music. You can call it jazz if you like (all four members are graduated jazz musicians) but be ready to stumble over some Dilla, Kraut Rock, Ambient or Dub in the mix. In 2022 Bokoya released their second album Hausensession on MPM, followed by a collabo album with Cologne-based producer Ginanni Brezzo (Jakarta Records) called „Minari“.

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Bokoya & FloFilz

LP | 2023 | EU | Original (Melting Pot Music)

22,99 €*

Soundscape 1: Surround Blue Vinyl Edition

Release: 2023 / EU – Original

Genre: Hip Hop

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Acclaimed Jazzbeat-Producer FloFilz teams up with experimental HipHop/Jazz quartet Bokoya for collabo album Yurika on Melting Pot Music. What happens when a four-headed human drum computer meets a classical trained vilonist turned beatmaker to spend time in the studio? A beautiful lily blossoms. At least this was the case when Bokoya and FloFilz entered Atelier 21 in Aachen (a Produzentengalerie für globale Kunst) for a musical encounter with no goals set. The music that was born out of these sessions is simply amazing and we are more than happy to release them as an album under the name “Yurika” - which is a Japanese name that means “beautiful lily”. The artwork was created by Jens Roth & Jeremias Diekmann who are responsible for almost all Bokoya artworks yet. The 19-track strong instrumental album includes one vocal track featuring Japanese singer Kan Sano. FloFilz is one of Europe's most acclaimed Jazzbeat-producers with four albums on MPM under his belt. His last album “Close Distance” came out in 2022 an featured artists Alfa Mist, Blue Lab Beats, Jerome Thomas and Summers Sons. FloFilz is a classical trained musician who not only plays the SP 404 but also violin. Bokoya describe themselves as a four-headed human drum machine that play improvised beat music. You can call it jazz if you like (all four members are graduated jazz musicians ) but be ready to stumble over some Dilla, Kraut Rock, Ambient or Dub in the mix. In 2022 Bokoya released their second album Hausensession on MPM , followed by a collabo album with Cologne-based producer Ginanni Brezzo (Jakarta Records) called „Minari“.

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Hiroshi Yoshimura

LP | 1986 | US | Reissue (Temporal Drift)

51,99 €*

LP | 1989 | JP | Reissue (Groove Diggers)

Release: 1986 / US – Reissue

Genre: Electronic & Dance

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* First-ever official reissue of the pioneering 1986 ambient work * Produced in full cooperation with Hiroshi Yoshimura’s estate * New liner notes by original album producer Hiroyoshi Shiokawa * Includes Yoshimura’s original notes in Japanese & English * Remastering and lacquer cutting by John Baldwin * Vinyl pressed at Gotta Groove Records "If Surround can be listened to as music that’s asclose to air itself, allowing us to enter each listener’s sound scenery, or assomething that exists within a new perspective, expanding the middle groundbetween sound and music, and transforming it into a comfortable space, it wouldbe much appreciated.— Hiroshi YoshimuraTemporal Drift proudly presents the long-awaited, first-everreissue of Surround, Hiroshi Yoshimura’s sought-after ambient classic. Originally released as an album in January 1986, Surroundwas recorded by Yoshimura as a commission from home builder Misawa Homes,intended to function as an “amenity” designed to enhance the company’s newlybuilt living spaces. A pioneer in the field of environmental music, Yoshimura’sprevious works included Music For Nine Post Cards (1982), originally producedto be played back inside a museum space, and designing sound environments forpublic spaces and subway systems. Surround was recorded almost concurrentlywith the acclaimed and popular Green (1986); the two albums are described byHiroyoshi Shiokawa in his liner notes as being Yoshimura’s yin and yang. In his original notes for the album, Yoshimura recommendsthat Surround be placed in the same family of sounds “as the vibration offootsteps, the hum of an air conditioner, or the clanging of a spoon inside acoffee cup.” And, as he suggests, “with the addition of city noise from outsidethe window,” you may hear Surround in a completely new way."

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Weldon Irvine

Weldon And The Kats

LP | 1974 | JP | Reissue (Groove Diggers)

Release: 1989 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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* First ever reissue with the original LP artwork * New remastering * Japanese OBI-strip After releasing some albums through RCA and Strata-East, Weldon Irvine returned to his own label Nodlew Records to release 'Weldon and The Kats' which was consistent with a lot of session recordings. Along with sessions in the 80s, the album has his early work 'Mr.P.C.' recorded in 1968 with Steve Grossman (T.Sax) and Lenny White (Drums) who played in the Miles Davis band. This is the first time it has been reissued with original LP artwork!

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Weldon Irvine

In Harmony

Kyoko Takenaka + Tomoki Sanders

Release: 1974 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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* Originally released in 1974 on the famed spiritual jazz label Strata-East * New remastering * Japanese Obi-strip In Harmony' is the fourth album by American jazz pianist and composer Weldon Irvine, released in 1974 on the famed spiritual jazz label Strata-East and acclaimed as one of his finest catalog in his early career. P-vine delightedly presents this great jazz album with new remastering just for this reissue!

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Planet Q

LP | 2023 | US | Original (Isc Hi-Fi Selects)

29,99 €* 39,99 € -25%

Toshiko Yonekawa, Kiyoshi Yamaya & Contemporary Sound Orchestra

Release: 2023 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

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Artists Kyoko Takenaka + Tomoki Sanders team with In Sheep’s Clothing Hi-Fi & Pure Person Press to release their breathtaking debut record as Planet Q.

Gatefold Single LP w/ OBI & Insert

To explore and absorb Planet Q, the new record by artists Kyoko Takenaka + Tomoki Sanders, is to become untethered from structural expectations, to reside in a realm where genre vanishes and a profound musical space remains, where the absence of gravity causes curious things to occur.

It’s a spot where handclaps may not move in time, where sonic gurgles of unknown origin offer texture, where a deep, hooky rhythm can propel a groove into the stratosphere.

At various times the tracks move like Dilla pieces, at others like Terry Riley explorations, like Flying Lotus or Milford Graves or Alice Coltrane meditations. But every time you think you’ve got the sound figured out, it hits from another angle. Though a brief missive at 33 minutes, you exit Planet Q as if leaving an utterly alien spot.

Setting: In 2021, during the covid lockdown in America, Takenaka and Sanders were both living in Tokyo without any gigs or work to be found back home. They met at a mutual friend’s cafe in the Higashi-Koenji neighborhood, and the connection was immediate. “The chances of us meeting not only someone else of the diaspora when the borders are closed, but also queer and non-binary, and also a musician? Pretty slim, and pretty fateful,” Takenaka says.

In early 2022, the Omicron variant prompted a new round of isolation. Returning to New York, they united with kindred musicians by going to private jam sessions, but at the time those evenings didn't tap the magic they were seeking. They decided to quarantine and create together. Takenaka was living alone at the time so they invited Sanders to crash there. Says Takenaka, “We made rice, ate natto, meditated and made music for seven days straight.”

That they would create something masterful does seem somehow predestined. Sanders’ late father is the brilliant composer and saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, their mother a life-long music fanatic who nurtured the same. The younger Sanders, who grew up in New York and Tokyo, has been playing music – drums, saxophone, clarinet, piano – and absorbing profound sound since they had baby teeth. Takenaka is a first-generation Nikkei Japanese American actor, butoh dancer and filmmaker who also grew up with music; their father was a jazz pianist, and by age 7 they were already singing at jam sessions in Boston. Planet Q is Takenaka and Sanders’ debut musical collaboration.

That week together in isolation was pretty ritualized. Their aim, Takenaka says, was to create “a really beautiful, secluded safe space for ourselves as qtpoc folx – a planet where we both belong – and to make music as we created the space. Basking in it. Being inside it.”

They quickly fell into a daily routine that commenced with an improvised spoken meditation, tidbits of which made it onto the record. The layout of Takenaka’s apartment – an open kitchen looking out on the living room – afforded them the chance to mix rituals. They prepped meals and sampled parts of the process. Cooking rice, making curry, eating natto – the sounds simmer throughout Planet Q. Dancing and calligraphy also informed the compositions. Takenaka calls it “embodying the process, the textures.”

Tomoki says, “Before Hip hop, in my dad’s age, the saxophone was where the rapper, or the electric guitar spotlighted. It was only $500 to buy a saxophone in the 50’s...now its anywhere from $3000-$10,000. However, we fortunately are in a current time to have a whole studio literally in our laptops – and you can get a $50 midi device from a music store or online. Time of technology has advanced the music, the sound, the production – I’m challenged to reimagine things in ways never been thought before.”

Though each piece has distinct traits, Planet Q feels more like a suite of tracks, a gathering of waveforms that, despite their differences, when woven together create an utterly striking piece. The intention-setting opening piece was born through their improvised morning meditations. Tomoki uses bells their father gifted them.

“‘My Sweet, My Tender, My Loving, Home’ is dedicated to my dad and his metaphysical and galactic sounds, that is grounding,” Tomoki says. “Every intention I put into the style of music or energy comes from him and the ancestors, or god, ‘subconsciously’ – being a continuation of his DNA but in a completely different generation and time; me matching his point of view in spirituality and raising a level of self-consciousness.”

Borders blur. Rhythms lope and gallop. “竹” is a beat-driven rush featuring Takenaka on guitar. When Sanders grabs their tenor saxophone for “Grow,” the result vibes like a funky film-noir soundtrack, with Takenaka reciting the title.

Their tools: bells, electric guitar, piano, shakers, saxophone, African thumb piano, flute, keyboard, drum programming and voice. Most importantly, Planet Q is the sound of two devoted artists committing in full to exploring the mystic, hellbent on mastering the ways that two mortals can, with focus, desire and ancestral guidance, unite in music to create something that transcends the here-and-now.

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Tapestry: Koto & The Occident Sea

LP | 2023 | EU | Original (Cinedelic)

25,99 €*

LP | 1995 | JP | Reissue (Alchemy)

Release: 2023 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Tapestry: Koto' is a 3-album series produced by Nippon Columbia in the mid-1970s dedicated to one of the main instruments of Japanese traditional music: Koto. The beauty of the trilogy curated by composer Kiyoshi Yamaya, whose chapters are respectively dedicated to Sea, Hillside and Country, lies in the fact that they are a modern translation of tradition using newer and more avant-garde sound idioms, integrating the koto with jazz musicians. An original mix, a 'crossover’ that allows for the awakening and the consequential spread of traditional music in larger contexts. The extreme accuracy of the marvellous recordings is also remarkable. The performers on this fabulous album are: Toshiko Yonekawa - learned to play the koto at an early age, performing in a public concert as early as 8 years old. For three years, from 1941 to 1944, she won prizes as the best performer in the Japanese Cultural Federation's competition for traditional trios. She also received an award from the Prime Minister. Many other important recognitions followed until she became president of the Reichokai and executive director of the Sankyoku Association. In 1996, she was appointed Living National Treasure. As a koto player, her best-known characteristics are her extreme precision of intonation and rhythm and the unparalleled beauty of her sound. Kiyoshi Yamaya - born March 1932. He attended the Kunitachi College of Music. Between 1956 and 1960, he performed with 'Nobuo Hara and His Sharps & Flats' (clarinet, saxophone, etc.) and was responsible for composition and arrangement. In 1959, he formed the 'Modern Jazz Three Association' with Norio Maeda and Keitaro Miho, which contributed to the improvement of the level of composition and arrangement in Japanese jazz. In 1965, he became conductor of the 'Tokyo Union Orchestra' and received the Japan Record Award's Arrangement Award. His name appears on more than 100 albums. An unmissable session for those seeking new sounds. Original masters licensed by Nippon Columbia for the first ever reissue. Includes OBI and insert.

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Angel'in Heavy Syrup

Angel'in Heavy Syrup III

LP | 2023 | JP | Original (P-Vine)

Release: 1995 / JP – Reissue

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Although there were not that many psychedelic rock bands made up of all females in the world of the 1980s, "Angel'in Heavy Syrup" was the rarity one existing in the underground scene of rock and punk in Kyoto / Osaka area along with SxOxB, Outo, Nightmare and Hijo-Kaidan etc. Following reissuing the debut album of Japanese female psychedelic rock band "angel'in Heavy Syrup" last year, P-vine proudly presents their succeed releases on vinyl for the first time! Their third album, with its brilliant psychedelic cover artwork, is regarded as the greatest work of their career. Compared to their previous albums, the sound production is even more progressive rock-oriented, and includes songs such as 'Boku Dakega...', which encompasses a sad melody like that of Morita Doji, and the instrumental 'Water Mind', which develops into a spectacular piece of music. The album is the most fantastic of the entire works of their career.

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Grey October Sound

Lo-Fi City Pop

Japan Live 1986 Orange With Splatter Vinyl Edition

Release: 2023 / JP – Original

Genre: Hip Hop

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Following the release of Lo-Fi Ghibli in 2022; lo-fi hip-hop covers of classic Ghibli songs, the underground hip-hop producer Grey October Sound and P-vine delight to release a cover album of lo-fi hip-hop arrangements of Japanese City-Pop classics!

After their succssesfully debut for worldwide with "Lo-Fi Ghibli", Grey October Sound is gaining recognition not only in Japan but also in overseas. The album features world-famous city-pop classics covered in lo-fi hip-hop arrangements, including covers of "Mayonaka no Door ~ stay with me" by Miki Matsubara, "Fly-Day Chinatown" by Yasuha and Taeko Onuki's "Tokai", which opened up the recent global popularity of city pop, as well as classic tracks by Tatsuro Yamashita, Mariya Takeuchi and Yumi Arai. The cute artwork with the traditional style of Lo-Fi Girl and city pop is by Rika Hase, who also designed the Lo-Fi Ghibli cover.

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W.A.S.P.

2LP | 2025 | EU | Original (Fallen Angel)

35,99 €*

Release: 2025 / EU – Original

Genre: Rock & Indie

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2LP | 2018 | UK | Reissue (World Of Echo)

Naoki Zushi

7" | 2024 | JP | Original (Urban Volcano Sounds)

Release: 2018 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Rock & Indie

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Double LP - gatefold, tip-on sleeve, black vinyl - edition of 500 worldwide. RIYL: Hallelujahs, Nagisa Ni
Te, Roy Montgomery, Grouper, Manuel Gottsching. With IV, World Of Echo inaugurates a series of reissues by Japanese guitarist,
Naoki Zushi. Perhaps best known for his stellar guitar contributions to psych folk group, Nagisa Ni Te, Zushi has had a parallel career,
for several decades, slowly releasing solo albums that spotlight his exultant guitar playing. Originally released to CD only by Shinji
Shibayama of Nagisa Ni Te’s Org imprint in 2018, IV has Zushi playing and writing at a peak, its six songs slowly unfurling with a kind
of paradoxical understated grandeur. This is psychedelic guitar music at its most paced and considered, yet given to flights of
inspiration, and in this respect, Zushi sits within a lineage of guitarists who’ve used their instrument both as textural anchor and
improvisatory tool – think of figures like Phil Manzanera and Robert Fripp, but also Roy Montgomery, Liz Harris of Grouper, even Tom
Verlaine on his instrumental solo albums. Like those artists, Zushi locates moments of deep emotional resonance amidst luxuriant
textural and melodic exploration. Zushi’s history stretches back to the mid 1970s. While for many, he first appeared on the scene as a
founding member of noise legends Hijokaidan, alongside Jojo Hiroshige, his musical contributions predate that encounter. He started
out playing progressive rock and improvised music, making home recordings of when he was in high school. He was a member of
Rasenkaidan (Spiral Staircase) alongside Hiroshige and Idiot (Kenichi Takayama), the group that soon mutated into Hijokaidan
(Emergency Staircase). Zushi and Takayama would soon form Idiot O’Clock, in 1982; Zushi also led his own Naoki Zushi Unit, starting
in 1983. But for many, Zushi’s first significant appearance on record was as a member of Shinji Shibayama’s mid-eighties psych-pop
group, Hallelujahs, whose sole album was recently reissued on vinyl. That group mutated into Nagisa Ni Te, and Zushi has played a
significant role as their lead guitarist for several decades. His own solo music has appeared sporadically – Paradise (1987),
Phenomenal Luciferin (1998), III (2005) and IV, with a few recent, meditative offerings, For My Friends’ Sleep (2021) and Nocturnes
(2022). With IV, though, Zushi achieved something remarkable, a kind of extended exploration of the time-altering properties of
echoplexed, hypnotically spiralling guitar interplay. The opening ‘Mirror’, “a song about the mirror inside me,” Zushi explains, starts out
as a lush psych-folk song, slow and gentle, but soon takes to the skies with a cat’s cradle of Fripp-esque guitars, before thick, droning
chords sweep the song to a drowsy coda. ‘Nocturne’ weaves silver skeins of guitar melody around a cyclical chord pattern; it gathers
energy and quiet intensity through insistent repetition. The rest of the album explores the nuance Zushi can draw out of simple
elements, building on what ‘Mirror’ and ‘Nocturne’ offer – the profundity of a chord change; the melancholy of a few quietly sighed
words; the exhilaration of a guitar solo bursting out of the speakers; the subtle shifts in emotional register offered by tone and touch.
Throughout, there’s something quiet, yet ineffable, shading the contours of the songs, such that it makes perfect sense when Zushi
says, “What I want to express through music may be ‘sense of mystery’.” A few of the songs had their basic parts recorded at LM
Studio and Studio Nemu with Shibayama and Masako Takeda joining on bass and drums, respectively; much of the album, however,
was tracked at Zushi’s home studio. That seems appropriate for a collection of songs that are expansive in their intimacy. Asked what
drove the sessions, Zushi answers, “I thought I’d make IV an album that particularly focuses on the guitar play.” And focus it does, as
Zushi’s sky-scraping, soaring, elemental tone is front and centre throughout. But these are no guitar heroics; rather, Zushi uses the
guitar as conduit and diviner, a tool for spirit location, and IV is his most eloquent expression yet of such singular magic.

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Urban Volcano Sounds

Disco Taberna

20,99 €*

LP | 2024 | JP | Original (Sony Music Japan)

Release: 2024 / JP – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Balearic crossover, urban boogie & mellow, gentle and elegant sound production unit, Urban Volcano Sounds, releases long-awaited new single “disco Taberna” on 7” after 4 years! Gorgeous strings, soulful and soaring homage to the golden age of 70s disco, and meticulous production. Their long-awaited new single “Ame no Uta” from their previous album “blue hour” was included in the compilation “Tangent” by Nick The Record & John Gomez released from MR.BONGO in July this year, and their reputation is growing both in Japan and abroad!

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Bread & Butter

Late Late Summer

57,99 €*