Last updated 06.09.29

(*) means I don't own this album

A great fan site about YEN Records

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Interior, UENO Koji, Testpattern

YEN MANIFOLD VOL.1

Rare album combining new instrumental works by some lesser known YEN artists. The CD was only available in Yen Box 1

(Various Artists)

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

A riot! Produced by Yukihiro Takahashi and Nobuyuki Takahashi. Amazing guest list! It seems somebody got a DX7 (debuted Summer 1983) for Xmas because there is a lot of it on the album. The format is each artist leads a track and a number of the others accompany.

1. 25 Dec.1983 - HOSONO, Haruomi
2. Gingami no Hosi-kazari - Moonriders
3. Belle Tristesse - KOSHI, Miharu
4. Prelude et Choral - UENO, Koji
5. The Nativity - TOGAWA, Jun
6. Ce jour la...... - Pierre BAROUH
7. Inori - OHNUKI, Taeko
8. Hokori Drake no Christmas Tree - ITO, Ginji
9. White And White - TACHIBANA, Hajime
10. Door wo Akereba - TAKAHASHI, Yukihiro

YEN Artists

Yen Memorial Album

When Yen Records founder Kunihiko Murai died, all Yen artists participated in this album or remixes and an original 12". Takahashi and Hosono produced album consisting of--

a 12" with (writers in parenthesis parenthesis)

• God Be With You Till We Meet Again (HH,YT) by Yen Artists
• Platonic Stochastic (Ueno) by Yen Artists

• YMO Rydeen remixed by Terada, includes live material (YT/Barakan)
• Hajime Tachibana:Rock -a different recording in the style of Kraftwerk remix by Tachibana/Iio/Fumi (YT/Barakan)
• Sandii and the Sunsetz Sticky Music French language remix by Kubota/Terada (HH/Kaiya)
• Guernica Maroni Dokuhon remix by Ueno/Doi (Togawa)
• Miharu Koshi Petit Pardis English lyrics by Fay Lovsky remix Koshi/Terada (Togawa/Higae)
• Inoyama Land Pokala remix by M.Inoue/Y.Yamashita/Doi (Hinata)
• Keiichi Ohta Seean no Kodomoichiba remix by Ohta/Ueno/Doi (the Pickup LP says "Urino, HH, YT, RS" this is wrong, it's by Ohta and Ueno)
• Koji Ueno Adagietto remix by Ueno/Terada (HH)
• Yukihiro Takahashi It's Gonna Work Out remix by YT and Iio (YT)
• S.E.T. Beat the Rap remix by Iio (actually by Takahashi, wrong credit on the Pickup LP)
• Testpattern Modern Living remix by Hiruma/Iio (Mosdell/Borel/Bennu)
• Jun Togawa Do Not Renai new song (Ohta/Ueno)
• Interior Hawks remix by Hinata/Iio (Koshi/Lovsky)
• Tamao Koike Kagami no Naka no Jugatsu remix Koike/Terada (YMO)
• Haruomi Hosono Yunemiru Yakusoko original version (Ohta/Ueno)

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YEN Records History-

YEN Singles + a

There was an earlier and shorter cassette version YLC-28016. the "a" is the greek alpha

Disc 1

• 1.Sangoku-shi - HOSONO, Haruomi
• 2.Sangoku-shi Love Theme - HOSONO, Haruomi + KOIKE, Tamao (Vocal)
• 3.Ginrin wa Utau - Guernica
• 4.Maronie Dokuhon - Guernica
• 5.Are You Receiving Me? - TAKAHASHI, Yukihiro
• 6.And I believe You - TAKAHASHI, Yukihiro
• 7.Kimi ni Munekyun - Yellow Magic Orchestra
• 8.Chaos Panic - Yellow Magic Orchestra
• 9.Sex Symbol Strikes Back - TACHIBANA Hajime
• 10.AB1013 - TACHIBANA Hajime
• 11.Maebure - TAKAHASHI, Yukihiro
• 12.Another Door - TAKAHASHI, Yukihiro
• 13.Kageki na Shukujo - Yellow Magic Orchestra
• 14.See-Through - Yellow Magic Orchestra
• 15.Kagami no Naka no jugatsu - KOIKE, Tamao
• 16.Automne Dans Un Miroir - KOIKE, Tamao

• 1.You've Got To Help Yourself - Yellow Magic Orchestra
• 2.Expecting Rivers - Yellow Magic Orchestra
• 3.Sticky Music - Sandii & The Sunsetz
• 4.The Mirrors Of Eyes - Sandii & The Sunsetz
• 5.Radar Man - TOGAWA, Jun
• 6.Boshi Jusei - TOGAWA, Jun
• 7.Gessekai Ryoku - Apogee & Perigee
• 8.Sinku Kiss - Apogee & Perigee
• 9.Poisson D'avril - TAKAHASHI, Yukihiro
• 10.Kimi ni Surprise! - TAKAHASHI, Yukihiro
• 11.Replicant J.B. (Remix Edit Version) - TACHIBANA Hajime
• 12.Super Xevious - HOSONO, Haruomi
• 13.Gaplus - HOSONO, Haruomi
• 14.The Tower Of Druaga - HOSONO, Haruomi

YEN BOX Vol. 1

This is a 17 CD boxed set in cardboard sleeves simulating album covers. It was released 8/96. It contains 2 unique discs one of Yukihiro Takahashi (see my entry on him) and the disc below. The boxes contain all the albums with the exception of the final several YMO albums (which is fine, since most collectors have them already).

Here is a run down on Box 1:

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YEN Label Artists

YEN Box Vol. 1 Bonus Disc

This contains the unreleased material.

1996 ALZZ-10 sold only in the Yen Box Vol. 1, 17 cd set

1. Tamao Koike featuring YMO Kagami No Naka No Jugatsu (OKV)
2. Guernica: Ginrin wa Utau (OKV)
3. Hosono: Inter Face (CF 90 Seconds version)
4. Guernica: Maronie Dokuhon (OKV)
5. YMO You've Got To Help Yourself (CF 60 seconds version [short version with vocals])
6. YMO: Kimi ni mune kyun (OKV type B, has a good amount of backing vocals)
7. Tachibana: Replicant J.B. (TRA Version type B, mentions James Brown by name)
8. Tachibana: Life In Barricade (unreleased "Hm" style)
9. Miharu Koshi: Image (OKV Single mix)
10. Jun Togawa: Radarman
11. Hosono: Super Xevious (Gust Notch Mix)
12. Apogee & Perigee: Sinku Kiss (OKV, Hosono composed)
13. S.E.T. : Oh le Beaux Japonais! (OKV, Takahashi composed)
14. Tachibana: Replicant J.B. (Remix)
15. Miharu Koshi: Petit Pardis (OKV)
16. Tamao Koike (& Hosono): Sangokushi Love Theme (OKV)
17. Jun Togawa: Poesia (first time on CD?, a Joe Jackson tune)
18. YMO: Wild Ambitions (TV Size Edit type B)

YEN BOX Vol. 2

This is a 18 CD boxed set in cardboard sleeves simulating album covers. It was released 12/96. It contains 3 unique discs one of YMO (see my page on the band) and the 2 discs below. The enclosed booklet features a British synth called the OSCar on the cover. As far as I know, this synth was never used on these recordings. (vol 1 features the Roland CR-78 on the cover)

Here is a run down on Box 2:

• Haruomi Hosono Yunemiru Yakusoko with intro containing "Picnic" samples
• Tachibana Replicant JB (alternate TRA version) - TRA was a magazine which included cassettes with "exclusive" tracks.
• YMO instrumental from 6/83

Bonus Disc - Male

1. Hosono: "Sangokushi" Main Theme
2. Takahashi: Disposable Love (OKV)
3. Takahashi: Another Door (TRA 60 sec. ver.)
4. Sakamoto: Bikkura-gation (voxless ver. - the original had an announcer speaking over it)
5. Tachibana: Theme From Barricade (Another ver.)
6. Tachibana: Replicant J.B. (Remix Edit ver.)
7. S.E.T.: Beat The Rap (OKV Takahashi composed) this and the next several YMO tracks are jump edited together
8. YMO: Kimi ni mune Kyun 3.13
9. YMO: Kagekina Shukujo 3.58
10. YMO: You've Got To Help Yourself 4.33
11. Takahashi: Connection ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)
12. Takahashi: Drip Dry Eyes ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)
13. Takahashi: Flashback ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)
14. Takahashi: H ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)
15. Takahashi: All You've Got To Do ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)
16. Takahashi: Cue ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)

Bonus Disc - female

1. Tamao Koeike: Sexanova (unreleased) -by Nakanishi (Melon)
2. Tamao Koeike: Kagami no Naka no jugatsu (by YMO)
3. Tamao Koeike: Tamago (unreleased) by YMO
4. Tamao Koeike: Sangokushi Love Theme (with Hosono)
5. Tamao Koeike: Runnin' Away (unreleased)
6. Tamao Koeike: Canary (unreleased) by Hosono
7. Tamao Koeike: Automne Dans Un Miroir (by YMO)
8. Miharu Koshi: Ryugu-Joe No Koibito (TV Size edit)
9. Miharu Koshi: Suger Me (OKV.)
10. Miharu Koshi: Scandal Night (OKV)
11. Miharu Koshi: L'amour toujours (OKV, with Telex!)
12. Guernica: Kojo Kengaku (OKV)
13. Apogee & Perigee: Gessekai Ryoko (OKV)
14. Jun Togawa: Bosi Jusei (Non-vocal ver.)
15. Jun Togawa: Poesy (Inst.)
16. Jun Togawa: Yumeno Hashi-bashi (OKV)

Of great interest are the unreleased tracks from Tamao Koeike's unfinished album.
L'amour toujours original karaoke mix is a rare exclusive to this CD item for Telex collectors.

Kaiteiban Otoban Bikkuri House:

Gyakufunsha Shokogun no Maki

Bikkuri House Sound Edition : The Revised Edition - Vol. Counter Jet Sydrome

This was a comedy radio show with some rare music by well known artists. Only available on CD in YEN BOX Vol.1. I've only listed the music of interest, there are other songs and music fragments. Hosono acts in a skit also.

Otoban Bikkuri House:

Ultra Psyche Bikkuri Party

much more music on this one. I only included the music by artists I know

only available on CD in YEN BOX Vol.1

nick notes: While some of this material is from Alfa but not specificly YEN, I've received permission to add this informative text to my site.

Alfa's “In the 90's” collection

info compiled & text by Frederic GUYADER

Desperately trying to revamp his catalogue of old stars from the seventies and eighties, Alfa decided to launch in the nineties a collection of techno-pop acts, remixed by popular (at the time) DJs and producers. As the “YMO in the 90's” booklet states : “Tokyo, in the late seventies and early eighties, was an ultra-modern setting and the techno-child had grown up fast. Fashion designers from labels such as Comme des Garcons, Issey Miyake and Yamamoto were just starting to take their place among the fashion elite and the city's soundtrack was provided by a unique musical trend, at once, advanced, inventive, decisively asian… Today, as when first released, YMO's recordings have sustained a certain intrigue which seems to adapt to the moment. As the band members have always striven to create music at the state of the art, it was decided to return to the studio to further explore the material…”
This was done for YMO but also for eleven other artists or bands. Twelve EPs and a compilation album were released in a relatively short period of time. Some were quite good, in fact…

My favorites are, in release order, YMO (just because it's YMO), Sandii & the Sunsetz (great slow-paced remix with Guy Sigsworth on keyboards and lots of Hosono samples!), Jun Togawa (good rythms and programming, and anyway, i just love her voice!), Ryuichi Sakamoto (even if the beat is repetitive, the mix evolves quite nicely. Mark Plati makes very good use of all the samples he has in stock and offers us a rather hard-edge remix), Hajime Tachibana (these are real remixes, not a megamix, like all other In the 90's releases. Mark Gamble delivers here great versions. sounds like early L.F.O from Warp label. a must have for Tachibana and bleep music lovers!).

All the other remixes are just cut and paste of voice samples and music loops on a pseudo-techno-disco-ish repetitive beat (mostly the same from one megamix to the other, even though they have all been made by different people!). Some are not that bad, but i still got bored after listening to them a few times.

YMO in the 90's / The Pete Lorimar Remix

Alfa Records 1990 / Alca-81
Please note that the YMO megamix that is included in the Kyoretsu na Rythm YMO compilation is the same long version than the one on this EP, just slightly cut down to 13:15.
Also note that Pete Lorimer's name was spelled uncorrectly (Lorimar) on the CD booklet (front and back) but was correctly spelled on the CD itself.
1- The Pete Lorimer remix (long) 13:22
2- The Pete Lorimer remix (short) 04:40

Sheena & the Rockets in the 90's / The Craig Leon Remix

(*) Alfa Records 1991 / Alca-121
1- The Craig Leon Remix (long) 13:17
2- The Craig Leon Remix (short) 03:53

Snakeman Show in the 90's / The Adrian Sherwood Remix

(*) Alfa Records 1991 / Alca-125
1- The long version 12:59
2- B•O•S edit 03:23
3- TF's white boy edit 04:17

Casiopea in the 90's / The Taavi Mote Remix

(*) Alfa Records 1991 / Alca-135
1- The Taavi Mote Remix (long) 16:16
2- The Taavi Mote Remix (short) 04:47

Sandii & the Sunsetz in the 90's / The Bomb the Bass Remix

(@) Alfa Records 1991 / Alca-145
1- The Bomb the bass Remix (long) 12:07
2- The Bomb the bass Remix (short) 04:27

Jun Togawa in the 90's / The Infinite Productions Remix

Alfa Records 1991 / Alca-163
1- The Infinite Productions Remix (long) 14:23
2- The Infinite Productions Remix (short) 04:20

Yukihiro Takahashi in the 90's / The David Lord Remix

Alfa Records 1991 / Alca-164
1- The David Lord Remix (long) 14:23
2- The David Lord Remix (short) 04:53

Toshinori Kondo • IMA in the 90's / The Bill Laswell Remix

(*) Alfa Records 1992 / Alca-219
1- The Bill Laswell Remix (long) 13:43
2- The Bill Laswell Remix (short) 06:47

Ryuichi Sakamoto in the 90's / The Mark Plati Remix

Alfa Records 1992 / Alca-229
1- The Mark Plati Remix (long) 14:38
2- The Mark Plati Remix (short) 09:36

Sumo Stomp / The ultimate in the 90's collection

Alfa Records 1992 / Alca-237
Not as long as the original megamixes, not as short as the original megamix-edits, these tracks have all been re-edited by Voice Project/Baby Tokio/Electric Cafe (it's written on the cover, people!)

1. YMO remixed by Pete Lorimer 09:00
2. Yukihiro Takahashi remixed by David Lord with the hidden hand of Peter Hammil 08:50
3. Jun Togawa remixed by Infinite Productions 07:40
4. Sheena & the Rockets remixed by Craig Leon 08:58
5. Snakeman Show remixed by Adrian Sherwood 09:31
6. Sandii and the Sunsetz remixed by Bomb the Bass 08:02
7. Toshinori Kondo • IMA remixed by Bill Laswell 08:06

S.E.T. in the 90's / The On-U Sound Remix

Alfa Records 1992 / Alca-244
1- The On-U Sound Remix (long) 16:35
2- The On-U Sound Remix (short) 03:30

Haruomi Hosono in the 90's / The Michael Brook Remix

Alfa Records 1992 / Alca-270
1- The Michael Brook Remix (long) 13:09
2- The Michael Brook Remix (short) 05:57

Hajime Tachibana in the 90's / The Mark Gamble Remix

Alfa Records 1993 / Alca-319
It's funny Mark Gamble decided to remix Nihon no Sugao, because originally, it's not a Tachibana composition, but a track written many years before by Isao Tomita.
1- H (theme from clubfoot) 05:45
2- Mr. Techie and Miss Kiple 05:47
3- Theme from “Nihon no Sugao” 01:36
4- Replicant JB 05:20