Denki Groove

662 BPM by DG

Their first album. Indie release. Sunahara had not joined yet. Lineup is Tack Q Ishino, Pierre Taki, MMO Wakaohji, Nobuo A Takahashi. Includes earlier versions of pieces on the next few albums. A rock cover of YMO's Cosmic Surfin' the first of at least 3 of this song they've done over the years.

TMN vs Denki Groove

Rhythm Red Beat Black

(*) 91.02.01 Sony: ESDB 3186

FG writes: This is the first real collaboration between Tack-Q, Pierre and CMJK (from the Cutemen). First track is an extended version of Rythm red Beat black remixed by Tetsuya Komuro himself. He's the “T” of TMNetwork. Now a multi-multi-millionaire, producer of all the major eurobeat teenage artists of the nineties (Namie Amuro, Tomomi Kahala, etc.). Second track is entirely reworked by Denki Groove. Nice mix, in fact.

1- Rythm red Beat black version 2.0 by TMNetwork
2- Rythm red Beat black version 300000000000 by Denki Groove

Flash Papa

First major label album. Credited to TackQ Ishino, Pierre Taki, CMJK. They seem to be using British engineers. Considered a classic, though I like the next one a bit more. Still it is great listening. CMJK has quite a few fine credits of his own but departs after this one.

WE ARE NAMAGOMI OH2 MIAMI PARADISE M.O.C. CAFE DE ONI BECAUSE RAGGAMON CATV BINGO! DENKI BIRIBIRI

UFO

More accomplished than the prior one. My favorite. Has a groovy cover version of YMO's Cosmic Surfin'. Probably the most Technopop (compared to Techno) of all their albums.

All star family vs family snake battle has extremely cute vocals from one of the Go-Bangs.

b.b.e. (bull beam express) all my muscles work machine like part I mud ebis (chimimix) the girl from factory all star family vs family snake battle all my muscles work machine like part II cho-u-cho cosmic surfin' (ecstasy bath room mix) christmas night in tokyo caution to the ape mr. sister denki groove is bitch!

Mud Ebis

1. Mud Ebis -800 Yen Mix-
2. Cosmic Surfin' (Live at Automatic Theater L.A.)

Karateka

more dub style than the other albums.

Snake Finger Twist of the World The Kettle Man Comfortablism Dokashit Hi-Score Demalynpic KARATEKA March Let's Go! Mugen-Jigoku DS Massive

Snake Finger

1- Snakefinger (album version)
2- Snakefinger (Omoshiroi kao mix = Funny face mix)
3- Snakefinger (Progreggae mix)

extra info: FG

Flash Papa Menthol

carefully produced remixes by the band and various artists. holds together quite well and keeps a good pace. Sort of twists around the material on Flash Papa rather than just extends the grooves and changes the beats as most dance tracks do. Cafe de Oni shows up in an orchestral version, real amusing.

We Are Namagomi OH2 Miami Paradise M.O.C. Cafe de Oni (Canari Omoshiroikao Mix) Because Raggamon CATV Bingo! Denki Biribiri

Vitamin

A drum and bass cover of Kingsley's Popcorn. Most tracks have retro/disco elements and drum and bass style sounds. This is the smoothest of their albums. The production is state of the art.

Happy Birthday Disco Union Hiking Fake Hooligan Fuji-san Stingray Popcorn Shinkansen Snow and Dove N.O.

N.O.

1. N.O.
2. 4U Rack and Roll
3. N.O. (Ken Ishii Reproduction)

various artists

DRILL KING ANTHOLOGY

A compilation from Drill King Records. Great packaging and material. Has a wicked parody of Kraftwerk's Tour de France and also one of the most (probably intentionally) unlistenable tracks I've ever struggled through. ...And then there is the awsome Hardfloor techno meets enka style remix

FG writes:--> Most tracks make fun of old japanese pop bands. But track 2 is a REAL cover. The original track (“Transistor radio”, same name) is by a very famous japanese rock'n'roll band named RC Succession. Maybe you haven't heard of the band, but you might know it's mythical lead singer and guitarist, Kiyoshiro Imawano. He did a little single with Ryuichi Sakamoto called Kurenai/Rouge magic and co-wrote, co-produced and co-sang the “Nippon no hito” HIS album with Hosono in 1991.Track 6, the “unlistenable track”, is probably a sort of tribute to the Residents, one of Pierre Taki's favorite bands.

nick adds: Well the outfits could be the Residents style, though Urban Dance had that look. Neither are anywhere near as irritably industrial to listen to!

FG : Would you believe it ? The band's name, credited for track 7 means “the group of people who like to smell farts” !! I remember seeing an article in a magazine, for the release of this album, with pictures of Pierre dressed in a white tuxedo with fake moustaches, a strange machine strapped around his waist, with tubes going up to his nose !

1: Drill King Inc. Theme 2:Transistor radio / Simon'z 3: Hangman / Skelton Joe 4: Life (Zin-say) / Masaru Taki 5: A slip of french lullaby ( Tsuru tto furansu komori uta ) / Pedal Fumiya 6: Power doctor ( Riki-Ishi ) / Kamio, Drill 7: Mote taku te / Gi Onara suikomi tai 8 : Life (Zin-say) / Masaru Taki - Hardfloor Remix

Simon'z

Transistor radio

(@) 93.8.1 Sony-Ki/oon promo CD3 KSD2 1042

The cover (which is taped to a printed but blank covered promo cd3 case) shows Denki Groove in disguise, all wearing the same facial hair, obviously a trying to impersonate someone Rolf Harris looking but who's identity unfamiliar to me. 3 mixes, very funny vocals and kazoos. A version also on Drill King Anthology

Got no idea what its about but its cool and funny. one of the alternate mixes prominantly features kazoo melodies. FG and I differ on the spelling of the band name in Roman letters.

1- Transistor radio
2- Transistor radio (Touched by the hands of Shimon'z mix)
3- Transistor radio (original karaoke)

POPO

(*) 94.11.10 cd single

FG writes:--> Another great remix here of Cafe de Oni (=Devil's cofee) : a sort of jungle, drum and bass hard-edge stuff. Really great. The rest is good too. Unlike the album version, Popo has a fast tempo here.

1- Popo (radio edit)
2- Cafe de Oni (crater nikibi kao mix = pimple crater face mix)
3- Mujina II

KAME LIFE

(*)94.12.10 cd single

FG writes: Just like Popo, this single is a great buy ! Three new mixes (unreleased elsewhere) of good songs. Disco union is from the Vitamin album.

1- Kame life (single mix)
2- Noi noi noi (remix)
3- Disco union '95

NIJI 95.4.21 Ki/oon Sony cdS: KSD2 1083 Niji (Short Cut Mix) Pomato Niji (Mojo Mix by EL-MALO) Has female vocals in addition to presumably Taki. VERY cool. VERY memorable.

FG writes: -->Niji was released in Germany with different versions under a totally different packaging (regular crystal single case), with a different cover, in two parts. Later on, these new remixes were re-released in Japan. These two singles were known as the MFS remixes. So, the three tracks that are on the original japanese single are unreleased elsewhere.

PARKING

A boxed set with 2 Solo CDs (Dove Loves Dub, Crossover) which are available separate, an exclusiveCD3, a solo VHS tape (Mechano) and a talking toy.

Takkyu Ishino Dove Lubs Dub (@) 95.8.2 Ki/oon Sony cd: KSC2 124 (early #?), KSC2-129 Aggressive grooves and dub beats. Deep, though sometimes repetitious. Dream Baby Dream, a cover I presume of Suicide is superb. Memorable cover art by Otomo (Akira). Also exists as a vinyl EP. Bruce and Rhythm TKO Tone GTR Monkey Dance Trip-O-Matic SEX,E Magatta Kaono Oyaji (Nagatomix) Dream Baby Dream

Yoshinori Sunahara Crossover (@) 95.8.2 Ki/oon Sony cd: KSC2 125 (early #?), KSC2-130 1997 release on Bungalo Records (Germany with overseas dist) Loops and collaged sounds, sort of jazzy lounge/exotica. Not all that memorable but a good listen. Opens with some Forry Ackerman narration off a record. Sandii guests on Clouds Across the Moon,, she is somewhat swamped by the thick music. While the engineering is okay, it's not up to the superb standards of the DG releases IMHO. MFRFM exists as a 12" MFRFM (Music for Robot for Music) Stinger Stingray Whirl Pool Silver Ripples The Long Vowels Huraloop Muddy Water Elegant World Clouds Across the Moon Overtime Work

Pierre Taki

MECHANO Scientific Attack Force

Animated 29 minute tape of 3 videos. Plastic Gun Man 3D character animation, which is a parody of Westerns and Anime. World Mechano Triangle which seems to be a Sun Electric remix, I've seen the main part of it on MTV's AMP. Finally a Japanese titled anime video which is violent and seeming satirical.

the bonus Denki Groove CD3 included in Parking (titles in Japanese as translated by TS)

(@)Sony-Ki/oon KSC2 127

FG writes: --> Great single! Unfortunately, none of these versions were released elsewhere. All is hard-edge drum'n'bass and jungle. The version of Noi noi noi that is found here was used on japanese TV to promote one of their tours. Note that this song's spelling changed later to Neu neu neu (german for “new new new“).

1. Denki Biri Biri (other mix)
2. NEU NEU NEU (Mijshol mix)
3. BoBo (Woolen cap mix) - FG translates it as PoPo

ORANGE

I perfer their earlier work. Their melodies are not as strong as they were earlier. Great CD design (it's using a technique I think is called thermoprinting whith a raised plasticy ink like on greeting cards). Also exists as a vinyl EP.

MAMACAKE DRAEDA! KILLER POMATO VIVA! ASIA MARUDASHI NANTOMOENAI WABISHIIKIMOCHININATTAKOTOGAARUKAI? POPAIPOPAI REPETITION SIDE STEP SCORPION SMILESS SMILE T-SHIRT DE YUKIMATSURI

Dareda ! (*) 96.5.22 Ki/oon Sony cdsingle: KSD2 1132 FG writes:The Groove Yard remix is by Takkyu Ishino, and it's great ! Yesterday is unreleased elsewhere. Strange track… All grand orchestra with Pierre Taki crying and wailing like a baby the whole time. 1. Dareda ! (radio edit) 2. Dareda ! (groove yard remix) 3. Yesterday

A 97.5 Sony-Ki/oon They are going still further in a direction less interesting to me. While identifiable as Denki Groove, their beats are getting like everyone else internationally and arrangements more mainstream. Wicked Jumper Volcanic Drumbeats Pocket Cowboy Never Parachute GariGari Kun CATY Summer Asunaro Sunchine Shangri-La Smoky Bubbles Loop Zombies

Pocket cowboy

cdS: KSD2 1175

FG: Track 2 is by Ed "Upton” DMX, from Rephlex and Breakin' Records labels. Ed is a great musician and producer. He's also a big fan of YMO and the japanese techno-pop scene. His remix is nice. Not as wild as i had expected.

(*) 97.12.01 Ki/oon Sony
1. Pocket cowboy (single edit)
2. Pocket cowboy (DMX Krew remix)
3. Pocket cowboy (karaoke)
4. Pocket cowboy (acapella)

Asunaro Sunshine

(TAKKYU ISHINO Recontruction)

(*) 12" SYUM-0066

The Last Supper / Denki Groove's 10th. anniversary

01.07.25 Ki/oon KSC2 394-5

info from FG: This first DG compilation was released to celebrate their first ten years in the business. It was originally issued as a double CD, in a vertical booklike case exactly the size of two CDs in height. The graphics of this release are gorgeous. It contains a full color, big size 32 pages booklet attached to the cardboard case. With full discography, videography, biography (in japanese only) and more crazy impostures of Pierre and Ishino dressed up as hippies, techno-pop idol singers, rock singers, etc. You can still find this version in second hand stores, but not that many were made (i think 5000 in all). Now, the only version available in store is the “single” CD version.

Of course, as you can expect from Denki Groove, this is not a mere compilation. Pierre and Ishino chose a few tracks they liked (most are recent) and asked some friends to rework on them. Exactly what they had done before with the Flash Papa Menthol album. But somehow, i find more density in this album. Every track sticks with the others quite nicely. You don't have the feeling that it's a remix album…

nick adds: import stores tend to have them still floating around even in 2003 when I got mine at Tower Records' World Music Store, NYC, probably because of the relatively high selling price)

Note that the first 5 tracks of this bonus CD were originally exclusively made for a limited vinyl release. They have never been released on CD format (apart from this bonus CD). All these mixes are long and made for discotheques. Track 3, Dinosaur tank, from the Dragon EP, was a huge success on Japanese dancefloors. The original vinyl is now as rare as it is expensive.

ILBON 2000

(*) KSC2 351, 499564.2 (Asia) 502141.2 (EU)

Seems to be a live album

compilations

Selection

Selected by Denki Groove

Here, I guess, Denki Groove choose their favorite tracks (that Sony owns for the most part) and play Godzilla samples courtesy of Toho between tracks. A real nutty vintage selection by each member: Rocky's Theme, Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force's "Pranet Rock",  Herbie Hancock, Melon, Picky Picnic (a kiddy-sonding record), The pre-YMO version of "Cosmic Surfin", Sakamoto's "Summer Nerves" etc.

Also check out Ishino's producer work with techno idol Tomoe Shinohara. Highly reccomended

Wire 99 Compilation

(@) 99.7.1 Loopa~Ki/oon~Sony KSC2 290

This seems to be some sort of German techno festival Ishino organized. The tracks represent the artists involved. These are all sudio tracks. A good representation of what Ishino is into these days. Some of the tracks just kind of sit there but in general the quality level is higher than average.

1. Denki Groove Niji [RMX for WIRE 99] (this is a 10 minute version)
2. Westbam Beatbox Rocker [dr. Rhythms Pumping Club Mix]
3. EBTB The Searcher
4. Takkyu Ishino bitter sweet break down
5. DMX Krew bang with U baby
6. Fumiya Tanaka Rims & Sticks
7. Technasia japanese title
8. Mijk van Dijk Lite My Wire
9. Derrick May Beforethereafter

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