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

Last updated 04.12.17

(*) means I don't own this album


PACIFIC 231

MIYASHIRO

98.3.21 SYDW-0011

This is a sort of recreation of vintage 1930s style Big Band sounding music of the American born brothers of Japanese ancestry, Glenn and Steve Miyashiro who each composed tunes. Hasumi and Miyake who are the modern exotica-style duo Pacific 231 each take on arranging one of the brothers for real orchestra with synth. Tthere are 2 other pieces not by the brothers but perhaps associated with them and certainly from that period. Like Gurenica, not overtly electronic per se, but certainly of interest to exotica fans. More easy going like World Standard than tense like Guernica.


 

Pardigam Shift

Pardigam Shift

1985 Columbia/Better Days lp: YF-7103

Chris Mosdel does the lyrics. The musicians are Makoto Matsushita, Masato Matsuda, Yasuo Tomikura, Masahiro Miyazaki


Pecker

21st Century Dub

1980 ROIR (US) cassette A-147

This is a 60 minute compilation made from 2 Japanese albums by the percussionist Pecker. He adds a big dose of techno pop to the Jamacian dub sound. The album was recorded at Bob Marley's Tuff Gong studio and features a Kenji Omura solo, but most notably Sly and Robby backing on most cuts. Includes a cover of Sakamoto's Kylyn. Initially cassette only.


Phew

Phew

1981 Les Disques Du Soleil et de l'Acier (Fr) cd: C-DSA54016

A notable female singer backed by Czukay, Leibezeit and Plank. If you know who they are, I need not say more. A recent reissue I don't have added a Sakamoto produced single as a nice bonus. Reccomended.


Phew

View

1987 Les Disques Du Soleil et de l'Acier (Fr) cd: C-DSA54021

The band is Makamoto Othsu, Masahiro Minowa, Tatsuo Kondoh, engineer: Yoshifumi Iio. Not of the same level as the prior listed album.


Picky Picnic

Ha! Ha! Tarachine

(*) 1984 Attak records

Jerry Leibowitz: The front of this Lichtenstein-esque album has the band's name, album title and big letters saying "JAPAN POP." Avante pop in stylings reminiscent of the residents and video game soundtracks. Lots of emulators and assorted keyboards. Children's voices. Very strange. The main players are Yuji Asuka and Kooru Todoroki.


Plastics


Pneuma

Psychabuse

1979-85 released 1995 Belle Antique cd: BELLE 9588

A big mistake was made with the album title and the mediocre reproductions of Bosch paintings as the cover art. It leads one to believe this is some goth or noise band. This is actually an album of synthesizer space music in the Klaus Schulze and Jarre, Kitaro Ten Kai era vein. Well done material with a fair amount of tape hiss.


Nobuyuki, Ponta Unit

The Rhythm Boxer

1985 Midi/Dear Heart 12" MIS-503

Chris Mosdel writes the rap. Catchy well produced pop. Coupled with a remix and an even catchier piece called Digi-Vu


Qypthone is a 5 person band. Takeshi Nakatsuka writes most of the music and the front woman is singer Izumi Okawara.


Qypthone

Qypthone

1998 Happiness Records cd: HRCD-001

Six song shortish debut. Excellent. A really charming enjoyable album in all departments, music, lyrics, voice, syhth use. Very much in a shibuya-kei flavor


Qypthone

Organic Sound Theatre

1999 Happiness Records cd: HRCD-004

Their second EP. Seven songs. I got the impression that this one just has too many musicians playing at the same time. I'm not just making a quip here, I was very impressed by their debut and this was a letdown except for nice packaging, I felt there was a definite problem balancing Izumi Okawara's medium sized vocals with all sorts of busy quasi-ska stuff going on.


Ra

Visions

(*)1985 Moonchild / Alfa Moon, Inc.

Jerry Leibowitz: A sometimes interesting solo electronic offering from Ra (who's appearance strongly resembles a young Sakamoto,) who takes credits for both producer and engineer. The work is a bit reminiscent of Hosono's early post YMO noodlings, but, at its best, sounds akin to Paul Schutze's early industrial work.

nick archetectural note: he's in front of a slide of the ceiling of the Guggenheim Museum


Real Fish

A Very Big Band In Heaven

1984 Invitation lp: VIH-28201

Keiichi Suzuki produced. Lots of Shi-Shonen members play. Instrumentals. Great art direction and witty titles. Nice but nothing special synthesizer-wise.


Real Fish

Lemon

1985 Invitation lp: VIH-28232

These albums are packaged superbly and are well made but aren't very interesting to me musically.


Real Fish

When The World Was Young

1987 Invitation lp: VIH-28283


Roots of Electronic Sound

The Mighty Atom

98.8.22 WEA cd: WPC6 8493

This is a sound effects disc of electro acoustic sounds from the 1960s animated series by Tezuka. Its credited to Matsuo Ono. Very nice packaging. Oddly the recording date is 1975 instead of the 60s, so I'm not sure when the actual sounds originate.


Frederick Rousseau

Mo

1994 Origins (France) OR 898 356269000186 ('97 reissue)

Rousseau is a French synthesist who was technical advisor/assistant to Vangelis when he lived in Paris in the 80s and 90s. Much of the album was done at Vangelis' Epsilon studio. The album's theme is old Japan and done with synthesizers and traditional vocals and instruments. Some very impressive music though I feel some of the tracks with Enigma style beats are already regrettably already dated sounding especially considering some of the non-pop tracks are quite impressive. Nice graphics. Hard to find, even in Paris (when I looked in 1999). Rousseau's website. FWIW, shopping on the web seems to be the way to go for his work.


Rubyorla

Samplin Somethin

Compilation Album No.1

2004 Moroheiya MORO-005 licensed from expoi (expoi-008cd)

As the name implies Rubyorla is creating sample based sort of avant pop music with some guests like yabemilk from childisc records, moyunijumo, GEBO.meteor, YuReMi.

thanks: Yoichi Ito

 



 

BACK TO MAIN MENU


Copyright Notice! Compilation, design, and layout of this web page is copyright 1999 Nicholas D. Kent. All rights are reserved by its individual trademark/copyright holders. This web page is a product of fan appreciation and is not intended to infringe upon properties held by its rightful owners. Any part of this web site may be duplicated and distributed to other networks and BBSs UNMODIFIED, with all ownership and copyright information intact. No portion of this web page (including but not limited to documents, images, and sound clips) may be sold in any way and is expressly forbidden. (Thanks to Kyong Il Lee for writing these lines.)