compiled by Nicholas D. Kent
email: ndkent "at" optonline.net
Last updated 05.10.3
(*) means I don't own this album and have not listened to it.
(@) means I've listened to this album but don't own a copy
1985 Sound Marketing System/WAVE ep: SP15-6006
Seems to be a 1980s Kyoto band. Spacey sound
02.6.5 cd: TOCT-24774
Chihiro heads this project and sometimes has collaborators. This album is ambient electronica (not all glitchy if you are thinking microsound). Some melodies, vocals and beats along with soundscape mixes
04.2.11 cd: TOCT-25319
This soundtrack adds nice simple electronic piano sounding melodies along with the ambient textures and sounds. A catchy main theme in both instrumental and song versions.
04.2.11 cd: TOCT-25556
An interesting blend of electronica songs and ambient textures. Comes with a CD extra low res song video of kira-kira from the prior soundtrack and a short bonus DVD of 3 music videos. Unlike the straightforward CD extra one (who's images are used on the official site) the DVD ones seem to be in the tradition of avant garde japanese theatre/performance and are surprising and sometimes erotic.
official site
98.10.21 Roux/Victor cd:VICL 60301
Mitsuto Suzuki does 9 modern electronica-like arrangements of Erik Satie, some of them in styles like a Brazilian flavor. He does Gymnopédie no.1 three times in different styles to make it kind of a recurring theme.While he's doing Satie compositions, he is arranging them to the extent that you can't really call this a classical synth album the way say Tomita does. Ironically the most French sounding track of the 10 is La Lune which is his original composition.When I saw the track list I noticed the conspicuous absence of Satie's popular Gnossienes. I imediately suspected if he were to do a second album they would be the recurring theme. I'd think that hardcore Satie fans would be curious and upon listening while thinking some stuff clever and interesting, but will find overall it doesn't really evoke Satie. While it has a textured ambient sound its just a little short of being a really good ambient album regardless of the Satie
98.9.23 Roux/Victor cd5 single: VICL 35036
Here are 4 versions of the title track. 2 are not on the album.
1985 Telegraph Records ep: TGEP 030
Ikue Mori, Non, Emiko M., Rather noisy.
92.3.21 Pony Canyon/TENT PCCA-00358
Fairchild are Seji Toda (ex-Shi Shonen), Hirokazu Kawaguchi and YOU. This is a "2 disc 1 Album" set in that there is a "Blue" and a "Red" disc, but neither is full length. It obviously has a theme of duality as YOU is on the cover about to kiss another version of herself. She has a kind of anime type voice, kind of cute overall but lacks the heavy synth use and technopop feel of Toda's Shi Shonen work. This seems to be pretty easy to pick up used but I'd only reccomend it to fans of just kind of fun normal JPop.
(*) 97.8.30 ********* records cd single: CODA-1234
contains L'Aventure Fantastique, Dear Mr. Salesman, Nova Bosa Nova
Tomoyuki Tanaka is the Fantastic Plastic Machine. He's on Pizzicato 5's label.
(@) 97.10.10 ********* records, Bungalow (Germany 1998)
Smooth stuff with clever production. Doesn't have much synth thrills I appreciate. Tanaka's DJ skills helped him to quickly make him one of the forces in the Shibuya-kei sound.
197? Nippon Columbia lp: YX-7283-M (1980 reissue)
Kitaro's former band. Floaty, spacey guitar .
1977 Nippon Columbia cd: COCA15239 (1998 CD reissue)
This is is quite prog with some vocals alternating with instrumentals. Fumio Miyashita leads. Kitaro and Akira Ito have left by this point
lower than full price
(@) 99.10.1 Ki/oon~Sony CD5: KSC2 310
Flip Flap are techno twin teen sister models Yuko and Aiko. On this single is the title track composed by CMJK with an instrumental of it+ a cover of Denki Groove's Niji by ex-Denki Groover CMJK (and Denki Groove did their own new remix in '99 also). I wanted to like this cute duo's music, but everything I've heard by them is neither here nor there and not quite techno even. By the way, on this one, the album art doesn't feature photos of them (except for small reproductions of their releases inside)
99.11.13 Ki/oon~Sony CD: KSC2 316
A full length album. Quite a few tracks involve CMJK. This certainly isn't bad or uninteresting music, its just not quite there, neither are their singing voices. Interestingly the album and single do not feature the artist's pictures on the cover (of the single) or the slipcase on this one. There are plenty of photos in the booklet though.
they also have an album (that I played some tracks from) called Jungle Django Jumbo, a self titled EP, 7 CD3 singles and maybe some more recordings.
a website for Frank Chickens with discographies and photos
"The mind boggles as to what they do when they're not being Chickens..."
(*) 1984 kaz records lp-2
Lisa Vitosky supplies this and the other Frank Chickens album info.
(*)1985 kaz records kaz-20
(*) 1987 flying lecords syzzle-112
(@) 1988 flying lecords (stir 2)
This is the only one I've heard. Humourous songs in English. Entertaining.
1990 Epic EK46762 (US)
Quirky uptempo instumentals.
(@) 99.7.23 Sony/SO What? ESCB2004
Cool and surprising stuff for this acoustic guitar duo. takefumi haketa does the synth production and is co-producer. The album opens with a lounge track with guests Huun-Huur-Tu, the Mongolian throat singing ensemble. Arto Lindsay collaborates on the final track. Some great directional turns and combinations with electronics and acoustic guitar.
1997 Interlink cd: ILPA-970001
An album of songs for kids of all ages by the well known digital interactive artist and character (designer). Synth tunes with guitar and in one case Kazoo. Lots of fun with illustrations in the packaging.
Oh yes, the notes say this was inspired by Nick Kent's record collection.
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