compiled by Nicholas D. Kent
email: ndkent "at" optonline.net
Last updated 07.09.23
(*) means I don't own this album
(@) means I've listened to this album but don't own it
thanks to Rodney Alan Greenblat
The Techno Cayo and ¥EN pages on this site contain more various artist albums
(@) 1998 WEA WPC6-8522
Tribute to Japan's most famous manga artist and animation producer Osamu Tezuka.
I don't have all the track titles translated.
I was once at a Tezuka animation screening in NYC with a borrowed CD. This strangely familiar looking woman in front of me saw I had it and it turned out to be Miho Hattori with a different hairstyle from when she was doing a lot of gigs with Cibo Matto. She was a little upset the label hadn't gotten her a copy yet! ... and I guess I was a little too starstruck to make good conversation. Well I guess if it wasn't somone elses CD I could have given it to her.
the question inspired by this album is: Does Sean Lennon sing like Rodney Greenblat or does Rodney sing like Sean ?
1982 CBS (UK) lp S.S.8
A British sampler. Interesting to see YMO and Ippu Do on the same album. Notes about the artists in English.
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Beatwave Japan2005 download on iTunes starting 05.2.21 1. Midnight Samba - Elektel feat.Tomoko |
The British based Sonic360 label assembled this download-only compilation. (available on iTunes starting February 21, 2005)
I've been hearing more bands lately usually comprising one or 2 guys working with electronic beats and repeating hooks -- poppy loungy stuff with influences varying from bossanova to video games. Including a female vocalist they get a boost in cute/sonic appeal and live potential.
Sonic 360 refers to the style overall as electro-pop (I'd agree). This is a fun new collection of it.
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Chilscape Compilation, Vol. 3mineralization1996 VAP cd: VPCC-84411 compiled by Kay Nakayama (Something Wonderful).
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1999 Chilscape CSCD-2011
the above site has a listing of volumes I don't have
1996 Daisyworld SYDW-0001
This is an intro for the Daisy World label. Many of the tracks are non-album. A trippy and pleasant album
Destroy all the Monstersmillennium GODZILLA remixes(@) 99.11.20 TRIAD COCP-50197 the cover has the blurb: monster against monster... "millennium GODZILLA remixes" produced by Triad, stereo
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While this has and opens with the expected de rigeur Metal version of the Godzilla theme with sound effects, there are enough varried name artists to keep it amusing.
Konishi treats his track like some La Dolce Vita-era film soundtrack with a worldly Italian woman expounding a monolog mentioning Godzila. No idea about what his exact refrences are. He is using Satoh's more cool cat themes rather than the more brooding elegance of the more familiar Ifukube themes.
Atari Teenage Riot turn in a rather subdued reflection of themes and sound effects with hints of 60s avant garde classical compositions. (unless of course their track and Ueda's are swapped, since it is a little like what I've heard from ATR.)
The ska track is a little tepid.
(@) Alfa cd: 32XA-67
Exotica themed. Reissued material, some of it from ¥EN releases. The old style cat# leads me to believe this has been out of print since the early 1990s if not late 80s.
(*)1983 Kenwood Records
Jerry Leibowitz: A fine compilation featuring World Standard, Katra Turana, Honey Moons, El Nino, Keni Inoue, The Trombones, Yann Tomita. Compiled and additional recording produced by Makoto Kubota.
00 Flag Ship Records CD FSR-004
Buggle suggested this full length low cost compilation featuring Jelly Fish, SVD, ELEKTEL, Sketchboy, flower flower, and bands I'm translating to Young 100V and Murine Head. The style as described on the cover is "No Wave, New Vibe". I'd say Jelly Fish and Elektel are the stand out bands.
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Futuretron Sampler01.06.25 Pop Academy Records cd: POPCD-001 This is an indy compilation of up and coming synth pop bands and is worth catching and supporting. Lets see-- Jellyfish are impressive as usual though I liked their Flagship Party material more. Y-Setsu-O attracted a lot of attention in '99, when, as a YMO parody band, Hideki Matsutake sat in with them for a live show. Their sound is great though their voices and vocal work are really annoying and difficult to listen to. Petit Pois has a voice in the Kahimi Karie and HiPosi manner and sounds sweet. Mac Donald Duck Eclair do bring cuteness in fun quantities. Maniax #2 delivers a technopop sound with vocals and surfy guitar melodies. Much of the album has some of 21st Century DIY edge to it for better or worse. ------- here is some info from producer, TARO YOSHINO (who is also a member of Maniax #2)- Futuretron is a new word combining future, retrospect, and (elec)tron. the bands on the album are: Y-SETU-O is a YMO parody band. ELEKITEL and jellyfish have also appeared on the compilation FLAG SHIP PARTY vol.2. Zunba was a former menber of UCHU YOUNG. PETIT POIS is bosanova singer. The first recorded tune from MANIAX#2 is on this album. Mac Donald Duck Eclair are Cute unit, their debut CD "many many Sweet" have attracted attention in not only with Synthe-POP fans but also with Cult Guitar fans . KIREINA KOUMORI is an incomparable cult unit from TOKYO. PARANIOIA 106 is an anonomous unit from OSAKA. SUMMERNIGHT ANASTASIA combined two tracks SUMMERNIGHT TOWN (originally by MORNING MUSUME) and ANASTASIA (T-99). KASSAI is covered nunber from NAOMI CHIAKI who is a popular japanese ENKA singer. UCHU YOUNG covered COSMIC SURFIN' by YMO on this album, for this tune, UCHU YOUNG were Zunba(synthe) and SASA (Voice). But since Jun. 2001, UCHU YOUNG has had a member change. Now UCHU YOUNG are HIDE-AKI(Synthe) and SASA. |
(*) 99.7.1 FOA cd: FRCA-1023
unknown contents including H. HOSONO, B. ENO, JAH WOBBLE, DJ KRUSH, WORLD STANDARD,
AYUO TAKAHASHI, JON ANDERSON, AUDIO ACTIVE, MIHARU KOSHI etc.
unlikely to have anything rare.
1.Moskow Diskow (Remixed By Kimitaka Matsumae)
2.Twist A Saint-Tropez (Readymade; Twist A Tokyo Mix By Yasuharu Konishi)
3.Pakmovast (Re-Program By Yoshinori Sunahara)
4.Rock Around The Clock (Remixed By Seiji Toda)
5.Cafe De La Jungle - My Time (Pea-Pea Ga-Gabble Mix By Yann Tomita)
6.Moskow Diskow (Martian Version By Kimitaka Matsumae)
out of print CD where technopop artists remix Telex tracks. Alfa had liscenced the influential Belgian band Telex's albums for Japanese release. The wildly unexpected Yann Tomita mix features suGar from Havana Exotica and soon to be Buffalo Daughter.
Japanese Homegrown Vol. 3
(*) 1998 Tower Records and Gianormous Records. ORA1013
Chester Campbell writes: The CD also says "It is kind of a mixed bag", but some of the tracks are good.
Were the staff at Tower smokin somethin?
1996 Bond Age (France) cd:7562820
Compilation of an intentionally wide variety of Japanese music featuring the off beat though avoiding really experimental or hard stuff. A good bet since the import wasn't expensive and has a thick booklet and CD-ROM section. A unique quirky bonus is a quicktime of Sandii caught backstage on a camcorder singing acapella. A bit strange that 2 artists have 2 tracks with so much music out there. Are they friends? Affiliated with the label?
Artists: Tokyo Champloo (x2), Jun Miake (x2), Wakai Bon, Demi Semi Quaver, Kakashi, Sandii, Haruomi Hosono, Goddess in the Morning, Keisuke Sakurai, Tokyo Cult House, Yasuake Shimizu.
1985 School/Midi cd: 35MD-1009
Compilation made up of singles from MIDI and My Heart label albums. P.S. - MIDI here hasothing to do with computer music MIDI files or interfaces ;-)
There are 2 Ryuichi Sakamoto arranged tracks sung by Taeko Onuki, presumably from her albums. Lots of Moonriders related tracks I'm told.. Also single versions of Steppin' Into Asia and Fieldwork by Sakamoto, EPO, Tachibana, Nobuyuki Ponta Unit and a nice track I hadn't heard before (a single?) from Ayuo Takahashi.
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Mix-Up Vol. 4 featuring Fumiya Tanaka(*) 1996 Sony S3 486794 2 Chester Campbell writes: It was recorded live at Club Rockets in Osaka, Oct. 5, 1996 from 2:30 am.
does anyone have a list of the entire Mix-Up series? CC has listed the info off the Ishii one on my Ishii page. |
1997 Zero Gravity cd: ZGV-015
this compilation is mixed tape style. All 14 Zero Gravity CDs are mixed into 4 CD tracks by Kazunao Nagata. With no index marks you can't tell whats what though. A pity. Nice packaging. Zero Gravity is a sublabel of Transonic.
artists: Suzukiski, Pacific 231, Temdendam Suay, Strange Garden, Kazunao Nagata, Utah Kawasaki, Tagomago, Tamari, Dub Sonic Roots, Masaaki Kikuchi, Trio Rakant, Nerve Net Noise, Arche-type
(*) 1982 Phonogram Records
Jerry Leibowitz: Conceived by David Claridge, who apparently traveled around Tokyo with a hand-held Sony cassette recorder (featured on the front of the album) and inserted snippets of ambient city sounds and overheard conversations between the cuts which provide the actual meat of the album. Performers are: Hikashu, Akiko Yano, Earthling, Yukihiro Takahashi, Shoukichi Kina, Lizard & Salon Music.
98.9.23 Toshiba/EMI cd: TOCT-10455
A tribute album put together by Koichi Makigami of Hikashu. One could quibble- medium sized acts - not the legends, the most impressive track (Buffalo Daughter's Autobahn) is also the nearest to a recreation, etc. Still its quite entertaining. Bits that struck me are Hikasu's strong vocals, Maywa Denki's electro mechanical not electronic sound, Hajime Fukuma's (P-MODEL) mostly unrecognizable cover version. Makoto Inoue's traditional Japanese sounds (though sampled).
an album of 11 ambient, technopop and electronica tracks by various artists. Think Sync Records is run by Yasuhiko Terada who has been a long time engineer for Haruomi Hosono and was a musical collaborator on N.D.E. Hosono's track is ambient.
Artists are flipflop, nicely nice, snowhere, P•O•S, Mitsutaka Tajiri, Katsu Kimura, memo flora, Takeshi Senoo,Yasuhiko Terada, Haruomi Hosono.
Yasuhiko Terada mixes most tracks (as most if not all were recorded @ his pro studio.) He's the producer and probably a member of P•O•S.
catch some online previews from this label here
1997 Deviant (UK) 2cd: DVNT30CD
This is a double cd from the UK overviewing Japanese electronica. I didn't find it anawhere as much a revelation as say Fish Smell Like Cat or Sushi 3003, but still its a worthwhile intro to a lot of acts. I guess because of liscencing there are lots of glaring omissions and the some of the included acts seem a little similar to me. Also of note is, aside for the un-talked about in the booklet Miharu Koshi and a guest female vocal or 2, all the acts are guys. Still I'd recomend it. The compilation title is surely inspired by a track title from the UK band LFO.
The 36p booklet gives a mini article/interview with each act. Wonderful! --I am deeply perplexed though! There are 13+ writers doing the notes. Where did these people come from! Its all professional, but its weird that there are so many British people who know Japanese music, were they just a bunch of music writers assigned to re-writing press bios? I sure don't run regularly run into much in-depth material written in English on Japanese acts.
disk one (more techno)
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disk two (more ambient)
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This is Howie B's label. Toshi Nakanishi presumably selected or helped select the tracks. He does the the art on the CDs.
(@)1997 UK cd: Pussyfoot CDLP005
this is retro/exotica/ambient with Nakanishi, Water Melon and a number of mostly Japanese bands. loads of fun. Includes one of the first appearances of the Fantastic Plastic Machine. As far as I can tell this is the only readily available appearance of Ahh! Folly Jet (formerly of A.D.S.) Except for the openner, the Water Melon tracks seem exclusive.
Howard Greenberg recognizes much of this material from a Japanese compilation turn the knob
1997 UK cd: Pussyfoot CDLP007
James Bond meets Acid Jazz. Doesn't quite cut it. They don't do actual James Bond covers, so it's kind of an ersatz excercise.
bands are: Spacer, Dobie, Natural 7, Chari Chari, Sie, Daddy Long Legs, Nakanishi & Bernstein, Kensuke Shiina, Dr. Zaius, Minatone, Naked Funk, Headrillaz, Love T.K.O., Typhoon Tosh
1998 Pussyfoot (UK) 2cd: CDLP069, US released also
The theme to this double CD or LP seems to be porn.
bands are: Love TKO, Kensuke Shiina, Daddylonglegs, Roudoudou, Tiff McGinnis + 3 Wheels Out, Fantastic Plastic Machine, Sielab, Nick Faber, Lego, Sie, Deadly Avenger, Hyper Crad, Tim 'Love' Lee, Howie B., DJ Miku, Chari Chari, Spacer, Inevidence, Naked Funk
If you can stand listening to this lengthy release there's a couple good tracks, but for the most part it strikes me as sort of "wow, porn sounds, aren't we clever"
97.7.25 eastwest AMCM-4321
Ritual Of The Stars - Solar Quest
Polymatrix - Ochi Brothers
TensionTamer, EZ Mix Two - SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Camberwell Green - Mixmaster Morris vs. Jonah Sharp
WaterFlow (edited) - Art Man
Cranes & Turtles - Dub Squad
LeeLa#6 - Hiroki Okano
Chandan (Languorous Mix) - Makyo
Biogenic Freqency Haruomi Hosono
Super Best of Alfa Ambient Collection96.9.26 Twin CD Set. ALCA-5115/5116 Disc 1 1: Loom / YMO Disc2 1: Hot Beach / Interior Scans and track info about this out of print release comes from Chris Lingwood. Thanks! As the 90s progressed Alfa became more or less a label of reissues and compilations. Quite a number of double CD compilations for the price of one CD came out with similar cover design. Most compiled the works of one artist. This one collects ambient material from ¥EN Records connected artists from the early 80s. A few tracks weren't originally ¥EN label releases but all the artists are associated with ¥EN Records and all come from the early 80s when Alfa had other mostly newer artists working in the Ambient genre. So it is kind of curious this wasn't called ¥EN Ambient but I'm sure there was some in-house reason. Chris mentions Hot Beach by Interior is the standout track in his opinion. |
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(@)1996 Rough Trade (UK) RTD34600062. Also released in Japan and Germany
PR Comments: A good value compilation including some exclusive tracks. The CD booklet contains informative biographical notes, a photo of each artist and an essay on the history of Japanese pop which focuses on Hosono in particular. Konishi and Towa Tei helped compile the CD - most of which features either one or the other!
NK: Also a Cornelius connection with many tracks. The sound is most definitively Shibuya-kei, so if you want to hear what that sound is like, this is the album to get.
1998 Bungalow (GER) cd: bung 036
thanks to Marco van Meerten who typed this up and sent it to me!
Bungalow and the music press are calling this music "Club Pop", which I guess is okay, it does differenciate it from mainstream J-Pop, which of course it is far from. The only problem I can see in the genre name Club Pop is that there is a lot of mainstream commercial Japanese club/dance music (Avex) which is pop oriented and sells massively which has nothing to do with this scene! The sound here id far from unpopular, but is definitely a side path in the larger picture of J-Pop. Calling it Club Pop has the regrettable side effect of seeming to group this sound with a lot of mainstream pop acts doing remixes or entirely orienting themselves toward a club sound, a sound quite different from this sound.
While many people call this sound Shibuya-kei and some people object to grouping these acts I still think Shibuya-kei is a much more descriptive name because there is no confusion with mainstream pop oriented Japanese club music.
Anyway while IMHO this album has fewer styles going on, it's still well worth getting and a good addition since it mostly has music newer and more current than Sushi 3003.
thanks: Giles Duke, Yoichi Ito, 
98.9.25 TicNstar MSR-TIN-006
1.BOOGIE TECHNICA / POLYSICS
2.HUMAN CYBORG RELATIONS / SPOOZYS
3.24 HOURS ON LINE /MOTOCOMPO
4.8mm PAPA / SKY FISHER
5.WHICH / POLYSICS
6.SECRET MISSION / SPOOZYS
7.YOU THINK YOU'RE A MAN / MOTOCOMPO
8.OUT ON HAY'S / CHICAGO BASS
9.BUTTERFLY / audipop
10.YESTERDAY / audipop
11.WAR OF THE PLANET / SPOOZYS
12.DAT1 / MOTOCOMPO
13.BECAUSE / POLYSICS
14. Pink talk / SKY FISHER
15. Tokyo rescue / SKY FISHER
16 Jasmine tea / CHICAGO BASS
This is a beautifully packaged (though it lacks notes) and very important album for it introduces the whole Neo New Wave scene and its major players on an indy CD (which isn't even full price). All these bands have a style that harks back to the live synth band style of 1979-80. I suspect its out of print and may be a collectors item.
1993 ¡Por supuesto! cd: STAP-0312
01. Organization: Space Ball
02. B-2 Dep't: Swimming Pool
03. Parapets Dummy of wire
04. Click Slipp: Dust On The Cleaner
05. Instant Cytron: Summer Wine (years later worked with Rodney Greenblat)
06. Nobumitsu Honda: Indian
07. GNP: Mechamacho
08. Makoto Yamaguchi: Mach
09. Captain Age: Paper Driver
10. Controlled Voltage: Closed Eyes View (Hajime Fukuma and Sunao Inami
are members)
11. Teruo Nakano: Imagine (excellent cover of the John Lennon song!)
12. Kimitaka Matsumae: Circles, Children & Bridges
13. Tokyo Towers: filtering water of love
14. B-2 Dep't: Trance Pacific 00
This is a fairly rare synthpop compilation which came around when there was not so much of this kind of music out. Lots of early computer graphics give the layout a kind of primitive look, bit the listening is diverse and interesting. Buggle mentions the producer and Tokyo Towers' member Kenso Kato had a radio show that played these acts.
thanks: Rodney Alan Greenblat
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