compiled by Nicholas D. Kent
email: ndkent "at" optonline.net
Last updated 06.09.29
(*) means I don't own this album
A great fan site about YEN
Records
YEN Records existed from 1982 to 1985. Hosono and Takahashi had a great
deal of creative input on just about all of them. It was an imprint of Alfa so
sometimes people identify Alfa material erroneously as YEN. During those years
they released well over 30 albums and 16 singles (depends on how you count). Nearly
all of the albums are superb and worthwhile. In 1993 Alfa Records apparently went
bankrupt and was purchased outright by Toshiba EMI. They issued the landmark and
now out of print YEN BOX collections and kept some material in print. They also
reissued many new best of collections with no unique material. I'm not sure of
the status of YEN or even Alfa material in 2003. The only material which has been
announced as in print are YMO's original albums which are to be reissued by Sony
in 2003.
Interior, UENO Koji, Testpattern
YEN MANIFOLD VOL.1
1983 YEN/Alfa YLR-22004
1. HOT BEACH (Interior)
2. MIRACLE (Interior)
3. HAWKS (Interior)
4. D.T.T. (Interior)
5. Temo di Jazz (UENO)
6. Movement Perpetuels (UENO)
7. Negative Note (UENO)
8. RYUGU (Testpattern)
9. FRIDAY (Testpattern)
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
1983.11.28 Alfa/YEN lp: YRL-28012, cd: 32XA-43, ALCA-528, ALCA-5125, ALCA-9095
(current)
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.
-
25 Dec.1983 - HOSONO, Haruomi
-
Gingami no Hosi-kazari - Moonriders
-
Belle Tristesse - KOSHI, Miharu
-
Prelude et Choral - UENO, Koji
-
The Nativity - TOGAWA, Jun
-
Ce jour la...... - Pierre BAROUH
-
Inori - OHNUKI, Taeko
-
Hokori Drake no Christmas Tree - ITO, Ginji
-
White And White - TACHIBANA, Hajime
-
Door wo Akereba - TAKAHASHI, Yukihiro
Hosono arranged the Koshi and Ohnuki tracks
YEN Artists
Yen Memorial Album
1985 Alfa/Yen lp: YLR-35001~2, Alfa cd: ALCA-510, Pickup (Holland) lp +
12": LPU 0024
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
The LP contains:
-
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)
Obviously a good way to hear songs by all these technopop artists (Super
Eccentric Theatre is really a comedy ensemble with musical backing) Now
the pair of vinyl discs are combined onto a CD. There is also a different
shorter music video version available on home video.
YEN Records History-
YEN Singles + a
(*) 1988 Alfa cd: ALCA-208/209, 50XA-249-50 currently out of print
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
Disc 2
-
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
out of print. some uncommon non album singles.
YEN BOX Vol. 1
1996 Alfa 17 CDs : ALCA 5073-5088
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:
Hosono: Philharmony
Tachibana: H
Takahashi: What Me Worry?
Guernica: Kaizo Heno Yakudo
Takahashi: It's A Y.T. World (new)
Kaiteiban Otoban Bikkuri House: Gyakufunsha Shokogun no Maki (first
time on cd)
Sandii & the Sunsetz: Immigrants
Testpattern Après-midi (otherwise out of print)
Interior: Interior (first time intact on cd)
Sheena: Beautiful
Otoban Bikkuri House: Ultra Psyche Bikkuri Party (first time on
cd)
Tachibana: Hm
Takahashi: Tomorrow's Just Another Day
Ohta: Ohta Keiichi no Jingadaimakyo (otherwise out of print)
Inoyama Land: Danzindan-Pojidon
Yen Manifold Vol.1 (first time on cd)
Bonus Disc (unreleased material see below)
YEN Label Artists
YEN Box Vol. 1 Bonus Disc
OKV stands for original karaoke version
This contains the unreleased material.
1996 ALZZ-10 sold only in the Yen Box Vol. 1, 17 cd set
-
Tamao Koike featuring YMO Kagami No Naka No Jugatsu (OKV)
-
Guernica: Ginrin wa Utau (OKV)
-
Hosono: Inter Face (CF 90 Seconds version)
-
Guernica: Maronie Dokuhon (OKV)
-
YMO You've Got To Help Yourself (CF 60 seconds version [short version
with vocals])
-
YMO: Kimi ni mune kyun (OKV type B, has a good amount of backing
vocals)
-
Tachibana: Replicant J.B. (TRA Version type B, mentions James Brown
by name)
-
Tachibana: Life In Barricade (unreleased "Hm" style)
-
Miharu Koshi: Image (OKV Single mix)
-
Jun Togawa: Radarman
-
Hosono: Super Xevious (Gust Notch Mix)
-
Apogee & Perigee: Sinku Kiss (OKV, Hosono composed)
-
S.E.T. : Oh le Beaux Japonais! (OKV, Takahashi composed)
-
Tachibana: Replicant J.B. (Remix)
-
Miharu Koshi: Petit Pardis (OKV)
-
Tamao Koike (& Hosono): Sangokushi Love Theme (OKV)
-
Jun Togawa: Poesia (first time on CD?, a Joe Jackson tune)
-
YMO: Wild Ambitions (TV Size Edit type B)
note the first track. If the vocals are mixed out all that remains is YMO!
So is it a Koike track or a YMO track? The Sangokushi Love Theme also has
the vocals mixed out. It is superb.
YEN BOX Vol. 2
1996 Alfa 18 CDs : ALCA 5123-5138
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:
YMO: YEN Years (new disc see my YMO
page )
Miharu Koshi: Tu Tu
Various Artists We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Jun Togawa: Tamahime Sama
Takahashi: Time and Place
Super Eccentric Theater: The Art of Nipponomics (otherwise out of
print)
Supervised by Hosono: Video Game Music (otherwise out of print)
Jun Togawa and Yapoos: Uratamahime
Sandii & the Sunsetz: Viva Lava Liva
Apogee & Perigee: Chojiku Korodasutan Ryokoki (first time on
CD)
Miharu Koshi: Parallelisme
Takahashi: Wild and Moody
Tachibana: Mr. Techie & Miss Kipple
Jun Togawa Unit: Kyokuto Ian Shoka
Takahashi: Poisson D'Avril
Koji Ueno: Music for Silent Movies (otherwise out of print)
Bonus Disc / Male (new see below)
Bonus Disc / Female (new see below)
YEN BOX gift CD3 disc (*)
-
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
1996 ALZZ-13
-
Hosono: "Sangokushi" Main Theme
-
Takahashi: Disposable Love (OKV)
-
Takahashi: Another Door (TRA 60 sec. ver.)
-
Sakamoto: Bikkura-gation (voxless ver. - the original had an announcer
speaking over it)
-
Tachibana: Theme From Barricade (Another ver.)
-
Tachibana: Replicant J.B. (Remix Edit ver.)
-
S.E.T.: Beat The Rap (OKV Takahashi composed) this and the next
several YMO tracks are jump edited together
-
YMO: Kimi ni mune Kyun 3.13
-
YMO: Kagekina Shukujo 3.58
-
YMO: You've Got To Help Yourself 4.33
-
Takahashi: Connection ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)
-
Takahashi: Drip Dry Eyes ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)
-
Takahashi: Flashback ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)
-
Takahashi: H ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)
-
Takahashi: All You've Got To Do ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)
-
Takahashi: Cue ('82 TAKAHASHI Live)
Bonus Disc - female
1996 ALZZ-14
-
Tamao Koeike: Sexanova (unreleased) -by Nakanishi (Melon)
-
Tamao Koeike: Kagami no Naka no jugatsu (by YMO)
-
Tamao Koeike: Tamago (unreleased) by YMO
-
Tamao Koeike: Sangokushi Love Theme (with Hosono)
-
Tamao Koeike: Runnin' Away (unreleased)
-
Tamao Koeike: Canary (unreleased) by Hosono
-
Tamao Koeike: Automne Dans Un Miroir (by YMO)
-
Miharu Koshi: Ryugu-Joe No Koibito (TV Size edit)
-
Miharu Koshi: Suger Me (OKV.)
-
Miharu Koshi: Scandal Night (OKV)
-
Miharu Koshi: L'amour toujours (OKV, with Telex!)
-
Guernica: Kojo Kengaku (OKV)
-
Apogee & Perigee: Gessekai Ryoko (OKV)
-
Jun Togawa: Bosi Jusei (Non-vocal ver.)
-
Jun Togawa: Poesy (Inst.)
-
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
82.8.21 YEN cas: BHC-20001 Alfa cd: ALCA-5078
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.
Jingle (HOSONO -multiple times in short fragments)
Bikkura-gation (unique piece by Sakamoto, it has announcements over it)
CM Time -For Russia- (Keiichi Suzuki)
Yume-miru Yakusoku (Hosono)
CM Time -For America- (Keiichi Suzuki)
Otoban Bikkuri House:
Ultra Psyche Bikkuri Party
82.12.16 YEN cas: BHC-25001 cd: Alfa ALCA 5083
much more music on this one. I only included the music by artists I
know
Opening "Theme of Bikkuri Party" (by Takahashi with Hosono - YT sings 2:20)
Greetings "Omedetooooone" (OHYA, Masako? music written by Ueno)
Joyful English - Club de Severe (music written by Keiichi Suzuki)
Datte, Hormon Love (Words by M. Akayama, music by HOSONO [Indian style-
reminicent of Cochin Moon], sung by Masato Ibu )
Good Time (YT remix)
Yume no Hashibashi (Guernica)
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- BOS 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!)
- YMO remixed by Pete Lorimer 09:00
- Yukihiro Takahashi remixed by
David Lord with the hidden hand of Peter Hammil 08:50
- Jun Togawa remixed by Infinite
Productions 07:40
- Sheena & the Rockets remixed
by Craig Leon 08:58
- Snakeman Show remixed by Adrian
Sherwood 09:31
- Sandii and the Sunsetz remixed
by Bomb the Bass 08:02
- 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
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