Today’s release is a psychedelic rock experience from the masterful Kikagaku Moyo. This is mellow, relaxed, mind-expanding to a point, and incredibly drone-laden improvisation. There is a thread of early-era Pink Floyd psych and perhaps a touch of free jazz. Spacey, cosmic, and pretty near perfect.
Japan
[Music] RYO FUKUI-SCENERY AND MELLOW DREAM. — dereksmusicblog
Cult Classic: Ryo Fukui- Mellow Dream. Ryo Fukui, who was born in Biratori, Hokkaido, in Japan, on the ‘1st’ of June 1948, was a late starter when it came to the piano and unlike most of the musicians he encountered during a career that spanned five decades, had never learnt to play the instrument as a […]
RYO FUKUI-SCENERY AND MELLOW DREAM. — dereksmusicblog
[Music] Ningen Isu – Heartless Scat
Ningen Isu (The Human Chair) are a metal band out of Hirosaki, Japan. I got a kick out of these guys for their imagery, their influences (which include Robert Fripp, Tommy Iommi and Judas Priest) and their rather unique costume choices.
[Music] Akira Ishikawa – African Rock (1971)
During the 1970s, Japan was home to an amazing jazz and funk scene which has been poorly documented in the West. Thankfully, some amazing crate-diggers are putting a few lost gems into the forefront of the reissue market. This album is by drummer Akira Ishikawa, and the album blends funk, jazz and his love of African rhythms.
[Music] Richard Pinhas & Merzbow – Rhizome
This release bridges the not-so-large gap between genres, connected by Heldon guitarist and loop master Richard Pinhas, and perhaps the most prolific post-Industrial composer of all time, Masami Akita (under his performance monicker Merzbow).
This is a live recording performed live during the Sonic Circuits Festival, September 24, 2010 at La Maison Française [The French Embassy] in Washington D.C. The sound quality is superb, and as one would expect from two masters of their respective fields, their instruments of choice (guitar and loops for Pinhas, computer for Merzbow) ebb and flow into each other effortlessly. This is a powerful release, and I hope it is the beginning of a long-term collaboration between both.
[Music] Selen Gülün – Many Faces
I’ve had the pleasure of following Selen Gülün’s work for about five years now, and her albums keep getting more and more interesting. Many Faces sounds like a work straddling the line between music, theater and painting. The sounds are delicate, graceful, but never sappy. The vocals are crisp and sharp, with no feeling of wasted motion. It’s a beautiful album.
I only have one gripe – I would love to see all of her back catalog become available digitally, at least, through Bandcamp and, if possible, to see these all come out on vinyl. It’s a selfish wish, of course, because I find her music is suited best to the audiophile world, but one can dream.
[Music] Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi with Masahiko Satoh – Proton Pump
Avant-garde bebop seems to be the most fitting way to describe this release featuring saxophonist Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi (drummer Chris Corsano and bassist Darrin Grey) along with pianist Masahiko Satoh. No less than Jim O’Rourke gushes over the the musicianship of this improvisers, but this isn’t a racket-filled noise blast. The musicianship is astounding, free, and engaging, something a lot of improvisers can’t seem to make happen unless they’re truly something special. It seems that Sakata has been making music since the 1960s, so I have a bit of exploring to do on his previous work.
[Music] matryoshka – Monotonous Purgatory
This has to be one of the most depressing pieces of music I’ve heard in a while, and it’s perfect for post turkey day, while most of us are high off of tryptophan. matryoshka (small ‘m’ done intentionally) are a Japanese post-rock band based out of Tokyo, and they make music that is painfully delicate. You can check out the album this track comes from on their Bandcamp site, hosted by Virgin Babylon Records.
[Music] Beyond Beyond is Beyond 2017 Summer Jam Sampler
Beyond Beyond is Beyond has begun to carve a place for themselves as the premier prog-psych record label in the United States. Their catalog features acts like Japan’s Kikagaku Moyo, Brooklyn’s Ancient Ocean and many others. This compilation is a great way to introduce yourselves to their racket.
[Music] dagshenma – Y
THIS is good techno – something wild and experimental, not cheap ‘ploink ploink’ rubbish. Thanks to Praveer Bea for posting this on his Facebook page.
For more on dagshenma, do to their Bandcamp page or Tumblr site.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 