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Eliane Radigue - Jouet électronique / Elemental I (LP)
Eliane Radigue - Jouet électronique / Elemental I (LP)Alga Marghen
¥3,186
Alga Marghen presents the new edition of Eliane Radigue's "Jouet Electronique" (1967) for feedback on magnetic tape and "Elemental I" (1968) for feedback of natural sounds on magnetic tape. This LP was first issued in 2010, and it's now presented for the first time with its own specific artwork and layout. Both works were recorded at Pierre Henry's Studio Apsome in Paris. Between 1967 and 1968, Radigue was Henry's assistant, mainly for the editing of L'Apocalypse de Jean (1969). Henry also put her in charge of organizing his sound archive; Radigue enjoyed doing this work, even if it took a long time. She decided to set the machines of the studio to do some work of her own. "Jouet Electronique" and "Elemental I" were born this way during her time as an assistant; working with feedback is something that Radigue learned through Henry. Do you remember Henry's Voyage (1969)? There's that fluid part which is made of feedback constructed with a microphone. Everything had to be set at a precise distance from the loudspeakers because that is the specific problem with feedback; one has to be at the right distance. Afterwards, these high tone recordings were slowed down in order to discover the deeper character of their color. This work with feedback was in the end quite limited and the composer preferred working with two reel tape machines to produce sounds. The first was set on the recording mode while the other was playing and it was the accidents happening in this phase that made the feedback richer. Fine-tuning could yield beautiful results: low pulsations, high-pitched sounds (sometimes both at the same time), or long sounds. All of these could be slowed down or accelerated, which gave beautiful source material. With "Jouet Electronique", Radigue had a lot of fun, hence the title. As far as "Elemental I" is concerned, it was the first attempt at something which was important to her based on the theme of the basic elements: water, fire, air and earth. Eliane had the chance to record in open air thanks to a small Stella Vox that Arman gave her in the beginning of the 1960s. Using it, Radigue built a minimal sound library, consisting of not more than ten reel tapes. This was the starting point; in 1968 she used these recordings for her work with two reel tape machines. New edition of 200, with liners by Radigue and portrait photos by Arman.
ghost orchard - rainbow music (Cream Vinyl LP)ghost orchard - rainbow music (Cream Vinyl LP)
ghost orchard - rainbow music (Cream Vinyl LP)Win
¥2,692
Sam Hall’s new album as ghost orchard, ‘rainbow music’, is a collage of patience and meditation. The record was written in two halves, between the summer of 2020 and the spring of 2021, and is filled with nuances as quietly imperceptible as the seasons, or the profound movement of time, where one day looking back you realize your whole spirit has shifted. Where 2019’s critically revered ‘bunny’ was a love letter to a romantic relationship, ‘rainbow music’ documents the culmination of Hall’s first personal experience with loss in several forms. At the end of 2020, his longterm childhood pet passed away, and with it the last continuing threads of familiarity between being a kid and adulthood. Still based in the Grand Rapids, Michigan town he’d grown up in, the static ease of familiar living seemed to be coming apart at the seams, as friends moved on to bigger cities, relationships shapeshifted and in a short period of time, another kitten he’d adopted passed away prematurely, leaving Hall to question the trajectory in which he himself was headed. Recorded in the house that Hall currently lives in, ‘rainbow music’ is a timestamp of this environment. A myriad of shows used to take place at the residence, and the space still reverberates with the residual echoes of people as they pass though. Hall remains fascinated with the remnants of things left behind, and his home is replete with furniture and miscellaneous objects that reflect the core of his compositions: sonic maximalism paired with attention to detail. His music feels steeped in this place he has painstakingly decorated, where, much like the songs of ‘rainbow music,’ each individual object provides its own history and underlying connectedness to part of a greater collection. Bristling with the familiarity of being a stranger in someone else’s living quarters, amidst all their belongings and hoarded treasures, the album’s linear qualities remain rough around the edges, like gradually filling in the color of someone you’re just getting to know. “I love creating rooms,” Hall emphasizes, and this record “feels more inside of me than anything.” The oldest (and only proper love song), “soot,” was the first song to come after a period of static creativity, and effectively opened a floodgate that inspired him to finish half of ‘rainbow music’ in the forthcoming two months. Each track weighs with its own impact, as Hall grapples with endings and beginnings side by side, a rebirth that Hall equates to be as cathartic as crying. Many came about in a sudden stream of consciousness: the bare-boned structures of “rest” were recorded entirely in a day, and was an immediate reaction to his pet’s death and a way to process those feelings. More upbeat “maisy” and glitch-filled “cut” also came together tangentially to one another. “I feel more secure in my relationship to music,” Hall muses. With his previous work, “I was trying different things on, but ‘rainbow music’ feels more certain: this is me for better for worse at this period of time.” There’s a push and pull across the eleven songs, a sort of immediacy that’s made even more effective by Hall’s retrospective reflection. “comfort (rainbow)” was written in half prior to most of the grief that would alter Hall’s life, and was completed months later by the tuner who fixed the upright piano in his house. Produced almost entirely by Hall, the only further collaborator was Bennett Littlejohn (who has also contributed to Hovvdy and Katy Kirby’s projects), and these specific touches are integral to the cohesive footprint of ‘rainbow music’s miniature universes. Hall has previously described his work as “memory storage”, and in a way ‘rainbow music’ functions as an hourglass measuring out spoonfuls of both the past and future. An oscillating palette of instruments flit between acoustic guitar, piano and even fluttering drum and bass, where synths patter like barely discernible heartbeats and vocals feel more like an instrument than decipherable words. Hall has never released the lyrics to his music, but throughout the album’s insular quality sometimes you can hear smidges of the outside world from far away; a call and return echoed by repetition where meaning is sketched out in a dreamscape and a subtle darkness always surrounds the fringes. Like “songs in the key of life,” the title ‘rainbow music’ refers to the myriad of colors and qualities within Hall that are refracted throughout. It’s a symbolization of hope and the aftermath, the flickering light at the end of the tunnel (or “when a rainbow shows up after a big storm”). “Wish I could have fun anymore,” Hall ruminates on “dancing”, as well as confessing he “wish he made more upbeat bangers.” But reality packs more of a punch, and this collection of songs sees him finally be at peace with the current state of affairs. Relatable to anyone who has contemplated what it means to settle down, or even just catch your breath in an era where anguish is commonplace, the release of ‘rainbow music’ is a happy ending in its own right, a marker of survival that remains close to the bone.
Kelela - Raven (Clear Vinyl LP+DL with Obi)Kelela - Raven (Clear Vinyl LP+DL with Obi)
Kelela - Raven (Clear Vinyl LP+DL with Obi)WARP
¥4,872
Kelela, a new generation R&B singer who straddles R&B and dance music, has released her latest album "RAVEN" on Warp, her first album in five years since her acclaimed debut album "Take Me Apart". The album was co-executive produced by Kerera and LA producer Asmara, with Kerera composing and arranging all of the songs. Other producers on the album include Yo van Lenz and Florian T M Zeisig, who also work as the ambient unit OCA, and LSDXOXO, who produced the entire album, and Canadian Bambii ( Bambii) also participated in the additional production. Kerera's new chapter, "RAVEN," is an extremely beautiful and lustrous musical experience. Through the fifteen songs on this album, including the already acclaimed predecessors "Washed Away" and "Happy Ending," Kerera explores autonomy, belonging, and self-renewal.
Steve Roden - The Radio / Airria (Hanging Garden) / Vein Stem Is Calm (CD)
Steve Roden - The Radio / Airria (Hanging Garden) / Vein Stem Is Calm (CD)Sonoris
¥1,987
The Wire's critically acclaimed 1999 album is now available on LP and CD for the 21st year. His 1999 work, praised by The Wire, has been reissued on LP and CD for the 21st year. It is an ink painting-like sound work created with his own voice and found sound loops, weaving dry sounds. New mastering by Giuseppe Ielasi.
Steve Roden - The Radio / Airria (Hanging Garden) / Vein Stem Is Calm (LP)
Steve Roden - The Radio / Airria (Hanging Garden) / Vein Stem Is Calm (LP)Sonoris
¥3,576
The Wire's critically acclaimed 1999 album is now available on LP and CD for the 21st year. His 1999 work, praised by The Wire, has been reissued on LP and CD for the 21st year. It is an ink painting-like sound work created with his own voice and found sound loops, weaving dry sounds. New mastering by Giuseppe Ielasi.
Rico Toto - Fwa Épi Sajès (LP)Rico Toto - Fwa Épi Sajès (LP)
Rico Toto - Fwa Épi Sajès (LP)Invisible City Editions
¥3,945
Invisible City Editions continues our 10 year anniversary in adventurous sounds. We are thrilled to announce the re-release of Rico Toto’s 1993 CD recording Fwa Épi Sajès. Mind melting synthesizers and drum machines fuse with ancient Guadeloupe Gwo-ka rhythms in this musical endeavour Rico Toto describes as “Electro-ka.” The improvised live instruments of the Moundjahka ensemble meld with electronic abstraction to create a psychedelic, immersive digital diaspora dream state. With nods to Jon Hassell's atmospheric soundscapes, YMO and Baldelli / TBC Cosmic mixtapes, this selection of songs encompasses an entire spectrum of moods and sounds. The A side begins with fourth-world tropical percussions, opening with sounds of nature in “Jungle Meditation” and leading into the downtempo summer synthpop jam “Yadadé.” The B side takes a darker turn, starting off with the deep chugging rhythms of “Rawal Pindi” and continuing even deeper with synth sounds and haunting vocals that culminates into the dreamy meditative final track, “Golgotha.” Limited vinyl repress in collaboration with Rico Toto. Artwork by Floating Bstrd.
the mole - The River Widens (2LP+DL)the mole - The River Widens (2LP+DL)
the mole - The River Widens (2LP+DL)Circus Company
¥4,856
One of our all-time favourite artists and extended Circus Company member The Mole returns to the label for a proper presentation of his album The River Widens. Originally a limited, cassette-only release via fellow Canadian Eddie C’s Red Motorbike, we are proud to offer this album in its full glory for the first time on all formats. Never one to shy away from synth deep dives, or raw sample flip collaging, this collection of 21 works checks all the boxes. Ambient trippers to straight up neck-snapping instrumental beats. Not forgetting tastes of the more uptempo, highly-assured and hypnotic dance floor feels the world has come to love The Mole for. Moments of casual chillin are interspersed with effortless, emotive angles, some evoking the charm of his Little Sunshine release for us in 2017. X-pert Profat opens the set with sly statements that give way to relaxed and subtle keys over gentle, midtempo rhythms. Things switch up nicely into easy, Northwest Coast boogie-meets-beatdown feels in Break for Ma, followed by a solid array of almost Jaylib-schooled boom bap twists, like the aptly-titled Drums 2002 and Jo Barker. Ambient cuts like AR day and New Family offer a refreshing tap of the brakes, setting the scene for the gorgeous, Jarre-esque Weak Stranger. We also get treated to Repepepater’s nod to Detroit house, urban-mode Balearic feels on They Work for Mr. O, and sneak attack lo-fi future funk in the form of Ufos Over Egypt, with Montreal co-pilot Cristobal on a wild shisha-lit vox narrative, earlier versions of which have blessed many of our label comrades’ DJ sets, from Dave Aju to Vincent Lemieux. The River Widens expands beautifully on the breadth of unique musical directions The Mole is capable of taking us in, now spread across fresh 2x12” vinyl and available digitally for the first time, along with another limited editio
Laraaji & Lyghte - Celestial Realms (LP)Laraaji & Lyghte - Celestial Realms (LP)
Laraaji & Lyghte - Celestial Realms (LP)Morning Trip
¥3,874

On 1986's Celestial Realms (originally released
on cassette only), Laraaji conjures his typically vivid
soundworld of shimmering electric zither, while Goldman
inhabits that world with pulsing guitar and droning synthesizer.

Celestial Realms provides a blissful 46-minute ambient
voyage.

Eliane Radigue - Chry-ptus (2LP)
Eliane Radigue - Chry-ptus (2LP)Important Records
¥4,543

Eliane Radigue's Chry-Ptus is her very first piece for the modular synthesizer. It was composed in 1971 using a Buchla 100 which had recently been installed at NYU by Morton Subotnick. This double-LP was mastered by Golden and pressed at RTI for maximum fidelity.

From the original press release: "Chry-Ptus (1971). Originally two tapes which were to be played simultaneously, with or without synchronisation, which does not affect the structure of the work, but creates changes in the game of sub-harmonics and overtones. Three variations on this piece were performed at the New York Cultural Center in 1971, with variations of amplitude and location modulation as well as synchronisation. Realized on the Buchla Synthesizer at the New York University. The booklet contains a text by painter Paul Jenkins, who also realised the watercolor on the front cover, written on occasion of Radigue's first concert in New York, April 6th, 1971. "It's with the Buchla that I constructed Chry-ptus, a piece made up of two tapes with an analogue duration, 22 or 23 minutes, which could be played either simultaneously or with a slight time difference, so as to establish slight variations every time the piece was played. I spent the first months eliminating everything I did not want; I even used a notebook in which I tried to determine a writing system resembling chemical formulae." --Eliane Radigue

Pauline Oliveros - Reverberations: Tape & Electronic Music 1961-1970 (11CD Box)Pauline Oliveros - Reverberations: Tape & Electronic Music 1961-1970 (11CD Box)
Pauline Oliveros - Reverberations: Tape & Electronic Music 1961-1970 (11CD Box)Important Records
¥9,831

This dense 11-disc retrospective of Pauline Oliveros' early and unreleased electronic work includes her very first piece made for tape in 1961. Organized chronologically, this set not only documents Pauline's earliest electronic music but it also functions as an early history of electronic music itself. Follow as she participates in the establishment of the legendary San Francisco Tape Music Center and then moves to University Of Toronto Electronic Music Studio, Mills Tape Music Center and University of California San Diego Electronic Music Center. This tenth anniversary edition is packaged in a clamshell-style box containing all the tracks from the 2012 edition spread out over 11 CDs each housed in single pocket sleeves. A 36-page booklet includes extensive liner notes and essays from Pauline Oliveros, Alex Chechile, Ramon Sender, David Bernstein, Corey Arcangel.

Pauline Oliveros was a composer, performer, humanitarian and an important pioneer in American music. Acclaimed internationally, she forged new ground for herself and others. Through improvisation, electronic music, sonic philosophy, teaching and meditation she created a body of work with such breadth of vision that it profoundly affects those who experience it and eludes many who try to write about it. Pauline Oliveros built a loyal following through her concerts, recordings, publications and musical compositions written for soloists and ensembles in music, dance, theater and inter-arts companies. She provided leadership within the music community from her early years as the first Director of the Center for Contemporary Music (formerly the Tape Music Center at Mills), director of the Center for Music Experiment during her 14-year tenure as professor of music at the University of California at San Diego to acting in an advisory capacity for organizations such as The National Endowment for the Arts, The New York State Council for the Arts, and many private foundations. She served as Distinguished Research Professor of Music at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Darius Milhaud Composer in Residence at Mills College. Oliveros was vocal about representing the needs of individual artists, about the need for diversity and experimentation in the arts, and promoting cooperation and good will among people. She was honored with awards, grants and concerts internationally. Whether performing at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., in an underground cavern, or in the studios of West German Radio, Oliveros' commitment to interaction with the moment went unchanged. Oliveros passed away peacefully on November 24, 2016 but her sonic legacy and philosophy continues to grow and inspire.

"On some level, music, sound consciousness and religion are all one, and she would seem to be very close to that level." --John Rockwell

Cycheouts - Cycheouts' Counterattack: Best Cuts 1995​-​2000 (CD)Cycheouts - Cycheouts' Counterattack: Best Cuts 1995​-​2000 (CD)
Cycheouts - Cycheouts' Counterattack: Best Cuts 1995​-​2000 (CD)Em Records
¥2,750
This 2-LP set and CD from EM Records chronicles the legacy of underground Japanese techno legends Cycheouts - pronounced ‘psyche outs’ in English. Originally formed in 1994, the group quickly became a centerpiece of Osaka's underground electronic scene. Led by main producer Akira Ohashi, Cycheouts melded influences from jungle, drum'n'bass, digital hardcore, and experimental noise music, all of which are explored in this compilation of tracks painstakingly selected by two true Cycheouts experts. Cycheouts' music and live performances went on to inspire a number of successful Japanese dance music acts, and can be seen as an origin point for the "nerdcore techno" movement of the early 2000s. This archive of the early work of Cycheouts provides an essential look at the birth and development of hardcore jungle in Japan, including multiple tracks featuring the full Cycheouts lineup with original vocals and multiple MCs. Most of these tracks are available on LP for the first time, and have been newly remastered for the format; the set also includes extensive liner notes in both English and Japanese.
V.A. - 10 Years Of Loving Notes (2LP)V.A. - 10 Years Of Loving Notes (2LP)
V.A. - 10 Years Of Loving Notes (2LP)Antinote
¥4,179
Hugging the bend and blowing kisses since 2012, Antinote has been a vessel of choice for lovers of left-of-centre dance music and retro-laced boogie. Covering a supremely wide range of styles, the Parisian outlet has carved out a musical lane truly its own by putting on a nonstop celebration of electronics’ inexhaustible power of enthralment. A pledge of quality-driven curation and never-ending search for the next thrill that’s proven untiringly relevant throughout the years and opens onto its second decade of existence with equal panache. Toasting to its ten years splashing the game with continuously reasserted outsider bravura, label captain Zaltan has bottled some of the finest expressions out Antinote’s versatile vaults of sound to form the present “X” compilation, “ten years of loving notes and foolin around 2012-2022". From totem animal IUEKE’s oddball musique concrète (“fiano-church") to the candid synth-pop of Latvian outfit Domenique Dumont (“La Dolce Vita"), via Feminielli’s outré mix of ghetto-house and ominous croon (“Nobody’s Boy”) and Tel-Aviv vibist Alek Lee’s signature synth-splattered 80s wave (“Different Plans”), it’s a smorgasbord of colours and vibrations that prepares to avalanche across your sound system. Take the esoteric shoegaze of Epsilove, Shelter and Thomas Riguelle (“From The Spaceship in My Room”) and prepare to move upstream a river of saturated guitars and all-engulfing reverbs; let Low Jack’s jagged floor aggressor drill a hole in your head (“Feel 2020”) or opt for further ankle-breaking UK-bass-influenced riddim traction from DK & Geena (“BelleTech One”). A further cosmic-friendly epic, Chimère FM (I:Cube!) embarks us on a ride near Saturn’s belt (“La Genèse du Monstre à Suze") whereas former Antinote apprentice River Yarra snipes a hail of Italo-informed arpeggios and giallo-esque bass murk to compelling effect (“Blooms”) and L.I.E.S. head honcho Ron Morelli goes all in with a formidable, old-school dusty house chugger (“Tribute”). There’s obviously more to "Antinote X" than the sum of its parts, and Jean Luc’s post-Plantasia jazz hybrid (“La Truite”), Arabica’s decadent, anti-colonial spoken number (“Multo Storia") or fellow Antinote in-house visual designer Nico Motte’s vintage disco churner (“All The Money In The World”) are there to attest. Not to forget Panoptique, up with a lashing, dissonant treat for the senses (“Un Licenciement”), Leo Martelli under guise as Sammy Patanegra with a tribal jacking weapon (“Maria”), Pont Levis floating into emotional hyperspace (“L’Espace et le Coeur de L'Âme”), Trigger Moral in with a marvel of a hip-hop gem emerged from some retro-futuristic wormhole (“soul assssn”) and Laporte rounding it off downtempo, modular ambient style for good measure (“Sleepers”). Ten years on, Antinote still leading the pack.
Bot1500 - Surreal (LP)Bot1500 - Surreal (LP)
Bot1500 - Surreal (LP)Lith Dolina
¥3,249
The more discerning and concentrated electro head will be tuned into the work of Bot1500. It is an alias of Shinichi Kobayashi, a producer who since 2018 has landed on the likes of Analogical Force and Furthur Electronix with a unique mix of futurist sounds. This one is another brilliant EP featuring cuts like 'Chartreuse 8.' It's a propulsive rhythm built from silky breaks and overlaid with the sort of heart-aching and thought-provoking chords that will send you inward on the dance floor. The five other cuts are just as much a perfect mix of the physical and the cerebral.
Facil / Prototype 909 - Excerpts From 1993-1995 (12")
Facil / Prototype 909 - Excerpts From 1993-1995 (12")re:discovery records
¥2,847
On behalf of re:discovery records, it is with great excitement that we announce the joint compilation from Facil and Prototype 909 called 'Excerpts from 1993-1995. As most know, Prototype 909 was a legendary acid techno act from New York that toured the circuit as one of the premier rave acts from America during the 1990s. Facil was a side small duo project that only made one album and a few appearances on a handful of compilations. The A-side features two Facil tracks. 'Tree Frog' has an amazingly robotic ambient dub electro sound. A killer track that will have dancefloor patrons staring at each other with blank wtf faces. '700x7' completes the A-side with ambient dub gem. Floaty and airy melodics balance out a devastating 808 drum beat. This is ambient dub in the truest example. The b-side then offers two spacey trance beauties with 'Transit' & 'Planet S' from Prototype 909. The EP finishes with more space junk ambient dub with 'Same Place' by Facil. Overall, a great look into the window of early to mid 1990s New York ambient dub.

Ossia - Red X / Information / Drum Tangle Versions (12")Ossia - Red X / Information / Drum Tangle Versions (12")
Ossia - Red X / Information / Drum Tangle Versions (12")Ossia
¥2,789
A self-released record with three previously unreleased versions & reworks of tracks from the last 7 years, originally released via Blackest Ever Black, Berceuse Heroique and Noods Radio. TEXT FROM RWDFWD.COM: "Red X, Information & Drum Tangle. Originally relesead via Blackest Ever Black, Berceuse Heroique and Noods Radio, respectively (go seek them out if you haven't yet!) - this self-released 12" features three previously unheard cuts & versions of recent time - dubbed, live & direct - straight from Ossia's mixing desk. Red X, which was the title track to Ossia's debut solo record on Blackest in 2015, is served up on the A side of this record (now cut at 45rpm, so you can test it at slow motion dread speed too). This new cut is titled 'Red X (Vertigo Version)' and keen ears and eyes might recognise the additional inclusion of the String & electone organ part which appeared on the final track 'Vertigo' at the end of Ossia's recent album 'Devil's Dance'. The strings - played by the great Rakhi Singh - come searing in over the spring reverberated breakdown section, and burn over the final crescendo of the track - something Ossia had been testing out in live shows from time to time, but only recently commited to a proper recording - now also including extra splashes of echo & reverb over Peter Tosh's Red X vocal excerpts, for extra menace. On the B Side, we get two dubwise versions, raw dub style - First up, 'Information' which came out on a 2 x 12" va Berceuse Heroique in 2016, gets the rework / dub mix treatment. Some of you might remember that the original 'Information' already had a version to it on the B side of it's original release, which explored an even more minimalist angle. Upping the energy levels for this counterpart, some years later, the 'Raw 2020 Version' on this new record features a reworked bassline which revolves into more stepping kind of techno territory - with the remnants of pads, and percussion getting squeezed through broken mixing desk faders, their echo'd signals left to feedback into the void as the bass tumbles down on you. Play it loud, or don't. The final cut on this disc is also the most 'recent' - The original cut of Drum Tangle came out in 2021 on a various artists 12" via our friends at Noods Radio. We have the last copies of this 12" available here by the way - And if you don't already own it, then we'd recommend grabbing a copy of that one, so you can play this new version right after the original cut. Because, as in best Jamaican style dub tradition, the idea is that the dub should follow the original cut - allowing you to explore the foundations of the rhythm in a newly focused way. Plus, this part two, the 'Raw Dub' of Drum Tangle lets loose on those snares which were only teased in during the final part of the original Drum Tangle cut - listen closely and they might just whisper at you, whilst the bassline shudders below."
V.A. - Polyphonic Cosmos: Sonic Innovations in Japan (1980-1986) (2LP)
V.A. - Polyphonic Cosmos: Sonic Innovations in Japan (1980-1986) (2LP)Cease & Desist
¥5,491
Ever since he made his first trip to Japan to DJ, Optimo Music founder JD Twitch has been bewitched by Japanese music, and particularly the vibrant, imaginative, and often far-sighted sounds which emerged from the island nation during the 1980s. Now he’s put years of digging in Japanese record shops to good use on Polyphonic Cosmos, the latest release on his compilation-focused Cease & Desist imprint. Subtitled ‘A Beginners Guide to Japan In The ‘80s’, the collection offers a personal selection of Japanese gems recorded and released between 1981 and ’86 – a period when advances in recording and musical technology offered the nation’s artists and producers a whole new tool kit to employ. When combined with the unique musical culture of Japan, where local traditions are frequently fused with Western styles to create timeless, off-kilter aural fusions, this embrace of locally pioneered music technology had spectacular, often unusual results. Eight years in the making, Polyphonic Cosmos provides an endlessly entertaining musical snapshot of Japanese music of the early-to-mid ‘80s with all of the open-minded eclecticism and sonic twists that you would expect from the Glasgow-based DJ. Compare and contrast, for example, the gently breezy, morning-fresh folk-plus-electronics bliss of ‘ばら二曲 Baranikyoku (Fellini&Rota)’ by World Standard – the most familiar alias of long-serving musician/producer Sohichiro Suzuki – and the hallucinatory, slow-motion tribal rhythms, post-punk rhythms and tape delay-laden electronics of Imitation’s ‘Exotic Dance’. Or, for that matter, the tipsy mid-‘80s electronic reggae of Pecker’s ‘Sha La La’, the grungy but melodic post-punk strut of ‘You Go On Natural’ by Earthling (a track Twitch accurately describes as “sheer unrelenting groove”), and the unearthly, swirling sonics, new age instrumentation and flotation tank vocals of prolific (and seemingly mysterious) act Geinoh Yamashirogumi’s ‘Rimme Kohkyogaku Meiki’. It’s a credit to JD Twitch’s curatorial skills that the quality never dips, and sonic surprises lurk around every corner. Consider for a moment the hard to describe, far-sighted audio immersion of D-Day’s ‘Ki-Ra’ – all languid post-pop guitar, enveloping chords, spoken word vocals, shuffling 808 beats and marimba melodies – and the two contributions from video games soundtrack specialist (and driving instrumental synth-pop specialist) Hiroyuki Namba. The collection naturally includes some selections that have long been favourites in Twitch’s DJ sets – see Masumi Hara’s ‘Your Dream’ – as well as a handful of tracks from artists who may be more recognisable to those with only rudimentary knowledge of Japanese musical culture. The great Yasuaki Shimizu, whose work as Mariah has become far better known in recent years thanks to reissues of some of his most magical albums, is represented via ‘The Crow’, a picturesque chunk of horizontal, hard-to-define jazz-not-jazz smokiness, while the collection fittingly concludes with a sublimely funky, oddball electronic workout from Yellow Magic Orchestra legend Ryuichi Sakamoto (the frankly incredible ‘Wongga Dance Song’). Optimo’s JD Twitch extends a guided tour of his Japanese record collection, acquired on DJ jaunts to the Far East and spanning obscurities by Yasuaki Shimizu, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Normal Brain, a.o. The second release on Twitch’s Cease & Desist label, which delivered the ace Sheffield bleep & bass retrospective in 2020, ‘Sonic Innovations in Japan (1980-1986)’ dives deep into a pivotal era of Japanese music around its ‘80s economic boom time, when leaps in musical technology and recording brought the future into much sharper focus. The selection effectively takes Twitch’s ‘Polyphonic Cosmos’ mixtape (one of many exquisite selections along with Belgian new beat, Jamaican dub, and mooching goth) as jump off point into the rarified realms of ‘80s Japanese music, spelled out in full fat, legit licensed cuts that work equally well as a mixtape in their own right, or component joints to fetishise and send heads scurrying down discogs wormholes. Fans of YouTube algorithms will no doubt be enticed by yasuaki Shimizu’s opening gambit, the sultry lounge stroller ‘Crow’, while the DJs, dancers and Kraftwerk fiends will plug right into the speak ’n spell electro-pop of ‘M.U.S.I.C.’ by Normal Brain, the glittering uptempo disco energy of Hiroyuki Namba’s ‘Who Done It? (Part 2)’ and likewise their Pet Shop Boys-on-holiday viber ‘Tropical Exposition’. There’s also a super juicy cut of bendy-limbed post-punk from Pecker and EP-4, and, for the wee small hours, sexier turns of dry-iced electro boogie glyde on ‘Your Dream’ from Masumi Hara and the breezy beauty ‘Ki-Ra-I’ by D-Day.
Merzbow - Rainbow Electronics (CS)Merzbow - Rainbow Electronics (CS)
Merzbow - Rainbow Electronics (CS)Urashima
¥1,886

Tape comes in only 199 copies with O-card 300g wrapping clear box with j-card and laser print orange shell.

Merzbow stands as the most important artist in noise music. The moniker of Japanese artist Masami Akita was born in Tokyo in 1979. Inspired by dadaism and surrealism, Akita took the name for his project from German artist Kurt Schwitters's pre-war architectural assemblage The Cathedral of Erotic Misery or Merzbau. Working in his home, he quickly gained notoriety as a purveyor of a musical genre composed solely of pure, unadulterated noise.
Originally released on CD in 1990 by Alchemy Records as part of the Good Alchemy Series, Rainbow Electronics marks the pinnacle of Merzbow's late 80’s noise phase. Selected and transformed from about 21 hours tape of primitive raw material recorded during three years (1987-1990) in 14 fragments lasting about 74 minutes, this monumental work is an aural trip through a cold plotted universe of intergalactic space ships and golden celestial bodies. Remastered in December 2019 and split into four parts directly by the artist for the double vinyl version it opens up with a slow, kind of creepy tempo, reaching from dirty harsh noise flows coupled with eerie reverbed screeches and scrapes of iron objects. Noise and blasts come from every angle, and all you can do is sit and take it. Then continues with solid drumbeats briefly emerging from the static and disappearing just as quickly, again long stretches of subdued electronic drones buzzing along sleepily and the occasional sudden shift of noise into something more violent, though it all happens kind of slowly and gradually. A truly mesmerizing and immersive body of sound and its intense finish is something of pure artform.
“I don't need a lot of words about Merzbow. All you have to do is immerse yourself in the sound.” translated from Japanese liner notes of Alchemy Records CD by Toshiji Mikawa.
Double vinyl comes in only 299 copies with gatefold cover that faithfully reproduces the original art work plus a 12" size insert. If you looking for a great starter title by Merzbow, an amazing piece of art, or something to get high to, this double LP is perfect! 

Merzbow - Green Wheels (CS)Merzbow - Green Wheels (CS)
Merzbow - Green Wheels (CS)Urashima
¥1,886

Tape reproduces the original art work and comes in just 199 with O-card 300g wrapping clear box with j-card and laser print green shell.

Merzbow stands as the most important artist in noise music. The moniker of Japanese artist Masami Akita was born in Tokyo in 1979. Inspired by dadaism and surrealism, Akita took the name for his project from German artist Kurt Schwitters's pre-war architectural assemblage The Cathedral of Erotic Misery or Merzbau. Working in his home, he quickly gained notoriety as a purveyor of a musical genre composed solely of pure, unadulterated noise.
Green Wheels is Merzbow in its most straightforward, most genuine, most uncontrolled and refined form. Originally released by the legendary US label Self Abuse Records in 1995 on CD and 5-inch vinyl record, both housed in a foil-lined cardboard box with the abstract and impressive art work created by the artist himself, which has become another of the fetishist objects of Merzbow and now incredibly hard to find. Like all of his work since the early nineties, Green Wheels is an uncompromising cascade of brutal noise. In this album you find nothing of the minimalism of his early 80s, completely overwhelmed by synthesizers and handmade objects that become his unconventional weapons to create bursts of noise.
The three tracks of the CD which are neatly reissued on the first three sides of the vinyl, radiate the listener from the rackets of a rain of nails on metal plates, the synthetic crashing of bombing, industrial percussion and the metal (green) wheels that roll and scrape. The last side of the record contains the two very short 5-inch tracks that hurt you with thousands of jabs in just a matter of minutes. Then closes with two unreleased tracks from the same fantastic mid-1990s period which can undoubtedly be considered two wonderful discoveries for their intensity and beauty; musical pieces that blend perfectly and complete the reissue on this double vinyl. When you get to the end of the fourth side, you will feel purified, once the granite landslide subsides. It is like mental liposuction, eradicating all anguishes and hesitations.
Everything was perfectly recorded and mixed in March-May 1995 at ZSF Produkt Studio, Masami Akita’s home studio from the late 80s to late 90s; the outcome it's warm and bright as the bare steel of Shinjuko skyscrapers under the (rising) sun of hot Japanese summers.
Of all the incredible artists to have emerged from Japan’s thriving noise scene, it is hard to call to mind a figure as iconic, visionary, or influential as the composer and performer Masami Akita. His work represents ground zero for nearly everything that has followed in its wake. In addition to its incredible noise sounds, this positions Urashima’s newly remastered and expanded Green Wheels 2LP in only 299 copies with gatefold cover that faithfully reproduces the original art work as an incredibly important event. Not only does it present the best sounding release of these recordings to date, but it expands to a double LP, with a never before issued two tracks recordings. Yet another crucial reissue offering from Urashima that towers with historical importance, this one is impossible to recommend enough. 

Konrad Kraft - Accident in Heaven (LP+DL)
Konrad Kraft - Accident in Heaven (LP+DL)TAL
¥4,371
ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN was originally released in 1987 as a hand-made micro-edition of about 40 cassette tapes. It was only the third ever release on the short-lived now near legendary SDV label which had been established that same year by Konrad Kraft, Bernd Sevens and Dino Oon in Düsseldorf. Finally finding a more substantial and appreciative audience on vinyl over 30 years after its original limited release, ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN is a strong testament to the explorative experiments of Detlef Funder a.k.a. Konrad Kraft, whose homebuilt studio sound attempted to bridge the clinical roughness of Severed Heads and the psychedelia of Coil with the density and force of industrial, post-punk and prototechno. Concurrent with his ever-expanding production skills, KONRAD KRAFT's sound work in the second half of the 80s stayed firmly rooted within a highly stylised underground spirit. Both his music and also the freshly launched SDV label first and foremost served as a medium for communication. The vital urgency of ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN underlines the record's core narrative which arguably sounds even more futuristic today than it did 30 years ago. Hallmarks of ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN are an 8-track tape recorder, a Yamaha DX7 synth and a Roland 707 drum computer and the late 80s’ internationally ubiquitous shift from analogue to digital music production. Whilst its predecessor ARCTICA (another cassette-only release from 1986/87, previously reissued on TAL in 2018) was significantly more experimental and almost an in-between-states affair, ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN was the point at which Konrad Kraft really began to experiment with beat structures, sequenced synth pads and the framework of 'dance' music. However, the rhythmic elements are submerged so far beneath his expertly crafted drones it's almost impossible to label these sounds as “dancefloor oriented” work at all, as the tracks on the album joyfully disrespect the rules and boundaries of that or indeed any other genre. ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN also epitomizes the decade's ending energy and sharp momentum with its successful merging of highly individual production and irresistible rhythm tracks. The rich wealth of references is mirrored within the silhouettes and the graphics of the album’s unique artwork, which was created by Dino Oon. The new mastering has all sounds on ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN emerge in fresh shades and three dimensional plasticity, inviting the listener not to merely revisit the full palette of KONRAD KRAFT’s creation but offering an entirely new sound experience.
Calm - Quiet Music Under the Moon (LP)
Calm - Quiet Music Under the Moon (LP)Music Conception
¥4,620
This is Calm's first beatless chillout album.
The sound quality is also softer than usual, giving it a more organic finish.
Continuing from the previous work, the main members have participated in several songs, but this time, rather than jazz-like freedom, Calm's play that is close to the writer's style is added.
And the best feature is that it seals the long arrangement that is good at it, and it has a structure like a good old record album era, with a total of less than 50 minutes and an ending in no time.
FJD, a friend from the first, is in charge of the design.

The analog edition is configured with the good old LP era in mind.
A new challenge in a sense for Calm, who recently had a lot of double-disc sets.
高橋悠治+富樫雅彦 / Wondering Fire-さまよう火- (CD)
高橋悠治+富樫雅彦 / Wondering Fire-さまよう火- (CD)Super Fuji Discs
¥2,805

Studio recordings from 1988 are officially released after 34 years of absence.

The tape recorded by Yuji Takahashi (synthesizer, sampler) and Masahiko Togashi (percussion) in a studio on November 23, 1988 was found for the first time in 34 years and is now officially released as a CD album. This album is the culmination of the Takahashi/Togashi duo, which began in the spring of 1988 at the Shinjuku Pit Inn, and is an improvisational performance in which Togashi responds to Takahashi's leads without a score. Each member's different musicality is inspired by the other's, and the music is built up in dialogue. The electronic sounds of Takahashi's early samplers and digital synths, the calculated acoustic percussion of Togashi, and the lush interplay make this sound journey a rare and precious work.

Tatsuhiko Asano - In The Wake Of Doshin, The GIANT (LP)
Tatsuhiko Asano - In The Wake Of Doshin, The GIANT (LP)SILENT RIVER RUNS DEEP
¥3,630

Tropical ambient set on a fictional tropical island! First official LP record of the "Doshin the Giant 1" soundtrack for the NINTENDO64DD game!
In 1996, Moodman made his solo debut on M.O.O.D. label, and in 2001, Alec Empire, who received his debut album, enthusiastically offered to release his first full-length album on Geist, the label he had started. Tatsuhiko Asano has also provided music for various other projects, including label compilations such as Daisy World and Transonic. 15 tracks were released in 2000, including new recordings and versions not used in the game before it was converted for the 64. Included in the collection are the following songs.
As Asano himself describes the music as "fluffy, fuzzy, soft and warm, like a living creature, sounding like something from over the mountains," its charming, yet somehow elusive, quirky appearance makes it stand out from the myriad of game music.
Kuniyuki Takahashi was in charge of remastering the album for vinyl release. Limited edition of 1,000 copies.

Roland P. Young -  Isophonic Boogie Woogie (LP)
Roland P. Young - Isophonic Boogie Woogie (LP)Em Records
¥2,600
Reissue of the legendary 5-track first LP (plus 2 bonus tracks) from horn wizard & original underground FM radio DJ Young, featuring soprano sax, clarinet, and electronically-processed bass clarinet. An enjoyable outing from a neglected musician. Cosmic afro mimimal electronic winds recorded in 1970s San Francisco.
Compuma meets Haku - The Reconstruction of “Na Mele A Ka Haku” (12")
Compuma meets Haku - The Reconstruction of “Na Mele A Ka Haku” (12")Em Records
¥2,200
The shocking COMPUMA (Koichi Matsunaga)'s first 12-inch !!! The problematic work of the endless computer original problematic work that reconstructed the problematic work "Haku no Ongaku"! It is no exaggeration to say that it is the most important must-listen work of Japanese underground dance music in 2015!

90s is Asteroid Desert Songs, 00s is Smurphotokogu, and in recent years, the first 12-inch impact of Koichi Matsunaga aka COMPUMA, a stubborn electro crew who admits himself and others with his musical connoisseurs who are dying in "Devil's Swamp". drop. Only computers can interact with "Haku's music" on an equal footing! I delusionally asked to rebuild the album. This is the work that came up! ?? !! The experimental result that the computer says, "It looks like an original work ...". However, in order to faint in agony and complete the original request, I decided to announce it under the name of Compuma meets Haku. An electro song with a non-trivial atmosphere that has a feeling of devotion from each note of snare, kick, hat, etc. 80s US Old School-Tasteable dance music that has blossomed suspiciously in the depths of Japan across the Atlantic Ocean from the 1960s!

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