MUSIC

A folk trio who was active in Derbyshire in central England met Jane Marsden, a vocalist with a brilliant voice, and this was the opportunity for the birth of a six-member electric folk rock band, No Light Turn. They gained popularity in central England, and in 1983, at Woodwarm Studio, which was the core of the Fairport Convention, they independently produced their first album, "No Light Turn." (Adding a cover song "Lady of Pleasure" that respects Fairport to the album) The uniqueness of NRT is that although it is not so much involved in live performances, two songwriters, Phil Harrison and Tim Dawson, Being on the back as a member, the repertoire of major vocal songs was the original that became their pen. Jane's multi-recording / double-track vocals, reminiscent of Linda Perhax, were the band's glamor, and the British-style refreshing and melancholy voice matched Harrison / Dawson's original songs best. While there are songs that appeal to the times, such as "Roller Coaster" where neo acoustic acoustic guitars run, "Lawlands Away" which invites nostalgia, and "What Do You Do?" Rearrange traditional songs such as "Ash Plant" and "Waves" into a heavy progressive instrument like Pink Floyd. This exquisite sense of balance is also the charm of the band. It's a local indie independent board, but it's a lovable miracle work that is truly a masterpiece!

This brand-new twelve-inch EP mini album has its title inspired by "Space Is the Place", one of Sun Ra's most thematically outbound releases. Sun Ra's rocket-propelled vision is electronically diverted and re-channeled to unknowable and unnameable destinations in these 2016 recordings by German electronic/experimental producer Florian Meyer, aka Don't DJ, a member of the Durian Brothers and co-runner of the Diskant and SEXES labels. Channeling the Sun Ra Orchestra's sprawling Afro-futurist vitality, concentrating that energy through his own focus on evolving repetition, alien intervals and subtle variations of rhythm and timbre, Don't DJ heads for (no)places unknown. Get on board!

Post-Plurrian? EG ?? The return of Muslimgauze ??? The strongest active rhythmic noise / drum'n'noise techno girls, shocking Alexandra Atonif!

80s Noise / Industrial Music There is no doubt that you will be fascinated by listeners from the golden age to experimental techno freaks these days! !! Romanian-born and now LA-based female musician Alexandra Atniff advocates the music "Rhythmic Brutalist" inspired by the architectural style "Brutalist" that prevailed during the Cold War.

She doesn't use any vintage synthesizers or expensive equipment, and uses freeware to release just bare concrete-like beats. The track group with its decoration removed already has a terrific sensation reminiscent of great ancestors such as Esplendor Geoméco. While maintaining the functionality of minimal techno, the vibes that noise / industrial music lost after passing club music, the one and only sound that makes you feel ferocious, sets it apart from existing industrial techno. There is.

This time, A.A himself reworked the independent album, and released the newly edited "Rhythmic Brutalist Vol. 1" as EM Records Edition and the sequel "Same Vol. 2" at the same time. The impression is different from the "1st collection", which is closer to minimal techno, and the "2nd collection", which is more abstract and closer to electronic music, but the whole story is full of brutalist architecture. Brin Jones must nod in the shade of the grass! * The CD version is a 2-disc set of "Vol.1" and "Vol.2" (same content as the LP version).

Tapes, aka Jackson Bailey, returns to EM Records for the first time since 2015’s “No Broken Hearts on This Factory Floor”, in a live collaboration with his pal from Osaka, 7FO, another of EM’s favourite artists. This CD features new arrangements of some Tapes digital reggae classics like “Ticker Tape”, “C20” and “Freak Riddim”, and new tunes including a dubbed-out version of the “Tetris” theme and “Summer Jam”, a jazz-fusionoid weirdo. The smoke is thick on these 14 ferric soul soothers and digital brain bombs, with drum machines and synths lovingly warped by tape echo and spring reverb, melding with 7FO’s fine guitar playing, often heavily effected, all working together to deliver the goods: digi-reggae, dub, ambient smoke, and hints of a new age. Ranked by Resident Advisor as one of the top performances at the 2019 Meakusma Festival, this is one you’ll enjoy, no matter what reality you choose to inhabit.

Gatefold cardboard case
Mastering: Takuto Kuratani (Ruv Bytes)
Cover art: The Tapes Design

Launched in an uncertain time, here are 12 tracks from 17 new independent Japanese artists, a physical release from a generation which has an online-release default setting. Not a scene document, not a label sampler, and not a showcase for a collective, this compilation features a selection of artists from all across Japan, selected by ex-Jesse Ruins producer CVN. These songs are snapshots of a sensibility shared by these artists: a love of contemporary electronic pop music, an awareness of melody, and an appreciation of the musical options provided by technology. Not techno or ambient, there is an emphasis on the human voice, with elements of hiphop, trap, EDM and bass music, all subsumed into multiple facets of a glowing electronic bedroom pop gem. Available on CD, vinyl and digital, with English liner notes, lyrics and artist information. These songs are seeds of hope for the coming post-pandemic parties.

+ Quality cutting / pressing
+ Foldout insert
+ English liner notes
+ Artist bio/photo/discography

Tracks:

A1. Dove “Irrational”
A2. Lil Soft Tennis “Feelin’ Love”
A3. tamanaramen “angelnumber”
A4. Karavi Roushi and Aquadab “Tokyoite - Val Kilmer (Love Her)“
A5. valknee + ANTIC “The Best SSS in Life (2020 Mix)”
A6. NTsKi “Labyrinth of Summer (KM Remix)”

B1. seaketa “you”
B2. Menace-nai “Lucky Guess”
B3. lIlI “Nightmare”
B4. CVN “withoutu feat. Itaq”
B5. SATOH “MLC”
B6. Le Makeup “Ray”

Mustapha Skandrani. Besides having an excellent name, this man, a luminary of Algerian music, possessed a unique musical sense, able to transcend the borders of musical cultures to create a distinctive fusion of Arabo-Andalusian and European styles.

"Istikhbars and Improvisations", recorded in 1965 in Paris, is a solo piano album presenting a trans-Mediterranean crossover based on traditional Algerian vocal pieces known as Istikhbars. Playing these istikhbars (which have roots in the Islamic Arabo-Andalusian culture which flourished in Spain) on the piano, that quintessentially European instrument, Skandrani was greeted with derision by some purists. Skandrani's powerful musical vision, however, perceives the European element involved in Arabo-Andalusian musical culture, a world of exchange and co-existence, and his decision to play this music on the piano reminds us of this European influence.

Skandrani's modus operandi on this release is to present each istikhbar, modal in nature, then to play an improvisation based on the istikhbar and its attendant mode. This A/B alternation continues throughout. The pellucid clarity of Skandrani's playing on this album may remind the listener of a modal Goldberg Variations, Bach and Glenn Gould transplanted to Andalucia. Other ears will hear the Arabic/Maghreb elements more strongly. Skandrani's precise touch and clear, symmetrical rhythmic sense links both worlds, assuring us that the Mediterranean is not a barrier, but a unifier, and that the differences between the cultures are not vast. This is an admirable acheivement, resulting in beautiful music of a rare charm.

Mustapha Skandrani was born in Algiers in 1920, and died there in 2005.  He mastered a number of instruments at an early age, and his musical prowess led him to work with the great singers and ensembles of his day, in live performances, recordings, and radio broadcasts. Later in his life, he devoted much energy to education.

"Istikhbars and Improvisations" is available on CD and LP vinyl, with English and Japanese liner notes.
 

The fourth release from Roland P. Young on EM Records sees him moving ever deeper, earthbound and rooted, yet simultaneously flying further out, expanding his exploration of untethered celestial realms. Recorded in 2014 following a move to Tel Aviv, the title Confluences hints at the blend of cultures and histories in his new homeland, and is reflected in the music, which shows a range of cultural influences, filtered through Young's unique sensibility and vision. This is a calm, spiritual set, evidencing an inner comfort that was less prevalent on his Brooklyn-era recordings. This is not to imply that RPY is no longer searching; this release brings to fruition the promise of earlier recordings such as Isophonic Boogie Woogie [EM1045CD/HJLP] and Istet Serenade [EM1087CD/LP], made complete via Young's multi-instrumental chops on sax, bass clarinet, kalimba and keyboards working in tandem with his rhythm and bass programming skills, his multi-track studio mastery and an ever-evolving sense of musical form and drama. The confluences of cultures are of course swirling throughout this release, but also the confluences, as noted above, of the earthy and the celestial, as well as the temporal confluences of the past, present and future. Perhaps more than any of his previous releases, Confluences realizes Young's description of his own work as "Afro spiritual minimal electronic space music". Available on CD and LP, this release is the next stage of Roland P. Young's never-ending voyage. Get on board!

The fourth release from Roland P. Young on EM Records sees him moving ever deeper, earthbound and rooted, yet simultaneously flying further out, expanding his exploration of untethered celestial realms. Recorded in 2014 following a move to Tel Aviv, the title Confluences hints at the blend of cultures and histories in his new homeland, and is reflected in the music, which shows a range of cultural influences, filtered through Young's unique sensibility and vision. This is a calm, spiritual set, evidencing an inner comfort that was less prevalent on his Brooklyn-era recordings. This is not to imply that RPY is no longer searching; this release brings to fruition the promise of earlier recordings such as Isophonic Boogie Woogie [EM1045CD/HJLP] and Istet Serenade [EM1087CD/LP], made complete via Young's multi-instrumental chops on sax, bass clarinet, kalimba and keyboards working in tandem with his rhythm and bass programming skills, his multi-track studio mastery and an ever-evolving sense of musical form and drama. The confluences of cultures are of course swirling throughout this release, but also the confluences, as noted above, of the earthy and the celestial, as well as the temporal confluences of the past, present and future. Perhaps more than any of his previous releases, Confluences realizes Young's description of his own work as "Afro spiritual minimal electronic space music". Available on CD and LP, this release is the next stage of Roland P. Young's never-ending voyage. Get on board!

The fourth release from Roland P. Young on EM Records sees him moving ever deeper, earthbound and rooted, yet simultaneously flying further out, expanding his exploration of untethered celestial realms. Recorded in 2014 following a move to Tel Aviv, the title Confluences hints at the blend of cultures and histories in his new homeland, and is reflected in the music, which shows a range of cultural influences, filtered through Young's unique sensibility and vision. This is a calm, spiritual set, evidencing an inner comfort that was less prevalent on his Brooklyn-era recordings. This is not to imply that RPY is no longer searching; this release brings to fruition the promise of earlier recordings such as Isophonic Boogie Woogie [EM1045CD/HJLP] and Istet Serenade [EM1087CD/LP], made complete via Young's multi-instrumental chops on sax, bass clarinet, kalimba and keyboards working in tandem with his rhythm and bass programming skills, his multi-track studio mastery and an ever-evolving sense of musical form and drama. The confluences of cultures are of course swirling throughout this release, but also the confluences, as noted above, of the earthy and the celestial, as well as the temporal confluences of the past, present and future. Perhaps more than any of his previous releases, Confluences realizes Young's description of his own work as "Afro spiritual minimal electronic space music". Available on CD and LP, this release is the next stage of Roland P. Young's never-ending voyage. Get on board!

The content is good with surprise and excitement. Faust-This Heat's krautrock / post-punk, free rock / industrial such as Smegma and Z'ev, and the sound of emptiness turns into a violent passion. Highly recommended.

Japan Indie's hottest work !!
The initial collection of works has finally arrived !!

The improvisational trio of Yokohama, Inryofen, which was formed in 1978 and released the new work "Hugging" [EM1125CD] for the first time in 29 years, is far left and heretical even in the Japanese underground music scene. , The reason is thoroughly disclosed in this collection. Is there any other band like this at that time and now?

Their starting point was the idea of "converting surrealism to the sound of" automatic writing "", and they were active in the Tokyo / Yokohama underground scene, recording vigorously from 1980 to 1982, and three works. announced. This "early work collection" is the definitive edition that remastered all of these works from the master tape, expanded and recorded the unrecorded parts that were edited and cut, and remastered with high sound quality. In addition, for this release, the five works other than "Uncompromising" were given "song titles" for the first time (see the work description for the reason).

= Work description =
-"Uncompromising" at the beginning is a mysterious work that made known the shadow hunting rottenness, and it was also the first release of the prestigious indie, Cragale Records, known to those in the know. According to them, "Cover of Tony Conrad & Faust", but perhaps during the recording of this performance, a student activist broke into the stage and started a horse mackerel speech. The band that keeps playing silently, the activist who incites, the PA who tries to prevent the speech, the ending of the three-way! ?? !! This version is a complete version that contains all the patterns of this "legend".

-The "hammer clock" and "aiming cat" (included only in the CD version), in which the crazy electronic percussion instrument pulse is delivered, are forcibly called "articles" from the symbol with three squares on the jacket. A work recorded in the popular 7-inch EP.

-The band's true essence, the 23-minute automatic descriptive performance "Grand Rock", the masterpiece "The one that came down from the sky" where heavy percussion with a sense of mass trembles and cuts through the space, and the suspicious "Forest record" "(CD version only) is a 1st album recording work in which the band name, song name, and kata number are not written in a pure white jacket, and the agency company has declared that it cannot be distributed.


CD version:
＋ CD bonus 2 songs
＋ Normal jewel case / liner included
＋ Commentary: Atsushi Harada
＋ Japanese / English notation / Rare photos posted

This collection, featuring seven pieces from 2011 to 2015, celebrates Noah Creshevsky's 70th year with a fittingly life-affirming and masterful verve. An award-winning composer who has studied with Nadia Boulanger and Luciano Berio, he began composing electronic music in 1971, using the power of circuitry, tape and then digital technology to create a "hyperreal" musical world in which recordings of human performers, both vocalists and instrumentalists, are juxtaposed and recombined in compositions which span eras, cultures and genres. His use of expanded musical palettes arises from an aesthetic of inclusion, guided by an open spirit and an expansive musical sense. The combination of the emotional power of human performances with the precision of computers create real-beyond-real super-performances of surprising control and virtuosity, resulting in a hypothetical and yet very real music, full of drama, humor, and tenderness. This CD, Creshevsky's second release on EM, following the 2004 "Tape Music" compilation, gives ample evidence of both his mastery of digital technology and his profound, empathetic musical instincts. His ability to use the computer to highlight the gifts of human performers is displayed on every track, including a piece which focuses on Japanese vocalist Tomomi Adachi.

+ Standard jewel case. 8P booklet.
+ Liner notes in English and Japanese by composer, critic and independent scholar George Grella, Jr.

Enter a world unknown! Birdfriend is a cassette label run by Japanese musician/composer Koshiro Hino, aka YPY, who is also a founding member of the Osaka band goat. This compilation, available on CD and double vinyl, features 18 tracks by Japanese artists, from 2013-2017, previously available only on hard-to-find cassettes on the Birdfriend label, now available to you, the curious and courageous listener, worldwide on EM Records. Rejoice and enjoy the fractured rhythms and future-now timbres, questing intelligences and D.I.Y. energy, conveyed to you through hand-made synths, custom electronics, synths and samplers. Compiled by Hino, who also provides liner notes and cover art, these Japanese artists share a love of texture, semi-skewed rhythm, simple-yet-evolving structure, and a sense of humour; yet despite these similarities, there is a great variety across this release, making for an exciting and cohesive musical experience.

+ Double 12" set
+ Gatefold sleeve
+ English liner notes
+ Artist bio/photo/discography

Tracks:

Side A:
1. Sofheso - M.N.L
2. Shimetta-inu - Bird Peck at Dead Dog
3. NEW MANUKE - Fastest Motor
4. YPY - BFMIX B-3
5. JMT Synth Pinosaku - Tansun

Side B:
1. Shimettainu - Dog is Surrounded by Birds
2. UNBE - Vector Milk
3. YPY - The Damo UFO
4. Micro Futoshi - Reforest 1
5. Inoue Shirabe - Sleep Talk

Side C:
1. Futoshi Moriyama - Time Limit
2. OPQ - ENT
3. Futoshi Moriyama - Nico Electro
4. H. Takahashi - 4
5. Micro Futoshi - Reforest 2
6. UNBE - 5 Cubic Meters

Side D:
1. Bonnounomukuro - Enter the Exit
2. Futoshi Moriyama - Piano and Sampler

"Never Forget Me" is the second release on EM Records from Angkanang Kunchai, one of the greatest Thai singers; the original 1979 vinyl release, now extremely rare, was a collection of her self-produced songs, backed by her own band. This radically independent stance, though admirable, caused the album to languish in relative obscurity, due to her lack of support from the business masters of the Thai music scene of the time. "Never Forget Me" is a plea to her fans, and although the original album was not widely distributed, the high quality of the songs ensured that she was indeed not forgotten. Her first album, which was produced by Surin Paksiri, was the very first of the new molam-luk thung style; the songs here continue in that vein, a mix of modern luk thung Isan and various types of molam, backed here by her hand-picked ensemble, which later disbanded due to financial pressures. Despite these struggles, "Never Forget Me" lives on, its killer tunes loved by DJs and given a 5-star rating by psych record guru Hans Pokora. Available now on vinyl and CD, with English lyrics and liner notes, this is unforgettable.

+ Compiled/liner notes/cover art by Soi 48
+ English liner notes & lyrics

CD version: Standard jewel case, 24p booklet

The first compilation of M and Soi48's Thai music series is a collection of works by Doi Inthanon, a big-name producer who has transformed Thai pop since the 1970s! Bogan!

Two human national treasures, Morlam, who appeared in the movie "Y / OUR MUSIC" and Ankanan Kunchai who appeared in the air tribe "Bangkok Nights", will appear in this competition! The glittering names of Isan's stars are lined up on the work list only for the big names who have been active for many years from Isan in the northeastern region of Thailand, but this time, in the era when they were competing with music itself without PV or TV media exposure, Internon A selection of 70s-80s Morlam / Luk Thung / Thai Funk Nambar, whose production was glaring, mixed with hit songs and rare songs. This is also a textbook that automatically unravels modern Thai pop music from the Isan side. The memorable first work of the Mor lam type "Lamb Pane" that he made and popularized is also making its debut! When you look at Doi Inthanon's work, the expression "I attacked the center (Bangkok) from Isan" fits in, but let's see how much the demon trader Doi-sensei, who is unconventional, went wild! (Teacher, it's unreasonable ~)

* "Mor lam" Mo is a master, and Lam is a performing art that speaks with intonation in the tone. In other words, it is a "master of narrative" and is a name that refers to both the singer and the performing arts. Mor lam is not a "song". Isan (Northeastern Thailand) is the home.

* "Luke Thun": A Thai-specific song genre formed by absorbing Thai local music and music from rock, Latin, India, China, Japan, Hawaii, etc. Known as "Countryside Song". Early 1960s
The name was given to.

+ Song selection / commentary / binding: Soi48 (with English translation)
+ Japanese / English translation
+ CD version: Normal jewel case, 28-page booklet
+ LP version: Liner included

TRACKS:
1. Mont Muanneua "I hate Bangkok"
2. Chaberply Namwai "Chabaply Rum Prune"
3. Ankanan Kunchai "Empty Coconut"
4. Orn Ummer Shinsiri "Sorrowful Morlam Daughter"
5. Nuchanato Nantaner "Your Thor is the sound of love"
6. Hongtone Daoudong "Looking for Hongtone's Lover"
7. Tong Thai Tin Isan "The Weirdest Lamb Prune Part 1"
8. Thorper Chantratip "Boy of Motor Rhino"
9. Po Charat Tonneau Sung Soom "Attack on You"
10. Tone My Marley "Lamb Pane 4 High Man"
11. Quanter Farsawarn "Lamb Pane 4 High Woman"
12. Po Charat Tonneau & Quanter Farsawan "At Huadoon Turn Village"

The KlapYaHandz label, a long-running labour of love helmed by Sok Visal, has been at the forefront of a revitalization of contemporary Cambodian culture since the beginning of the 21st century; it was the very first independent hip hop label in Cambodia, nurturing an ecosystem of rappers, producers and engineers, male and female, fusing hard-hitting Khmer-language hip hop rhymes with samples of Khmer traditional music and Golden Age hits, propelled by relentless grooves. Returning to his Cambodian homeland after a youth spent absorbing hip hop in France and the U.S., Visal’s energy and focus inspired a new musical generation; his love of Cambodian music as well as hip hop melded with his ear for jazz, funk and soul, and led to the creation of some very cool music from the artists he brought to his label. The 12 tracks on this CD are the very finest from the first decade of the KlapYaHandz galaxy. Hip hop, yes, but very definitely Cambodian hip hop, with traditional and Golden Age musical elements very prominent. Very cool, very Cambodian, very cosmopolitan, and very contemporary, but the past is always present, a love of musical history lighting the way forward.

+ 36-page booklet
+ English liner notes and lyrics
+ Liner notes written by Sok Visal and Sorany Var

Tracks:
1. Rin / Hip Hop [2001]
2. Phnom Penh Playaz / Ride With Us [2002]
3. Aping / Ereva Chanoy [2005]
4. Aping / Sangsa Lek 1 (feat. Dina) [2005]
5. Khmer Rap Boyz / Berk Chak [2007]
6. Kelly / K. E. L. L. Y. [2007]
7. Pou Khlaing / Yeak (feat. Adda) [2008]
8. Yungsterz / Luk Ko Luk Krobey [2008]
9. Khmer Kid / Laut Doch Besdoung (feat. Lisha) [2010]
10. Lisha / Srok Sre [2008]
11. Nen Tum / Dey Srok Khmer [2011]
12. Yungsterz / A yap [2011]

We all know Thailand is a place where magic happens, and sometimes it's a place where dreams come true. Suthep Daoduangmai was an ordinary man from the predominantly rural Isan region with a long-cherished dream of forming a band under his own name, even though he wasn't a musician. After a spell of hard work overseas, he returned home wealthy and, magically, formed one of the most successful molam groups ever, an extravagant orchestra with over thirty members, including twelve dancers, blending traditional Isan instruments with modern Western instruments, and featuring four excellent singers, two male, two female. Of particular note is that legendary singer Siriphon Amphaiphong, along with her sister, made her debut with this band. But perhaps this wasn't all magic; Suthep Daoduangmai had an innate musical sense and a keen populist spirit, enlisting great singers and bringing in master producer Doi Inthanon to help hone his vision. This album, originally released in 1984, was a super-hit throughout Thailand, highlighting producer Doi's entertaining new dance-friendly "lam phaen" style, with lively tempos and street-wise country-meets-city lyrics, as exemplified in the title track in which the two male singers head to Bangkok and show the city folks what's what. Originally released on cassette, plus a few vinyl copies for radio play, this 1984 sensation is available again now on vinyl, and, for the first time, on CD. Feel the magic!

We all know Thailand is a place where magic happens, and sometimes it's a place where dreams come true. Suthep Daoduangmai was an ordinary man from the predominantly rural Isan region with a long-cherished dream of forming a band under his own name, even though he wasn't a musician. After a spell of hard work overseas, he returned home wealthy and, magically, formed one of the most successful molam groups ever, an extravagant orchestra with over thirty members, including twelve dancers, blending traditional Isan instruments with modern Western instruments, and featuring four excellent singers, two male, two female. Of particular note is that legendary singer Siriphon Amphaiphong, along with her sister, made her debut with this band. But perhaps this wasn't all magic; Suthep Daoduangmai had an innate musical sense and a keen populist spirit, enlisting great singers and bringing in master producer Doi Inthanon to help hone his vision. This album, originally released in 1984, was a super-hit throughout Thailand, highlighting producer Doi's entertaining new dance-friendly "lam phaen" style, with lively tempos and street-wise country-meets-city lyrics, as exemplified in the title track in which the two male singers head to Bangkok and show the city folks what's what. Originally released on cassette, plus a few vinyl copies for radio play, this 1984 sensation is available again now on vinyl, and, for the first time, on CD. Feel the magic!

This double A-sided 7-inch features two new cool, sophisticated and funky melodic pop songs from Bank. Tight bass lines, multi-hued percussion, snappily intertwining guitars, yearning melodies and clever production touches abound. These Tokyo veterans evince their love of all varieties of funky pop from recent decades in these two sweet sides.

In October 1962 John Cage and his great interpreter/co-visionary David Tudor visited Japan, performing seven concerts and exposing listeners to new musical worlds. This legendary "John Cage Shock", as it was dubbed by the critic Hidekazu Yoshida, is the source of this series of releases, three CDs and a "best hits" double LP compilation. Recorded primarily at the Sogetsu Art Center in Tokyo on October 24, 1962 (with two performances from October 17 at Mido-Kaikan in Osaka), all recordings in this series are previously unreleased. A major historical trove, unearthed. The performances on this tour featured Cage and Tudor with some noteworthy Japanese musicians playing pieces by Cage and a number of other composers. Volume 1 begins with Toru Takemitsu's Corona for Pianists (1962), played by Tudor and Yuji Takahashi, an indeterminate piece scored using transparencies, a sign of Cage's influence on younger Japanese composers of the era. Following this is Duo for Violinist and Pianist (1961) by Christian Wolff, written specifically for David Tudor and violinist Kenji Kobayashi. The final piece, a near-twenty-minute realization of Variations II (1961), is a rare example of the rougher side of Cage, work that presaged much of the live electronic music and noise of the following decades, an aspect of his oeuvre which is woefully under-represented on CD. Cage and Tudor, using well-amplified contact microphones on a piano, deliver an electrifying performance, alternating distorted stretches of harsh 60s reality with bountiful silences. Volume 2 lifts off with a fiery example of Tudor's piano virtuosity, his mastery of dynamics well evident in a performance of Klavierstück X (1961) by Karlheinz Stockhausen. The titular shock of this series is delivered even more forcefully with the next piece, Cage's 26'55.988" for 2 Pianists and a String Player (1961), which was first performed the year before in Darmstadt by Tudor and Kobayashi, a combination of two of Cage's solo pieces. The performance here, from Osaka, has a slightly altered title and the composition becomes a seismic quartet with the addition of Toshi Ichiyanagi and Yoko Ono, with the four performers providing acutely-angled blasts of sound. The final CD of the series features Cage's 0'00" (1962), also referred to as 4'33" No.2, performed by the composer, with daily activities such as writing and drinking coffee amplified by contact microphones into sonic abstraction, following the score's directions: "with maximum amplification (no feedback), perform a disciplined action". Next is Composition II for 2 Pianos (1960/61) by Michael von Biel, lovely and sparse, performed by Tudor and Ichiyanagi. The disc closes with Ichiyanagi's Piano Music #7 (1961), performed also by Tudor and Ichiyanagi, beds of silence disrupted by pianistic stabs, music box madness, traffic recordings, percussive thumps, tape manipulations and more. The "John Cage Shock" series features truly historical recordings, all previously unreleased, of compositions by an amazing roster of international composers. The intensity of these performances by Cage, Tudor, Ichiyanagi, Kobayashi, Ono and Takahashi has remained hidden and unheard for half a century, but remains undiminished. These three CDs, as well as the special double LP (including a vinyl only bonus track), feature rare photos plus Japanese and English liner notes.

In October 1962 John Cage and his great interpreter/co-visionary David Tudor visited Japan, performing seven concerts and exposing listeners to new musical worlds. This legendary "John Cage Shock", as it was dubbed by the critic Hidekazu Yoshida, is the source of this series of releases, three CDs and a "best hits" double LP compilation. Recorded primarily at the Sogetsu Art Center in Tokyo on October 24, 1962 (with two performances from October 17 at Mido-Kaikan in Osaka), all recordings in this series are previously unreleased. A major historical trove, unearthed. The performances on this tour featured Cage and Tudor with some noteworthy Japanese musicians playing pieces by Cage and a number of other composers. Volume 1 begins with Toru Takemitsu's Corona for Pianists (1962), played by Tudor and Yuji Takahashi, an indeterminate piece scored using transparencies, a sign of Cage's influence on younger Japanese composers of the era. Following this is Duo for Violinist and Pianist (1961) by Christian Wolff, written specifically for David Tudor and violinist Kenji Kobayashi. The final piece, a near-twenty-minute realization of Variations II (1961), is a rare example of the rougher side of Cage, work that presaged much of the live electronic music and noise of the following decades, an aspect of his oeuvre which is woefully under-represented on CD. Cage and Tudor, using well-amplified contact microphones on a piano, deliver an electrifying performance, alternating distorted stretches of harsh 60s reality with bountiful silences. Volume 2 lifts off with a fiery example of Tudor's piano virtuosity, his mastery of dynamics well evident in a performance of Klavierstück X (1961) by Karlheinz Stockhausen. The titular shock of this series is delivered even more forcefully with the next piece, Cage's 26'55.988" for 2 Pianists and a String Player (1961), which was first performed the year before in Darmstadt by Tudor and Kobayashi, a combination of two of Cage's solo pieces. The performance here, from Osaka, has a slightly altered title and the composition becomes a seismic quartet with the addition of Toshi Ichiyanagi and Yoko Ono, with the four performers providing acutely-angled blasts of sound. The final CD of the series features Cage's 0'00" (1962), also referred to as 4'33" No.2, performed by the composer, with daily activities such as writing and drinking coffee amplified by contact microphones into sonic abstraction, following the score's directions: "with maximum amplification (no feedback), perform a disciplined action". Next is Composition II for 2 Pianos (1960/61) by Michael von Biel, lovely and sparse, performed by Tudor and Ichiyanagi. The disc closes with Ichiyanagi's Piano Music #7 (1961), performed also by Tudor and Ichiyanagi, beds of silence disrupted by pianistic stabs, music box madness, traffic recordings, percussive thumps, tape manipulations and more. The "John Cage Shock" series features truly historical recordings, all previously unreleased, of compositions by an amazing roster of international composers. The intensity of these performances by Cage, Tudor, Ichiyanagi, Kobayashi, Ono and Takahashi has remained hidden and unheard for half a century, but remains undiminished. These three CDs, as well as the special double LP (including a vinyl only bonus track), feature rare photos plus Japanese and English liner notes.

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