Tracklisting:
A1. Painted Paradise
A2. Funky Motion
A3. Breeze
A4. Scratch
B1. Funky Stuff
B2. One For Jiro
B3. Gentle Wave
B4. Four Up

Release Info:
(clear green color vinyl / LP with OBI, originally released in 1975) 2024 pressing Japanese Import of the Japanese Jazz-Funk classic. Features a cover of “Funky Stuff” by Kool & The Gang. All songs written and arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki

An enduring, pioneering fusion of jazz, funk, soul and rock - with influences from Herbie Hancock, James Brown and Santana - the album features some of the best and most acclaimed Japanese musicians of the time, enlisting the talent-wares of Hiromasa Suzuki on keyboards, Akira Ishikawa on drums and Takeru Muraoka on sax.




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TRACKLISTING:



A1. That's How I Feel
A2. Blue Blood
A3. It's Impossible
A4. Put It Where You Want It
A5. Crazy Medicine

B1. Joie De Vivre
B2. Papa Hooper's Barrel House Groove
B3. Thrill Is Gone
B4. Raven Speaks
B5. Samba Chimba


• 2024 Record Store Day Exclusive

• Japanese Jazz

• Original released in 1973

• White Coloured Vinyl



Refined jazz. Well-crafted rock. Finely honed funk. Swallowing everything, a strong groove begins to run.

Since their formation in 1969, Soul Media has advocated a fusion of jazz and rock. This work, ``In the Groove,'' recorded in 1973, took this route to the next step. Bringing the sharpness of jazz to the fore, blending rock to give it an edge, and injecting funk to exude power and elasticity. They created strong, sophisticated, and simply "cool music" that could not be categorized into existing genres such as jazz-rock, jazz-funk, and fusion.

This work is said to be a response to The Crusaders, which Jiro Inagaki was paying attention to at the time. The aim was on point. With this work, Soul Media acquires a "sophisticated black feeling" and heads toward their final destination, "Funky Stuff.”



Text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUND/DEEP JAZZ REALITY)

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(clear pink color vinyl / LP with OBI) Fresh reissued magic of Funky Stuff, formerly a rare exquisite by jazzmaster Jiro Inagaki, originally released in 1975. An enduring, pioneering fusion of jazz, funk, soul and rock - the album features some of the best and most acclaimed Japanese musicians of the time, enlisting the talent-wares of Hiromasa Suzuki on keyboards, Akira Ishikawa on drums and Takeru Muraoka on sax.



TRACKLIST

A1. Painted Paradise
A2. Funky Motion
A3. Breeze
A4. Scratch
B1. Funky Stuff
B2. One For Jiro
B3. Gentle Wave
B4. Four Up


INFO

Fresh reissued magic of Funky Stuff, formerly a rare exquisite by jazzmaster Jiro Inagaki, originally released in 1975. An enduring, pioneering fusion of jazz, funk, soul and rock - with influences from Herbie Hancock, James Brown and Santana - the album features some of the best and most acclaimed Japanese musicians of the time, enlisting the talent-wares of Hiromasa Suzuki on keyboards, Akira Ishikawa on drums and Takeru Muraoka on sax.



Originally released in 1975
Features a cover of “Funky Stuff” by Kool & The Gang
All songs written and arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki
Pressed on Pink Vinyl

Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, Flute, Producer – Jiro Inagaki
Electric Piano – Hiromasa Suzuki
Drums – Hajime Ishimatsu
Bass – Akira Okazawa
Guitar – Hiroshi Yasukawa
Trombone – Takashi Imai

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Tracklisting:
A1. Painted Paradise
A2. Funky Motion
A3. Breeze
A4. Scratch
B1. Funky Stuff
B2. One For Jiro
B3. Gentle Wave
B4. Four Up

Release Info:
(clear green color vinyl / LP with OBI, originally released in 1975) 2024 pressing Japanese Import of the Japanese Jazz-Funk classic. Features a cover of “Funky Stuff” by Kool & The Gang. All songs written and arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki

An enduring, pioneering fusion of jazz, funk, soul and rock - with influences from Herbie Hancock, James Brown and Santana - the album features some of the best and most acclaimed Japanese musicians of the time, enlisting the talent-wares of Hiromasa Suzuki on keyboards, Akira Ishikawa on drums and Takeru Muraoka on sax.




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Tracklisting:
A1. Theme~Mustache
A2. Tak's Tune
A3. Joint
B1. Monster
B2. Lullaby For Yuh
B3. Scotland Scene
B4. Theme

(Clear vinyl, LP with OBI, originally released in 1970) 2024 pressing Japanese Import of the Japanese Jazz-Funk classic. The drums of fire scorch the age. With his young and talented Sound Limited, Takeshi Inomata heralds the arrival of the golden age of jazz rock in high spirits.

A1. Theme~Mustache A2. Tak's Tune A3. Joint B1. Monster B2. Lullaby For Yuh B3. Scotland Scene B4. Theme INFO The drums of fire scorch the age. With his young and talented Sound Limited, Takeshi Inomata heralds the arrival of the golden age of jazz rock in high spirits. Drummer Takeshi Inomata, who led the Japanese jazz scene with his precise stick work and musicality with an eye on the times, formed Sound Limited at the end of the 1960s, influenced by the brass rock music that was flourishing at the time. He said, šI wanted to fuse jazz and rock and bring together young musicians to play music with vitality. I want this group to be a group with a large scale that is not confined to the small frame of modern jazz,› he said, launching a new axis. Their first album, šThe Sound of Sound Limited› (1970), became their masterpiece. It is a masterpiece that is full of energy and enthusiasm throughout the album, starting with šTheme~Mustache,› which has become one of the most beloved and iconic songs of the band. Drums, Music Director  Takeshi Inomata Electric Bass  Jun Suzuki Electric Guitar  Ryo Kawasaki, Shigenori Kamiya Flute  Toshiaki Yokota Mixed By  Eiji Uemura Organ  Yusuke Hoguchi Tenor Saxophone  Takao Uematsu Trombone  Shigemichi Domoto, Takashi Imai Trumpet  Shunzo Ohno, Takashi Kumagai




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Tracklisting:
A1. Toshiyuki Miyama & The New Herd With Terumasa Hino – Twilight In Nemu
A2. Itaru Oki Trio – Mood
B1. Terumasa Hino Quintet With George Ohtsuka – Toko
B2. Mototeru Takagi Trio – Four Units
C1. Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffaloes – Blue Soul
C2. Hiroshi Suzuki Sextet – Mira
D1. Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media – Score
D2. Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited – Mustache

(2LP gatefold with Japanese OBI-Strip) The agony of hard bop, the rise of jazz-rock, and the emergence of free jazz. The definitive live recording that captures the chaos and climax of jazz in Japan.

The agony of hard bop, the rise of jazz-rock, and the emergence of free jazz. The definitive live recording that captures the chaos and climax of jazz in Japan.

Japan's jazz scene around 1970 is very interesting. The agony of hard bop, the rise of jazz-rock, and the emergence of free jazz. New music and values were born one after another, and chaos was reached, and up-and-coming musicians ran at a speed that shook off the meter. This album "Sensational Jazz '70 Vol. 1/2" is famous as a live sound source that contains this appearance and enthusiasm. Shibuya Public Hall on April 30, 1970. The Three Musketeers of Jazz Rock such as Jiro Inagaki, Takeshi Inomata, and Akira Ishikawa have all stepped on the stage, free jazz musicians such as Mototeru Takagi and Itaru Oki have finally taken the stage, and musicians who support the mainstream such as Toshiyuki Miyama and Terumasa Hino have stepped "beyond". Led by the sound limited "Mustache", which is said to be the deadliest jazz rock live recording, there are hot performances that make smoke rise.

text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUNDS / DEEP JAZZ REALITY)

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TRACKLISTING:



A1. That's How I Feel
A2. Blue Blood
A3. It's Impossible
A4. Put It Where You Want It
A5. Crazy Medicine

B1. Joie De Vivre
B2. Papa Hooper's Barrel House Groove
B3. Thrill Is Gone
B4. Raven Speaks
B5. Samba Chimba


• 2024 Record Store Day Exclusive

• Japanese Jazz

• Original released in 1973

• White Coloured Vinyl



Refined jazz. Well-crafted rock. Finely honed funk. Swallowing everything, a strong groove begins to run.

Since their formation in 1969, Soul Media has advocated a fusion of jazz and rock. This work, ``In the Groove,'' recorded in 1973, took this route to the next step. Bringing the sharpness of jazz to the fore, blending rock to give it an edge, and injecting funk to exude power and elasticity. They created strong, sophisticated, and simply "cool music" that could not be categorized into existing genres such as jazz-rock, jazz-funk, and fusion.

This work is said to be a response to The Crusaders, which Jiro Inagaki was paying attention to at the time. The aim was on point. With this work, Soul Media acquires a "sophisticated black feeling" and heads toward their final destination, "Funky Stuff.”



Text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUND/DEEP JAZZ REALITY)

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(LP with obi strip) A magnificent concept album that will remain in the history of Japanese jazz

TRACKLIST

A1. By The Red Stream
A2. Warm, Honest And Love
B1. There Is Not Any War To End The War
B2. Something Over The War

INFO

The sound that swallows jazz rock, mode jazz, and free jazz is serious and profound.

A magnificent concept album that will remain in the history of Japanese jazz with the theme of global anti-war and peace

Hiromasa Suzuki, a rare pianist/composer/arranger who showed his skills in the groups of Terumasa Hino and Akira Ishikawa. Collaborating with Big Soul Media, led by Jiro Inagaki, one of the best jazz rock groups of our time, this work is unusual for a Japanese jazz work, and the concept is based on the theme of “global anti-war and peace.”

The sound that swallows jazz rock, mode jazz, and free jazz is serious and solid, but at the same time, it is full of overwhelming dynamism.

Suzuki’s ability to manage a big band and create a masterpiece sound is also splendid, and Big Soul Media, which listened to Suzuki’s intentions and responded to his request, is also splendid.

Both Suzuki and Inagaki’s activities in the jazz-rock era are at their peak, and this work is also important in that it captures the overlap.

text by Yusuke Ogawa (universounds/Deep Jazz Reality)

Composition/Arrangement/Conductor: Hiromasa Suzuki
Performed by Jiro Inagaki and Big Soul Media
Jiro Inagaki (S.Sax, T.Sax)
Shigeo Suzuki (A.Sax)
Tadayuki Harada (B.Sax)
Takehisa Suzuki (Trumpet)
Tetsuo Fushimi (Trumpet)
Takeshi Nomura (Trumpet)
Shigemichi Domoto (Trombone)
Tadataka Nakazawa (Trombone)
Kazuo Usui (Trombone)
Tsunehide Matsuki (Guitar)
Masaru Imada (Piano, Organ)
Hiromasa Suzuki (Piano, Organ)
Yasuo Arakawa (Bass) / Gen Ishimatsu (Drums)

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(Gatefold LP with obi-strip) Recorded in 1969, the soundtrack is considered one of the best free jazz albums in Japan. Features icons of the Japanese Free Jazz scene: Masahiko Togashi and Motoki Takagi



TRACKLIST

A1. Isolation I
B1. Isolation II


INFO

Music from the movie “Abbreviated Serial Killer”. In this soundtrack Masahiko Togashi and Motoki Takagi challenged “the limit of improvisational performance”.

The film was directed by Masao Adachi. This is a so-called “landscape film” about Norio Nagayama, a serial killer. Masahiko Togashi, who was asked to compose the music, recorded three songs as a duo with Motoki Takagi. Togashi said, “I thought it was strange to compose the human heart,” and the recording was done with “total improvisation.”

Recorded in December 1969. This year is the beginning of the Japanese free jazz trend.This album is an important work that Togashi, who was the central figure of the scene, and Takagi, who also had a strong presence at the core, said, “I challenged the limits of improvisation.” The soundtrack is one of the best free jazz albums in Japan.

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(LP + insert with obi-strip) Regarding this work, Inagaki said, “We made this work while anticipating the fate of fusion music.”This album contains the mellow and emotional track “Memory Lane”, the stormy and refreshing “I Will Give You Samba”, and the groovy and edgy “Take My Hand”



TRACKLIST

A1. Memory Lane
A2. Somethin' Good Is Comin'
A3. I Will Give You Samba
A4. Dried Flowers
B1. Culmination
B2. Rain
B3. Take My Hand
B4. Double Images
B5. Bye Bye So Long

INFO

Soul Media is led by Jiro Inagaki, who played a part in the development of jazz rock in Japan. This album “Memory Lane” was recorded in 1980.

Regarding this work, Inagaki said, “We made this work while anticipating the fate of fusion music.”

This album contains the mellow and emotional track “Memory Lane”, the stormy and refreshing “I Will Give You Samba”, and the groovy and edgy “Take My Hand”

The sound that Jiro created with his sworn friend Norio Maeda while looking ahead to the future of Jazz has an extraordinary degree of perfection in terms of song, arrangement, and performance. Listening to this album years later, it’s still vivid and fresh.

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(Pressed on Black vinyl, LP with OBI, Originally released in 1976) 2023 pressing Japanese Import of the Japanese Jazz-Funk classic. Deeply involved in the works of Terumasa Hino, Akira Ishikawa and Jiro Inagaki the 1976 Jazz-funk classic 'Flying-High,' showed his innovativeness, which was always one step ahead of the times, in the overall financial results.

TRACKLIST
A1. High-Flying
A2. Screwdriver
A3. Scramble

B1. Between O&M
B2. Smash
B3. Straight Flash
B4. Out of Focus



INFO



Hiromasa Suzuki is a composer/arranger/key player who has been active in the Japanese music world, including jazz as well as movies, television and commercials. In the late ‘60s and mid-’70s, he was deeply involved in the works of Terumasa Hino, Akira Ishikawa and Jiro Inagaki in the most radical times. The album “High-Flying,” recorded in 1976, showed his innovativeness, which was always one step ahead of the times, in the overall financial results.



Composed By, Arranged By, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Piano, Electric Piano – Hiromasa Suzuki

Drums – Shuichi Murakami

Electric Bass – Akira Okazawa, Kenji Takamizu

Electric Guitar – Fujimaru Yoshino, Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Masayoshi Takanaka

Keyboards, Synthesizer – Jun Fukamachi

Percussion – Larry Sunaga

Producer, Flute, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Jiro Inagaki

Vocals – Kayoko Ishu

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(Pressed on Black vinyl, LP with OBI, originally released in 1970) 2023 pressing Japanese Import of the Japanese Jazz-Funk classic. The drums of fire scorch the age. With his young and talented Sound Limited, Takeshi Inomata heralds the arrival of the golden age of jazz rock in high spirits.


TRACKLIST
A1. Theme~Mustache
A2. Tak's Tune
A3. Joint

B1. Monster
B2. Lullaby For Yuh
B3. Scotland Scene
B4. Theme



INFO



The drums of fire scorch the age. With his young and talented Sound Limited, Takeshi Inomata heralds the arrival of the golden age of jazz rock in high spirits. Drummer Takeshi Inomata, who led the Japanese jazz scene with his precise stick work and musicality with an eye on the times, formed Sound Limited at the end of the 1960s, influenced by the brass rock music that was flourishing at the time. He said, “I wanted to fuse jazz and rock and bring together young musicians to play music with vitality. I want this group to be a group with a large scale that is not confined to the small frame of modern jazz,” he said, launching a new axis. Their first album, “The Sound of Sound Limited” (1970), became their masterpiece. It is a masterpiece that is full of energy and enthusiasm throughout the album, starting with “Theme~Mustache,” which has become one of the most beloved and iconic songs of the band.



Drums, Music Director – Takeshi Inomata

Electric Bass – Jun Suzuki

Electric Guitar – Ryo Kawasaki, Shigenori Kamiya

Flute – Toshiaki Yokota

Mixed By – Eiji Uemura

Organ – Yusuke Hoguchi

Tenor Saxophone – Takao Uematsu

Trombone – Shigemichi Domoto, Takashi Imai

Trumpet – Shunzo Ohno, Takashi Kumagai

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TRACKLISTING:



A1. That's How I Feel
A2. Blue Blood
A3. It's Impossible
A4. Put It Where You Want It
A5. Crazy Medicine

B1. Joie De Vivre
B2. Papa Hooper's Barrel House Groove
B3. Thrill Is Gone
B4. Raven Speaks
B5. Samba Chimba


• 2024 Record Store Day Exclusive

• Japanese Jazz

• Original released in 1973

• White Coloured Vinyl



Refined jazz. Well-crafted rock. Finely honed funk. Swallowing everything, a strong groove begins to run.

Since their formation in 1969, Soul Media has advocated a fusion of jazz and rock. This work, ``In the Groove,'' recorded in 1973, took this route to the next step. Bringing the sharpness of jazz to the fore, blending rock to give it an edge, and injecting funk to exude power and elasticity. They created strong, sophisticated, and simply "cool music" that could not be categorized into existing genres such as jazz-rock, jazz-funk, and fusion.

This work is said to be a response to The Crusaders, which Jiro Inagaki was paying attention to at the time. The aim was on point. With this work, Soul Media acquires a "sophisticated black feeling" and heads toward their final destination, "Funky Stuff.”



Text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUND/DEEP JAZZ REALITY)

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Kalita are proud to announce the first ever 7” single reissue of what is possibly the most covered gospel disco record in existence, the Al-Dos Band’s soulful masterpiece ‘Doing Our Thing With Pride’.


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On textstar+ Jan Jelinek brings together the material from the CMYK series, four EPs he released between 1999 and 2002 under the pseudonym farben (the German word for both colours and paints), on a vinyl double LP for the first time. The selection of tracks has been remastered from the original tapes, joined by two additional pieces that appeared on compilations during the same period.
A Polaroid. Still life with tangled leads and consumer electronics, late twentieth century. Black and various shades of dirty white are the dominant non-colours. The image’s spatial depth remains diffuse, the links between its elements speculative. A note stuck to the wall (a legend, perhaps, or an all-explaining blueprint in text form?) is impossible to decipher. You can’t see what connects the picture’s signs. You have to hear it.

farben says: Every sound is a text. A bearer of meaning in search of a reader. Hoping the ideas inscribed in its autonomous existence will be understood as intended. While its beauty lies precisely in misunderstanding, in reading the coded message a new way every time. A thousand colours of sound, a thousand different ways to hear, to see, to understand.

On textstar+ Jan Jelinek brings together the material from the CMYK series, four EPs he released between 1999 and 2002 under the pseudonym farben (the German word for both colours and paints), on a vinyl double LP for the first time. The selection of tracks has been remastered from the original tapes, joined by two additional pieces that appeared on compilations during the same period. Another new element is the Polaroid, showing the origins of a world: Jelinek’s home studio in Berlin at the time.

farben says: Move your body! The project has its roots in Jelinek’s love of house as a reductionist vision of soul. Of four to the floor as a proposition that can be accessed anywhere. Of electronic dance music as a realm of possibility that can be continually expanded. farben was written as contemporary house music. As a text about excitement and euphoria. The arrangements were made directly while recording to DAT, on a twelve-channel mixing desk. Several track titles suggest a link to live concerts, coupled with the context of machine music and bedroom recording. Others affirm pop music’s most extravagant stock phrases about various states of love.

Jelinek produced the tracks with the aim of making music for dancefloors. An idea that failed very productively. In the locations to which it was originally addressed, the project barely figured. But people did listen, and they listened all the more closely to this music that opened up new acoustic and associative scope for house. farben is the opposite of genre: a music spawning new terms (clicks & cuts, micro-house) that never manage to fully capture it.

farben says: Signifiers. The four CMYK EPs are designed as a network of references that cannot be missed but that can also never be precisely deciphered. The vectors of sound, word and image point to Isaac Hayes and Ornette Coleman, to Detroit and the first generation of the Red Army Faction, to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. So multifarious that they are distorted to the point of recognition. Overall we hear sonic docufictions whose appealing vagueness derives precisely from this oscillation between clarity and ambiguity, which is also the source of their poetry: the lyricism of the pure circulation of signs.

The artwork is based on photographs of former Red Army Faction members, broken down into the four colours of the CMYK model. The motifs dissolve into individual dots of a single colour, so close to the faces that their expressions are only hinted at. Taken together, the individual colours compose a new whole out of fragmentary material, defying definition and thus maintaining their vibrancy. The same occurs on the level of sound. The sampler Jelinek used for these tracks had to be fed with floppy disks, imposing a memory limit of 1.44 megabytes per audio quotation from soul or jazz records. As a necessary consequence of this, the individual references, like the dots of colour, are dissolved into details and abstractions. They appear as splinters that recombine in new ways to create new meanings. The joy of collapsing metaphors.

farben says: New departures. Even two decades after its original release, textstar+ does not come across as an epitaph to the modern era. Instead, it appears as a euphoric affirmation of the utopias of the twentieth century, translated into new sound texts via the aesthetic strategies of abstraction, collage, networking and speculation. 1.44 megabytes of history, one thousand signifiers, one album. From “Live ...” to “... Love”.

Arno Raffeiner, 2021

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(clear pink color vinyl / LP with OBI) Fresh reissued magic of Funky Stuff, formerly a rare exquisite by jazzmaster Jiro Inagaki, originally released in 1975. An enduring, pioneering fusion of jazz, funk, soul and rock - the album features some of the best and most acclaimed Japanese musicians of the time, enlisting the talent-wares of Hiromasa Suzuki on keyboards, Akira Ishikawa on drums and Takeru Muraoka on sax.



TRACKLIST

A1. Painted Paradise
A2. Funky Motion
A3. Breeze
A4. Scratch
B1. Funky Stuff
B2. One For Jiro
B3. Gentle Wave
B4. Four Up


INFO

Fresh reissued magic of Funky Stuff, formerly a rare exquisite by jazzmaster Jiro Inagaki, originally released in 1975. An enduring, pioneering fusion of jazz, funk, soul and rock - with influences from Herbie Hancock, James Brown and Santana - the album features some of the best and most acclaimed Japanese musicians of the time, enlisting the talent-wares of Hiromasa Suzuki on keyboards, Akira Ishikawa on drums and Takeru Muraoka on sax.



Originally released in 1975
Features a cover of “Funky Stuff” by Kool & The Gang
All songs written and arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki
Pressed on Pink Vinyl

Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, Flute, Producer – Jiro Inagaki
Electric Piano – Hiromasa Suzuki
Drums – Hajime Ishimatsu
Bass – Akira Okazawa
Guitar – Hiroshi Yasukawa
Trombone – Takashi Imai

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Note: limited edition picture disc

A cult 12? EP from 1987 by legendary Japanese erotic actress Kaoru Kuroki, repressed for the first time on sexy picture disc vinyl.

A total of 4 tunes, including “???? (The Age Of Innocence)”; a strange synth-pop track based on an Okinawan folk song, “A Love Note For You”; an erotic poetry reading she wrote herself, “?????? (Birth From Time)”; a killer techno-pop track that could work as a hidden gem for DJs and ???? (Chinatown Love) ???; an erotic serenade dedicated to Chinatown.

Picture disc in the colorful cover.

Licensed by TEICHIKU RECORDS CO.,LTD; original master tapes.

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A live performance of four early works by Steve Reich: "Four Organs", "My Name Is", "Piano Phase", and "Phase Patterns." This performance marked an important moment in San Francisco Bay Area new music history with the triumphant return to the East Bay by Steve Reich, who studied at Mills College with Luciano Berio, and who performed the 1964 world premiere of Terry Riley's seminal work, “In C", at the San Francisco Tape Music Center. The resonant acoustics of the University of California at Berkeley Museum’s concrete interior were especially appropriate for “Four Organs”, with its long additive sustained chords over a maraca pulse. The capacity crowd occupied every conceivable area of the interior space, including walkway ramps suspended over gallery spaces. It was an electrifying evening!

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Dark Entries flashes back to the grimy streets of New York City circa 1982 to bring us an unreleased album from cult outfit Ike Yard. Comprised of Stuart Argabright, Michael Diekmann, Kenneth Compton, and Fred Szymanski, Ike Yard sits between the sinewy proto-body music of the Neue Deutsche Welle and the shattered grooves of their No Wave peers in New York. The band’s initial run was short but blinding. They released an EP for Les Disques du Crépuscule in 1981, which was followed by their legendary self-titled LP for Factory in 1982. They disbanded within a year, frustrated by the slow pace at which the industry was able to release their increasingly challenging music. 1982 features 10 tracks which likely would have become the band’s second LP - only four of these songs have previously seen release on 2006’s 1980-82 Collected via Acute Records. Following the release of Ike Yard, they continued down their tortured path of hybrid electro-acoustic music with an arsenal of now-classic analog instruments, including the Korg MS-20 and the Roland TR-808. Skittering rhythms teeter on the verge of collapse while seasick synth warbles threaten to push us overboard. Electronic washes devolve into waves of feedback. Sneering basslines threaten dancers to move, but how can the body obey? This is dangerous music, gliding along the brink. The album features a live photo of the band by Makoto Iida and includes an insert with liner notes from Stuart Argabright. 1982 is essential for fans of post-punk and caustic electronics from Liaisons Dangereuses to Beau Wanzer.

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(Originally released in 1987, Comes with obi, Pressed on Black Viny) A masterpiece of Japanese ambient/new age music

TRACKLIST

A1. Himawari
A2. Retro no Shizuku
A3. Yasha
A4. Boufuu
A5. Reien no Madobe
B1. Kinshitsu no Shirabe
B2. Itoshi no Rei
B3. Keisetsu
B4. Ranja no Sono
B5. Koshuu

INFO

Soundtrack of the documentary program for Japanese art history, “Japan: Its Heart and Form” which was aired on NHK educational channel from 1987 to 1988. Akira Mitake worked on it, and after the dissolution of Ippudo, he produced music for the media and provided music to many artists, mainly pop music. It’s an electronic work that expresses the silence, space, romance reminiscent of Japanese spirit. The entire contents has a mysterious atmosphere, “Yasha” and “Keisetsu” are particularly captivating, evoking the beauty of Japan. Truly amazing piece left by the talent behind Masami Tsuchiya, who can be interpreted as ambient music.

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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Germany
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The Beat by SPUN – West Coast Breakbeat Rave Electrofunk 1988-1994. In the late 1980s, Disco was taking a backseat to the burgeoning psychedelic scene in San Francisco, marking a pivotal shift in musical culture. A dynamic transformation was underway as the younger generation sought a fresh auditory adventure, all while the devastating AIDS epidemic cast a somber pall over the city's nightlife. Amidst this evolving backdrop, a subtle yet distinct sonic movement quietly emerged within the confines of San Francisco’s vibrant club scene, often referred to as "The Beat." Although Hip-Hop, New Wave, Gothic, Punk, and the burgeoning Modern Rock genre held considerable sway, the pre-RAVE clubs in SF witnessed the fusion of these genres into a unique amalgam of sound that insiders dubbed “The Beat.” This musical tapestry encompassed everything from Hip-Hop and Freestyle to Industrial, New Wave, Boogie, Miami Bass, and Techno – the unifying thread being the distinctive vibe that characterised this eclectic mix. As House, Techno, and Raving gradually gained prominence along the West Coast, a distinctive interpretation of these evolving sounds took root. Drawing inspiration from influential hubs like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Europe, and notably the UK, which saw a wave of talented young DJs migrate to California, San Francisco became the backdrop for its own version of the second Summer of Love. While the exact chronology might spark debate – some recalling '92, while others leaning towards '93 – what remains indisputable is the era spanning from 1990 to 1994, an unparalleled epoch of exuberant dancefloor revelry on the western shores. In the face of limited backing from major labels or established independent dance music entities of the time, a grassroots movement of labels and producers emerged organically, ardently championing this distinct sound and catapulting it onto the global stage. This sonic identity was deeply influenced by “the Beat,” acting as a creative wellspring that informed the musical landscape. While the tracks compiled in these volumes might not encompass the entirety of this transformative musical epoch, they offer a vivid snapshot of the melodious tapestry that coloured San Francisco and the broader West Coast during that era. Each track featured stands as a 100% Sure Shot that was played heavily by DJ Spun back in those very heady days.

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