fter dominating 2023 with two joint albums from two of hip-hop’s biggest producers in The Alchemist (The Great Escape) & Cardo (The Night Shift), Larry June is back with his first full length offering of 2024, Doing It For Me. Going back to his roots of what made him the type of man he is today and the formula that initially brought him success, the album contains no features and focuses on Larry doing things his way, for himself. From enlightening listeners on how to move like a boss and live a healthy lifestyle, to flashing what his hard work has brought, fans are sure to be able to soak up some game on how to improve their own situations. The 15-track album features production from Jake One, DJ Khalil, Harry Fraud, Cardo, Cookin’ Soul, Teeko & more. Singles include "Imported Couches," "Meet Me In Napa," "Dreams," & "Like A Mack." If there’s one thing we know about Uncle Larry thus far, it’s consistency. Listen to Doing It For Me and prepare to watch your habits improve. Picture Disc vinyl, housed in a gatefold jacket, and includes a 12x12 Insert and obi strip.

Key Marketing/Selling:
Larry June is a heavy physical mover
Previously released albums, The Great Escape, The Night Shift, Spaceships on the Blade, & Orange Print, have all performed well physically
1xLP Picture Disc vinyl, housed in gatefold jacket, includes obi strip and 12x12 insert
Larry June recently went on sold out nationwide tour, and is expected to tour in support of this release
Bike ride activation in SF planned on album release
Merch line to be released alongside album release
Extensive OOH/Digital campaign
Multiple music videos released with more to come
Album contains no features, only raps from Uncle Larry
Production includes notable producers such as Jake One, DJ Khalil, Harry Fraud, Cardo, Cookin’ Soul, Teeko & more
Previously released singles have all performed well across DSPs
Imported Couches - 5.5M+ streams
Meet Me In Napa - 6M streams
Dreams - 3.7M+ streams


Tracklist:
A1/1. From Uncle Herm, Pt. 5
A2/2. Magnum P.I.
A3/3. Morning Calculations
A4/4. A Little While
A5/5. Stinson Beach
A6/6. Real Talk, Pt. 2
A7/7. Three Piece
A8/8. Where I'm Going
B1/9. Meet Me in Napa
B2/10. Breakfast in Gold Coast
B3/11. Imported Couches
B4/12. Cleaning My Spot (Interlude)
B5/13. Like a Mack
B6/14. Dreams
B7/15. Money Bag
More

After a monsterous run of sold out North American and European shows following the release of the critically acclaimed album, Orange Print, San Francisco legend and entrepreneur Larry June is back with his next solo offering, Spaceships on the Blade. The 18-track album features the previously released singles, "Private Valet" & "In My Pockets," and sees production from a wide range of producers, such as Jake One, DJ Khalil, Cardo, DJ Fresh, Chuck Inglish, Turbo & more. With an eye on always expanding and diversifying his income streams, it's clear to see that Uncle Larry is going to continue to do numbers for a long time. Good Job, Larry.

Key Marketing/Selling:
- 10th solo studio album from the acclaimed San Francisco rapper, Larry June
- Second offering of 2022, following the highly successful joint album with Jay Worthy, 2 P'z In A Pod
- The first two singles from the album, "Private Valet" & "In My Pockets," have collectively generated over 1M Spotify streams & 1M views on YouTube since release on July 15th & July 29th respectively - 8/1/22
- The two singles landed numerous placements on DSPs:
- Spotify Playlist Placements: NMF (US), New Joints, Mind Right, Westside Story, Mellow Bars
- Apple Playlist Placements: NMD, The Plug, Street Politics, Get Up And Go, New In HipHop, BASE:LINE
- Apple Music Features (Hip Hop): Best New Songs
- Tidal Playlist Placements: New West Coast, New Arrivals: Dolby Atmos, Hip-Hop: Dolby Atmos
- Amazon Playlist Placements: Breakthrough Hip-Hop, Fresh Hip-Hop
Tracklist:
1. Track 1
2. Private Valet
3. Track 3
4. Track 4
5. Track 5
6. Track 6
7. Track 7
8. Track 8
9. Track 9
More

LP
Translucent Orange Vinyl

About:
The San Francisco Legend, Larry June, returns with the aptly titled Orange Print, which maps out his own vision for success. With themes of health, wealth, numbers, and diversifying your income streams, Larry June flexes the philosophies that have helped him go from street hustler to made man. With production from heavyweight producers such as Jake One, Sndtrak, Cardo, & Sledgren, features include Money Man, Trae The Truth, & DeJ Loaf.

Key Selling/Marketing:
- In-person album release activation for release weekend
- Multiple music videos released with more planned
- RapCaviar has supported each single release and has made several mentions about the album
- The singles "Wait On Me" and "You Gotta" have combined for over 1M views on YouTube and over 500k streams on Spotify in 2 weeks
- Outdoor campaign planned
- Larry June has over 668k monthly listeners on Spotify
- Larry June has worked with countless notable producers in the space, including Harry Fraud, Jake One, Cookin Soul, Cardo, & Sledgren

Tracklist:
A1/1. From Uncle Herm, Pt. 3 (Intro) (feat. Herm Lewis)
A2/2. Tangible Assets
A3/3. Wait On Me
A4/4. 6am In Sausalito
A5/5. Intercepted (feat. Money Man)
A6/6. Organic Respect
A7/7. You Gotta
B1/8. Still Cookin
B2/9. Grand Nash Chronicles (feat. Trae Tha Truth)
B3./10. Say Less (feat. DeJ Loaf)
B4/11. Escrows And Orange Juice
B5/12. Iced Coffee
B6/13. 7 Mile Bike Ride (Outro)

More

CD
About:
The San Francisco Legend, Larry June, returns with the aptly titled Orange Print, which maps out his own vision for success. With themes of health, wealth, numbers, and diversifying your income streams, Larry June flexes the philosophies that have helped him go from street hustler to made man. With production from heavyweight producers such as Jake One, Sndtrak, Cardo, & Sledgren, features include Money Man, Trae The Truth, & DeJ Loaf.

Key Selling/Marketing:
- In-person album release activation for release weekend
- Multiple music videos released with more planned
- RapCaviar has supported each single release and has made several mentions about the album
- The singles "Wait On Me" and "You Gotta" have combined for over 1M views on YouTube and over 500k streams on Spotify in 2 weeks
- Outdoor campaign planned
- Larry June has over 668k monthly listeners on Spotify
- Larry June has worked with countless notable producers in the space, including Harry Fraud, Jake One, Cookin Soul, Cardo, & Sledgren

Tracklist:
A1/1. From Uncle Herm, Pt. 3 (Intro) (feat. Herm Lewis)
A2/2. Tangible Assets
A3/3. Wait On Me
A4/4. 6am In Sausalito
A5/5. Intercepted (feat. Money Man)
A6/6. Organic Respect
A7/7. You Gotta
B1/8. Still Cookin
B2/9. Grand Nash Chronicles (feat. Trae Tha Truth)
B3./10. Say Less (feat. DeJ Loaf)
B4/11. Escrows And Orange Juice
B5/12. Iced Coffee
B6/13. 7 Mile Bike Ride (Outro)

More

fter dominating 2023 with two joint albums from two of hip-hop’s biggest producers in The Alchemist (The Great Escape) & Cardo (The Night Shift), Larry June is back with his first full length offering of 2024, Doing It For Me. Going back to his roots of what made him the type of man he is today and the formula that initially brought him success, the album contains no features and focuses on Larry doing things his way, for himself. From enlightening listeners on how to move like a boss and live a healthy lifestyle, to flashing what his hard work has brought, fans are sure to be able to soak up some game on how to improve their own situations. The 15-track album features production from Jake One, DJ Khalil, Harry Fraud, Cardo, Cookin’ Soul, Teeko & more. Singles include "Imported Couches," "Meet Me In Napa," "Dreams," & "Like A Mack." If there’s one thing we know about Uncle Larry thus far, it’s consistency. Listen to Doing It For Me and prepare to watch your habits improve. Picture Disc vinyl, housed in a gatefold jacket, and includes a 12x12 Insert and obi strip.

Key Marketing/Selling:
Larry June is a heavy physical mover
Previously released albums, The Great Escape, The Night Shift, Spaceships on the Blade, & Orange Print, have all performed well physically
1xLP Picture Disc vinyl, housed in gatefold jacket, includes obi strip and 12x12 insert
Larry June recently went on sold out nationwide tour, and is expected to tour in support of this release
Bike ride activation in SF planned on album release
Merch line to be released alongside album release
Extensive OOH/Digital campaign
Multiple music videos released with more to come
Album contains no features, only raps from Uncle Larry
Production includes notable producers such as Jake One, DJ Khalil, Harry Fraud, Cardo, Cookin’ Soul, Teeko & more
Previously released singles have all performed well across DSPs
Imported Couches - 5.5M+ streams
Meet Me In Napa - 6M streams
Dreams - 3.7M+ streams


Tracklist:
A1/1. From Uncle Herm, Pt. 5
A2/2. Magnum P.I.
A3/3. Morning Calculations
A4/4. A Little While
A5/5. Stinson Beach
A6/6. Real Talk, Pt. 2
A7/7. Three Piece
A8/8. Where I'm Going
B1/9. Meet Me in Napa
B2/10. Breakfast in Gold Coast
B3/11. Imported Couches
B4/12. Cleaning My Spot (Interlude)
B5/13. Like a Mack
B6/14. Dreams
B7/15. Money Bag
More

After a monsterous run of sold out North American and European shows following the release of the critically acclaimed album, Orange Print, San Francisco legend and entrepreneur Larry June is back with his next solo offering, Spaceships on the Blade. The 18-track album features the previously released singles, "Private Valet" & "In My Pockets," and sees production from a wide range of producers, such as Jake One, DJ Khalil, Cardo, DJ Fresh, Chuck Inglish, Turbo & more. With an eye on always expanding and diversifying his income streams, it's clear to see that Uncle Larry is going to continue to do numbers for a long time. Good Job, Larry.

Key Marketing/Selling:
- 10th solo studio album from the acclaimed San Francisco rapper, Larry June
- Second offering of 2022, following the highly successful joint album with Jay Worthy, 2 P'z In A Pod
- The first two singles from the album, "Private Valet" & "In My Pockets," have collectively generated over 1M Spotify streams & 1M views on YouTube since release on July 15th & July 29th respectively - 8/1/22
- The two singles landed numerous placements on DSPs:
- Spotify Playlist Placements: NMF (US), New Joints, Mind Right, Westside Story, Mellow Bars
- Apple Playlist Placements: NMD, The Plug, Street Politics, Get Up And Go, New In HipHop, BASE:LINE
- Apple Music Features (Hip Hop): Best New Songs
- Tidal Playlist Placements: New West Coast, New Arrivals: Dolby Atmos, Hip-Hop: Dolby Atmos
- Amazon Playlist Placements: Breakthrough Hip-Hop, Fresh Hip-Hop
Tracklist:
1. Track 1
2. Private Valet
3. Track 3
4. Track 4
5. Track 5
6. Track 6
7. Track 7
8. Track 8
9. Track 9
More

Territory: Germany, Austria, Switzerland only

Single LP Gatefold (terracota vinyl)

Tracklist

1. Kravitz
2. Pantalla azul
3. Elastica II
4. Oidos
5. Quieras o no
6. Enfrente
7. Elastica
8. Márgen del indice
9. Alarmas olvidadas
10. Descubrimos un suspiro
11. Intento fallido
12. Kitana
13. Angel nuevo

A sense of destiny hangs over Sentir Que No Sabes, Mabe Fratti’s fourth solo-credited album released in a five year span. Her work has always possessed a finely tuned sense of drama capable of expressing a range of emotional states, and across this new album, she conveys the struggle to process various relationships or situations–and the actions that come next. Sentir Que No Sabes is urgent and clear, poppy, generous and approachable, while showcasing a considerable emotional hinterland. It is also, as Fratti is quick to mention, “groovy.”

Written and recorded with her partner, multi-instrumentalist, and co-composer Héctor Tosta (I.La Católica, Titanic), Sentir Que No Sabes is the result of an intense, detail-oriented process. Fueled by a new confidence gained in their collaborative project, Titanic, and its critically acclaimed 2023 LP, Vidrio, the two hunkered down in the familiarity of their studio (aka Tinho Studios) to bash out the initial sonic coordinates of her new record. “We talked and talked, and discussed ways of playing and recording, until things became inevitable,” Fratti explains. “We recorded a bunch of demos at our home studio and that meant we had a lot of time to re-edit and experiment. We really dug in. We were super focused on detail.” Tosta also took up the controls as producer and arranger-in-chief for all additional instruments. The album was later completed at Willem Twee Studios in Den Bosch in the Netherlands, and Pedro y el Lobo Studios and Soy Sauce Studios, in Mexico City.

For the final studio recordings, the pair were joined by drummer Gibran Andrade and trumpetist Jacob Wick to fill out and expand on Tosta’s percussion and brass arrangements. This small group of friends were able to work quickly and openly, and without fear: a testament to the exhaustive groundwork put in at Tinho Studios. This can be heard in three short, intermediary tracks that also manage to be the most aggressive on the record: “Kitana” (a scratch-laden instrumental that acts as a strange prelude for the last track, “Angel nuevo”) and a pair of two-minute instrumental interludes, “Elastica” I and II. None are throwaway mood pieces; rather they act as emotional cue cards, and hint at the way Fratti and Tosta created the overall atmosphere of Sentir Que No Sabes.

A strong sense of rhythm irrigates the sound from the jump, as heard on the glorious opening track, “Kravitz.” Here, the brilliant plucked cello line acts as a bassline and props up the steady thump of the kick drum. The cello’s growl serves as a conduit for a set of slightly paranoid lyrics that tell us “Quizás haya oídos en el techo” (“maybe there are ears in the ceiling”), while the song also introduces another staple of the record: the clever brass stabs, whistles, parps, and other interjections that paint a canvas of traffic in a city. It’s a postmodern, widescreen sound that for some might recall The Blue Nile’s Hats.

Sentir Que No Sabes is a record full to the brim with a modern pop sensibility, invoked by the sort of magpie spirit that ensnares anything it can find, repositioning sounds for the here and now. The keys and melody on the melancholy “Pantalla azul” (“Blue screen error”) transport us back to the glossy mid-1980s. “Oídos” (“Ears”) is a beautiful slice of contemporary, hybrid pop, in which Fratti’s vocal lines delicately spin themselves around the lean structures erected by the brass and drums, and the descending “plink” of a set of piano chords. Then we have a gloriously strong ending with the swell of “Angel nuevo” (“New angel”), another cinematic track full of gentle, instrument-rich swells and eddies that manages to be almost endless in its range–and yet intensely personal, as Fratti’s voice is close, almost whispering in your ear. A much needed lullaby for our fractious times.

The lyrics, for their part, have a stop-start quality to them, and hint at the small, incremental emotional taxes we pay through just living our lives. They circle around the music like birds waiting to swoop. There is something of the spiritual in all of Fratti’s work that expresses itself in a form of yearning: she looks to new horizons while personal dramas find themselves internalized, contextualized, and then dealt with through metaphor. Here, she was keen to mention Tosta’s constant encouragement in her finding a path to best sing or phrase her words to impart their maximum effect. “Hector was super inquisitive about my lyrics and asked me questions about what I meant, which sometimes is something you don't wonder so much about in isolation,” Fratti explains. “Besides, he is a great poet, and you can see that in what he did on the Titanic record. This made me go deeper into my lyric writing and definitely transformed it into something that I feel super happy about now.”

Take “Enfrente” (“In Front”), a track that initially comes across as a languid, glossy number, with plucked cello strings standing in for a bass line and brittle synth parts. Soon we catch on to a brilliant minor chord switch, which mirrors the fear and doubt expressed in the lyrics as someone “trembles up to the podium” in a “search for meaning.” There’s also the startling introduction of a vocoder in “Quieras o no” (“Whether you want it or not”); it comes precisely at the point Fratti sings “Quieras o no es un desastre” (“Whether you want it or not, it's a disaster”). Moments like these leave room for interpretation and, over time, create a strong bond between the listener and the record.

In fact, across Sentir Que No Sabes, each phrase–whether instrumental or vocal–becomes at some level emblematic of acts and moods that impart deep emotional significance. We see this best on “Intento fallido” (“Failed attempt”), which could be the score to feeling trapped in self-doubt, only to suddenly be sprung free by the song’s gloriously upbeat ending. On “Márgen del índice” (“Index margin”), the quicksilver switch between initial disharmony and a beautiful melody is breathtaking, all augmented by evocative arrangements, textured production, and the slightly playful, gnomic lyrics. The track’s emotional ecosystem allows another brilliant ending, which uses the simple repeated phrase, “Cómo lo va a ver?” (“How are you going to see it?”).

So what to make of Sentir Que No Sabes? High gloss Pastoralism? The sound of a city-bound, post-post modern soulscape? No matter the emotions evoked, it's the work of an artist coming into their own, and creating a benchmark record.



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LP 180g Heavyweight vinyl, Remastered, with original track-list available on vinyl for the first time

"Ken Ishii has risen to be one of techno's biggest names" Bandcamp Daily

"A pivotal moment in the history of techno, ambient and electronic music from Japan. An important milestone in a journey to explore the endless possibilities of music and a precious result of our passion and adventure at the time" Manabu Yamazaki (Sublime Records)


GENRE: Techno, Ambient


Tracklist:

1. Into The Inside (2024 Remaster)
2. Fading Sky (2024 Remaster)
3. Non Essential (2024 Remaster)

Side B

1. Finite Time (2024 Remaster)
2. Interjection (2024 Remaster)
3. Scene One (2024 Remaster)


New liner notes by Martyn Pepperell

The musician and DJ Ken Ishii sits right at the pinnacle of techno's most noteworthy, but although a game changer for the artist personally - and for Japanese electronic music in general - his 1994 album 'Reference to Difference' is something of an unsung gem today.

Now reissued and remastered, released to mark the 30th anniversary of Musicmine / Sublime Records, and available on vinyl with its original track-list for the first time, this stunning, lesser-known classic is ripe for rediscovery.

Born 1970 in Sapporo, Ishii was introduced to electronic music at a young age through arcade games, and Japanese and German pioneers like Yellow Magic Orchestra, Isao Tomita and Kraftwerk. During his teens, he absorbed new wave, synth-pop, EBM and industrial, before making a life-changing discovery of Detroit techno in the late 80s.

As the 1990s dawned, so did his introduction to Black Dog Productions and Warp Records' Artificial Intelligence compilations. Blown away by the emerging British and American IDM, braindance, and ambient techno movements, he quickly folded their influence into his still-developing but cultivated aesthetic.

A futuristic confluence of unplaceable ambient atmospheres, space age techno, IDM and minimalist composition, 'Reference To Difference' unfolds as an effortless series of exercises in pristine synth textures, robust man/machine rhythm and understated melodies. It teleports the listener back to a golden moment in the mid-1990s, when a dedicated generation rose out of Tokyo's storied clubs and took the innovation, energy, and creativity of Japan's unique techno culture to the world.

Opened in 1993, Maniac Love was a new nightclub where Manabu Yamazaki aka DJ Yama promoted the Sublime parties, which soon became a crucial hub within the burgeoning Tokyo underground. It was here where Yamazaki rubbed shoulders with peers including Ishii and Susumu Yokota, and the trio's future became intertwined.

Much like Ishii, the late Susumu Yokota began his musical career by reaching out to Europe. Not long before Ishii released his debut longplayer 'Garden On The Palm' through Belgium's R&S, Yokota released his debut LP 'The Frankfurt-Tokyo Connection' through Harthouse, the German label co-founded by Sven Väth. In the wake of both records' overseas success, Ishii and Yokota set a benchmark for techno in Japan.

By 1993, as they both became in-demand producers and DJs, it felt like their dreams were coming true. Through talking with Ishii and Yokota, Yamazaki became emboldened to transform Sublime into a record label.

Soon after, Yamazaki partnered with Hideoki Amano, who was on the verge of founding Musicmine, a now respected and longstanding independent Japanese music company. As Yamazaki tells it, Amano helped him turn his dream into a reality: Sublime Records.

For Musicmine and Sublime Records' inaugural album releases, Yamazaki and Amano approached both Ishii and Yokota, resulting in the simultaneous drop of 'Reference To Difference' and 'Acid Mt. Fuji' respectively, on June 29th 1994.

Yamazaki remembered 'Reference To Difference' being well received by DJs, listeners, record store buyers and journalists, stating "people were excited by this new wave of music coming out of Japan, and had high praise for its unique sound."

With the pair of LPs further stamping Japan on the contemporary musical globe, the scene was beginning to boom at home too. Specialist record stores, and club music magazines like Ele-King and Loud spread the word, and in the wake of Maniac Love's impact, new nightclubs like the legendary Liquid Room were opening up, bringing a steady stream of world-famous DJs to the Japanese capital.

"Without a doubt, I think the arrival of Ken Ishii was a major turning point for the Japanese music industry in the 1990s," Amano reflected. "Nowadays, the Western club music scene is rediscovering Japanese techno from the 1990s, and digging our music is a common sight, but before Ken Ishii, no Japanese DJ was in sync with the global club music scene. He was the catalyst."

"Looking back, I can tell it was meaningful that this was one of the first techno albums by a Japanese artist that was released on a Japanese label," Ishii reflects. "Maybe I did something that bridged between old school Japanese electronic music and 'new school' techno in line with the Detroit sound with this record" he adds, in modest understatement.
The new liner notes were written Martyn Pepperell, a well-regarded music journalist who has covered Susumu Yokota for Wax Poetics and Midori Takada for Dazed, amongst numerous other articles.

Ken Ishi DJ dates:

Fri 14 June Tokyo, Japan : MUSICMINE 30th Anniversary @ WWW
Sat 15 June Nagano Pref, Japan : Re:birth Festival 2024 @ Kurumayama-Kogen Skypark Resort
Sat 22 June Tbilisi, Georgia : Tbilisi Open Air (Khidi Stage) @ Lisi Wonderland
Fri 12 July Tokyo, Japan : TECHNOH LAB. @ Suigian (*Non+techno performance with Manjiro Tatsumi)
Fri 12 July Tokyo, Japan : @ Vent
Fri 26 July Tokyo, Japan : @ Shinjuku Loft
Sun 28 July Naeba, Japan : @ Fuji Rock Festival
Sat 31 August Amsterdam, The Netherlands : Wooferland 2024 @ Houtrak Halfweg

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2024 Repress


- NO SALES TO JAPAN -
Regular Offcial Authorised Vinyl Version, Original Soundtrack, 350g Sleeve, Black Inner, Sticker, 12" 140g Vinyl
- The first ever OFFICIAL vinyl release of the soundtrack for Mamoru Oshii's legendary science fiction anime film GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995).
- LP cut from the original master reels at Emil Berliner Studios, official Ghost in the Shell artwork

Tracklisting LP :
A1 ?I - Making Of Cyborg
A2 Ghosthack
A3 Puppetmaster
A4 Virtual Crime
A5 ?II - Ghost City
B1 Access
B2 Nightstalker
B3 Floating Museum
B4 Ghostdive
B5 ?III - Reincarnation

We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records is thrilled and honored to announce the first ever official vinyl pressing of the soundtrack for Mamoru Oshii's critically acclaimed and all around legendary science fiction anime film GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995), adapted from Masamune Shirow's groundbreaking manga series of the same name.

Cut from the original master reels at Emil Berliner Studios (formerly the in-house recording department of renowned classical record label Deutsche Grammophon), the album comes as a LP accompanied by a bonus one-sided 7" housed in official Ghost in the Shell artwork sleeve with silver gilt printing and a Japanese obi, and contains extensive 24-page liner notes.

The haunting score is composed by Kenji Kawai, one of Japan's most celebrated soundtrack composers, alongside Joe Hisaishi and Ry?ichi Sakamoto, whose work includes Hideo Nakata's Ring (1998) and Ring 2 (1999), Death Note (2006), Hong Kong films Seven Swords by Tsui Hark (2005) and Ip Man by Wilson Yip (2008), and countless others. Kawai's compositions see ancient harmonies and percussions uncannily mesh with synthesized sounds of the modern world to convey a sumptuous balance between folklore tradition and futuristic outlook. For its iconic main theme "Making of Cyborg", Kawai had a choir chant a wedding song in ancient Japanese following Bulgarian folk harmonies, setting the standard for a timeless and unparalleled soundtrack that admirably echoes the film's musings on the nature of humanity in a technologically advanced world.

Ghost in the Shell is widely considered one of the best anime films of all time and its influence has been felt in the work of numerous movie directors, including James Cameron (Avatar), the Wachowskis (The Matrix), and Steven Spielberg (AI: Artificial Intelligence).
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The Standard Edition - Territory - NO Sales to Japan
Ryo Fukui's 1976 highly sought-after jazz masterpiece SCENERY-
LP Edition: Mastered at half speed, 140g vinyl, Sticker

We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records' new sister-label) is proud to present its first release, the official reissue of Ryo Fukui's highly sought-after masterpiece Scenery (1976), sourced from the original masters and available on limited edition 180g vinyl mastered at half speed for audiophile sound and on digipack CD.

Unquestionably one of the most important Japanese jazz albums ever recorded, Scenery reveals Ryo Fukui as a miraculously brilliant self-taught pianist fusing modal, bop, and cool jazz influences for a very personal, dexterous and game-changing take on classic standards made famous by Bing Crosby and John Coltrane among others. From "It Could Happen To You" and its serene and calm intro which magically flows into a jubilant and upbeat piece, to the out-of-this-world piano solo of "Early Summer", or the incredible teamwork of "Autumn Leaves" where Fukui leads Satoshi Denpo (bass) and Yoshinori Fukui (drums) into groove heaven, every single note on the album oozes precision, confidence and flair and every single section slides seamlessly into one another, creating a supreme and elegant blend of jazz. Often compared to McCoy Tyner or Bill Evans, Ryo Fukui was a genius in his own right, a true master of his craft whose perfectionism gave birth to some of the greatest music ever recorded. Scenery is his magnum opus and an absolute must-have.

The Hokkaido wizard-pianist followed Scenery with the soulful gem Mellow Dream (also available on We Release Jazz) in 1977. He then focused on improving his live skills, often performing at Sapporo's Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui) and releasing 2 live albums. Ryo Fukui sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come.


Tracklisting Vinyl LP
A1 It Could Happen To You
A2 I Want To Talk About You
A3 Early Summer
B1 Willow Weep For Me
B2 Autumn Leaves
B3 Scenery
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