1
Masahiro Sugaya - Snippets
Following the reissue of The Pocket of Fever, Ambient Sans presents the second chapter in Masahiro Sugaya’s visionary work for the avant-garde performing arts company Pappa TARAHUMARA.
Founded by Hiroshi Koike in 1982, Pappa TARAHUMARA blended dance, theater, music, and visual art into abstract, immersive stage worlds. Sugaya’s compositions became the sonic counterpart to this radical aesthetic—minimal yet deeply evocative, combining electronics, ambient textures, and delicate melodic gestures into a sound language both intimate and expansive.
Music From Alejo marks his first original stage score for the company: a work where repetition and silence intertwine with shimmering synthesizers and dreamlike motifs, conjuring atmospheres that feel suspended between reality and reverie. More structured than The Pocket of Fever yet equally poetic, the album reveals Sugaya’s gift for translating movement into sound, balancing modern composition with subtle echoes of Japanese tradition.
Reissued for the first time on vinyl, Music From Alejo includes a printed insert featuring an exclusive interview with the artist, alongside photographs from our visit to his home in Japan. Essential listening for anyone drawn to the ambient minimalism of Hiroshi Yoshimura, Midori Takada, or Brian Eno—reimagined here through the lens of Tokyo’s experimental scene of the 1980s.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Founded by Hiroshi Koike in 1982, Pappa TARAHUMARA blended dance, theater, music, and visual art into abstract, immersive stage worlds. Sugaya’s compositions became the sonic counterpart to this radical aesthetic—minimal yet deeply evocative, combining electronics, ambient textures, and delicate melodic gestures into a sound language both intimate and expansive.
Music From Alejo marks his first original stage score for the company: a work where repetition and silence intertwine with shimmering synthesizers and dreamlike motifs, conjuring atmospheres that feel suspended between reality and reverie. More structured than The Pocket of Fever yet equally poetic, the album reveals Sugaya’s gift for translating movement into sound, balancing modern composition with subtle echoes of Japanese tradition.
Reissued for the first time on vinyl, Music From Alejo includes a printed insert featuring an exclusive interview with the artist, alongside photographs from our visit to his home in Japan. Essential listening for anyone drawn to the ambient minimalism of Hiroshi Yoshimura, Midori Takada, or Brian Eno—reimagined here through the lens of Tokyo’s experimental scene of the 1980s.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
More records from Masahiro Sugaya
1
Masahiro Sugaya - Water-1
2
Masahiro Sugaya - Future's Green
3
Masahiro Sugaya - Scenery Of Heat
4
Masahiro Sugaya - Above The City's Rooftops
5
Masahiro Sugaya - Water-2
6
Masahiro Sugaya - Conversation Of The Wind
7
Masahiro Sugaya - Ballad Of Grass And Trees
8
Masahiro Sugaya - Horizon
Originally released in 1987 on a private cassette - this is the first vinyl release of the absolute gem. Comes with obi strip.
Masahiro Sugaya is a Japanese composer with a prolific career in music for film, television, and the performing arts. Renowned for crafting soundscapes that invite deep contemplation, his music blends synthesizers, field recordings, and traditional Japanese instruments, achieving a delicate balance between minimalism, ambient, and folk influences.
In addition to his experimental compositions, Sugaya has been a pivotal figure in Japanese television and cinema. He collaborated with NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, creating soundtracks for documentaries and educational programs that explored both the everyday and the extraordinary. His ability to translate emotions and landscapes into sound has made him stand out in projects that connect the visual and the musical.
In cinema, Sugaya worked as an arranger for GONTITI, the iconic Japanese guitar duo, and contributed to soundtracks for renowned directors such as Hirokazu Koreeda. His work captures the stillness and subtleties of everyday life, resonating deeply with audiences.
The Pocket of Fever, originally conceived in 1987 as a soundtrack for Pappa Tarahumara’s avant-garde dance company, merges traditional Japanese elements with modern compositional techniques, reflecting the fluid and dreamlike choreography. The album shifts between nostalgia, as in Green of the Future, and the poetic hypnosis of Conversation with the Wind. These pieces invite the listener to explore deeply evocative and intimate sonic landscapes.
Now available for the first time on vinyl, this album was originally released solely on cassette and has been carefully remastered to preserve its delicate textures and vibrant sound. Presented in a limited edition, The Pocket of Fever remains essential for fans of ambient and experimental music. Inspired by figures such as Hiroshi Yoshimura, Midori Takada, and Brian Eno, this timeless masterpiece invites introspection and the appreciation of its serene beauty.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Masahiro Sugaya is a Japanese composer with a prolific career in music for film, television, and the performing arts. Renowned for crafting soundscapes that invite deep contemplation, his music blends synthesizers, field recordings, and traditional Japanese instruments, achieving a delicate balance between minimalism, ambient, and folk influences.
In addition to his experimental compositions, Sugaya has been a pivotal figure in Japanese television and cinema. He collaborated with NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, creating soundtracks for documentaries and educational programs that explored both the everyday and the extraordinary. His ability to translate emotions and landscapes into sound has made him stand out in projects that connect the visual and the musical.
In cinema, Sugaya worked as an arranger for GONTITI, the iconic Japanese guitar duo, and contributed to soundtracks for renowned directors such as Hirokazu Koreeda. His work captures the stillness and subtleties of everyday life, resonating deeply with audiences.
The Pocket of Fever, originally conceived in 1987 as a soundtrack for Pappa Tarahumara’s avant-garde dance company, merges traditional Japanese elements with modern compositional techniques, reflecting the fluid and dreamlike choreography. The album shifts between nostalgia, as in Green of the Future, and the poetic hypnosis of Conversation with the Wind. These pieces invite the listener to explore deeply evocative and intimate sonic landscapes.
Now available for the first time on vinyl, this album was originally released solely on cassette and has been carefully remastered to preserve its delicate textures and vibrant sound. Presented in a limited edition, The Pocket of Fever remains essential for fans of ambient and experimental music. Inspired by figures such as Hiroshi Yoshimura, Midori Takada, and Brian Eno, this timeless masterpiece invites introspection and the appreciation of its serene beauty.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
More records from Ambient Sans
1
Masahiro Sugaya - Water-1
2
Masahiro Sugaya - Future's Green
3
Masahiro Sugaya - Scenery Of Heat
4
Masahiro Sugaya - Above The City's Rooftops
5
Masahiro Sugaya - Water-2
6
Masahiro Sugaya - Conversation Of The Wind
7
Masahiro Sugaya - Ballad Of Grass And Trees
8
Masahiro Sugaya - Horizon
Originally released in 1987 on a private cassette - this is the first vinyl release of the absolute gem. Comes with obi strip.
Masahiro Sugaya is a Japanese composer with a prolific career in music for film, television, and the performing arts. Renowned for crafting soundscapes that invite deep contemplation, his music blends synthesizers, field recordings, and traditional Japanese instruments, achieving a delicate balance between minimalism, ambient, and folk influences.
In addition to his experimental compositions, Sugaya has been a pivotal figure in Japanese television and cinema. He collaborated with NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, creating soundtracks for documentaries and educational programs that explored both the everyday and the extraordinary. His ability to translate emotions and landscapes into sound has made him stand out in projects that connect the visual and the musical.
In cinema, Sugaya worked as an arranger for GONTITI, the iconic Japanese guitar duo, and contributed to soundtracks for renowned directors such as Hirokazu Koreeda. His work captures the stillness and subtleties of everyday life, resonating deeply with audiences.
The Pocket of Fever, originally conceived in 1987 as a soundtrack for Pappa Tarahumara’s avant-garde dance company, merges traditional Japanese elements with modern compositional techniques, reflecting the fluid and dreamlike choreography. The album shifts between nostalgia, as in Green of the Future, and the poetic hypnosis of Conversation with the Wind. These pieces invite the listener to explore deeply evocative and intimate sonic landscapes.
Now available for the first time on vinyl, this album was originally released solely on cassette and has been carefully remastered to preserve its delicate textures and vibrant sound. Presented in a limited edition, The Pocket of Fever remains essential for fans of ambient and experimental music. Inspired by figures such as Hiroshi Yoshimura, Midori Takada, and Brian Eno, this timeless masterpiece invites introspection and the appreciation of its serene beauty.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Masahiro Sugaya is a Japanese composer with a prolific career in music for film, television, and the performing arts. Renowned for crafting soundscapes that invite deep contemplation, his music blends synthesizers, field recordings, and traditional Japanese instruments, achieving a delicate balance between minimalism, ambient, and folk influences.
In addition to his experimental compositions, Sugaya has been a pivotal figure in Japanese television and cinema. He collaborated with NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, creating soundtracks for documentaries and educational programs that explored both the everyday and the extraordinary. His ability to translate emotions and landscapes into sound has made him stand out in projects that connect the visual and the musical.
In cinema, Sugaya worked as an arranger for GONTITI, the iconic Japanese guitar duo, and contributed to soundtracks for renowned directors such as Hirokazu Koreeda. His work captures the stillness and subtleties of everyday life, resonating deeply with audiences.
The Pocket of Fever, originally conceived in 1987 as a soundtrack for Pappa Tarahumara’s avant-garde dance company, merges traditional Japanese elements with modern compositional techniques, reflecting the fluid and dreamlike choreography. The album shifts between nostalgia, as in Green of the Future, and the poetic hypnosis of Conversation with the Wind. These pieces invite the listener to explore deeply evocative and intimate sonic landscapes.
Now available for the first time on vinyl, this album was originally released solely on cassette and has been carefully remastered to preserve its delicate textures and vibrant sound. Presented in a limited edition, The Pocket of Fever remains essential for fans of ambient and experimental music. Inspired by figures such as Hiroshi Yoshimura, Midori Takada, and Brian Eno, this timeless masterpiece invites introspection and the appreciation of its serene beauty.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
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Rod Modell - Pt. 2
Sound trails, minimal structures built with pads, discreet electronic elements, slow, deep and enveloping bass lines, backgrounds of confused voices treated in reverse, circular movements alternating with liquid stasis and quiet...
Creaks on layered sound substrates of indecipherable nature, which seem to emerge from a thick blanket of fog that reveals fragments of real landscapes here and there, ready to disappear from view again after a few moments, once more hidden by clouds of steam in constant motion... A fantastic journey, almost “suspended” in a void, crossing immaterial, confused and evanescent landscapes.
TRACKLIST
A) PART. 1 (19.33)
B) PART. 2 (21.58)
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Creaks on layered sound substrates of indecipherable nature, which seem to emerge from a thick blanket of fog that reveals fragments of real landscapes here and there, ready to disappear from view again after a few moments, once more hidden by clouds of steam in constant motion... A fantastic journey, almost “suspended” in a void, crossing immaterial, confused and evanescent landscapes.
TRACKLIST
A) PART. 1 (19.33)
B) PART. 2 (21.58)
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Força Maior - Quinta à Tarde
2
Força Maior - Cubos
3
Força Maior - Morte Lilás
4
Força Maior - Menta
5
Força Maior - Cascata do Inferno
Força Maior combines the vital saxophone explorations of Pedro Alves Sousa with the infinitely subtle electronic processing of Pedro Tavares. Sousa (aka Má Estrela) is known for manipulating his woodwind through guitar pedalboards & amplifiers, creating far-from-ordinary sonics rooted in unceasing curiosity. For his part, Tavares (aka funcionário) conjoins video & sound work to create space for the pensive wanderings where memory and imagination interlace.
The album Morte Lilás was recorded over a week in June 2023 in Pedro Alves Sousa's family farm, located in the village of Ferreirim, near Lamego, in Portugal. The partly abandoned farm served as the residency, studio, and inspiration for the album: it is a 400-year-old granite farm that belonged to a member of the "40 conspirators"—a group that led the revolution for Portugal's independence from Spain in the 17th century.
Morte Lilás is a remarkable album of committed meditation. Each day on the farm was a recording day for the two Pedros: Sousa on sax & electronics, Tavares on sampler & processing. Apart from slight sonic incursions from the surrounds—the birds on 'Quinta à tarde'—and the sporadic use of sine tones, the source sounds all start from the saxophone. It is then processed both by Sousa & Tavares. The album unfolds as a saxophonic tapestry that breathes with quiet intensity. Each piece invites close listening, revealing fine gestures and tonal shifts that shape a contemplative, ambient space. Força Maior move with calm precision.
The album opens with the unhurried overture 'Quinta à Tarde' [a Portuguese pun on Eno's Thursday Afternoon] that announces the textures at play. Sousa's breathy entrance is paired with a soft, delicately shifting, backdrop. As the track progresses, time seems to stretch. The arrangement resists urgency, favouring subtle evolution over dramatic turns. Pensive layers shift & drift, creating a sense of suspended motion that brings the listener into the environs of Morte Lilás. 'Quinta à Tarde' is a long-form fade, shifting emphasis from Sousa to Tavares.
'Cubos' continues the gauzy feel, but with a more up-tempo tilt. Rhythmic clicks & pings setup a swung time for the sax to interpose melodic lines that are fed back & bent with cascading delays. Força Maior in distilled form.
Força Maior is in top form on the title track 'Morte Lilás', a sprawling centrepiece that showcases their command of atmosphere & emotional pacing. By turning up the reverberation & leaning into a continuous format, they dissolve the gap between hypnotic trance & articulate reverie. Then, a moment of stillness. The track pauses, not abruptly but like a tide pulling back, revealing the contours beneath. What follows is a return to the album's more relaxed architecture: understated rhythms, softened textures, and a sense of spaciousness that opens space for reflection. It is a transition that feels organic, as if the song itself needed to exhale before settling back into its contemplative groove.
'Menta' is another short-form miniature of the band's signature contours: beautiful loops of air pressure gradients that carry an emotive weight & light.
The album closes with 'Cascata do Inferno'. The title suggests violence, but the music whispers instead—an atmospheric cascade of breath & tone that emerges in slow, deliberate waves. Short melodic cycles are matched by shimmering electronic chords. It's a piece that rewards patience, draws the listener in to drift downstream, eyes closed, into the serene turbulence of its current.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
The album Morte Lilás was recorded over a week in June 2023 in Pedro Alves Sousa's family farm, located in the village of Ferreirim, near Lamego, in Portugal. The partly abandoned farm served as the residency, studio, and inspiration for the album: it is a 400-year-old granite farm that belonged to a member of the "40 conspirators"—a group that led the revolution for Portugal's independence from Spain in the 17th century.
Morte Lilás is a remarkable album of committed meditation. Each day on the farm was a recording day for the two Pedros: Sousa on sax & electronics, Tavares on sampler & processing. Apart from slight sonic incursions from the surrounds—the birds on 'Quinta à tarde'—and the sporadic use of sine tones, the source sounds all start from the saxophone. It is then processed both by Sousa & Tavares. The album unfolds as a saxophonic tapestry that breathes with quiet intensity. Each piece invites close listening, revealing fine gestures and tonal shifts that shape a contemplative, ambient space. Força Maior move with calm precision.
The album opens with the unhurried overture 'Quinta à Tarde' [a Portuguese pun on Eno's Thursday Afternoon] that announces the textures at play. Sousa's breathy entrance is paired with a soft, delicately shifting, backdrop. As the track progresses, time seems to stretch. The arrangement resists urgency, favouring subtle evolution over dramatic turns. Pensive layers shift & drift, creating a sense of suspended motion that brings the listener into the environs of Morte Lilás. 'Quinta à Tarde' is a long-form fade, shifting emphasis from Sousa to Tavares.
'Cubos' continues the gauzy feel, but with a more up-tempo tilt. Rhythmic clicks & pings setup a swung time for the sax to interpose melodic lines that are fed back & bent with cascading delays. Força Maior in distilled form.
Força Maior is in top form on the title track 'Morte Lilás', a sprawling centrepiece that showcases their command of atmosphere & emotional pacing. By turning up the reverberation & leaning into a continuous format, they dissolve the gap between hypnotic trance & articulate reverie. Then, a moment of stillness. The track pauses, not abruptly but like a tide pulling back, revealing the contours beneath. What follows is a return to the album's more relaxed architecture: understated rhythms, softened textures, and a sense of spaciousness that opens space for reflection. It is a transition that feels organic, as if the song itself needed to exhale before settling back into its contemplative groove.
'Menta' is another short-form miniature of the band's signature contours: beautiful loops of air pressure gradients that carry an emotive weight & light.
The album closes with 'Cascata do Inferno'. The title suggests violence, but the music whispers instead—an atmospheric cascade of breath & tone that emerges in slow, deliberate waves. Short melodic cycles are matched by shimmering electronic chords. It's a piece that rewards patience, draws the listener in to drift downstream, eyes closed, into the serene turbulence of its current.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Silver - Is this what you wanted?
2
Silver - Odeon
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Silver - Spirals
4
Silver - 448
5
Silver - Puls
6
Silver - Silver
7
Silver - She lights the earth
Debut album from Irrflug, the Berlin-based project of Mark Kanak. Irrflug is a changing artist group rather than a fixed band. In Silver it's comprising Ian King, BoBo (Christiane Hebold) and Ella Sturmvogel and some others. 2 tracks feature Blixa Bargeld's voice. Silver extends Sähkö vocabulary into new directions. "rhythmic studies of corroded atmospheres" says Mark Kanak
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Rod Modell - Pt. 1
2
Rod Modell - Pt. 2
Winding through cavernous and dark meanders, amid gurgling water, rustling sounds, low and deep pulsations, incisive and impactful sound masses, floating waves, crystalline drips, sudden rays of light, electronic spirals, and unexpected openings onto almost soothing soundscapes and quiet environmental stasis, Rod Modell paints musical textures that are apparently abstract and contemplative, but in reality charged with pathos and drama, taking advantage of a spectacular, enveloping and surprising sound quality, in which every nuance and every small detail makes the listening experience even more intense and engaging. A new exciting masterpiece by Maestro Rod Modell.
A1) PART. 1 (20.24)
B1) PART. 2 (20.06)
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
A1) PART. 1 (20.24)
B1) PART. 2 (20.06)
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Yumiko Morioka & Takashi Kokubo - Birds Of Borneo
2
Yumiko Morioka & Takashi Kokubo - Gaiaphilia
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Yumiko Morioka & Takashi Kokubo - Elegant Spiral
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Yumiko Morioka & Takashi Kokubo - Ancient Beach
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Yumiko Morioka & Takashi Kokubo - O-KA-GU-RA
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Yumiko Morioka & Takashi Kokubo - Sanukite
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Yumiko Morioka & Takashi Kokubo - Veil Of The Night
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Yumiko Morioka & Takashi Kokubo - Hibiki Of Katakamuna
Repress coming end of April!
Japanese artists Yumiko Morioka and Takashi Kokubo unite for Gaiaphilia, a journey through ambient soundscapes that seamlessly blends Morioka’s graceful piano compositions with Kokubo’s immersive field recordings and atmospheric synthesisers.
This collaboration brings together two of Japan’s most influential pioneers in ambient and new age music, each with decades of groundbreaking work. Morioka, celebrated for her 1987 album Resonance—reissued to critical acclaim by Métron Records—infuses her introspective playing with Kokubo’s vivid environmental textures, creating a dialogue between nature and melody.
After releasing Resonance, Morioka stepped away from music, moving to America to raise her family. For years, her work was quietly cherished by fans, only gaining wider recognition with its reissue in 2020. A devastating wildfire destroyed her California home seven years ago, prompting her return to Tokyo where she became a chocolatier before rediscovering her passion for the piano in recent years, playing live shows and making new recordings.
Takashi Kokubo’s legendary discography spans over 30 years, and has found wider acclaim in recent years via YouTube algorithms and bootleg uploads, wracking up tens of millions of plays. Yet he is probably best known for his sound design work, specifically the Japanese earthquake alert sound as well as credit card payment jingles - his creations are pervasive in Japanese society.
“From our love and concern for our planet, we both offer a unique sensibility and spirit of inquiry which we express through our music.”
Rooted in shared philosophical interests, Gaiaphilia reflects a profound reverence for nature’s resilience and harmony. Themes of Gaia, Mother Earth’s renewal, and the interconnectedness of life are central, with inspirations drawn from cosmology, sacred geometry, and Japan’s mystical Katakamuna tradition. The album invites listeners into a meditative space where sound mirrors the delicate balance of the natural world.
A master of sound design, Kokubo enhances this vision with his distinctive field recordings, captured using a self-made binaural microphone shaped like a crash test dummy’s head. From the jungles of Borneo to the gentle rhythm of ocean waves, Kokubo’s globe-spanning recordings transform into immersive soundscapes that perfectly complement Morioka’s introspective piano compositions.
“The title, Gaiaphilia, is a newly created word to encompass our love and respect for nature and life, this feeling is the theme we hoped to express.”
Released on Métron Records on 12/03/25 and with artwork from Ventral Is Golden, Gaiaphilia marks a remarkable new chapter for Morioka and Kokubo. Recorded at Kokubo’s log house studio named Studio Ion in Yamanashi, their collaboration offers listeners a deeply emotional and transcendent experience, rooted in the timeless beauty of Japan’s natural landscapes.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Japanese artists Yumiko Morioka and Takashi Kokubo unite for Gaiaphilia, a journey through ambient soundscapes that seamlessly blends Morioka’s graceful piano compositions with Kokubo’s immersive field recordings and atmospheric synthesisers.
This collaboration brings together two of Japan’s most influential pioneers in ambient and new age music, each with decades of groundbreaking work. Morioka, celebrated for her 1987 album Resonance—reissued to critical acclaim by Métron Records—infuses her introspective playing with Kokubo’s vivid environmental textures, creating a dialogue between nature and melody.
After releasing Resonance, Morioka stepped away from music, moving to America to raise her family. For years, her work was quietly cherished by fans, only gaining wider recognition with its reissue in 2020. A devastating wildfire destroyed her California home seven years ago, prompting her return to Tokyo where she became a chocolatier before rediscovering her passion for the piano in recent years, playing live shows and making new recordings.
Takashi Kokubo’s legendary discography spans over 30 years, and has found wider acclaim in recent years via YouTube algorithms and bootleg uploads, wracking up tens of millions of plays. Yet he is probably best known for his sound design work, specifically the Japanese earthquake alert sound as well as credit card payment jingles - his creations are pervasive in Japanese society.
“From our love and concern for our planet, we both offer a unique sensibility and spirit of inquiry which we express through our music.”
Rooted in shared philosophical interests, Gaiaphilia reflects a profound reverence for nature’s resilience and harmony. Themes of Gaia, Mother Earth’s renewal, and the interconnectedness of life are central, with inspirations drawn from cosmology, sacred geometry, and Japan’s mystical Katakamuna tradition. The album invites listeners into a meditative space where sound mirrors the delicate balance of the natural world.
A master of sound design, Kokubo enhances this vision with his distinctive field recordings, captured using a self-made binaural microphone shaped like a crash test dummy’s head. From the jungles of Borneo to the gentle rhythm of ocean waves, Kokubo’s globe-spanning recordings transform into immersive soundscapes that perfectly complement Morioka’s introspective piano compositions.
“The title, Gaiaphilia, is a newly created word to encompass our love and respect for nature and life, this feeling is the theme we hoped to express.”
Released on Métron Records on 12/03/25 and with artwork from Ventral Is Golden, Gaiaphilia marks a remarkable new chapter for Morioka and Kokubo. Recorded at Kokubo’s log house studio named Studio Ion in Yamanashi, their collaboration offers listeners a deeply emotional and transcendent experience, rooted in the timeless beauty of Japan’s natural landscapes.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Inoyamaland - Shüffer
2
Inoyamaland - Pokala
3
Inoyamaland - Glass Chime
4
Inoyamaland - Pon
5
Inoyamaland - Wässer
6
Inoyamaland - Mizue
7
Inoyamaland - Collecting Net
8
Inoyamaland - Apple Star
9
Inoyamaland - Meine Reflexion
10
Inoyamaland - 8.31
Vinyl only. Worldwide except Japan.
LP: 350gsm Sleeve with selected UV High Gloss Varnish, Liner Notes, Sticker
Tracklisting
A1. Shüffer
A2. Pokala
A3. Glass Chime
A4. Pon
A5. Wässer
B1. Mizue
B2. Collecting Net
B3. Apple Star
B4. Meine Reflexion
B5. 8.31
Info
WRWTFWW Records is too happy to announce the much anticipated official reissue of Japanese duo Inoyamaland’s quintessential ambient/environmental/electronic album Danzindan-Pojidon, produced by Haruomi Hosono and originally released in 1983 on his Yen Records label. Available outside of Japan for the first time, the new age classic comes as a limited LP with liner notes by band member Makoto Inoue.
With Danzindan-Pojidon, Yasushi Yamashita and Makoto Inoue created what they describe as "a special place where the kingdom of summer vacation never ended". Playful and magical, it’s a sonic landscape defined by tinkling synths, floating minimalist melodies, pastoral excursions, and mythical overtones. The 10-track adventure takes the listener on a joyful audio exploration of unknown but friendly territories, like childhood memories of an imaginary island where everything is vibrantly alive and peaceful.
The original recording sessions for the album took place in an apartment filled with Inoyamaland’s "favorite things and friends" and the wonders that came out of them were handed to master Harry Hosono who added his undeniable genius touch. And thus Danzindan-Pojidon was born, an absolute must-have, sitting in the pantheon of all-time 80s Japanese ambient greats alongside Midori Takada’s Through The Looking Glass, Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Green, and Satoshi Ashikawa’s Still Way - and holding that mysterious power of "music that makes life a little easier and happier".
Points of interests
- For fans of ambient, experimental, environmental, minimalism, avant-garde, synth, JRPG music, Haruomi Hosono, Midori Takada, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Satoshi Ashikawa, Yutaka Hirose, Vanity Records, Holy grails, intricate sounds, turtles, and peacocks.
- Official reissue of Inoyamaland’s highly sought after masterpiece of ambient/electronic Danzindan-Pojidon, produced by YMO’s Haruomi Hosono and originally released on his label Yen Records in 1983. Absolute must-have of Japanese 80s new age alongside Midori Takada’s Through The Looking Glass and Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Green.
- New release from WRWTFWW Records (Midori Takada’s Through The Looking Glass, Kenji Kawai’s Ghost in the Shell Original Soundtrack, Yasuaki Shimizu’s Kakashi, John Carpenter’s Dark Star Soundtrack, Grauzone’s Eisbär…), label founded by Olivier Ducret of Mental Groove (Miss Kittin, Orbe, Donato Dozzy...) and Stephan Armleder of Villa Magica Records (Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Christian Marclay, Stephan Eicher, John Armleder, Sylvie Fleury…)
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
LP: 350gsm Sleeve with selected UV High Gloss Varnish, Liner Notes, Sticker
Tracklisting
A1. Shüffer
A2. Pokala
A3. Glass Chime
A4. Pon
A5. Wässer
B1. Mizue
B2. Collecting Net
B3. Apple Star
B4. Meine Reflexion
B5. 8.31
Info
WRWTFWW Records is too happy to announce the much anticipated official reissue of Japanese duo Inoyamaland’s quintessential ambient/environmental/electronic album Danzindan-Pojidon, produced by Haruomi Hosono and originally released in 1983 on his Yen Records label. Available outside of Japan for the first time, the new age classic comes as a limited LP with liner notes by band member Makoto Inoue.
With Danzindan-Pojidon, Yasushi Yamashita and Makoto Inoue created what they describe as "a special place where the kingdom of summer vacation never ended". Playful and magical, it’s a sonic landscape defined by tinkling synths, floating minimalist melodies, pastoral excursions, and mythical overtones. The 10-track adventure takes the listener on a joyful audio exploration of unknown but friendly territories, like childhood memories of an imaginary island where everything is vibrantly alive and peaceful.
The original recording sessions for the album took place in an apartment filled with Inoyamaland’s "favorite things and friends" and the wonders that came out of them were handed to master Harry Hosono who added his undeniable genius touch. And thus Danzindan-Pojidon was born, an absolute must-have, sitting in the pantheon of all-time 80s Japanese ambient greats alongside Midori Takada’s Through The Looking Glass, Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Green, and Satoshi Ashikawa’s Still Way - and holding that mysterious power of "music that makes life a little easier and happier".
Points of interests
- For fans of ambient, experimental, environmental, minimalism, avant-garde, synth, JRPG music, Haruomi Hosono, Midori Takada, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Satoshi Ashikawa, Yutaka Hirose, Vanity Records, Holy grails, intricate sounds, turtles, and peacocks.
- Official reissue of Inoyamaland’s highly sought after masterpiece of ambient/electronic Danzindan-Pojidon, produced by YMO’s Haruomi Hosono and originally released on his label Yen Records in 1983. Absolute must-have of Japanese 80s new age alongside Midori Takada’s Through The Looking Glass and Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Green.
- New release from WRWTFWW Records (Midori Takada’s Through The Looking Glass, Kenji Kawai’s Ghost in the Shell Original Soundtrack, Yasuaki Shimizu’s Kakashi, John Carpenter’s Dark Star Soundtrack, Grauzone’s Eisbär…), label founded by Olivier Ducret of Mental Groove (Miss Kittin, Orbe, Donato Dozzy...) and Stephan Armleder of Villa Magica Records (Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Christian Marclay, Stephan Eicher, John Armleder, Sylvie Fleury…)
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Yoshio Ojima - Entrance 6:05
2
Yoshio Ojima - Esplanade [LIVE]?8:29
3
Yoshio Ojima - Float on 5:41
4
Yoshio Ojima - Glass Chattering 5:52
5
Yoshio Ojima - Entomology (misfortune) 3:24
6
Yoshio Ojima - Flius 9:30
7
Yoshio Ojima (DLX 2LP, GF, UV HG,Liner,S - Mensis 10:23
8
Yoshio Ojima - Serene 4:49
9
Yoshio Ojima - #1 (11-02) 7:28
10
Yoshio Ojima - #4 (11-10) 10:01
- Beautiful 2 LP Edition with Gatefold incl. incl. selective UV High Gloss Varnish, Liner Notes, Sticker
- Official double album reissue of Yoshio Ojima's monumental full length Une Collection des Chaînons I, originally released in 1988 (on CD only) for sound-designing the Wacoal Art Center in Aoyama (Tokyo).
- Genre: - For fans of ambient, experimental, environmental, minimalism, avant-garde, synth, field recordings, Midori Takada, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Satoshi Ashikawa, Yutaka Hirose, Vanity Records, sound design, architecture, the Metabolist movement, and spirals.
Tracklisting DLP
A1. Entrance 6:05
A2. Esplanade [LIVE]?8:29
A3. Float on 5:41
B1. Glass Chattering 5:52
B2. Entomology (misfortune) 3:24
B3. Flius 9:30
C1. Mensis10:23
C2. Serene4:49
D1. #1 (11-02) 7:28
D2. #4 (11-10) 10:01
Info
WRWTFWW Records is insanely happy to announce the first ever vinyl reissue for both volumes of Yoshio Ojima's superb environmental music project Une Collection des Chaînons I and II: Music For Spiral, originally released in 1988 on CD only. Each volume is sourced from original masters and comes as a double vinyl LP with liner notes in English and Japanese. This marks the inaugural release from the ESPLANADE SERIES by WRWTFWW Records which focuses on the works of Yoshio Ojima and friends.
Une Collection des Chaînons I (along with its complementary part two Une Collection des Chaînons II) gathers selected music pieces conceptualized and produced for sound-designing the Wacoal Art Center in Aoyama (Tokyo) also known as Spiral, a hub for a wide range of sophisticated cultural proposals spanning visual arts, theatre, music, design, fashion, and lifestyle.
Named after its superb curled-shaped structures laid in a vast atrium, Spiral is a monumental work of architecture by Fumihiko Maki, designed according to the principles of Metabolism, a movement advocating the fusion of the notions of megastructures and organic biological growth - in essence, evolving designs and constructions, adapting to human needs naturally.
Evolving, organic, adapting, these are notions that perfectly describe Yoshio Ojima's divinely designed brand of environmental music. From its eerie and levitating "Entrance" to the quirky "Esplanade (LIVE)", the gentle and reassuring "Flius", or the measured and ravishing escalation of "Mensis", Une Collection des Chaînons I is a delicately laid out sonic landscape where textures provide the link between space and emotions, adjusting and transforming through the ear of the listeners.
Sitting alongside Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass, Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way, Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green, or Yutaka Hirose's NOVA, Une Collection des Chaînons is a pivotal work of Japanese environmental/ambient/minimalist music.
A note from Yoshio Ojima: "Please listen to this album at around the same volume as daily life sounds such as air conditioners and refrigerators."
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
- Official double album reissue of Yoshio Ojima's monumental full length Une Collection des Chaînons I, originally released in 1988 (on CD only) for sound-designing the Wacoal Art Center in Aoyama (Tokyo).
- Genre: - For fans of ambient, experimental, environmental, minimalism, avant-garde, synth, field recordings, Midori Takada, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Satoshi Ashikawa, Yutaka Hirose, Vanity Records, sound design, architecture, the Metabolist movement, and spirals.
Tracklisting DLP
A1. Entrance 6:05
A2. Esplanade [LIVE]?8:29
A3. Float on 5:41
B1. Glass Chattering 5:52
B2. Entomology (misfortune) 3:24
B3. Flius 9:30
C1. Mensis10:23
C2. Serene4:49
D1. #1 (11-02) 7:28
D2. #4 (11-10) 10:01
Info
WRWTFWW Records is insanely happy to announce the first ever vinyl reissue for both volumes of Yoshio Ojima's superb environmental music project Une Collection des Chaînons I and II: Music For Spiral, originally released in 1988 on CD only. Each volume is sourced from original masters and comes as a double vinyl LP with liner notes in English and Japanese. This marks the inaugural release from the ESPLANADE SERIES by WRWTFWW Records which focuses on the works of Yoshio Ojima and friends.
Une Collection des Chaînons I (along with its complementary part two Une Collection des Chaînons II) gathers selected music pieces conceptualized and produced for sound-designing the Wacoal Art Center in Aoyama (Tokyo) also known as Spiral, a hub for a wide range of sophisticated cultural proposals spanning visual arts, theatre, music, design, fashion, and lifestyle.
Named after its superb curled-shaped structures laid in a vast atrium, Spiral is a monumental work of architecture by Fumihiko Maki, designed according to the principles of Metabolism, a movement advocating the fusion of the notions of megastructures and organic biological growth - in essence, evolving designs and constructions, adapting to human needs naturally.
Evolving, organic, adapting, these are notions that perfectly describe Yoshio Ojima's divinely designed brand of environmental music. From its eerie and levitating "Entrance" to the quirky "Esplanade (LIVE)", the gentle and reassuring "Flius", or the measured and ravishing escalation of "Mensis", Une Collection des Chaînons I is a delicately laid out sonic landscape where textures provide the link between space and emotions, adjusting and transforming through the ear of the listeners.
Sitting alongside Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass, Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way, Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green, or Yutaka Hirose's NOVA, Une Collection des Chaînons is a pivotal work of Japanese environmental/ambient/minimalist music.
A note from Yoshio Ojima: "Please listen to this album at around the same volume as daily life sounds such as air conditioners and refrigerators."
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Taro Nohara - Shishi Odishi
2
Taro Nohara - African Buddhist Temple
3
Taro Nohara - Beatific Sea
4
Taro Nohara - Peninsula Information Center
5
Taro Nohara - Miyadaiku
6
Taro Nohara - The Universe Above The Garden
7
Taro Nohara - Freakout Ondo
8
Taro Nohara - Deep Inside Of The Naiku (Jo-Ha-Kyu)
Territories: WORLDWIDE
LP: 350gsm Sleeve, Sticker
Tracklisting LP
A1. Shishi Odishi
A2. African Buddhist Temple
A3. Beatific Sea
A4. Peninsula Information Center
B1. Miyadaiku
B2. The Universe Above The Garden
B3. Freakout Ondo
B4. Deep Inside Of The Naiku (Jo-Ha-Kyu)
Info
WRWTFWW Records is so happy to announce Poly-Time Soundscapes / Forest Of The Shrine, a brand new release by Japanese producer Taro Nohara (Yakenohara). 8 tracks of pure environmental ambient bliss available on LP housed in a heavy 350gsm sleeve with an artwork from the artist himself.
Based in Tokyo, Taro Nohara is a producer, beatmaker, DJ, and music activist who made a mark with his electronic / ambient unit Unknown Me ( (of Not Not Fun Records fame). His new solo project, Poly-Time Soundscapes / Forest Of The Shrine, is a unique and modern take on Japanese environmental music, a free floating re-interpretation of the sub-genre made famous by Midori Takada, Hiroshi Yoshimura, or Satoshi Ashikawa (and more!) fused with subtle nuances of various origins: downtempo, hip hop, sound design, chill-out, experimental.
Conceived as a two-part adventure of contemplative peace, Taro Nohara’s organic soundscape takes you on a mind-soothing walk through time (or memories) and the beautiful mysteries of luscious forests - don’t resist, let yourself go, explore!
Points of interests
- For fans of environmental, chill-out, ambient, furniture music but also music for empty spaces, Satoshi Ashikawa, Midori Takada, Hiroshi Yoshimura, forests, parallel universes, and records made of vinyl.
- Brand new solo album by Taro Nohara aka Yakenohara, Tokyo based producer, beatmaker, DJ, and music activist from electronic / ambient unit Unknown Me ( (of Not Not Fun Records fame).
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
LP: 350gsm Sleeve, Sticker
Tracklisting LP
A1. Shishi Odishi
A2. African Buddhist Temple
A3. Beatific Sea
A4. Peninsula Information Center
B1. Miyadaiku
B2. The Universe Above The Garden
B3. Freakout Ondo
B4. Deep Inside Of The Naiku (Jo-Ha-Kyu)
Info
WRWTFWW Records is so happy to announce Poly-Time Soundscapes / Forest Of The Shrine, a brand new release by Japanese producer Taro Nohara (Yakenohara). 8 tracks of pure environmental ambient bliss available on LP housed in a heavy 350gsm sleeve with an artwork from the artist himself.
Based in Tokyo, Taro Nohara is a producer, beatmaker, DJ, and music activist who made a mark with his electronic / ambient unit Unknown Me ( (of Not Not Fun Records fame). His new solo project, Poly-Time Soundscapes / Forest Of The Shrine, is a unique and modern take on Japanese environmental music, a free floating re-interpretation of the sub-genre made famous by Midori Takada, Hiroshi Yoshimura, or Satoshi Ashikawa (and more!) fused with subtle nuances of various origins: downtempo, hip hop, sound design, chill-out, experimental.
Conceived as a two-part adventure of contemplative peace, Taro Nohara’s organic soundscape takes you on a mind-soothing walk through time (or memories) and the beautiful mysteries of luscious forests - don’t resist, let yourself go, explore!
Points of interests
- For fans of environmental, chill-out, ambient, furniture music but also music for empty spaces, Satoshi Ashikawa, Midori Takada, Hiroshi Yoshimura, forests, parallel universes, and records made of vinyl.
- Brand new solo album by Taro Nohara aka Yakenohara, Tokyo based producer, beatmaker, DJ, and music activist from electronic / ambient unit Unknown Me ( (of Not Not Fun Records fame).
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Yoshio Ojima - Les Trois Grâces 7:51
2
Yoshio Ojima - Evocations 7:12
3
Yoshio Ojima - Orientate 5:06
4
Yoshio Ojima - Pulse at Soothe 9:15
5
Yoshio Ojima - Parjanya 11:47
6
Yoshio Ojima - Entomology (Let's GO-GO) 4:09
7
Yoshio Ojima - Atrium 8:27
8
Yoshio Ojima - Market 7:08
9
Yoshio Ojima - Sealed 5:52
10
Yoshio Ojima - Signe (Ambient Mix) 4:48
- Beautiful 2 LP Edition with Gatefold incl. selective UV High Gloss Varnish, Liner Notes, Sticker
- Official double album reissue of Yoshio Ojima's monumental full length Une Collection des Chaînons II, originally released in 1988 (on CD only) for sound-designing the Wacoal Art Center in Aoyama (Tokyo).
- Genre: - For fans of ambient, experimental, environmental, minimalism, avant-garde, synth, field recordings, Midori Takada, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Satoshi Ashikawa, Yutaka Hirose, Vanity Records, sound design, architecture, the Metabolist movement, and spirals.
Tracklisting DLP
A1. Les Trois Grâces 7:51
A2. Evocations 7:12
B1. Orientate 5:06
B2. Pulse at Soothe 9:15
B3. Parjanya 11:47
C1. Entomology (Let's GO-GO) 4:09
C2. Atrium 8:27
D1. Market 7:08
D2. Sealed 5:52
D3. Signe (Ambient Mix) 4:48
Info
WRWTFWW Records is insanely happy to announce the first ever vinyl reissue for both volumes of Yoshio Ojima's superb environmental music project Une Collection des Chaînons I and II: Music For Spiral, originally released in 1988 on CD only. Each volume is sourced from original masters and comes as a double vinyl LP with liner notes in English and Japanese . This marks the inaugural release from the ESPLANADE SERIES by WRWTFWW Records which focuses on the works of Yoshio Ojima and friends.
Une Collection des Chaînons II (along with its complementary predecessor Une Collection des Chaînons I) gathers selected music pieces conceptualized and produced for sound-designing the Wacoal Art Center in Aoyama (Tokyo) also known as Spiral, a hub for a wide range of sophisticated cultural proposals spanning visual arts, theatre, music, design, fashion, and lifestyle.
Named after its superb curled-shaped structures laid in a vast atrium, Spiral is a monumental work of architecture by Fumihiko Maki, designed according to the principles of Metabolism, a movement advocating the fusion of the notions of megastructures and organic biological growth - in essence, evolving designs and constructions, adapting to human needs naturally.
Evolving, organic, adapting, these are notions that perfectly describe Yoshio Ojima's divinely designed brand of environmental music. Continuing, embellishing and bringing the Collection des Chaînons (which translates as collection of links) full circle, this second volume approaches sound design in relation to various contexts, sizes, and shapes. The nanoscopic neoclassical lullaby "Les Trois Grâces" brings attention to the importance of small details, "Pulse at Soothe" starts with the minimalism of a Satoshi Ashikawa piece and slowly drifts into mystical landscapes and cavernous echoes, "Entomology" and its melancholic artificial forest evokes a Twin Peaks mirage, and "Atrium" literally feels like a floating visit of a gigantic open space structure. With each timbre selected with extreme precision, each element placed in space with the utmost care, and textures worked to allow a wide canvas of emotion for the listeners, Yoshio Ojima's music is the constantly transforming connecting point between humanity and architecture.
Sitting alongside Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass, Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way, Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green, or Yutaka Hirose's NOVA, Une Collection des Chaînons is a pivotal work of Japanese environmental/ambient/minimalist music.
A note from Yoshio Ojima: "Please listen to this album at around the same volume as daily life sounds such as air conditioners and refrigerators."
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
- Official double album reissue of Yoshio Ojima's monumental full length Une Collection des Chaînons II, originally released in 1988 (on CD only) for sound-designing the Wacoal Art Center in Aoyama (Tokyo).
- Genre: - For fans of ambient, experimental, environmental, minimalism, avant-garde, synth, field recordings, Midori Takada, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Satoshi Ashikawa, Yutaka Hirose, Vanity Records, sound design, architecture, the Metabolist movement, and spirals.
Tracklisting DLP
A1. Les Trois Grâces 7:51
A2. Evocations 7:12
B1. Orientate 5:06
B2. Pulse at Soothe 9:15
B3. Parjanya 11:47
C1. Entomology (Let's GO-GO) 4:09
C2. Atrium 8:27
D1. Market 7:08
D2. Sealed 5:52
D3. Signe (Ambient Mix) 4:48
Info
WRWTFWW Records is insanely happy to announce the first ever vinyl reissue for both volumes of Yoshio Ojima's superb environmental music project Une Collection des Chaînons I and II: Music For Spiral, originally released in 1988 on CD only. Each volume is sourced from original masters and comes as a double vinyl LP with liner notes in English and Japanese . This marks the inaugural release from the ESPLANADE SERIES by WRWTFWW Records which focuses on the works of Yoshio Ojima and friends.
Une Collection des Chaînons II (along with its complementary predecessor Une Collection des Chaînons I) gathers selected music pieces conceptualized and produced for sound-designing the Wacoal Art Center in Aoyama (Tokyo) also known as Spiral, a hub for a wide range of sophisticated cultural proposals spanning visual arts, theatre, music, design, fashion, and lifestyle.
Named after its superb curled-shaped structures laid in a vast atrium, Spiral is a monumental work of architecture by Fumihiko Maki, designed according to the principles of Metabolism, a movement advocating the fusion of the notions of megastructures and organic biological growth - in essence, evolving designs and constructions, adapting to human needs naturally.
Evolving, organic, adapting, these are notions that perfectly describe Yoshio Ojima's divinely designed brand of environmental music. Continuing, embellishing and bringing the Collection des Chaînons (which translates as collection of links) full circle, this second volume approaches sound design in relation to various contexts, sizes, and shapes. The nanoscopic neoclassical lullaby "Les Trois Grâces" brings attention to the importance of small details, "Pulse at Soothe" starts with the minimalism of a Satoshi Ashikawa piece and slowly drifts into mystical landscapes and cavernous echoes, "Entomology" and its melancholic artificial forest evokes a Twin Peaks mirage, and "Atrium" literally feels like a floating visit of a gigantic open space structure. With each timbre selected with extreme precision, each element placed in space with the utmost care, and textures worked to allow a wide canvas of emotion for the listeners, Yoshio Ojima's music is the constantly transforming connecting point between humanity and architecture.
Sitting alongside Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass, Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way, Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green, or Yutaka Hirose's NOVA, Une Collection des Chaînons is a pivotal work of Japanese environmental/ambient/minimalist music.
A note from Yoshio Ojima: "Please listen to this album at around the same volume as daily life sounds such as air conditioners and refrigerators."
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Cat-No:ENM-10-II/SFRC4
Release-Date:12.09.2025
Configuration:LP
Cat-No:ENM-10-II/SFRC4
Release-Date:12.09.2025
Configuration:LP
1
MARV - Mary's Theme
2
MARV - Andante
3
MARV - Obolidae
4
MARV - Laughing
5
MARV - Newborn
6
MARV - Neither Earth Nor Air
Carrboro, NC’s inimitable synthesizer duo MARV follow up their well-received 2021 opus Keyboard Suite I with a second volume co-released by enmossed and Softer Recordings. As a (regrettably) posthumous release, Keyboard Suite II documents MARV in their fully matured state with melodies that eschew easy categorization and a much-expanded studio effects and processing palette. But the same dreamy languidity marking their previous releases remains, drawing us into their visions of a summer day spent in the shade, by a babbling creek. As a storm approaches from the distance - keyboards saturated by tape into distortion, bursts of noise from idiosyncratic electronics, aleatoric stuttering - MARV grants us an album’s worth of sonic sublimation.
LP:
Recycled vinyl, random color mix
Bespoke hemp paper jackets by Middle Press
Silkscreened by Goatmother Industrial (Mark Rice) with black + custom
'tourmaline' iridescent inks
Double-sided inserts printed on transparent vellum paper.
“Curtain of static.
Behind
the flickering surface of
laughter
bounces on mirrors
and lands on mouth.
Laughter
feeds
back.” - Marta Núñez Pouzols
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
LP:
Recycled vinyl, random color mix
Bespoke hemp paper jackets by Middle Press
Silkscreened by Goatmother Industrial (Mark Rice) with black + custom
'tourmaline' iridescent inks
Double-sided inserts printed on transparent vellum paper.
“Curtain of static.
Behind
the flickering surface of
laughter
bounces on mirrors
and lands on mouth.
Laughter
feeds
back.” - Marta Núñez Pouzols
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Jonathan Bockelmann - Aoneko No Torso (02:15 min)
2
Jonathan Bockelmann - Dream (01:15 min)
3
Jonathan Bockelmann - Bibo No Aozora (03:19 min)
4
Jonathan Bockelmann - Blu (02:59 min)
5
Jonathan Bockelmann - A Flower Is Not a Flower (03:12 min)
6
Jonathan Bockelmann - 20220302 (02:42 min)
7
Jonathan Bockelmann - Opus (05:21 min)
8
Jonathan Bockelmann - Dancing in the Sky (01:04 min)
9
Jonathan Bockelmann - Suite for Krug in 2008: Movement I. (06:30 min)
10
Jonathan Bockelmann - Suite for Krug in 2008: Movement II. (07:10 min)
11
Jonathan Bockelmann - Suite for Krug in 2008: Movement III. (05:14 min)
LP
Special remarks: 180g
Tracklist:
A1) Aoneko No Torso 02:15 min
A2) Dream 01:15 min
A3) Bibo No Aozora 03:19 min
A4) Blu 02:59 min
A5) A Flower Is Not a Flower 03:12 min
A6) 20220302 02:42 min
A7) Opus 05:21 min
A8) Dancing in the Sky 01:04 min
B1) Suite for Krug in 2008: Movement I. 06:30 min
B2) Suite for Krug in 2008: Movement II. 07:10 min
B3) Suite for Krug in 2008: Movement III. 05:14 min
Info:
Jonathan Bockelmann is a classical guitarist and composer based in Munich who first made waves in 2023 with his debut album ‘Childish Mind’. His entry into composing were arrangements he had made of pieces by Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. Some of these have been released digitally in three editions and are now available on vinyl for the first time. The record comes in high quality packaging with an embossed art print and features both some of Sakamoto’s lesser-known works like the ‘Suite for Krug’ as well as iconic pieces like ‘Bibo No Aozora’.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Special remarks: 180g
Tracklist:
A1) Aoneko No Torso 02:15 min
A2) Dream 01:15 min
A3) Bibo No Aozora 03:19 min
A4) Blu 02:59 min
A5) A Flower Is Not a Flower 03:12 min
A6) 20220302 02:42 min
A7) Opus 05:21 min
A8) Dancing in the Sky 01:04 min
B1) Suite for Krug in 2008: Movement I. 06:30 min
B2) Suite for Krug in 2008: Movement II. 07:10 min
B3) Suite for Krug in 2008: Movement III. 05:14 min
Info:
Jonathan Bockelmann is a classical guitarist and composer based in Munich who first made waves in 2023 with his debut album ‘Childish Mind’. His entry into composing were arrangements he had made of pieces by Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. Some of these have been released digitally in three editions and are now available on vinyl for the first time. The record comes in high quality packaging with an embossed art print and features both some of Sakamoto’s lesser-known works like the ‘Suite for Krug’ as well as iconic pieces like ‘Bibo No Aozora’.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Ill Considered - Live in Jura Pt. 1
2
Ill Considered - Live in Jura Pt. 2
3
Ill Considered - Live in Jura Pt. 3
4
Ill Considered - Live in Jura Bonus featuring The Voices of the Alpenglow
Territories: World
Genre: Jazz/Ambient/Meditative/Improvisation
DLP: Limited Edition, Heavy 350gsm Sleeve, Obi
Tracklisting DLP
A1. Live in Jura Pt. 1
B1. Live in Jura Pt. 2
C1. Live in Jura Pt. 3
D1. Live in Jura Bonus featuring The Voices of the Alpenglow
Info
We Release JAZZ is very happy to announce the limited vinyl edition of Ill Considered's transcendent new live album Live in Jura, an expansive document of the trio's 2023 performance at Spiegelberg Festival - now available as a double LP with a bonus D-side, housed in a heavyweight sleeve with obi and an original artwork by Vincent de Boer.
Captured in the heights of Saignelégier, Switzerland, in the middle of a pasture overlooking the Jura mountains, Live in Jura bottles the singular Ill Considered live experience at its most open, responsive, and elemental. From Idris Rahman (sax, flute), Liran Donin (bass), and Emre Ramazanoglu (drums), this is deep free improv built from intuition and heart - an ever-evolving conversation of groove, texture, and spirit. Whispered motifs bloom into towering climaxes; earthy bass surges meet shimmering cymbal work; woodwind lines move from meditative invocation to ecstatic release. It is music shaped by the audience, the environment, and the moment : alive, unrepeatable, and deeply organic.
The bonus D-side extends the album's world with a unique ambient composition made from field-recorded organic sounds of the forest surrounding the concert area. Re-composed into a drifting, luminous piece, it features The Voices of the Alpenglow, blurring the boundary between performance and landscape, human gesture and elemental presence.
Ill Considered - known for forging improvised music around simple themes or spontaneously created structures - here reach a new level of sensitivity and power. Live in Jura follows We Release JAZZ's release of Shoals by Ill Considered members Earth and Bones, continuing a line of exploratory, heart-forward music grounded in profound listening and spontaneous creation.
Points of interest
- For fans of live jazz, ambient-jazz, Jura, pasture, mountains, forests, meditative music, shamanistic rituals, improvisational process, deep vibes, Ill Considered, Vincent de Boer, heartful connections, healers and healing, the body, the otherworld, life within and outside, music shaped by environment and intuition
- First-ever vinyl release of Live in Jura, a stunning document of Ill Considered's 2023 Spiegelberg Festival performance.
- Includes a bonus D-side ambient piece built from forest field recordings featuring The Voices of the Alpenglow.
- Original artwork by Vincent de Boer.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Genre: Jazz/Ambient/Meditative/Improvisation
DLP: Limited Edition, Heavy 350gsm Sleeve, Obi
Tracklisting DLP
A1. Live in Jura Pt. 1
B1. Live in Jura Pt. 2
C1. Live in Jura Pt. 3
D1. Live in Jura Bonus featuring The Voices of the Alpenglow
Info
We Release JAZZ is very happy to announce the limited vinyl edition of Ill Considered's transcendent new live album Live in Jura, an expansive document of the trio's 2023 performance at Spiegelberg Festival - now available as a double LP with a bonus D-side, housed in a heavyweight sleeve with obi and an original artwork by Vincent de Boer.
Captured in the heights of Saignelégier, Switzerland, in the middle of a pasture overlooking the Jura mountains, Live in Jura bottles the singular Ill Considered live experience at its most open, responsive, and elemental. From Idris Rahman (sax, flute), Liran Donin (bass), and Emre Ramazanoglu (drums), this is deep free improv built from intuition and heart - an ever-evolving conversation of groove, texture, and spirit. Whispered motifs bloom into towering climaxes; earthy bass surges meet shimmering cymbal work; woodwind lines move from meditative invocation to ecstatic release. It is music shaped by the audience, the environment, and the moment : alive, unrepeatable, and deeply organic.
The bonus D-side extends the album's world with a unique ambient composition made from field-recorded organic sounds of the forest surrounding the concert area. Re-composed into a drifting, luminous piece, it features The Voices of the Alpenglow, blurring the boundary between performance and landscape, human gesture and elemental presence.
Ill Considered - known for forging improvised music around simple themes or spontaneously created structures - here reach a new level of sensitivity and power. Live in Jura follows We Release JAZZ's release of Shoals by Ill Considered members Earth and Bones, continuing a line of exploratory, heart-forward music grounded in profound listening and spontaneous creation.
Points of interest
- For fans of live jazz, ambient-jazz, Jura, pasture, mountains, forests, meditative music, shamanistic rituals, improvisational process, deep vibes, Ill Considered, Vincent de Boer, heartful connections, healers and healing, the body, the otherworld, life within and outside, music shaped by environment and intuition
- First-ever vinyl release of Live in Jura, a stunning document of Ill Considered's 2023 Spiegelberg Festival performance.
- Includes a bonus D-side ambient piece built from forest field recordings featuring The Voices of the Alpenglow.
- Original artwork by Vincent de Boer.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More