土屋昌巳 - Mod’Fish

as requested, i have uploaded 土屋昌巳's 1997 album Mod’Fish. i won't go into too much detail about this album, except that it seems that by '97 Masami was willing to experiment a bit more with his particular brand of pop.


1. シー・モンスター
2. フランク
3. モッド・フィッシュ
4. ウェルカム
5. アレクシス


ENJOY

S·CORE - DROSS

Dross is a fantastic album from one of my favorite musicians, S·CORE (Yutaka Tanaka).

S·CORE's work is low frequency ambient music of the strangest variety. it bubbles and hisses, moans and curses, and shuffles down dark hallways in abandoned houses. it is the very embodiment of the word "uneasy".

reminds me of Les Joyaux de la Princesse, at least to some extent.


1. Self-Will
2. Introit
3. Crib
4. Lethargy
5. Low Water Mark
6. Pother
7. Penitential
8. Water Colour
9. Trembling
10. A Blatant Lie
11. Drone
12. Muffle
13. Vanity Case


ENJOY

土屋昌巳 - RICE MUSIC

土屋昌巳 (Tsuchiya Masami) was a pop musician from the 1980s/90s. he is perhaps best known as the leader of the band synth-pop act 一風堂 (IPPU-DO). Tsuchiya's most obvious influence is David Bowie. in fact, his androgynous appearance has often been compared to Bowie.

this album, Rice Music, was his first solo album. his solo work was still very experimental at the time. since the Bowie comparison has already been made, i may as well compare Rice Music to Bowie's Heroes, Low, or Lodger; his albums with Brian Eno. this makes sense, considering the album is filled with strange pop songs, but also ambient instrumentals (like the spectacular "Silent Object").

CHINESE REVOLUTION

静香 - 天界のペルソナ

静香 was a psychedelic/acid folk band from the 1980s and 1990s. this, 天界のペルソナ, was their first album. this is more depressing music from japan. shizuka miura's (who the band is named after)vocals are a gentle, sympathetic voice stretched out over the slow guitars and violins.

the two stand out tracks are the last two. the violins on "水晶の翼" are so poignant and full of distress. truly beautiful. this track is the perfect build up for the even slower "6グラムの星". this is the final crushing blow of regret on such a lovely, emotional album. the ten minute track really picks up around the eight minute mark when the distorted electric guitar kicks in.

truly one of my all time favorite albums. a must for any fan of sad japanese psychedelic music.

(of some interest; shizuka miura commited suicide february 2nd of this year.)


1. 十
2. パンドラの匣
3. 少女の唇に蝶よとまれ
4. 孤独を図る
5. 血まみれの華
6. 水晶の翼
7. 6グラムの星


ENJOY

Mharles Cingus - CINGUS AH UM

Cingus Ah Um is an album by up and coming glitch act Mharles Cingus. Cingus' sound could quite easily be related to Ryoji Ikeda or NON's early minimalist noise work. this album is short and sweet; a little shrill mechanical squeals here, a little white noise there, and a nice sense of minimalism brings it all together into fine computer based noise. the last track in particular sounds like the breakdown of a Windows 98 (or so i'd like to imagine) after it has found a terabyte of child porn on within its own hard drive.

ENJOY

Jack or Jive - KENKA

Kenka is a tragic album by Jack or Jive. Jack or Jive have been making depressing music much like this since the 1980s, with their premier album Expatriation. the music is primarily piano and sample driven, while the vocals are a melancholic expression of mourning in every single song.

the music isn't really depressing. it's sad, that's for sure, but you don't go away from the music feeling crushed. instead, it seems to be hopeful, and in that hope for something better the music is unspeakably beautiful.

ENJOY

有頂天 - ピース

as requested.

ENJOY

有頂天 - AISSLE

Uchoten (有頂天) were a very strange new wave band from 1980s japan. it's very difficult to describe Uchoten, because there's not much else that sounds like them. perhaps the best comparison could be the pop albums that Picky Picnic did, or the albums that Togawa Jun did with her band Yapoos. the vocalist's voice is very angelic and often childlike (much like the vocalist from picky picnic), very gentle on the ears.

another thing picky and Uchoten have in common; they were both signed to the same label, NAGAMU RECORDS.

edit: i'll post another album by Uchoten later tonight. look forward to it!

AISSLE