FLOPPY - DEUS EX MACHINA

FLOPPY's first album DEUS EX MACHINA is kind of a masterpiece. it's like . . . what every bit-pop/picopico album should sound like. it's like every fucking song is flawless, perfect, adorable pop. a collaborative between 新宿ゲバルト's Toda Hiromu (on electronix) and メトロノーム's Kobayashi Sharaku (on vox). legends, the both of them.

uhhh, apparently they were involved in an UCHOTEN cover album, which gives them credibility if you had doubts (why you would have doubts is honestly beyond me, considering the dudes involved in this project).


1. EX MACHINA
2. ヤダもん
3. everything
4. 紙飛行機
5. 雪月花
6. スローモーション
7. デウスエクスマキナ
8. バイク
9. VOID


ENJOY

ローザ・ルクセンブルグ - ぷりぷり

ローザ・ルクセンブルグ (or, errr, "Rosa Luxemburg" . . . as in the the marxist theorist?) were an incredibly upbeat rock band who's style and sound are completely unlike anything i've ever heard before. they are the most playful, fun pop rock (for lack of a better genre title) band i've ever heard. if i had to compare them to something, i guess it would be to IPPU-DO, or maybe some of the stuff on Nagomu Records. as far as modern bands go, it's quite possible that Sakurai Ao of cali≠gari was inspired by ローザ・ルクセンブルグ.

they premiered with their song "Chinese Boy" (i think i translated that right) which is on this album (second track), so i'm going to assume this is their first album (information is very meager on the western internet; they don't even have a proper discogs). even though my japanese is greatly lacking (i can read it, but will have no idea what it means for the most part), i was still able to discover what might be a news article explaining that the vocalist died from brain trauma in hawaii.

i'm stunned by that album art, by the way.


1. おもちゃの血
2. 在中国的少年
3. 原宿エブリデイ~ブルーライトヨコハマ~
4. イヨマンテ
5. 北京犬
6. 大きなたまご
7. アイスクリン
8. バカボンの国のポンパラスの種
9. だけどジュリー
10. ぶらぶら
11. ニカラグアの星
12. 毬絵
13. 少女の夢(もろヴァージョン)


ENJOY

Dissecting Table - BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

Dissecting Table is a superb industrial/power electronics act by Ichiro Tsuji. his music is kinda like Contagious Orgasm's evil brother; still the same weird sound sampling, but now with grindcore vocals and a focus on pain and suffering.

my favorite track is the pounding "Dark Side Of Life". the roaring vocals and relentless beat on this track are flooring.


1. From Life To Death
2. Road To Death
3. Desperate Situation
4. Death March
5. Murder Music
6. Dark Side Of Life
7. Ruin
8. Cosmic Death


ENJOY

中森明菜 - CRUISE

中森明菜's 1989 album CRUISE is an absolute masterpiece. that's all that can be said. every song is perfect. her deep, thick voice flows over the ballads on this album like the sweetest milk. truly a delight.

1. URAGIRI
2. 赤い不思議)
3. さよならじゃ終わらない
4. LIAR
5. 乱火
6. Close Your Eyes
7. Standing In Blue
8. 風は空の彼方
9. SINGER
10. 雨が降ってた…

ENJOY

Contagious Orgasm - SPILL DROP

Spill Drop is an album by Contagious Orgasm (aka Hiroshi Hashimoto). a good album. too tired to write a description right now.

just download it.

1. Melancholy Spiders
2. Cill Drop
3. Aqua Soma (Edit)
4. Realization Set In
5. The Room Of The Whisper
6. The Museum's Marble Floor
7. Hypnotic Skills
8. Harvest Song
9. This Point, Just On Automatic
10. Now, YOU Are In Deep Trouble
11. Aqua Soma


ENJOY

戸川純 - 20th JUN TOGAWA

20th Jun Togawa is another more modern piece by the legendary 戸川純. a cover album where she pays tribute to Brigitte Fontaine, Vanessa Paradis, Patti Smith, and other western classics. her versions of the songs covered here are (except for "Comme A la Radio") have very little in common with the originals. Togawa's voice sounds as childlike as ever, particularly on the delightful cover of "Joe le Taxi".

one or two of the songs on this album (for example, the tired "All Tomorrow's Parties") are worthless in their original form, but somehow togawa manages to fill them with the spark of life.

edit: hahaha, some dumb cunt over at Stylus Magazine apparently gave this album an "F". i can't stop laughing, oh my god my stomach hurts ahahahaha repulsive fucking hipster cunts oh man, somebody put me out of my misery ahahahaha.
on the other hand, the producer Jim O'Rourke (who has worked with the likes of KK Null, Merzbow, Nurse With Wound, and has produced albums for Sonic Youth and Faust) said it was one of the best albums of the year that it came out.

ENJOY

水玉消防団 - 乙女の祈りはダッダッダッ!

水玉消防団 (mizutama shobodan) were a post-punk act that released their first album, 乙女の祈りはダッダッダッ!, in 1981. this is the album i show people when they ask me about post-punk. considering how much post-punk gets posted here, that should say something.

i don't know much about this band. essentially, i only have knowledge of the vocalist, Tenko. she seems to be fairly well known in the avant-garde arena. she even had a relationship with Fred Frith. her rough, sarcastic voice is perhaps the best part about this band.

this is the band that (in a previous post) i compared to early sioxsie sioux and the banshees. essentially, this is what siouxsie sioux wanted to sound like with her early punk sound, but she never quite had the aggression or chaotic sound that 水玉消防団 had.

if you only download one album from this blog, then you should make it this one.


ENJOY

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

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

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

Picky Picnic - くるくるワールド

Picky Picnic are mostly known for their Residents-esque style on their albums Picnic Land and Ha Ha! Tarachine, albums that are completely insane. the style they are not known for is the avant-pop sound that they present on their last two albums.

you noticed that i used the word "pop" to describe these later albums, so it goes without saying that they were something of a great departure from their original style. Kuru Kuru World is perhaps the more ordered and fun of the two later albums.
on this album, the vocals are adorable, not schizophrenic and squeaky. that is perhaps the most obvious difference. the vocals sound like a twelve year-old boy. how they managed to achieve this is beyond me. i entertained the idea that they actually had a boy singing when i first heard this, but it is this way on all of their avant-popish records. this is most certainly the squeaky guy from Ha Ha! Tarachine.

there is nothing dark about this record. it is cute, and catchy as fuck. it's surreal that these guys were making such batshitfuckingcrazy music before. but, to be honest, i enjoy this at least as much as their older music.

1. Someday-いつか-
2. ドレミの歌
3. バンブー・サンバ・ルンバ
4. タラッタ
5. サンデー・ナイト・フィーバー
6. Love on the beach
7. ファンファーレ
8. どんぐり行進曲
9. It's a hysterical place
10. Tsuntapunk
11. びょうき
12. トリップ・サンドイッチ
13. Go Go Twins
14. (仮)放課後

ENJOY

Picky Picnic - PICNIC LAND

not much is known about this band. basically, they were two guys in japan during the 1980s who made insane, childlike music. they only released one official album (Ha! Ha! Tarachine, which can be found via mutant-sounds.blogspot). this is mostly a bootleg (so i've heard), and can indeed be found over the internet. unfortunately, the entire album is always split into two tracks (side a, side b). the version that i present here has been corrected.

Picky Picnic is often wrongfully compared to The Residents. there is certainly a resemblance, as they are both insane pseudo-pop. however, The Residents have never seemed "childlike." Picky, on the other hand, is absolutely childlike. when listening to any of their music i imagine hand-puppets, super glue, googly-eyes, and crayons, all mixed together with a heavy helping of speed + LSD. it's like a six year-old having the worst trip ever.

it's like if My Neighbors the Yamadas had a subplot about cannibalism.


ENJOY

非常階段 - VIVA ANGEL

Hijokaidan could possibly be credited as being the founders of the noise genre as we know it today (though Whitehouse did it first, as well as NON, they didn't do it as loud as Hijokaidan did it). the band began playing music at "the Drugstore" (a live venue) in 1979. the band was influenced by psychedelic bands as opposed to industrial bands. this difference is very distinct, although the latter made noise the harshest genre around.

Viva Angel was one of Hijokaidan's earliest albums. while the album is still very loud and very spastic, it has a much more accessible sound than, say, Zouroku No Kibyou (which is undeniably their best album). all the same, it is a very loud experience that will still damage your ears.
possibly the best part about this album is Junko's loud, squealing voice. the woman honestly is the most powerful noise vocalist around (putting Yamazaki Maso to shame).

ENJOY

戸川純 - TOGAWA FICTION

Togawa Jun was a mock-idol pop musician from the 1980s. her music was avant-garde pop, with a strong post-punk influence (in fact, her first band, Yapoos, could most certainly be called post-punk). her lyrics focused on surreal, ero guro nansensu ideals. unfortunately this blogger does not speak japanese, and can't find any of her lyrics translated into english, but a self-analysis from Jun herself describes lyrics about a woman who transforms into a bug, and a woman who grows a weed out of her back. the self-analysis in question can be found here (it's depressing to read, and it reminds me of Dazai Osamu's No Longer Human. her sister [the actress Togawa Kyoko] committed suicide in the summer of 2002, so perhaps depression runs in the family. regardless, the self-analysis is particularly strange because the music that she makes is, for the most part, delightfully upbeat).

ANYWAYS, onto the album that i am about to present to you.
this is togawa jun's most recent album. it doesn't have much in common with her early 1980s pop albums (either as a solo artist, or with Yapoos or Guernica). so you must be wondering, "why did you just describe her pop music and then give me something that isn't pop?" the answer to that is simply that this album cannot easily be found on the internet. her other two solo albums (besides Suki Suki Daisuki, which i shall upload in due time) can be found fairly easily.
Togawa Fiction is a psychedelic rock album. the opening track is nearly ten minutes long, and is a wondrous example of good, modern jazz/psychedelia. those who have already heard her early sound will be treated to a more mature sounding woman who is still just as insane. her voice switches from crooning songstress, to nervous little girl, to manic wailing all within the same song. a modern comparison would be Midori's Mariko Goto or Ringo Shiina.

enjoy.