Toy : "Live at Pit Inn"

(Q-Train)

1- Beginnings (26:43)
2- Ohta's Turkey (17:50)
3- Ohta's Talk (0:41)
4- Feel like the "ALLMAN" (13:04)

TOY :

Yasuhiko Tachibana: bass, voice
Keisuke Ohta: violin, vocal, voice
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki: drums, percussion, trumpet, voice

Guest :

Akira Sakata: alto sax, clarinet, voice

recorded live at Shinjuku Pit Inn on November 13, 2001

NOW

Kalle Laar + Takashi Kazamaki : "Moving"

(Konnex, 1996)

1- Silver Twang (3:31)
2- Twilight Crossroads (4:20)
3- Hawaiian Mystery (Poi Poi Poi) (4:26)
4- Golden Lakes (5:11)
5- Eraser Strikes Back (3:35)
6- Slow Country Boys (4:32)
7- Stranger Wherever You Go (5:18)
8- No Whistle Blowing (2:17)
9- Seven Seas (3:04)
10- Glory (6:17)
11- Come Rain (2:35)
12- Creature in My Backyard (2:02)
13- One Early Morning... (10:30)
14- Moving (4.47)

musicians :

Kalle Laar: guitar, sampling
Takashi Kazamaki: percussion
Kazutoki Umezu (1, 3, 5-7, 9, 10, 13): reeds
Samm Bennett (1, 3, 5-7, 9, 10, 13): percussion, sampling

NOW

nb : this is one link toward a another great Takashi Kazamaki & Kalle Laar disc on Lucky blog :
NOW

Lawrence D. Butch Morris : "conduction 28 & 50"

(New World, 1995)

1- Conduction #28, Part II-X (20:56)
2- Conduction #28, E (2:59)

musicians :

Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris: conductor
Yukihiro Isso: nokan
Shonosuke Okura: oh-tsuzumi
Makiko Sakurai: shomyo, music box
Michihiro Sato: tsugaru shamisen
Kizan Daiyoshi: shakuhachi
Yuji Katsui: violin
Haruna Miyake: piano
Asuka Kaneko: voice
Shuichi Chino: computer
Koichi Makigami: voice
Yoshihide Otomo: turntables, CD player
Kazutoki Umezu: bass clarinet
Sachiko Nagata: percussion
Motoharu Yoshizawa: electric vertical bass
Kazuo Ohno: Butoh dance
Koichi Tamano: Butoh dance

recorded at P3 Art and Environment, Tokyo on March 28, 1993

NOW

1- Conduction #50, Part I (37:15)
2- Conduction #50, Part II (33:42)
3- Conduction #50, E I (1:57)
4- Conduction #50, E II (3:12)

musicians :

Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris: conductor
Asuka Kaneko: electric violin
Kim Dae Hwan: percussion
Haruna Miyake: piano
Shonosuke Okura: ohtsuzumi
Hikaru Sawai: koto
Yumiko Tanaka: gidayu-shamisen
Yoshihide Otomo: turntables
Michihiro Satoh: tsugaru-shamisen
Tomomi Adachi: voice
Keizo Mizoiri: bass
Motoharu Yoshizawa: electric vertical bass
Ayuo Takahashi: zheng

recorded at P3 Art and Environment, Tokyo on March 5, 1995

NOW

John Zorn's Cobra : "Tokyo operations '94"

(Avant, 1995)

Cobra 1: Sensyo (6:07)
Cobra 2: Tomobiki (9:27)
Cobra 3: Senbu (8:08)
Cobra 4: Butsumetsu (8:54)
Cobra 5: Taian (8:05)
Cobra 6: Shakko (9:54)

musicians :

Koichi Makigami: prompter
Yukihiro Isso: dengaku-bue, nokan
Masahiro Uemura: percussion
Kazuhisa Uchihashi: guitar
Shinichi Kinoshita: shamisen
Kiyohiko Semba: percussion
Makoto Takei: shakuhachi
Yumiko Tanaka: gidayu-shamisen
Hitomi Nakamura: hichiriki
Miki Maruta: koto
Mekken: bass
Kyoko Yamamoto: vocal
Taeko Ito: ortin doo

(composed by John Zorn)

NOW

Excerpts from a conversation with John Zorn (THEAWL 03/17/2011) :

The Awl: When did you first travel to Japan? To what extent were you already aware of the depth of the avant-garde tradition there before you went? Or, put another way: how much was still left for you to discover once you arrived?

JZ: this is a long question. I was way into japanese art, literature, film, music and theatre from my teens—in the 60s. First I went there in 1985 or so I kept an apartment there in KOENJI (tokyo) til 1995. I played with SO MANY artists is hard to keep track. I remember seeing a trio of yoshida tatsuya, yamataka eye and null called I believe GEBA GEBA that really was amazing. I hooked up with EYE that very night and we have been tight ever since! The scene there was and still is incredibly diverse and creative. Amazing energy and imagination !!

The Awl: It's funny how some way-out recordings—such as Coltrane's "Live in Japan" box set—were first issued in Japan as though they were no big commercial risk. Maybe it's because music on the fringe feels as though it's so aggressively marginalized in the U.S., but I'm curious how you see Japan's relationship, as a country, to its own musical avant-garde.

JZ: its just as hard for the avant garde in Japan as it is for the avant garde here but the integrity, creativity and tenacity they have is inspiring. They do what they do with no compromise, and very little outside support.

The Awl: Can I ask you for your Top 10 list, regarding extreme/experimental/noise/improv albums by Japanese artists?

JZ: I can't do the top ten but here is a list of some of my favorite musicians !!!

asakawa maki
sato masaru
yamataka eye
yoshimi
haino keiji
makigami koichi
yoshida tatsuya
katsui yuji
seiichi yamamoto
takahashi yuji
ryuichi sakamoto
akiko yano
hosono haruomi
toshinori kondo
ohta hiromi
aoyama michi
kitajma saburo
takemitsu toru
otomo yoshihide

.......................................

Satoh Michihiro Tsugaru-shamisen Gakudan : "Natsu Yoi Matsuri"

(Kyoto records, 1995)

1- Sakura Fubuki (8:05)
2- Shinnai Osore-Bushi (8:46)
3- Natsu Yoi Matsuri (5:09)
4- Mukashi Mukashi (4:05)
5- Yuhi No Tsugaru-Shamisen (5:21)
6- Shamisen Polka (5:34)
7- John Kara-Genki (6:02)

musicians :

Michihiro Satoh: tsugaru-shamisen
Shozan Tanabe: shakuhachi
Jyoji Sawada: bass
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki: drums and percussion
Shigeri Kizu: taiko
Kaori Kizu: taiko

guest :

Kazuhisa Uchihashi: electric guitar and effects

NOW

Yukihiro Isso : "It's so isso"

(King, 1991)

1- Toh hyo-hyo
2- Bi-byohnn
3- Scarecrow and the red dragonfly
4- The fable of the elementary school for minnows
5- Just for fantasia
6- The pastoral village
7- Soku-ryu-teki-ha

musicians :

Yukihiro Isso : nohkan & shinobue flute
Natsuki Kido : guitar
Masahiro Uemura : percussion
Kiyoshi Yoshitani : shimedaiko (japanese drum)

guests :

Yosuke Yamashita : piano (2)
Akira Sakata : sax (7)
Kazumi Watanabe : guitar (1)
Kiyohiko Semba : percussion (1,2,5,7)

NOW

Big in Japan... II !

Hello,

if you want to taste Japan differently, exept music (or by listening to all these records I added), you can take this way ! It's not mine but it's the same title ! And it's also a good trip !

http://biginjapan.over-blog.com/

And look at the stones photos taken by drummer Tatsuya Yoshida all around the world, it's wonderful !

stoneoftheworld

Nbagi : "Ecdysis"

(Nbagi, 2000)

1- Nbagi

2- Heso
3- Ghost on the clave

4- For Carrie

5- J.P.

6- Epicureans

7- Lucifer's bebop

8- Don't complain

9- Freeze in fire

musicians :

Toshiki Nagata : bass
Eiichi Hayashi : sax
Akihisa Tsuboy : violin
Natsuki Kido : guitar
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki : drums
Tobby Suzaki : percussion

NOW

Altered States : "4"

(Zenbei, 1995)

1- (21:05)
2- (5:57)
3- (24:30)

Altered States :

Uchihashi Kazuhisa: guitar and effects
Mitsuru Nasuno: bass and voice
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki: drums and voice

Recorded live at the Knitting Factory, New York City, April 6, 1995

NOW

Opabinia : "Opabinia"

(Tutinoko, 2003)

1- Shower (Passing) of Passion (5:46)
2- Pre-Cambria Dreamin' (3:49)
3- Crunchy Brains (2:31)
4- Fugujiru (Lukewarm) -- "The Lowests" Variations (5:11)
5- (a) Part 1 (6:59)
6- (b) Intrusion of Pre-Cambrians (3:21)
7- (c) Part 2 (9:05)
8- (Slight) Googli-Moogli (5:15)
9- Hyorokudama (8:39)
10- Kombtry (4:08)
11- Minerals (3:45)
12- Tasmania (9:04)

Opabinia :

Kazuto Shimizu: keyboards, clarinets, xylophone
Natsuki Kido: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bandolin
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki: drums, percussion

Guest :

Yuriko Mukojima: violin (2, 9)

NOW

LowBlow : "Mister Cafe"

(Off Note, 1997)

1- Unhatched chickens
2- Mister cafe
3- Buta Buta
4- Ballade II
5- General Violet
6- Go round
7- Space mafia
8- Jodel
9- Goblin dance
10- Clumsy daddy

LowBlow :

Hiroaki Mizutani : bass
Akira Sotoyama : drums
Ryoichi Saito : guitar
Taisei Aoki : trombone, keyboards
Kenichi Matsumoto : sax
Masakuni Takeno : sax, flûte

NOW

Tipographica : "Tipographica"

(God Mountain, 1994)

1- Naked lunch
2- Infinity street car
3- Blue heaven but be unsolved
4- The turf have disorded gravity
5- Prostitute robot
6- Like a new type apes
7- If you are an aggressor, keep slowly and certainly
8- Forest tipographical

Tipographica :

Tsuneo Imahori : guitar
Akira Sotoyama : drums
Atsushi Sano : bass
Akira Minakami : keyboards
Naruyoshi Kikuchi : sax
Osamu Matsumoto : trombone

NOW

Daimonji : "Improg"

(Poseidon/Musea, 2003)

1- Glimpse

2- Mongo lian bandits

3- Night dust

4- Ombre moned

Daimonji :

Hoppy Kamiyama : keyboards, vocal

Tatsuya Yoshida : drums, vocal

Nasuno Mitsuru : bass

NOW

Good stuff !*#' (work in progress)

Hi,

I'd like to mention some excellent musical blogs with a few links towards other great records from Japan :

Yoshisaburo"Sabu" Toyozumi Unit : "The masterpiece" on inconstantsol : HERE

Kazutoki "Kappo" Umezu "Bamboo Village" on inconstantsol : HERE

Bidziliba (first record under the name Biziriba) on mutantsounds : HERE

Luna Park ensemble (with Wataru Ohkuma) on mutantsounds : HERE

Junji Hirose + Otomo Yoshihide ("Silanganan Ingay" lp) on mutantsounds : HERE

Live Under The Sky (Seiichi Yamamoto) : mutantsounds : HERE

Kazutoki Umezu "Pandora's Cocktail" on what'sinmyipod : HERE

Kazutoki Umezu "Eclecticism" on what'sinmyipod : HERE

Tipographica "God says I can't dance" on luckypsychichut : HERE

Doctor Umezu band "Eight Eyes and Eight Ears" on luckypsychichut : HERE

Kazutoki Umezu "First deserter" on luckypsychichut : HERE

Michihiro Sato "Rodan" on luckypsychichut : HERE

Dragon Blue (Tenko) "Hades park" on sector2814 : HERE

Altered States (with Otomo Yoshihide) "Lithuania & Estonia live" on sector2814 : HERE or on microphonesinthetrees : HERE

Tipographica "God Says I Can't Dance", "The Man Who Does Not Nod" (live) and "Floating opera" on lamusicaescultura : HERE

Kido Natsuki "Disco space baby !" on mutantsounds : HERE

Demi Semi Quaver "I" (with Katsui Yuji) on mutantsounds : HERE

Demi Semi Quaver "II" on sector2814 : HERE

Base Of Fiction "Kakusenjo No Ongaku" on mutantsounds : HERE

O.N.T.J. (with Hoppy Kamiyama) "Jose" on mutantsounds : HERE

Kazutoki Umezu + Tom Cora "Abandon" on wfmu : HERE

Rovo + Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden on mutantsounds : HERE

Shimada Masahiko/Otomo Yoshihide : "My dear mummy"

(Sank-Ohso discs, 1996)

1- Introduction (3:27)
2- Day 1 to day 4 (5:16)
3- Day 5 to day 10 (5:38)
4- Day 11 (0:30)
5- Day 12 to day 18 (6:26)
6- Day 19 to day 20 (6:26)
7- Day 21 to day 28 (7:59)
8- Day 29 to day 31 (3:08)
9- Day 32 to day 35 (10:03)
10- Day 36 to day 43 (8:29)
11- Day 44 to day 52 (10:48)
12- Day 53 to day 62 (2:32)

musicians :

Otomo Yoshihide: conductor
Takashi Harada: ondes Martenot
Ko Ishikawa: sho
Hitomi Nakamura: hichiriki
Yuko Hirai: ryuteki and koma-fue
Uchihashi Kazuhisa: electric guitar, effects
Masaaki Kikuchi: doublebass, electronics
Kumiko Takara: percussion
Mari Era: percussion
Shiro Sano: narrator
Masahiko Shimada: narrator

sampled guest :

Derek Bailey: guitar

Conceived by Otomo Yoshihide for Mosquito Paper
Original text by Masahiko Shimada

NOW

Otomo Yoshihide/Bob Ostertag : "Twins !"

(Sank-Ohso discs, 1996)

1- Wacked/ Herb Robertson (parent) (3:58)
2- Exercises for Currency/ Otomo Yoshihide (twin) (6:51)
3- 3 Bear Rooms (Dust)/ Chris Cutler (parent) (4:42)
4- The Power of Success/ Bob Ostertag (twin) (5:44)
5- Fruits from Viet Nam/ Michiyo Yagi (parent) (3:55)
6- 4 Rooms of Hong Kong Stuntman/ Otomo Yoshihide (twin) (6:35)
7- You're Going Nowhere/ Bob Ostertag (twin) (5:28)
8- Tabbing Will Get You There Faster/ Bob Ostertag (twin) (5:08)
9- Otok/ Otomo Yoshihide (twin) (6:23)

Track 1 :
Herb Roberson : trumpet (this trumpet solo was performed plunger muted)
Tracks 2, 6, 9 :
Otomo Yoshihide : sampler and hard-disk recorder. Sampled guests: Sachiko Matsubara (voice-2; sampling materials-6), Yumiko Tanaka (shamisen and vocal-6), Shuichi Chino (piano-6)
Track 3 :
Chris Cutler : gongs, tubular bell, kit drums, Tibetan finger cymbals, clay drum, woodblock, tambourine and radio
Tracks 4, 7, 8 :
Bob Ostertag : sampler
Track 5 :
Michiyo Yagi : koto

NOW

Tohban Djan : "Poison petal"

(Nato)

1/ Icicle Tango 2:45
2/ Rice & Beans 3:42
3/ Asobi 4:03
4/ The Whispers Beyond 3:52
5/ Shangai Express 2:53
6/ 21 Nails 3:27
7/ Black 2:29
8/ Lame Talking 2:31
9/ Butterfly 1:41
10/ Song For Deep Water 1:40
11/ No Time 1:02
12/ Belladonna 6:42

recorded at Sorcerer Studio, New York City in 1988

Tohban Djan :

Luli Shioi : vocals, bass, melodion, piano
Ikue Mori : drums, DMS, voice

NOW

Doctor Umezu band : "Do-Guwaw !"

(News records, 1984)

1- Bumpy mountain on the back

2- Munoo

3- Tang tango

4- The cramp

5- Crocodile by starlight

6- 800 ton

musicians :

Kazutoki UMEZU : sax
Hiroaki KATAYAMA : sax

Takeharu HAYAKAWA : bass

Takashi KIKUCHI : drums

NOW

Doctor Umezu band : "Danger"

(London, 1982)

1- Pop Up
2- Melody
3- Nande Nande Nande
4- Red Hippopotamus in the Sunset
5- Thymol
6- Dance Party
7- I'm No Good
8- Ojo-San

musicians :

Kazutoki Umezu : sax, clarinet
Takeharu Hayakawa : bass
Hiroaki Katayama : sax
Takashi Kikuchi : drums
+ Kiyoshiro Imawano (RC Succession) : guitar, Vocal

special guest :

G2 : percussion (4), piano (6, 8)

NOW

Doctor Umezu band : "Dynamite"

(London Records, 1983)

1- Off the Door
2- Down Down !
3- In My Shoes
4- Jayne (Ornette Coleman)
5- Canal
6- Coffee Music
7- Pyrosis
8- Pretty Kranke
9- Dynamite

musicians :

Kazutoki Umezu : sax
Hiroaki Katayama : sax
Takeharu Hayakawa : bass
Takashi Kikuchi : drums

guests :

Fred Frith : guitar/violin
Terry Jenoure : vocal

NOW

Autonomous Zone : "The map is not the territory"

(Meldac, 1992)

1. Invoke 6.26
2. Lost Dimension 6.03
3. The Grey Room 5.34
4. Black Light 6.57
5. The Hollow Earth 5.47
6. Chaos Field 6.57

Musicians :

Ginger Baker (1,4): drums
Anton Fier: drums, drum machine, percussion
Hideo Yamaki: drum machine, drums, balaphone, percussion
Foday Musa Suso: kora, talking drum, vocals
Bill Laswell: bass
Toshinori Kondo: trumpet, synthesizer
Akira Sakata: alto saxophone, clarinet, soprano saxophone, shanai
Yukihiro Isso: Japanese flute
Peter Brötzmann: tenor saxophone, clarinet, taragato, bass clarinet
Haruo Togashi: synthesizer

NOW