Shelley Hirsch + Uchihashi Kazuhisa : "Duets"

(Innocent, 2002)

1- (2:45)
2- (4:40)
3- (4:47)
4- (5:10)
5- (2:34)
6- (15:32)
7- (11:33)
8- (9:27)

(all music improvised by Shelley Hirsch and Uchihashi Kazuhisa. Recorded live at Big Apple, Kobe, November 21, 2000)

musicians :

Shelley Hirsch: voice, electronics
Uchihashi Kazuhisa: guitar, electronics

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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Altered States - "Café 9.15"

(Phenotype, 1996)

1- Amedeo (5:30)
2- mendochino (4:55)
3- linus (7:53)
4- yo-yo (4:05)
5- speetz (4:27)
6- Frender (4:57)
7- rodem (6:12)
8- Inter-laken (4:55)
9- Jigen (6:05)
10- Arti-stan (1:31)
11- Tenjiku (5:00)

Altered States :

Uchihashi Kazuhisa: guitar and effects (1-11)
Mitsuru Nasuno: bass (1-4, 7-11)
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki: kit drums (1-4, 7-11)

Ned Rothenberg: alto sax and bass clarinet (1-11)

Recorded live at Manda-la 2, Tokyo, September 15, 1994

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Altered States - "Plays standards"

(EyeWill, 1999)

1- All the Things You Are (O. Hammerstein II - J. Kern) (3:00)
2- Oleo (S. Rollins) (1:46)
3- Blue Moon (R. Rodgers - L. Hart) (3:28)
4- Someone to Watch over Me (G. and I. Gershwin) (6:45)
5- A Night in Tunisia (F. Paparelli - D. Gillespie) (5:20)
6- Softly as in a Morning Sunrise (Hammerstein II - Romberg) (6:25)
7- Hello Dolly (Herman) (2:13)
8- The Shadow of Your Smile (J. Mandell) (1:51)
9- Peace (H. Silver) (2:40)
10- Over the Rainbow (Harburg - Arlen) (3:05)
11- Bohemia after Dark (Adderley) (3:52)
12- You Don't Know What Love Is (Raye - DePaul) (4:17)
13- In Your Own Sweet Way (Brubeck) (4:50)
14- Spring Is Here (R. Rodgers - L. Hart) (2:38)
15- Mood Indigo (D. Ellington) (2:56)
16- Misty (E. Garner) (5:05)

Altered States :

Uchihashi Kazuhisa : guitar
Mitsuru Nasuno: bass
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki: drums, pocket trumpet (7)

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Altered States - "Mosaic"

(God Mountain, 1994)

1- Martzmer (4:20)
2- Emer (4:04)
3- Silly Old Bear (5:10)
4- Dan-go (3:26)
5- D*W*D (4:21)
6- Issai-kai-ku (4:41)
7- Billiken (5:37)
8- Motif A (3:00)
9- Sosukan (3:23)
10- Da Dou (5:18)
11- Suite "Circle" (28:12/1:04)

Altered States :

Kazuhisa Uchihashi: guitar, effects
Mitsuru Nasuno: bass
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki: drums, percussion

Guests :

Kazutoki Umezu (10, 11): alto sax, clarinet
Shizuru Ohtaka: voice (11)
Yuji Katsui (5, 11): electric violin, ponchi
Hiromichi Sakamoto: cello (1)
Yuki Saga: voice (11)
Kumiko Takara (11): vibraphone, percussion
Ned Rothenberg: alto sax (4)
Ichiko Hashimoto (11): piano, voice
Junji Hirose: tenor sax (8, 11)
Koichi Makigami: voice (6, 11)
Yoshinori Motoki: tapes (9, 11)

Produced by Hoppy Kamiyama and Kazuhisa Uchihashi

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ESP = Extra Sensory Perception

(Subconscious Label, 1995)

1 - Slur-XI (1:12)
2 - Mother Destruction (5:41)
3 - Destination (4:00)
4 - Idiot Tube (12:33)
5 - Suicide Ocean (1:56)
6 - Pilgrimage (3:06)
7 - Spatial Prophecy (2:36)
8 - A Slug on the Rug (12:16)
9 - El Dorado (4:03)

E.S.P. :

Hoppy Kamiyama: piano, prepared piano, synthesizer, samples, percussion, noiz-violin, ems, gram-pot

Kazuhisa Uchihashi: snake guitar

Kumiko Takara: vibraphone, percussion, toy piano, xylophone

Yasuhiro Yoshigaki: drums, percussion

Junji Hirose: saxes, self-made noise machine

Hiromichi Sakamoto: cello, electric cello, saw

Setsuko Chiba: voice

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Guillotine Kyodai - "Viva guitar"

(Double Trap/Creativeman, 1997)

1- Introduction (0:30)

2- Left Channel: Guillotine Kyodai / Right Channel: Uchihashi Kazuhisa (3:37)

3- Uchihashi Kazuhisa / Tsuneo Imahori (3:37)

4- Tsuneo Imahori / Reck (3:42)

5- Reck / Otomo Yoshihide (3:44)

6- Otomo Yoshihide / Ichiro Agata (3:46)

7- Ichiro Agata / Ken Takehisa (3:49)

8- Ken Takehisa / Masahiko Ohno (3:49)

9- Masahiko Ohno / Seiichi Yamamoto (3:47)

10- Seiichi Yamamoto / Natsuki Kido (3:48)

11- Natsuki Kido / Osamu Isoda (3:48)

12- Osamu Isoda / Guillotine Kyodai (3:51)

13- Confirm: Kazuhisa Uchihashi / Osamu Isoda (3:52)

14- Inspect: Guillotine Kyodai / Tsuneo Imahori (3:34)

15- Inspect: Guillotine Kyodai / Reck (3:33)

16- Inspect: Guillotine Kyodai / Otomo Yoshihide (3:33)

17- Inspect: Guillotine Kyodai / Ichiro Agata (3:33)

18- Inspect: Guillotine Kyodai / Ken Takehisa (3:33)

19- Inspect: Guillotine Kyodai / Masahiko Ohno (3:33)

20- Inspect: Guillotine Kyodai / Seiichi Yamamoto (3:33)

21- Inspect: Guillotine Kyodai / Natsuki Kido (3:39)

22- viva guitar (5:39)

Guillotine Kyodai : Guillotine Tiger (Hideaki Sasaki) and Guillotine Jaguar (Yuji Katsui)

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Guillotine Kyodai - "Suspense Carry Pro"

(Double Trap, Creativeman, 1997)

1 - My Little Sister (4:41) + Yutaka Ohara
2 - Last War (2:28)
3 - Hardcore (5:41) + Misturu Nasuno
4 - Mac Fan (0:30) + Tatsuya Yoshida
5 - Spectre-Q (0:14)
6 - X-Day (5:40) + Otomo Yoshihide
7 - Mosburger (0:29) + Tatsuya Yoshida
8 - Family (0:47)
9 - Feeling (2:19) + Junji Hirose
10 - Scanners (1:07) + Junji Hirose
11 - Girl Friend (0:58)
12 - Love Attack (1:52) + Tatsuya Yoshida
13 - Piano Lesson (0:26) + Seiichi Yamamoto
14 - Deadend (0:13)
15 - Wizard (5:42) + Yasuhiro Yoshigaki
16 - Rap-Line (11:33) + Atsushi Tsuyama
17 - Deep Red (8:31) Uchihashi Kazuhisa
18 - Paradox (1:00)
19 - Suspense Carry (0:30) + Natsuki Kido
20 - Suspense Carry Masuko Tatsuki Style (4:01)
21 - Suspense Carry Isoda Osamu Style (3:02)
22 - Suspense Carry Kikuchi Naruyoshi Style (3:40)
23 - Stop! (0:12)
24 - Refresh (0:45) + Tatsuya Yoshida
25 - Dear Brother (7:51)

Guillotine Kyodai : Tiger (Hideaki Sasaki) and Jaguar (Yuji Katsui)

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Kingjoe - "Tornado shaman"

(Doubletrap, Creativeman, 1996)

1 - X-View (0:08)
2 - Goffer Dip (4:09)
3 - Ace (0:53)
4 - M.Z.M.P.X (2:40)
5 - SP (5:56)
6 - DM vs DM (1:29)
7 - Troop Pack (2:19)
8 - PG (239) (2:09)
9 - Mother (1:05)
10 - Red Loam (3:21)
11 - Bonanza (2:12)
12 - Hosana (1:09)
13 - Multi-Path (0:39)
14 - PK-Lala (3:34)
15 - Apogee (0:24)
16 - Heaven (6:23)
17 - Parallax (0:04)
18 - 98. (each 0:03 of silence !!!)
99 - Custom-6 (2:05)

Kingjoe :

Hideaki Sasaki: electronics (4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 16, 99), tapes (2, 3, 5, 14), metals (10), machines (2, 11), voice (3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14)
Tatsuki Masuko: electric guitar (2-4, 11), samples (14), synthesizer (16), voice (7)
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki: drums (2-4, 6, 8, 10, 11), percussion (14), voice (7)
Jin Harada: electric bass (2-4, 6, 8, 11, 14), voice (7)
Yoshinori Motoki: motokitronics (3, 5-7, 11)
Kazuhisa Uchihashi: electric guitar and effects (5, 9, 12, 16)
Junji Hirose: sax (3, 10, 11)

Guests :

Yuji Katsui: electric violin (5, 11)
Eiko Arimitsu: drums (14)
Dennis Gunn: voice (99)h
Haruna Ito: voice (1, 15, 17)
Reck: electric guitar (14), voice (13)

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