Koichi Makigami & Ryoji Hojito : "Over that way"

(Long Arms, 2002)

1- A-OK (6:56)
2- Looking from Here (1:58)
3- That Way Knows Not (11:11)
4- The Truth of Two Tongues (3:14)
5- Song of the Unforeseeable (7:22)
6- History Lies Scattered About (2:38)
7- The Life of Neither Bird nor Frog (7:34)
8- A Japanese Trembling (2:01)
9- A Candid Legend of the Second Floor (8:49)
10- Language Always Crumbles (13:21)
11- Further That Way (2:47)

musicians :

Koichi Makigami: voice, mouth harp
Ryoji Hojito: piano, sound objects

recorded live at Dom on November 1, 2000 (during the voice festival Deep Throat or Dangerous Strings 2)

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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

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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

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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

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

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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Kazutoki Umezu : "Kinema"

(Nec Avenue, 1990)

1- Rose de Sahara

2- Raccoon

3- Nishikoigakubo koushinkyoku

4- Shakushian no tatakai

5- Isei

6- Kabuongyoku

7- Bogo bogo

8- K

9- From Cherbourg ("les parapluies de Cherbourg")

Kazutoki Umezu : saxes

Tsuneo Imahori : guitar (1,2,3,4,5,7,9)

Takeharu Hayakawa : bass (2,3,5,7,9)

Kazuto Shimizu : keyboards (1,2,3,4,5,7,9)

Reichi : drums (2,3,5,6,7,9)

Isao Miyoshi : guitar (1,4)

Benisuke Sakai : bass (1,4)

Kozo Nida : drums (1,4)

Tomohiro Yahiro : percussion (1,3,4)

Hikashu : (6)

Koichi Makigami : vocals

Mita Freeman : guitar

Makoto Inoue : keyboards

Masami Sakaide : bass

Kazuhiro Nomoto : clarinet

Fumio Itabashi : piano (8)

Neko Saito : violin (3,7,9)

Asuka Kaneko : violin (6)

Susumu Hirasawa : vocals (9)

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Bloodbath - "Live Bloodbath Live"

(Phenotype, 1996)

1- Bad Dreams (2:39)
2- Hell Blonde Groove (7:22)
3- Solo vs. Lead (1:14)
4- Geisha-Maki (6:27)
5- Solo vs. Lead (1:50)
6- Waiting for Tanya (6:22)
7- Solo vs. Lead (1:52)
8- Blues for Marilyn (Let's Get Down) (5:42)
9- The Funk Never Stops (6:18)
10- Solo vs. Lead (1:26)
11- What Funk You Got (7:21)
12- Solo vs. Lead (1:00)
13- KamiFunkuoka Blues (9:04)
14- Polkabuki (5:12)

Bloodbath :

John King : guitar and vocal
Otomo Yoshihide : turntables and guitar
Tatsuro Kondo : keyboards
Takeharu Hayakawa : bass
Jun Aoyama : drums

Guests :

Kazutoki Umezu : alto and soprano sax, clarinet and bass clarinet
Koichi Makigami : voice

Recorded live at Manda-la 2, Tokyo, December 27, 1992

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Hoppy Kamiyama - "Ongaku-o 2: Welcome to Forbidden Paradise"

(Toshiba Emi, 1992)

1 - E.S.T. (Electric Shock Treatment) (2:36)
2 - PUMP (4:29)
3 - A.M. (0:29)
4 - My Dear Sight (8:16)
5 - Naomi's Dream (5:22)
6 - Obsession (3:58)
7 - Sarari Mambo (2:47)
8 - Sleepy Blind Lemon (2:20)
9 - Happy Valley (3:56)
10 - Alter of Heaven (3:37)
11 - Giant D'janzo (7:39)
12 - Jubilee (1:37)
13 - AU NATUREL (16:34)

Hoppy Kamiyama: keyboards (1-13), toys (1), samples (2-13), effects (3, 4, 6-10, 12, 13) piano (4, 10), talking (4), prepared piano (8), chorus (1, 9, 11), vocal (4, 7, 10, 11), acoustic guitar (7), Dobro (4, 7)
Marc Ribot: guitar (1, 2, 4-11, 13), charanquito (5), voice (6)
Sebastian Steinberg: bass (1, 2, 9, 11, 13), acoustic bass (4), talking (4), fretless bass (5), voice (9)
Dougie Bowne: drums (1, 2, 4, 9, 11, 13)
E.J. Rodriguez: percussion (1, 5, 9, 11, 13)
Steve Eto: toys (1), chorus (1, 9, 11), metal percussion (4), shaker (4), bottle drum (7), percussion (13)
John Zorn: sax (1, 3, 13)
Yuka Honda: toys (1)
Shun O'cima: toys (1), sax (9)
Yukari Iwamura: chorus (1, 9, 11)
Lorelei McBroom: chorus (1, 2), talking (1)
Jackie Collins: chorus (1, 2), talking (1)
Joey Young: chorus (1), talking (1), vocal (2)
Hirokaz: guitar (2, 11)
Syd Straw: voice (3), chorus (4, 10), vocal (5, 13)
Don Byron: clarinet (4)
Koichi Makigami: voice (9)
Jenifer Smith: voice (10)
Jane Scarpantoni: cello (10)
Yoshihide Otomo: turntables (13)

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Makigami Koichi - "Koroshi no blues"

(Toshiba Emi, 1992)

1- Saizansu Mambo (3:43)

2- Onna o Wasurero (4:45)

3- Machiboke no Kissaten (3:49)

4- Akunin Shigan (4:35)

5- Sukiyaki Étoufée (6:28)

6- Yozora no Fue (3:52)

7- Tokyo no Yane no Shita (10:01)

8- Kaettekita Yopparai (3:46)

9- Utsuro (3:03)

10- Marianne (7:50)

11- Koroshi no Blues (3:06)

1- Lyrics by Tony Tani and Tetsuo Miyagawa Music by Tadaosa Ohno Arranged by Koji Ueno.
Koichi Makigami: vocal Nami Tokyo: vocal Jazzy Joyce: turntables Andrew Sterman: piccolo Steven Bernstein: trumpet Pablo Calogero: baritone sax Marcus Persiani: piano Guillermo Edghill: bass Papo Pepin: congas Joe Gonzales: bongos, guiro, cowbell Raul Paonessa: drums

2- Lyrics by Toshio Nomura Music by Toru Funamura.
Koichi Makigami: vocal John Patton: organ Marc Ribot: guitar Jeff Hirshfield: drums

3- Lyrics and music by Raymond Hattori Arranged by Robert Quine.
Koichi Makigami: vocal Robert Quine: guitar Matthew Sweet: bass Steve Shelley: drums

4- Lyrics by Kayako Honoo Music by Riichiro Manabe Arranged by John Zorn.
Koichi Makigami: vocal, devil chanting Andy Haas: didjeridu Anthony Coleman: sampler, organ David Shea: turntables Mark Dresser: bass James Pugliese: percussion Keiji Haino: devil chanting Yoshihide Otomo: devil chanting Hideki Kato: devil chanting

5- Lyrics by Rokusuke Ei Music by Hachidai Nakamura Arranged by Guy Klucevsek.
Koichi Makigami: vocal Guy Klucevsek: piano, accordion Mark Feldman: violin David Hofstra: bass Robert Previte: drums

6- Lyrics and music by Kuranosuke Hamaguchi.
Koichi Makigami: vocal Laura Seaton: violin Jane Scarpantoni: cello David Shea: turntables

7- Lyrics by Takao Saeki Music by Ryoichi Hattori Arranged by Joe Gallant.
Koichi Makigami: vocal Joe Gallant: 6-string bass Janet Axelrod: flute Phillip Johnston: soprano sax Walter Thompson: alto sax Louie Belogenis: tenor sax Dave Sewelson: baritone sax Frank London: trumpet Steven Bernstein: trumpet Jason Hwang: violin Margo Grib: violin, voice Michelle Kinney: cello Dawn Buckholz: cello Elizabeth Panzer: harp Ann Klein: guitar Vito Ricci: synthesizer, wrench guitar Tom Judson: accordion Evan Gallagher: piano, organ Skip Reed: vibes, percussion David Hofstra: bass Dickie Dworkin: drums

8- Lyrics by The Folk Parody Gang Music by Kazuhiko Kato Arranged by Yoshihide Otomo.
Koichi Makigami: vocal Marc Ribot: acoustic guitar, charango Kyoko Kuroda: piano, voice, chorus Nana Vasconcelos: Brazilian percussion Yoshihide Otomo: turntables, handmade guitar, chorus Hideki Kato: bass, chorus Suzuki: chorus Uemura: chorus

9- Lyrics and Music by Koichi Makigami Arranged by Koichi Makigami.
Koichi Makigami: vocal, vision, proteus, sound canvas, cornet Hideki Kato: bass Nicolas Collins: "Barney"

10- Lyrics by Yasuko Aisawa Music by Yoshio Hayakawa.
Koichi Makigami: vocal Keiji Haino: guitar, vocal Painkiller : John Zorn: alto sax, vocal Bill Laswell: bass Mick Harris: drums, vocal

11- Lyrics by Hachiro Guru Music by Kagehisa Kuzui.
Koichi Makigami: vocal Marc Ribot: guitar Yoshihide Otomo: sampler Hoppy Kamiyama: killer

Produced by John Zorn

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