Choju Gigaku (Play On Animals)
Em Records presents a slice of lost history unearthed for your enjoyment and delight. A first-ever reissue, on limited edition 7" vinyl of Choju Gigaku (Play On Animals), an ultra-rare 33rpm 7" flexi-disc by esteemed sound designer Matsuo Ohno, the legend behind the soundtracks for anime classics Astro Boy (1963-1966), Submarine Cassiopeia (1964) and Space Battleship Yamato (1974-1975). The original flexi-disc was released as a souvenir during the famed World Expo '70 in Osaka (think Stockhaus…
Shakespeare From The Cosmic Inferno 2008
Debut release on our new Blackest Bootleg labels releasing live recordings. The bootleg was recorded back in August 2008 at The Shakespeare in Sheffield, a great venue that played host to Acid Mothers first show in Sheffield, and it was so packed, the floor was literally moving underneath the crowd, the room was like a sauna, every single person dripping with sweat, it was one of the busiest shows I'd been too in Sheffield in a long time. I remember there being some total hippies down the front …
Live In Tokyo, August, 19th 1974, Part One
This double album (divided into two LPs), recorded live at the Nippon Columbia Studio in Tokyo in 1974, was the group's final effort before disbanding. Here Kosugi and the Travellers blend Eastern and Western instrumentation, vocal chants and electronics to create free-form psych-laden drones. This historic album is an essential and influential piece of Japanese avant rock." Part One LP, clear vinyl in clear plastic sleeve with black lettering. Limited edition …
Catch-Wave
Takehisa Kosugi is an inter-media artist and performer who started his career back in the '60s in Tokyo. With his first band Group Ongaku (free anarchist-conceptual improvisations) he was introduced to the Fluxus avant-garde movement. During the '70s, he was a member of the mystical, psychedelic, droning rock band Taj Mahal Travellers. He co-founded the band in 1969. Since the end of the '70s until now, he has released several solo albums and commissioned works for events and sound installations…
Live in Japan
"Live In Japan is the first official domestic live Boris DVD to be unleashed! The power, majesty and unique psychedelia that only Boris can deliver is perfectly captured in this stunning visual document. Professionally filmed on the last show of the their worldwide Smile tour 2008. Light dazzled eyes, cut off the view a lot of smoke, and making loud noise can destroy the delicate environment can monitor everything that is Boris.” (label)
Love Suki Daikirai/Kirikyogen
This is a two-fer reissue of early '70s Japanese underground rock albums Love Suki Daikirai and Kirikyogen, featuring Kuni Kawachi & Flower Travelling Band. Recorded in 1970, the tone of Kirikyogen is cast in a shadow, and it seeps through the pores of each track, with titles such as "Graveyard Of Love" and "Works Composed Mainly By Humans." However, this ain't some pointless posturing... this is an LP that carries that weight, while remembering to bring a pocket full of cool-ass riffs, super-he…
White Summer of Love Dreamer
Brand new LP from Kawabata Makoto, his second for Blackest Rainbow following on nicely from where 2008's 'Rainbow Of Love' left off. White Summer of Love Dreamer continues to develop Kawabata's experimentation into psychedelic drone music using a variety of instruments. Across the two tracks on this LP, Kawabata seamlessly uses acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, sarangi, tambura, organ, hurdy-gurdy, electronics, field recording, and his voice to create a stunning soundscape of hazy summ…
Improvisation Anarchy
With a title like ‘Improvisation Anarchy’, you pretty much have the blessed assurance that the record will be either a right-on, spontaneous surge of electricity, or at least an entertaining disaster. Recorded in 1978-79, this patchwork quilt of straight-arrow punk and meandering synth-assisted psychedelia manages to be both at the same time. It should be noted that this kind of music was not common for 1970s West Japan before the ‘bubble economy’ of the 80’s allowed for more impulsive consumpti…
The Original Ultra Bide
Originally released in 1984, this Hidjokaidan side project Ultra Bide, lovely and far more listenable than most Japanese noise-rock bands, throwing space-rock, psychedelia, electronica, traditional Japanese sounds
Modern
Classic Hijokaidan with the line-up of Junko, Jojo, Mikawa. Recorded at Gorilla, February 1989, Remastered by T.Kotani (Omega Sound). One 74 minute long piec
Lonely Woman
ONJT+ (Otomo Yoshihide’s New Jazz Trio +) plays Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman” and Albert Ayler’s “Bells.” ONJT means Otomo Yoshide’s New Jazz Trio; Otomo Yoshihide (guitar), Mizutani Hiroaki (bass, misc.), Yoshigaki Yasuhiro (drums, percussion), and “+” means guests for those 2 CDs: Sachiko M (sinewaves) and Jim O’Rourke (EMS synthesizer). Otomo continues his “New Jazz” project from ONJQ (Quintet) via ONJE (Ensemble) to ONJO (Orchestra), and now he organizes ONJT + (Trio +) as his core …
Bells
ONJT+ (Otomo Yoshihide’s New Jazz Trio +) plays Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman” and Albert Ayler’s “Bells.” ONJT means Otomo Yoshide’s New Jazz Trio; Otomo Yoshihide (guitar), Mizutani Hiroaki (bass, misc.), Yoshigaki Yasuhiro (drums, percussion), and “+” means guests for those 2 CDs: Sachiko M (sinewaves) and Jim O’Rourke (EMS synthesizer). Otomo continues his “New Jazz” project from ONJQ (Quintet) via ONJE (Ensemble) to ONJO (Orchestra), and now he organizes ONJT + (Trio +) as his core …
Tenno
Reissue of an LP originally released in 1980 for the mythical Japanese Alm label and mixed by GAP (Taj Mahal Travellers) , this is a duo comprising of a couple, Reiko Omura and Tori Kudo, a noise-drone-improv duo active in the late seventies and early eighties. The group began under the name Worst Noise and with an ever-rotating line-up. This album is a masterpiece, a doomy organ-driven with fragile and melancholic voice by Reiko, don't miss it!
Mail from Fushitsusha
Mail from Fushitsusha, which Keiji Haino himself calls 21st-century blues, draws out exquisite dynamics and 'space' - like a nerve being passed through the eye of a needle. Carrying out their sonic explorations while adhering to the Fushitsusha method, these three tough artists create a muscular sound - a sound that turns the rock - blues concept on its head! Keijo Haino sent Seijaku out into the world as his permanent band. At the time of recording, this was to be a single album, but the combin…
You Should Prepare To Survive Through Even Anything Happens
This is a real blues album created as an expression of devotion to 20th-century blues. But not blues as a style - the object of devotion here is the blues spirit. You might even say this album is the successor to authentic blues. Those who get it, get it! Keijo Haino sent Seijaku out into the world as his permanent band. At the time of recording, this was to be a single album, but the combination of Haino's overflowing musical ideas and the unlimited improvisational abilities of the three member…
Mubomuso
Mubomuso is a neologism, made up from two extant words. Mubo suggests the unadorned and unaffected, while muso means to be in a state without thought or preplanning. All parts of the release lead the listener towards the consideration of a very specific topic Ð namely, war and violence, and the deeper connections to human nature. Stripped of the clothing of civilization, etiquette and socialization, we slowly become aware of reactions and purposes that exist deep within us embedded comma…
Viva Negativa! A Tribute To The New Blockaders Vol IV
Outstanding double CD Featuring a mindblowing line-up of contributors, this double-disc release pays homage to noise music pioneers The New Blockaders, with tracks recorded by some of the avant-garde's leading lights, including Merzbow, Incapacitants, MSBR, Aube, K2, Violent Onsen Geisha, KK Null, Government Alpha, Astro, Cracksteel, Nobuo Yamada, Spiracle, Thirdorgan, Kazumoto Endo, Embudagonn 108, Guilty Connector, Defektro, Kouhei Matsunaga, Veltz, etc. 500 copies only!!!The New Blockade…
Book from Hell
Zai Kuning (g., vo., perc., misc.), Otomo Yoshihide (g., turntables, perc., misc.). 'The Asian improvisation of the present, a connection between Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong. A vivid 71-minute performance moving back and forth between turbulence and stillness. 'Book from hell' is the denomination of the concert, Zai Kuning organized on September 2008 in Singapore. CD title is used as it is and also CD cover is the poster of 'Book from hell' concert, Zai designed. This is Asian improvi…
GQ - Jean Tinguely
Beautiful and elaborate edition, a quarterly magazine for graphic work (GQ) issued in the 1970s. The magazine was re-produced in 2008, and the newest issue devoted to kinetic sculptor Jean Tinguely was completed in 2009. Unfortunately most of texts are in Japanese, but many pictures are so great! artwork by Ushio Shinohara (Neo DADA) dedicated to Tinguely (coloured version for this edition), his partner Niki De Saint Phalle's paintings, original photographs of his first one man show at Minami Ga…
Yuji Takahashi / Steve Lacy / Masahiko Togashi
'Egg Farm' is a private concert space in an egg farm (really!) in north of Tokyo. Originally, the space was established in early 80's and named 'Space Who'. Owner of the egg farm organized many live show of free improvisation at the space (Takayanagi, Evan Parker, Richard Titelbaum, Arthur Doyle and more. especially she loves Kosugi and Steve Lacy).