Ike Reiko

Clear Purple Vinyl. Although Ike Reiko was a mere 17 years of age when she recorded 1971's Kokotsu No Sekai, she was already a star in the world of Japanese erotic movies. Despite the tough-gal image, the music is pretty darn life-affirming, so don't think for a second you're getting an easy listening album here -- this is about as sexual as music can get. Throw "French Kiss" out of the window and give a kiss goodbye to your Serge Gainsbourg records, Ike Reiko is more sizzling than a branding iron as it makes its mark on the farmer's herd. The sex is literally dripping from every note on this record -- the style is "Iroke Kayôkyoku" or erotic kayôkyoku (kayôkyoku being a style of Japanese pop) but the sort of naïve jazz and pseudo spy theme movie music is all draped in a shroud of sexual shouts, screams and coos from the clearly excited Reiko. One must assume that she was in some kind of state of euphoria in the recording studio from the evidence on offer here, either that or she's a pretty realistic faker -- it's a smouldering collision, and that's about all that needs to be said. Kokotsu No Sekai has to be one of the finest gifts for the music fan in search of that killer oddity. Digitally remastered.

● Japan import
● Label: Teichiku Records
● Cat#: TEA-22
● Pressed and printed in Japan
● Includes a replica of the original poster
● Official reissue. Original release date: 1971