Taj Mahal Travellers - July 15th, 1972

Legendary improvisational group from Tokyo who combined Eastern and Western instruments, electronics and vocal chants, and used heavy post-production processing to create unique long flowing jams, with deep organic droning and pulsing, similar to some of the cosmic electronic stuff out of Germany at the same time, though filtered through a Japanese sensibility. Their music is considered at the pinnacle of Asian psychedelic music of the late 1960s and early 1970s. At the same time they were far closer to avant-garde minimalism, with some of the group even disavowing the psychedelic connection. Their few recordings feature long untitled freeform tracks, often taking up an entire side of the record. But you already know!

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Magical Power Mako - Super Record

Mako was born in Shuzeni Izu in Japan in 1956, and after commencing his musical education at a young age, making his first public performance in 1973 at the age of 16 with his band Genge in the famous Shibuya Club. Based on these impressive public performances, the precocious Mako was invited to play with one of Japan's foremost contemporary composers, Toru Takemistu, playing alongside the composer in 3 film scores, Inheritance For The Future, Petrified Forest and Himiko. The response to his performances was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, elevating Mako to almost god-like status in his native country. Super Record, the second of Magical Power Mako's 20-plus recordings, is considered by those that know to be his finest, combining strong elements of Japanese folk music alongside innovative psychedelic sounds and broad musical vistas of extraordinary imagination.

Magical Power Mako - Super Record

Nisennenmondai - Neji/Tori

Nisennenmondai, a group that creates epic architectural masses of instrumental sound treading somewhere between Lightning Bolt’s noise and Neu!’s Krautrock. Himeno Sayaka, Zaikawa Yuri and Takada Masako met at a noise club while in university in 1999, but apart from a string of self-released EPs and various hand-pressed cassettes/CD-Rs, the group has not released a proper full-length, and has been difficult to source outside of Japan. Neji/Tori is a compilation of two previous EPs that serves as a good introduction to the band’s sound; the songs are stylistically similar enough that there’s no problem in sticking them alongside one another. Twisted kawaiiness.

Nisennenmondai - Neji/Tori

Christine 23 Onna - Acid Eater

Led by Japanese synth master Maso Yamazaki of Masonna, et al. and aided by Fusao Toda of Angel in Heavy Syrup, this album is a monster Acid Fueled lounge party. Heavy on the bop and fuzzed out beyond belief, then twisted through a giant phaser and shaded envelope filters. Maso's skewed version of the swinging 60's on Acid Eater is far beyond anything that could be called retro or even campy. This is a rift in time, Maso's gone back and showed the LSD set how to really blow speakers and minds. Once again the Japanese remain the reigning kings of the psychedelic set and this along with any other Maso Yamazaki release is full testament to that claim. Crank this one up, the fuzz needs room to breathe.

Christine 23 Onna - Acid Eater

OLAibi - Humming Moon Drip

OLAibi is a five piece band from Osaka featuring members of OOIOO and Boredoms. Their sound has Okinawan traditional influences and incorporates instruments like steel drums and pianica. It's essentially tribal drums and haunting chants so you may expect a vague and trancing music.

OLAibi - Humming Moon Drip

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