Japan by way of Bruegel

Ned Braden wrote:Goes so unbelievably hard.

ffwd to like 2:25 and this shit could be a harshest realm track on shredfest2021

This is such a jam, and I wish I could dig up the album (Wind for Mind, 1987). Perhaps will order on CD or vinyl when I have a firm shipping address.

Damn.

This is some really damn good instrumental x post jazz thread music. I'm listening to it while I catch up on coursework. Hardcore feeling track two, Ode To "Na-Me" as I type.

This album is fucking great


It feels iconic but that's probably because the album art looks like it could be a classic from Can or something.

I have just been listening to these albums on repeat the last few days while doing some of my own writing. I have been familiar with them for a while and I've always liked both of these albums but they are really clicking for me right now. Absolutely brilliant and endlessly immersive recordings.

But it got me thinking: what is it about these Japanese noise rock bands exactly? It seems like they ultimately pushed the genre to its furthest frontier. I am thinking about Boris, Boredoms, Les Rallizes Denudes, Keiji Haino (who fucking destroyed my eardrums the one time I saw him perform live). I think part of the explanation is that post-war Japan became a major geo-strategic entrepot for the United States' commercial empire and so American rock and roll music obviously made its way into the culture and these bands then expanded upon that sound and made it their own. But you could say the same thing about South Korea and they didn't produce anything similar (they instead gravitated towards manufactured pop bands and created their own style of glitzy, commercialized boy bands). I know there are some African bands that really gravitated towards noise and psych rock as well and had their own unique style and sound, but again nothing as transgressive or groundbreaking as these Japanese bands.

What is the deal with this? Where are the ethnomusicologists at who can explain this phenomenon to me?

Ned Braden wrote:

raj gibson wrote:Some of you may have already found this stuff by following the Youtube trails, but for those who enjoyed Seaside Lovers, here's more Hiroshi Satoh.

Been down that wormhole all day and grooving on this stuff now. All available via the internet's Soulseek ap!

The Seaside Lovers album, sans the Hiroshi Sato tracks, is now finally up on Spotify:

My buddy sent this to me yesterday and I can't make heads or tails of it:



It's like Japanese Jack Soul.

The only thing I dislike about that is that 5 minutes and 6 seconds isn’t nearly enough time to stare at the Japanese cowboy album art.

That's dope but it made me think of g-funk moreso than NJS. Although I guess the sample is from a Sugar Hill group? Cool mix of styles regardless.

techno raj wrote:it made me think of g-funk moreso than NJS

I stole that from the YouTube comments

WHY IS THIS NOT ON SPOTIFY!!



Incredible.

Comes from this very good mix:

Listening to this amazing "Mellow Days" mix today.

Anyone have any City Pop favorites they want to share?

This has become one of my favorites over the last couple years.

Ned, Dan and I watched this on his couch during the summer. It was so shitty that you weren't there, but it was still a fine time.

Hell yeah man that would’ve been a great time. Next time.

Would anyone today care about Plastic Love if it had palm trees or a sunset on the album cover?

Sorry

New Tatsuro Yamashita record is pretty groovy. Super enjoying it atm.

Bruegel wrote:



https://lightintheattic.net/releases/4714-pacific-breeze-japanese-city-pop-aor-boogie-1976-1986

Found a vinyl copy of this and bought it finally. Thanks for the rec Bruegel!

Surfing dog “Fuck Yeah” gif:



Edit:
LOL forgot Zappo already posted that.
Warrants revisiting.

Im gonna listen to that CASIOPEA album now.

chrondog wrote:every May, like clockwork, it becomes SEASIDE LOVERS BIG MOOD SEASON

wind, wave & wineglass on they bitch asses

Oh dang. Never noticed that Tyler connection.