From his home in Tokyo, Cornelius joined us to discuss the ethereal qualities that make up his current material, his longtime admiration for The Durutti Column, looking back on breakthrough album Fantasma, the Kraftwerk-inspired visual components that augment his live performances, and much more.
Category: Japan
Funk Tide :: Tokyo Jazz-Funk from Electric Bird 1978-87
The Parisian label Wewantsounds delivers yet again with Funk Tide – Tokyo Jazz-Funk from Electric Bird 1978-87, a compilation surveying the Japanese jazz label’s ferocious first decade, culled by the Tokyo-based DJ Notoya. The eight tracks within, many of which are seeing their first release outside of Japan, comprise a bonanza of fusion, city pop, smooth soul sounds, and beyond.
First & Last: Japanese Private Press, Vol. 14
Step into spring with the latest edition of First & Last, a series of mixes providing a glimpse into the world of Japanese private press, or 自主盤, pronounced “jishuban”, which loosely translates to “independent board.”
Included are tracks from two of our favorite records: Book End, whose band leader was also the leader of Primary Mini-Band, and Naotune Saga. The mix also features Buraiha, a band steeped in the avant-garde Angura movement, along with a group called Sharons Forever which (with no liner notes to guide) offers a poignant tribute, leaving us to ponder the mystery behind this memorial record dedicated to ‘Sharons for everybody.’
Takuya Kuroda :: Rising Son
Rising Son is a ray of regal jazz-funk bliss from start to finish, but the highlight has to be Kuroda’s cover of “Everybody Loves The Sunshine,” sung by José James with the world-weary joy of the Roy Ayers Ubiquity. This reissue closes with a “Sunshine” remix by UK keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones, layering smears of synth and thumping breakbeats over dubby, echo-drenched effects. Blue Note originals have been known to break the bank, so get down with Rising Son on its latest solar cycle.
First & Last: Japanese Private Press, Vol. 13
Embrace the dawn of a new year with the thirteenth installment of First & Last, a series of mixes providing a glimpse into the world of Japanese private press, or 自主盤, pronounced “jishuban”, which loosely translates to “independent board.”
First & Last: Japanese Private Press, Vol. 12
Welcome to the twelfth installment of First & Last, a series of mixes providing a glimpse into the world of Japanese private press, or 自主盤, pronounced “jishuban”, which loosely translates to “independent board.”
As autumn fades into the quiet embrace of winter, immerse yourself in the hushed tones of acoustic introspection, where each note invokes the stillness of the changing seasons.
Leo Takami :: Next Door
Leo Takami first hit our radar with his 2020 album, Felis Catus and Silence, a beacon of light in a potently dark year, shaping Windham Hill-inspired guitar compositions with elements of jazz, minimalism, classical music, Japanese gagaku, and ambient textures. The Tokyo-based composer and guitarist’s follow up arrives with Next Door, an album that once again finds Takami handling all the controls himself, creating his own fantastical dreamscapes and, this time, leaning a little more into easy listening and lounge.
First & Last: Japanese Private Press, Vol. 11
Welcome to the eleventh installment of First & Last, a series of mixes providing a glimpse into the world of Japanese private press, or 自主盤, pronounced “jishuban”, which loosely translates to “independent board.”
Yuzo Iwata :: Daylight Moon
“Waiting for the guitar to play” concludes a short written piece penned by musician Yuzo Iwata, a memory of observing a jam session outside Tokyo. This Daylight Moon insert is a perfectly suitable precursor to the album: a fascinating, whirlwind relic of the late guitarist. Spiraling, Velvets-inspired guitar textures float between seaside ambiance and complex riffs over gloomy soundscapes. The (mostly) instrumental record grips hold of you as a reminder of the essence of a true psychedelia in sound, rather than the buzzy ambiguity that the term seems to be placated in of late.
First & Last: Japanese Private Press, Vol. 10
Welcome to the tenth installment of First & Last, a series of mixes providing a glimpse into the world of Japanese private press, or 自主盤, pronounced “jishuban”, which loosely translates to “independent board.”
Miki Hirayama :: 電子レンジ (Denshi Lenzi)
London-based reissue label Time Capsule, which released the AD-heavily rotated Mário Rui Silva’s Stories from Another Time 1982-1988 a couple years back, returns with Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985 later this fall, a collection of Japanese reggae pop that, based on this first taste, promises to be revelatory.
First & Last: Japanese Private Press, Vol. 9
Welcome to the ninth installment of First & Last, a series of mixes providing a glimpse into the world of Japanese private press, or 自主盤, pronounced “jishuban”, which loosely translates to “independent board.”
Maya Ongaku :: Approach To Anima
From a studio tucked away in the back of the Ace General Store, a beachy vintage shop some 60 miles inland of the seaside coast of the small Japanese island Enoshima, emits the smoky, alchemic jazz-folk of maya ongaku. A trio of childhood friends—Tsutomu Sonoda on guitar and vocals, Ryota Takano on bass, and Shoei Ikeda on percussion and synth—the band feels fully at peace with itself on its debut album, Approach to Anima, released last month via Guruguru Brain.
Shizuka :: Heavenly Persona
The Black Editions label continues to do the lord’s work. In recent years, they’ve been digging through the archives of legendary Japanese psych label P.S.F., giving new life to some truly great and often lesser-known records. The latest is Heavenly Persona, the only studio album from Shizuka, which was released on CD back in 1994. A remarkable record — try to imagine Les Rallizes Dénudés making a record with Hope Sandoval and you’re somewhere in the ballpark.
First & Last: Japanese Private Press, Vol. 8
Welcome to the eighth installment of First & Last, a series of mixes providing a glimpse into the world of Japanese private press, or 自主盤, pronounced “jishuban”, which loosely translates to “independent board.”