Kousokuya - Echoes From Deep Underground (2007)

"For those that don't know Kousokuya are a cult garage pysch rock trio formed in the 1970s in the Tokyo underground music scene by main member, and recently deceased Jutok Kaneko. Despite having existed for 20-plus years, the band's output has been fairly sparse with a few releases on PSF and one domestic US release on the Forced Exposure label. Originally the archive release was to be comprised of a fantastic live performance on CD from Osaka in 2001, but having discovered the existence of video footage from the same performance, a bonus DVD was added to the mix. This release represents to date the only video document of Jutok and Kousokuya released in official capacity and realistically represent a chance for fans of obscure psych to see a band, and artist, that basically played outside of Japan only a handful of times. This pressing of 700 copies comes packaged in heavy black stock covers with metallic silver and gloss varnish and silkscreen work by the wonderful Alan Sherry of Siwa Records. The CD and DVD come in black envelopes held together by a silkscreened obi strip."


CD:
http://lix.in/-2d8fa8

DVD:
http://lix.in/-309ccc

Musica Transonic - Introducing Musica Transonic (1995)

"Debut CD by a Tokyo supergroup featuring Asahito Nanjo (High Rise) on bass, Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins) on drums, and Kawabata Makoto (Toho Sara, AMT) on guitar. Totally distorted monster heaviness in an early High Rise meets Ruins mode. Essential."

http://lix.in/23216bdc

Yuki Katori - Waltz (Tomokawa cover)

Acid Mothers Temple - Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Under The Stars (2007)

"`Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Under The Stars' is the newest release from the always prolific Japanese semi-commune known as Acid Mothers Temple. It professes to be the "cleanest sounding" album yet and, as far as I've heard, that's correct. `Crystal Rainbow...' has the most balanced production I've heard on any AMT record. For a start, the drums are easily picked out, which makes a huge difference. So often in the past they have been reduced to faint thumps and distant hi-hats, which lessened the hypnotic power of the band just a little. The instrumentation herein is just as multi-layered and rich as before, only this time everything is more clearly audible. Everything sounds big, nothing sounds cluttered. And though existing fans will already be used to the freewheeling confusion inherent in any AMT listening session, the stronger production can only be a plus.

And onto the songs themselves. The opener `[...] Head Man...' is a thoroughly wild, slightly atonal jam that lasts a little over seven minutes and sees the new vocalist Kitigawa marking her place inside the Acid Mothers whirlwind. It's a solid track, and the relatively short length works in its favour. The remaining hour of `Crystal Rainbow...' is a mellower affair. The (almost) title track is a lush, triplet-time groove that hits all the bases with aplomb. It's not only one of the best Acid Mothers songs around, it's also the one I would use as an introduction to the band. Its opening old-school riff is rooted in conventional stoner fayre, although it's liberally sprinkled with spacey madness for the entire duration. Already the album is shaping up to be a pretty damn good Acid Mothers record, but what follows propels `Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Under The Stars' into the higher echelons of the band's achievements. `Electric Psilocybin Flashback' is in their space-folk vein, but it's a 40 minute multi-part monster. A half-Eastern, half-Mediterranean guitar riff drones through the opening few minutes, leading into some sublime saxophone lead lines and beyond. Only in the last ten minutes does this track drag slightly, but that's only a minor quibble. It's easily one of the most expansive and interesting pieces they've put their collective name to, and rounds off an excellent record. Acid Mothers Temple show no sign of slowing down, and when their output is reliably this good, there's no need for them to."

http://lix.in/d5394d50

Dissecting Table - Tranquilizer (2005)

"New recording from Ichiro Tsuji. This can be described as "Groping In the Dark" at half-speed. Plodding, extremely repetitive, and totally crushing. A test of endurance for the uninitiated, and an enjoyable exercise in heaviness for the rest."

http://lix.in/0263ed6f