Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

I absolutely love BELLAPHON, the only decent Camel clone in the history.

I'd like to travel physically, but Japan is a bit too far from here, but Tangerine Dream have brought me to Alpha Centauri so I think I can visit Japan in a similar way.  Currently I'm exploring Geinoh Yamashirogumi that's a very nice trip.

Another Japanese avantgarde heretic.


MIZUHIRO of HI-SPEED (and a cat :P)

HI-SPEED, an obscure (and one-off) Japanese RIO / avantgarde project, were founded in 1994 by MIZUHIRO, who had already been renowned as an animator / animation producer and a founder of Ginjoha, a label for ambient / new-age music. They recorded massive material for their only one album "Erioka Con Animac Planetico" in December 1995, and released in May 1996 upon a Japanese independent label Unknownmix. MIZUHIRO has appeared on stage as a couple of projects (sometimes with Taiji TAKAHASHI) of disco / club music later.


Erioka Con Animac Planetico (1996) - HI-SPEED

Surely flexible over the common sense in Japanese rock scene with fantastic animac world deeply in Mizuhiro's brain and cynical violent attitude against adulthood around them, I've heard via this art named "Erioka Con Animac Planetico", created by HI-SPEED, a challenging (and sadly short-lived) project with a flood of pure heart and hot blood in themselves (aside that everybody says they could be in the same vein of Picchio Dal Pozzo).



Afraid almost all "common people" might say they go crazy, by attaching such a eccentric sound mischief. Exactly they should activate and spread an innocent motivation and wider scape of mind. Simply they used lots of instruments, including saxophones, guitars, drums, percussion, voices, and especially toys and garbage. Yes children can play with everything, even if it may not clean nor safe & sound. They could show this fact around us naturally. No complexity but definitely their quite harmonized passion play, here is. We can call their play as "nature", methinks. Children's state of mind can alter minute by minute - sometimes happy, sometimes sad, and sometimes upset, irritated ... or so. HI-SPEED might express their unstable feeling with various sounds and noises. Their sounds of pleasure are very warm and gentle, and on the other hand, ones of anger kick our ears aggressively and sharply (featuring electronic noises, loud guitar fuzz, and crazy / sticky saxophone violence). The last track can be called as a deceiver, with hearty riffs and irritating test noises finally ... namely, they might play mischief through the whole album. Please realize their innocence, and you can enjoy this stuff completely. A mysterious, and at the same time, impressive and addictive sound medicine.




Thank you for reading this blog. ٩(̾●̮̮̃̾•̃̾)۶

Very nice, I love how classy and playful this jazz sounds. E.D.F. sounds like a good companion for my long, tedious studies.

Someone mentioned Sakuraba Motoi,i think "Silent The Universe" the opening track to the game "Star Ocean The Second Story" is one of the finest pieces of music i have ever heard from a computer game,it stirs my soul every time i hear it.If you have  not heard it do yourself a favour

i saw a lot of people mention cosmos factory's debut , which is inferior to their second and deffinitely to their third 'black hole' which is a 5 star album no doubt about it.
get it fast if you still haven't!!

Let me say, I’ll try my best to recommend them as a Prog-Related project in Japan!


SADISTIC MIKA BAND, a pioneer in Japanese progressive rock scene (IMHO)

One of the Folk Crusaders Kazuhiko KATO - quite immersed in British Glam Rock scene led by David Bowie or Marc Bolan - and his wife (and his eternal fan) Mika KATO have founded an as-it-is-said modern rock project named SADISTIC MIKA BAND (it's said the project name was a parody merged with Plastic Ono Band and Mika's sadistic movements of a knife upon her cooking) with Hiro TSUNODA (drums), and Masayoshi TAKANAKA (guitar) later soon. Although Hiro's left after releasing a single "Cycling Boogie" for founding his own band, Yukihiro TAKAHASHI has replaced Hiro as a drummer and has taken Rei (Ray) OHARA into the project as a bassist. In 1973, the new SADISTIC MIKA BAND released their eponymous debut album, that could be much appreciated in UK (especially in London), not achieve enough success in Japan though.

Chris THOMAS, already renowned as a recording engineer for The Beatles or Pink Floyd, had been so immersed in their first album that he offered them production of their second album "Kurofune (Black Ship)". They spent over 450 hours for recording and producing the second creation in collaboration with Chris, and finally released in November 1974 all over the world. This album has been estimated as one of the most important Japanese rock albums by Rolling Stone Magazine. Sadly, owing to Mika's falling in love with Chris during their UK tour in 1975 and being divorced with Kazuhiko, SADISTIC MIKA BAND were disbanded after replacement of bassist by Tsugutoshi GOTO and releasing their third album "Hot! Menu" in November 1975.

After disbandment, Kazuhiko reformed the project with the collaboration of another vocalist some time - in 1989, as SADISTIC MICA BAND with Karen KIRISHIMA, and in 2006, as SADISTIC MICA BAND REVISITED or SADISTIC MIKAELA BAND with Kaela KIMURA. Two single records "Boys & Girls" (1989) and "Time Machine (rerecorded by the new lineup)" (2006), one studio album "Narkissos" (2006), and two live albums "Seiten" (1989) and "Live In Tokyo" (2007) have been released. On the other hand, a documentary film "Sadistic Mica Band" (by a director Kazuyuki IZUTSU) has been shown in Autumn 2007.

SADISTIC MIKA / MICA / MIKAELA BAND will never be reformed because of Kazuhiko's suicide in October 2009.


Kurofune (Black Ship) (1974) - SADISTIC MIKA BAND

"Kurofune (Black Ship)" ... This superb album produced in 1974 (a conception of progressive rock underdeveloped in Japan yet in those days) can be suitably called as one of pioneers in Japanese progressive rock scene, except only one point described later. As you know, this album has a conception of "opening Japan for foreign (especially Western) countries", that had brought and compelled by Matthew Calbraith Perry in 1853, the end of Edo Bakufu (maybe called "a closed government" in English) Era. Kazuhiko and Sadistic Mika Band have created this album and story as a serious, problematic one for Japanese people in those days, and simultaneously, made this album itself "open the Japanese rock scene for Euro-American progressive rock kingdom". Yes, this album could be the dawn of Japanese concept album creation, and sadly, this was too progressive for Japanese music scene at this moment to be approved under commercialism.

Easily can imagine that lots of Edo people might be surprised, shocked, and upset with their sudden attack. Kazuhiko and his band have made an excellent expression about that matter, especially as an undefined fear / confusion in the first track "Sumie No Kuni E (Into A Nation Of Black Ink)" and as a coming anxiety in the second "Nanika Ga Umi Wo Yatte Kuru (Something Horrible Is Coming Across The Sea)", with weird voices and unstable melodies. Such a texture created by them (especially Kazuhiko, Takeshi Matsuyama, and Chris Thomas) sounds remarkably vivid. Not simply folksy nor catchy but experimental around pop essence. We can hear enough progressiveness for Japanese pop / rock scene in 1974 (and understand they could not be approved successfully). The last suite in Side A "Kurofune (2nd - 4th June, Kaei 6)" is the highlight of this album, where we can suggest a magnificent panic and hopelessness, giving-up around lots of Edo people, via powerful, enthusiastic heavy rock launched by deep bass sounds, complexly quaking drumming, and crying guitar shouts. On the contrary, in "Yoroshiku Dozo (Welcome Please)" natives seem to accept the cross-cultural matter (maybe could not avoid accepting under their superiority though).


Kurofune (June 4th, Kaei 6) - SADISTIC MICA BAND

Sadly, however, so far as I am aware, Kazuhiko's indulgence with his wife Mika, that he'd let her sing such a sweet rock "Time Machine" or an eccentric (for this story) cookie "Hei Made Hitottobi (Suki Suki Suki)", would lower the estimation for this album as a concept one. These pop songs, one of that later released as a hit single, are good indeed, but unsuitable catchy atmosphere in them might disturb the train of thought around this serious story I'm afraid.

This regretful point aside, this album created just in Japanese closed music scene could open widely Japan's door, and it's true. I'm sure this splendid work will be re-appreciated all over the world, after Kazuhiko's sad suicide. Highly recommended.




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Totally three studio albums and one live album as Sadistic Mika Band, and later they released some stuffs as other monikers. 

^ Thanks Sagi for your suggestion. 

^ Will check (forgive me but I've not heard about them yet), thanks Andy.