Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

A Japanese brilliant progressive gem, YONINBAYASHI, a young four-piece outfit, were formed in 1971.
Two musically talented high school students, Daiji Okai (drums, various instruments) and Katsutoshi Morizono (guitars, voices) could have a fateful rendezvous at Saginomiya High School in 1969.
With Shin'ichi Nakamura (bass) and Hidemi Sakash*ta (keyboards) added, they played complete but fully improvised "Echoes" of Pink Floyd, shocking and amazing the audience.
Yoninbayashi made their debut with releasing a legendary work "ISSHOKU-SOKUHATSU" from Toho records in 1974.
In their early days, they should be under the influence of Pink Floyd and psychedelic rock scene as everyone says, in addition to the spiritual lyrics by Yasuo Suematsu.
A bassist was replaced by Masahide Sakuma and they released the second album "GOLDEN PICNICS", but soon Katsutoshi dropped out with suspending the outfit.
A reliever for their crisis was Mitsuru Satoh(guitars, voices). They changed music styles into pop and electronic ones, and could shoot three good albums.
After a long "hibernation", in 21st century they've got to be active again having gigs, joining festivals, and making their historical compilation.


ISSHOKU-SOKUHATSU (1974)

Exactly brilliant sunrise over the Japanese progressive rock scene!

With the first track "［hΛmaebeθ］" Yoninbayashi can shoot a psychedelic arrow into our heart and brain.
Our heart should get palpitated and our brain confused by this sound explosion.
"SORA TO KUMO (The sky and clouds)", with terrific voices by Katsutoshi, is a psychedelically beautiful song.
Steady rhythms and melodic sounds sometimes make us relaxed and sometimes anxious or unstable.
Why? ...Maybe, we can find a shadow behind safe and peace of this song.
"OMATSURI (A festival)" is impressing with this lyric "I can't help cryin' by visiting at the fest town".
Yes it can remind us our old days with weeping. Be immersed in a pathos and palpitated with percussive sounds in the latter.
"ISSHOKU SOKUHATSU (Touch and go)", by Katsutoshi, with a bit heavy guitars and mellotrons, should be influenced with Pink Floyd ABSOLUTELY.
Ah...some parts are like King Crimson style in LARKS period...I feel.
One of phrases is just like The Dark Side Of The Moon, and another One Of These Days or Echoes...feel and chuckle!
In "PING PONG DAMA NO NAGEKI (Deep sorrow of a ping-pong ball)", with the sounds of a ping-pong ball dropping to the ground, lots of graceful and sorrowful melodies go around us.
I consider it be so suitable for the last of this wondrous story.

No suspicion that we can get damaged with fantasy. Suprahighly recommended by DamoX.

Thank you for reading this blog.


Edited by DamoXt7942 - October 10 2013 at 04:25

Thanks Jozef for your recommendation!

Jozef wrote: I recommend "Satori" by Flower Travellin' Band. It's a very good heavy psychedelic album with some excellent guitar work. I'll make sure to keep checking this thread as well. I really want to hear more from Japanese prog bands!

This SATORI, I've written a review before, is exactly one of the most terrific Japanese psych albums.

Now I'm studying more and more about my native progressive rock scene so please let me know a lot.

DamoXt7942 wrote:   And Tamijo, when will you come to Fukuoka?

Im not sure, but sometime between Jan-may 2010 is my guess.  

Edited by tamijo - June 18 2009 at 06:47

Damo - if you look at the My Musical Commute thread you will find that this week was Japanese Prog week for me, and it lists the albums I listened to each day this week. There was one album, Wish by Starless (1992) that is also not listed in ProgArchives, and I wondered if you knew this band / album?

Hearing right now Far Out's Nihonjin.

Great guitar about 8:14 specially the riff in 8:26-31 great stuff!!!!!

I do not know why Julian Cope did not like Foodbrain and Shinki Shen solo album: both for me are great!!

Hey Damo did you about the Genya concert??

Almost ruined by the Lost Araaff group

and the hijacking of a plane by bass player of Rallizes?

Gedo

Takeshi Kovacs wrote: Damo - if you look at the My Musical Commute thread you will find that this week was Japanese Prog week for me, and it lists the albums I listened to each day this week. There was one album, Wish by Starless (1992) that is also not listed in ProgArchives, and I wondered if you knew this band / album?

Takeshi, always I appreciate your inputs...and is your commute thread on last.fm?
Sorry I've not seen yet...later I'm gonna check...and discuss with you...please wait.
[/QUOTE]

No - it's one of the threads on this ProgArchives forum:

http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=50152&PN=1

The most recent posts are from this week, which was Japanese Prog week.

Oops, sorry, I noticed it's Okayama, not Wakayama... But that's still Kansai, wouldn't you say?