Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

Merzbow anyone?  He's way out there but I like some of it.

Merzbow is more noise/electronics than prog

Also Mugen

If you like Merzbow then the mighty Merzbox is for you.

Atavachron wrote: Merzbow anyone?  He's way out there but I like some of it.

Atavachron and Jon,
Merzbow (Masami Akita) I've not heard...which album do you recommend?
Some reviewers say every album should be violently noisy...

Jon89 wrote: Kenso is another must have Also Mugen

Now Kenso's YUME NO OKA is on my turntable.

lucas wrote: Kazumi Watanabe released two labums with Peter Vettese (Jthro Tull), Bill Bruford and Jeff Berlin.   Mongol - doppler 444 is an absolute masterpiece fom Japan combining holdsworthian jazz-fusion with metal and RIO.   Other jazz-fusion acts include Kenso and Ain Soph

Thanks Lucas!
Ain Soph's "A Story Of Mysterious Forest" is a great progressive album and a Japanese pride I'm sure.

Excellent blog Damo 

This a fine way for us all to learn about and share our Japanese prog. experiences; i've been quite pleased all the bands recommended so far and have come across some great music that i hadn't even heard yet.

Anyways, i suppose i'll toss out a recommendation for one of my fav Japanese prog bands, although a bit more "pop" than most recommended so far:

Interpose +            (Truly, i'm surprised that they've received so few reviews considering how well they fit the Eclectic prog genre)

http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2395

www.interpose.jp

Finnforest wrote: I know very little about the Japanese scene.....BUT......this is one of the very few 5 star ratings I have given around this place.....   http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=164793

! Wow. This is the best music new music i've heard in a while.  (as to be expected from a RPI Specialist )




Edited by Dominic - June 06 2009 at 16:16

Dominic wrote: Excellent blog Damo  Finnforest wrote: I know very little about the Japanese scene.....BUT......this is one of the very few 5 star ratings I have given around this place.....   http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=164793     ! Wow. This is the best music new music i've heard in a while.  (as to be expected from a RPI Specialist )

Grazie Dominic!!!!!!!!!!!  

Is anyone posting here familiar with the albums of Cinorama? http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/cinorama

Hi, folks! This is my second recommendation here.
I've hardly listened to Jazz/Fusion before, as honestly I say.
Last week...at the night before my conference in Tokyo, kazuhiro (one of Japanese PA members and my progmates) took me to a jazz bar in Kamata, Tokyo.
I was very amazed to see there were over 3000 jazz albums and the owner let us listen to some of those.
This "FROZEN DAYS" is one of those.



Felt in that day it should be hot a bit, but I was really "FROZEN" with listening this album.
Overwhelmed by the activity and power of the avant-jazz.
Yosuke Yamasita Trio consisted of three talented jazz artists - Takeo Moriyama's powerful drumming could support this band, Akira Sakata could make us crazy with his speedy and explosive sax, and the leader Yosuke Yamasita always bore eccentric and improvisatinal sounds hitting and blowing the piano by his fingers and elbows(!).
From start to finish we can't breathe strictly held by their terrific and unpredictable plays.
The song I particularly want to mention about is the last one "Mitochondria" composed by Akira Sakata.
Listen, and feel this improvisation and palpitation of life!
In fact Akira loves water fleas and studys in detail (see his website).
In this song, Akira's sax sounds might be an action of mitochondria, Takeo's drumming be heartbeats, and Yosuke's piano sounds be human life itself...I feel always.
Each instrument hears to be not in harmony with others but I consider this inharmoniousness should be their intention and at last all could construct the life completely.
Massively active and aggressive plays can absorb us deeply.

Sorry this album is not progressive ROCK one but I can't help telling about it as a Japanese progressive album.

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Edited by DamoXt7942 - October 10 2013 at 04:11

Thank you, Logan and verslibre!

Logan wrote: There are a great mnay terrific prog bands from Japan.  One I like that is sort of acoustic chamber rock (and it's Jethro Tull inspired), is Ausia For samples check here --> http://tsuboy.internet.ne.jp/ausia/diskinfo.html Here's a review --> http://www.progressor.net/review/ausia_2003.html One I like in the archives considerably is Zypressen, but it's rather flat. But what I'd like to find is more traditionally-Japanese oriented progressive "chamber rock" -- shakuhachi a plus -- (with Japanese lyrics) --preferably mostly acoustic (lack of electric/ electronic keys/ synths a plus).

Related to Ausia, Adachi Kyodai is an awesome pair I think.
Speedy and Oriental (naturally) guitar play is always enjoyable for me.

verslibre wrote: Social Tension is a defunct band whose CD reissue of It Reminds Me Of MacBethia I really like. Basically, their two OOP albums MacBethia and It Reminds Me Of Those Days are collected on that reissue, but some of the IRMoTD tracks are left off (the album wasn't as good as the first). Great keyboard symph prog like Motoi Sakuraba (another of my favorites).

Social Tension I've not heard sorry but reading erik's bio moved me strooongly.