Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

My 5 recommendation to start

Whoa, honganji-san overtook me!

Jokin' aside, my SERIOUS top 5 recommedation are as follows:

Isshoku-Sokuhatsu - YONINBAYASHI
July 15, 1972 - TAJ MAHAL TRAVELLERS
Bi Kyo Ran - BIKYORAN
3.27830 - LE SILO
Brilliant Streams - ASTURIAS

But my PERSONAL recommendation are:

Pataphysical Freak Out MU! - ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE
Debon - BRAST BURN
Gunjogacrayon - GUNJOGACRAYON
Kinsei - OMOIDE HATOBA
Warsaw Joyaku - SEIKAZOKU

Freak out!

Today let me recommend a very problematic outfit and album ...


Takeshi Inomata

Takeshi INOMATA, currently known as one of the most renowned and most influential jazz drummers in Japan, was born at Takarazuka, Japan in 1936. His father (an oboist of Takarazuka Revue Company), his elderly brother (a genius jazz trumpeter), and The Benny Goodman Orchestra whose album he had again and again listened to in his teenaged days could influence much on him and as a result he appeared on stage as a drummer at age 16. His terrific talent and enthusiasm for drumming surprisingly improve and develop his technique, that could let himself win the prize of Swing Journal Magazine's newcomer award in 1957. He showed his ability of jazz drumming in US Camps (later he mentioned he had played drums with smell of butter and hamburger steaks around him) and joined for a jazz outfit Westliners, but an enthusiasm that he wanted to play borderless music made him form SOUND L.T.D. (Limited), a progressive jazz-rock outfit. In those days such a mysterious and perverse creation might confuse every rock & jazz fan and reviewer. Now Takeshi makes a large contribution toward training younger jazz musicians and making a record of the history of Japanese jazz, and simultaneously stands on many worldwide stages , e.g. Carnegie Hall or Apollo Theater.


Innocent Canon (1971) - TAKESHI INOMATA & SOUND L.T.D.

A borderless creation by borderless musicians.

One of the matchlessly eccentric sound kaleidoscopes - even in Japan every reviewer called him as a musician with a warped soundscape. Yes, he might be a confuser (in a good sense). Amazingly, Takeshi promoted Noriaki KANOH, a young and promising photographer, to a narrator (free talker?) in this album. Such a strategy we could not find in another one in 1971. Anyway, 1971 was a golden year for Japanese progressive rock scene, as I've mentioned again and again ... and the credit of Kimio MIZUTANI can be found on lots of album sleeves in that year. Even in 'Innocent Canon', Kimio's aggressive guitar solo can lead all instruments and all listeners. And yeah, Takeshi's strict drumming absolutely can support this 'air' and 'ground'. The narration by Noriaki (currently he's called 'Tenmei' though) is sometimes lazy, sometimes unique, and sometimes ardent. Mysteriously, for me his talk was boring previously, but to listen to this stuffs again and again has interested me in his fuzzy fascination for music.

This album cannot be discussed only under the category of jazz-rock, though Takeshi was (and is) a renowned Japanese jazz drummer indeed. Kimio's heavy guitar and ethnic sitar, Toshiaki YOKOTA's mind-altering flute, and especially Noriaki's flat narration - all elements can make these songs more psychedelic and more avantgarde. Listen to the first track Introduction directly ... heavy, headaching, hypnotic riffs and enthusiastic but level narrations are very typical upon Japanese psychedelic progressive rock scene in the early 70s. In the next The Death Of Janis (dedicated to Janis Joplin) Toshiaki's flute solo is very mind-blowing, in spite of Noriaki's sensitive talk. The third Go For Nothing has violent 'NO!' voices and at the same time a delightful, pleasant jazz ensemble ... this contrast is wonderful. Alone, the sixth, is very impressive with Oriental fragile mood by Kimio's sitar. We feel impulsive tension even in the last song Epilog, where Jun SUZUKI's whistle be very comfortable indeed.

Highly recommended as a very strange footprint on Japanese music scene.


Sound L.T.D. - a borderless sound unit


Thank you for reading this blog.


Edited by DamoXt7942 - May 10 2010 at 17:57

Guldbamsen wrote: I just got Flower Travellin Band - Satori alongside Far east Family Band - Parallel World - mmmmmhhhh yummy. Reminds me a lot of the krautrock scene, although Satori might be the first ever hybrid of metal and true psychedelic aspirations. Great albums for jamming along on my tablas that´s for sure.

Yeah, you bet! ... and you know, the pre-Satori should be "Kirikyogen" by KUNI KAWACHI TO KARE NO TOMODACHI.

Please check'em.

Ah, honganji-san, thanks for your advice.
The bassist of SOUND L.T.D. is "Jun SUZUKI", not "Atsushi ... " nor "Kiyomi".

Of course, like Noriaki KANOH (currently known as Tenmei KANOH), the way to read his Kanji name may be different nowadays I imagine?

In fact, Kazuhiro, you can maintain private conversation here with Damo with just Honganji witnessing it.

Others wouldn't understand a thing as long as it's in Japan.

I wanted to reply in PM, but I've lost dozens of rows in sudden shutdown, so I'm stunned right now. But Isshoku Sokuhatsu was very nice, even I don't know at all what to say about it.

ダモさん、どうもです。

すずきじゅんさんで間違いなさそうですね。本人のベーススクール記事を見て、猪俣猛の名前が出ているので間違いなさそうです。ってことは、加納典明さんのナレーションが間違いということですか・・・。罪作りな写真家ですな。

Guldbamsen wrote: Are there any drums in the mix, not that I need em or anything - you just described a rhythm section in your review?

Of course, aggressive drumming and a hardcore rhythm ensemble will come straightly to your heart. 

This is btw miles away from my otherwise serene and clear cut vision of Japan with its cherry blossom trees, Budokan and what I´ve seen in old movies - I love the change though...

Partly seconded, but basically Japanese are very enthusiastic for everything.

Anyway, Guernica, recommended here, have been added in Progarchives library (Eclectic Prog). 

SaltyJon wrote: Hi everyone!  Just stopping in to say that I recently got Acid Mothers Temple's album Nam Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.  I'm really enjoying it so far, really surprised at its low rating so far (2.5!) as it's got a good acid-drenched psych sound, moreso than the previous AMT album I checked out (IAO Chant from the Cosmic Inferno), and gives me a good Krautrock-flavored vibe.  I can't compare it to the majority of their albums, though, as I've only got those two.

Oh, Jon! You're a real AMT freak-out freak.

Now Pataphisical Freak Out MU!, Electric Heavyland, Nam Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo, Journey Into The Cosmic Inferno, and Cometary Orbital Drive are by my side ...

My musts are Pataphisical and Ge Kyo.