Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

daydreamer wrote: DamoXt7942 wrote: In 1987, a guitarist TABATA had searched aggressively his original way for rokc music after leaving from Boredoms. He had repeated lots of sessions with various players in studio, and could seize the opportunity to form LENINGRAD BLUES MACHINE in Kyoto. Around 1990s they had changed the members or hibernated over and over, but never had any official releases. I think that you're wrong. As far as I know their 1st CD release (s/t) was made in 1993 by Nux Organisation label (catalog# NUX-D7). Then was another CD named Fandango, issued by Gyuune label (catalog# CD95-12). Both were recorded by Tabata with famous Naoto Hayashi on bass & Yasushi Yamazaki on drums. And only then their 3rd CD Yajé again by Gyuune (catalog# CD95-28).

Oh, sorry that's wrong. "(in 1990s) never had any studio-based releases" is correct.

Thanks daydreamer for your making a correction.

EDIT: And the paragraph has been revised.


Edited by DamoXt7942 - September 22 2010 at 05:52

A Japanese novel project TACO got started in a live house Kichijoji Minor, managed by Takashi Satoh, the owner of Pinakotheca Records later.



A midnight improvised gig series named Aiyoku-Jinmin-Juji-Gekijo had been held in Kichijoji Minor under the supervision of Tamio Shiraishi. Harumi YAMAZAKI, a participant in the gig, hit it off with Tamio and formed an irregular rock unit TACO in 1981. Although they tried to start recording after some gigs in Tokyo, they had a heated dispute about the material or the production, and finally Tamio resigned from the unit.

For escape from this predicament, Harumi called lots of his music mates and recorded TACO's debut album. Some renowned artists credited - e.g. Ryuichi Sakamoto (Yellow Magic Orchestra), Koji Ueno (Guernica), Machizo Machida (a well-known Japanese novelist later) - could create a great sensation and the sales of this album reached over four thousand copies (It's said that the telephone of the distributor Teregraph could not stop ringing night and day). However some discriminatory phrases or criticism of Japanese Emperor should cast a dark shadow over TACO and Pinakotheca Records regretfully.

Later TACO released a live album and soon disappeared because of Harumi's addiction to illegal agents or the premature death of Junko 'Lolita' Shinozaki, a partner & lover of Harumi, but TACO's spirit has been much talked about in Japanese independent rock scene. The album 'TACO' was reissued as a compilation with their first and second albums in 1994 via SSE Communications (in 2010, it has been discontinued and priced at $200!).


Taco (self-titled) (1983) - TACO with many artists!

Their key phrase is "Sorry to be born in this world", that can sometimes be heard in this album.

Very nervous, violent, aggressive atmosphere we can feel in this work. I can imagine the album "Taco" might be the life of Harumi YAMAZAKI, that was filled with talent for rock music, sexual desire, opposition against the society, and mind-expanding agents. Harumi could strike his "problematic" life onto his creation without sweeping anything. Of course, we do understand such illegal stuffs must be banned indeed, but his attitude and opinion 'for music' can be approved more and more - he easily could create such an avantgarde and controversial bizarrerie what nobody could do in those days, with much commercialism (he advertised himself and his products via his columns in an underground magazine) and lots of renowned musicians (especially Ryuichi Sakamoto and Machizo Machida). He could arouse a controversy storm in Japanese independent music scene with such a weird gem.

Listen first of all and you can find some painful groan, moan, shout with crazy, dirty mixing in the first track, maybe under withdrawal symptoms. A very cynical and straight way as he represented his silly sickness and painful life, already able to feel? And what a weird song the third track "Kirara" is ... Machizo madly and cynically sang (no, shouted) with lots of discriminatory words and phrases. Actually an anti-discrimination association has impeached the song, album, and Pinakotheca Records. But there may be not only discrimination but also criticism against some associations asking for money it sounds. They should be cynics I'm sure.

And you cannot help feeling his musical talent in "Enigram" or "Nue", a short classical cotton and a Japanese-Enka-ish tragic darkside respectively. "Vomiting Center Is The World Origin" includes some dirty, sodomic lyrics into itself (written by Lolita Junko?) but such a carnivalisque element in the song you can realize and appreciate seriously. "Hostage Funk" can be fittest for so-called Avantgarde progressive methinks ... with taperecorder effects or meaningless female whispers, based on strict funky rhythms. The second one "Cannot Get Your Patience Of A Saint Even Today" is a pop song, but the lyrics sung by a pretty singer (suppose :-P) Izumi Kurisawa are ... oh, man ... cannot explain in detail but full of illegal expression. You can easily realize that Ryuichi Sakamoto composed "Secret Emperor Magic" (lyrics by Harumi ... just criticism against Japanese Emperor as the most responsible person for the War).

As above mentioned, this album should be the most problematic and controversial in those days in Japan but at the same time I'm sure Harumi could leave one of the most impressive music production for us younger rock fans. As a Japanese Avantgarde progressive rock fan, I cannot avoid this brilliant gem.




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From the seventies, I like Stomu Yamash'ta. I recall some great guitar / violin segments (Gary Boyle

GaryB wrote: From the seventies, I like Stomu Yamash'ta. I recall some great guitar / violin segments (Gary Boyle from Isotope and Stomu's wife? sister?) and Stomu's solid percussion. Haven't been able to get into the LP with Stevie Winwood though, I need to give it another listen.

Ehhh, are you Gary Boyle? Fantastic!

Well, I am a guitar player (and he and I have the same initials) but unfortunately.....

Well, how about this outfit mates?


A mysterious sticker used on the promotion of EP-4's debut album

A music tactician in Japanese underground rock scene Kaoru SATOH (voices, drums, percussion; also known as a member of Taco, as previously mentioned) was one of regular customers in Club Modern, a discotheque in Kyoto. His strong and clear intention for the purpose of creating 'cool, no-sweat funk' could let himself form a Techno-Psychedelic outfit EP-4 with some music mates - Banana KAWASHIMA (keyboards), Tatsuo KOHKI (guitars), Kiyoshi 'Sanjoh-Dohri' ISOGAWA (drums), Yung TSUBOTAJ (percussion), and Koh SAKUMA (bass) - in Club Modern around him in June 1980. They exerted themselves to represent rock music in a 'extremely processed' manner, with a voice effector or mechanical sound creation, that could be appreciated in Japanese Club Music scene in those days. In early 1980s, EP-4 were much approved on a gig named Urban Synchronicity in Kyoto (1981), or their 'Emergency Landing' tour in some metropolises in Japan (1982). And finally in 1983 their reputation as a Japanese underground rock outfit had got unassailable upon the event Scanning Pool.

In the same year EP-4 released an album 'Lingua Franca-1 (Showa Hogyo)', by remarkably impressive (and eccentric) promotion ... they pasted dozens of stickers written only 'EP-4 5.21' on them at random all around Japan (it's said on a TV show a renowned singer wore a T-shirt with the sticker on). This phrase 'EP-4 5.21' meant that EP-4's debut album would be released on May 21st, 1983. However, the release of this album was banned by pressure of Japan Nation because of the album's subtitle ('Showa Hogyo' means the death of Emperor Showa). At last they released the album with replacement of the subtitle with 'Showa Taisha' in 1983 ('Showa Hogyo' was released as a supplement appended to their booklet).

EP-4 gigged around Japan and released some cassette EPs later, but were disbanded in 1988. Tatsuo and Kiyoshi have passed away sadly.


Lingua Franca-1 (Showa Taisha) (1983) - EP-4 (A picture of the Metal Baseball Bat Murder spot (Kanagawa, 1980) was used on the sleeve.)

Here was such an approach for Psychedelic Progressive / Space Rock like them, I'm very amazed.

As to EP-4, almost only "Guerrilla strategy with dozens of stickers for their promotion" could get a great deal of attention in Japan. Indeed that was an eccentric and mysterious one, but let me emphasize that we should keep our eyes upon their "musical" strategy, with multiplex mechanical effects on voices, keyboard sounds, or so. Their passion or hearty feeling might be veiled under stingingly cold sound structure. Contrary to their (actually Kaoru's) funky rhythmical beats, the subliminal effects via their soundscape are like muddy water, that can easily get our feet and brains trapped. Kaoru obviously used such a different manner for representing his music message from Yellow Magic Orchestra or Kraftwerk.

And I wonder why nobody considered EP-4 should get somewhat influenced by Japanese Psychedelic Progressive scene ... the guitar solo uses a spice of extreme feedback effects like Takashi Mizutani, and the songs in this album may be studded with some samples via Taj-Mahal Travellers' one (at least for me?). They (especially Kaoru) seem to care about elderly Japanese Progressive artists, even in their funky style. We can enjoy the A side of this album (able to be called as "Lingua Franca Suite") with keeping our eyes upon such a point of view. Or did they do their original Funkedelic (Not Funkadelic) Rock? ... Anyway, very amazing and mysterious for us seriously.




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I find Stomu Yamashta's Red Buddha Theatre to be grand. The soundtrack to "The Man From The East". Don't let the term soundtrack discourage you. With all due respect, the music is from within and with a character like Yamashta you are taken on a ride. If all you have heard is GO then you must prepair yourself for a different journey. There are jams on his early albums but there is more emphasis on melodies and traditional Japanese music. I have been up and down the pathway of electronic music, jazz, and prog and there is no piece of music on earth like "Mountain Pass". Not even the great Paul Beaver with his Bach influended piece "Sanctuary" comes close to it. For me, it is the most beautiful piece of music written.

Again thanks Greg (Logan)!


TOSHIYUKI MIYAMA & HIS NEW HERD (1970)

In 1921, one of Japanese Jazz Giants, Toshiyuki Miyama was born in Chiba-City, Japan. He joined the Japanese Naval Military Band in 1939 and played upon deck of many Japanese warships such as Hyuga, Yamashiro, Nagato, or Yamato ... this valuable experience could let him go up the stairway to the herald of Japanese Jazz scene. Soon after the World War, he showed his ability as an alt-saxophone player and formed a jazz band Jive Aces in 1950, which performed and were approved in US Camp etc.

In 1958 Jive Aces, with lots of musicians added, changed their band's name into NEW HERD (TOSHIYUKI MIYAMA & HIS NEW HERD). Although they were a back band on a dance floor in 1950s, NEW HERD established Japan Modern Jazz scene, much influenced by the members / 'bebop' arrangers Kozaburo YAMAKI or Hiroshi TAKAMI, in mid 1960s. Finally, 'Perspective' released in 1969, featuring Masahiko SATO, could be much appreciated and they had reached the peak of their popularity in Japanese 'Big Band' Jazz world.

'Yamataifu' (1972) was released exactly in their most active period. This album should break the common sense of Japanese Jazz easily, in collaboration with Masahiko SATO again, and won the Nippon Geijutsusai Yushu Prize, a very honourable one.

TOSHIYUKI MIYAMA & HIS NEW HERD celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2000, and simultaneously, again won the Geijutsusai Yushu Prize, for the concert of their 50th anniversary.


Yamataifu (1972; the first edition) - TOSHIYUKI MIYAMA & HIS NEW HERD / MASAHIKO SATO

The strongest collaboration between a Japanese Jazz Giant (Toshiyuki MIYAMA) and a Japanese freely-improvised Avantgarde Jazz establisher (Masahiko SATO) in 1972, could win a honourable "Geijutsusai Yushu Prize", much appreciated in the whole Japanese Art world. Since Greg (Logan) recommended this album to me, I've checked NEW HERD's stuffs via YouTube or MP3 websites, and felt NEW HERD (without Masahiko SATO) have been (even now) a great Japanese 'big-band' Jazz band in this scene and played chiefly contemporary / nu-jazz, not with enough Avantgarde essence. Big big influence by Masahiko SATO, they could be injected into themselves I'm sure. As previously mentioned, Masahiko made a great success of his album "Amalgamation" (1971) all around the world (especially in Europe), and very naturally his motivation and attitude for free improvisation could invade into pure nu-jazz tower built by Toshiyuki's NEW HERD, just in the album "Yamataifu".

Basically Toshiyuki is an alt saxophone player so we can feel the enormous power via their saxophone plays. Wonderful echoic sax dream, based on deep and heavy bass and drums. Fully drenched with bulky Nippon (Japanese) native flavour and tension, freely improvised instrumental battles go ahead inorganically ... but magnificent passion of each player we can feel ... obviously, even with spiritual or ghostly explosion here and there. Believe me, not simply traditional Japanese Avantgarde Jazz, but with full of nationalism and eccentricity in such a powerful big band. Over 35 minutes we cannot feel anymore but this palpitation. Feel directly this Japanese pride.

Again thanks Greg for your brilliant recommendation. We Japanese are very happy everyone all around the world can enjoy their fascinating stuff.


TOSHIYUKI MIYAMA & HIS NEW HERD (2002) - from their official website


Thank you for reading this blog.

Thanks Arigatou-Gozaimasu for your great review Jon! 

Anyway, "Nam Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo" is the clinker (?) in the sutra of Nichiren-shu, a sect of the Japanese Buddhism.

Damo - just wanted to say what an excellent job you and all the other contributors are doing with this thread.