Japan 5

Hello, fellow proghead, here is some Japanese progrock I love to listen to:

ARS NOVA-THE BOOK OF THE DEAD
- In 1997 I was lucky to witness a concert from Ars Nova during the annual Pul Festival in the Dutch city Uden. I was blown away by these three Japanese women: small size, GREAT SOUND! Especially bass player Kyoko Kanazawa took my attention because of that giant Rickenbacker bass guitar in those tiny hands. Her hotpants evoked yells like “backstage”, progrock remains a man’s world! Soon after the European tour from Ars Nova bass player Kyoko was replaced by Ken Ish*ta because Kyoko was no longer interested in making music with Ars Nova.

On this first CD without her the band had chosen for a concept CD about the Egyptian history. Keyboard player Keiko Kumagai is very omnipresent, she delivers a wonderful and varied sound out of her digital equipment featuring flute, fagot, violins, flageolets and snare instruments like the Japanese koto. But in general Ars Nova their sound keep strong echoes from ELP, UK and Trace (Keiko loves this acclaimed Dutch band from keyboard wizard Rick van der Linden): many bombastic organ waves and sensational synthesizer runs on “Ankh” and “The judgement of Osiris” and beautiful, very sparkling piano work on “Field of Irau” (one of the highlights on this CD).
A STRONG AND PLEASANT KEYBOARD DRIVEN PROGROCK CD!

ARS NOVA - Biogenesis Project
— On this CD the Japanese progrock trio Ars Nova delivers a SF concept: it’s 2301 and the earth is overcrowded, without nature, the ozone-layer has disappeared and an artificial sun is shining, a kind of Greenpeace doom-scenario! The story is written by Numero Ueno, the #1 Japanese proghead and deals about a fanatical nature organisation, space ships, robots, several ideologies and the deep-rooted evil in mankind. On this CD Ars Nova is supported by an impressive range of progrock artists: members from PFM, Goblin and Il Balletto Di Bronzo, the rhytm-section from Gerard and, I proudly presents, the Dutch genius Arjen Lucassen (the brainchild behind Ayreon). The music is in the tradition of the Japanese bombastic keyboard approach: dazzling synthesizer flights, virtuosic keyboard (inter)play and heavy floods of Mellotron and Hammond organ. In between there’s frequently Arjen’s fiery, very distinctive guitarsound. A strong contribution is from violin player Lucio Fabbri (PFM), he sounds like Jean-Luc Ponty at his best but the vocals are also OK featuring female singer Mika and ex-Leviathan vocalist Alex Brunori. At some moments the vocals sound a bit too theatrical and the compositions a bit fragmentic, in my opinion this CD would have gained at least one more star if Arjen Lucassen would have lived in Japan because of his compositional and producing skills. BUT IN GENERAL THIS IS A GOOD AND ENTERTAINING PROGROCK CD!

ATARAXIA-Adolescence Of An Ancient Warrior
- This Japanese progrock band was founded in ’83 as Position A and they did a support act for the legendary OUTER LIMITS. Soon after guitarist Aramaki left the band to join .... Outer Limits, he must have impressed them as support-act! The band decided to change their name into Ataraxia and in ’86 they released the album “Adolescence of an ancient warrior”. The stunning front cover art is similar to the work of Dutch master Hieronymus Bosch. The music has strong hints from early GENESIS and IQ.
The album “Adolescence of ancient warrior” sounds like a tribute to STEVE HACKETT, TONY BANKS and PETER GABRIEL. The instrumental parts are good with strong guitarwork and fine keyboard-play but, in my opinion, singer Kideaki Murata is the weakest link, his vocals are too high and too powerless.


BI KYO RAN - Parallax
— The King Crimson-invasion must have snatched the bodies from Bi Kyo Ran, especially guitarist Kunio Suma seemed to have had alien-commands only to play like Robert Fripp! The album "Parallax" is the most original and varied one, loaded with ominous climates. The line-up features the # 1 Japanese keyboard virtuoso Mr. Toshio Egawa (Novela, Gerard, Scheherazade), he contributes with some beautiful Mellotron playing. The focus is on the blistering guitarwork but you can also hear instruments like the cello, violin and trumpet. Despite the obvious echoes from King Crimson, this CD has some very captivating moments.

CINEMA - Into the State of Flux
— Cinema is founded on the ashes of Fromage, a fine Japanese progrock band that acted in the shadow of Outer Limits, Gerard and Ars Nova. This album has strong classical overtones featuring beautiful violinplay, sparkling piano, orchestral keyboards and opera- like vocals. The music evokes Pageant (lush symphonic atmosphere and sensitive electric guitar) and Outer Limits (classical instruments). The main part of this album contains the long track "Color of soul" (almost 20 minutes) featuring all the above mentioned elements and a wonderful Japanese undertone with a koto-like sound. If you like classical music and symphonic rock THIS IS ONE TO DISCOVER!

COSMOS FACTORY - An Old Castle of Transylvania
— The Japanese progrock band COSMOS FACTORY made a sery of albums in the Seventies with every time another sound. I prefer their debut-album “An Old Castle Of Transylvania” (1973). The long title track (around 20 minutes) is a mind blowing blend of psychedelia and progrock with great build ups and eruptions, very compelling with strong hints from early PINK FLOYD but the swirling movements also brings the long live tracks from URIAH HEEP, DEEP PURPLE, IRON BUTTERFLY, VANILLA FUDGE and Krautrock like early JANE and ELOY on my mind. It contains sumptuous keyboard play including heavy floods of Hammond organ and Mellotron along biting guitar. The interplay between guitar and organ is like “Set the controls for the heart of the sun” from PINK FLOYD. The other songs are also loaded with Hammond and Mellotron, a real ‘keyboard nirvana’ for the fans of ‘vintage keyboards’.

DEJA-VU-Baroque in the Future
— The Japanese keyboardplayer Motoi Sakuraba sonds like the Japanese twin-brother of Eddie Jobson but I also trace elements from the style of Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson. On this album you hear instrumental keyboard-oriented symphonic rock with a tight rhythm- section and nice and alternating compositions. The vocals sound a bit powerless but this may not stop the 'vintage-keyboard-aficionados' from checking out this CD. In my opinion "Baroque in the future" is not a classic but it contains wonderful keyboardplay.

FAR EAST FAMILY BAND
- This is a legendary Japanese band, the first line-up included the known synthesizer player KITARO. The Far East Family Band released a lot of records in the Seventies and Eighties, they sound quite unique (an Eastern sound) with echoes from PINK FLOYD.
The first album “The cave down to earth” from ’75 is mostly recommended, it has a spacey and slight psychdelic sound (like early PINK FLOYD) and contains ethnic elements which gives the music an original twist. Another fine album is “Nipponjin (’75) with a keyboard version of Far Out’s “Nihonjin” (Far Out was the precursor of FEFB). It’s in the vein of the debut-album, the climates ranges from bombastic to more mellow. The album “Parallel world” was produced by the famous electronic pioneer KLAUS SCHULZE.


GERARD - Empty Lie, Empty Dream
— GERARD (the name is derived from a shop in Tokyo that sold clothes) was the first Japanese prog rock band I ever heard and they are still my favourites. Their first two albums ( from ’84 and ’85, both in ’88 released on CD) belong to the best prog rock ever made in Japan: exciting and alternating compositions with moods that shifts from mellow with piano and warm vocals to powerful mid-tempo rhythms and bombastic outbursts featuring biting and blistering guitar runs and sensational, often dazzling synthesizer play (TOSHIO EGAWA is the amazing Japanese answer to Keith EMERSON and Rick WAKEMAN). The interplay between the musicians is splendid (like metal-inspired guitar soli and violin- Mellotron waves or biting runs and spectacular synthesizer flights) and the rhythm-section sound very dynamic and adventurous. GERARD’s music has hints from ELP, ELOY, DEEP PURPLE and GENESIS (ARP Pro Solist sound) but their sound is very distinctive, especially these two albums (when guitarist/singer Yukihiro Fujimura left to found VIENNA, GERARD turned into a very ELP/UK like trio). I do have a slight preference for the second album: it sounds a bit more mature and the first album has two mediocre ballads (AOR meets symphonic rock) while the second album only contains strong tracks. I you are up to harder-edged and alternating bombastic prog rock with lots of exciting instrumental work, this band is yours!

GERARD - Live in Marseille
— Gerard was the first Japanese progrock band I ever listened to and it is still my favorite Japanese progrock band. A dream came true when they did a small European tour and visited The Netherlands, this live-CD is from that tour and recorded in France, the home of French progrock abel Musea that has re-released so many great Japanese progrock from The Eighties! Watching Gerard I was stunned because of the skills of keyboard player Toshio Egawa: with his digital Hammond Suzuki organ (connected with a real Leslie box) he evoked the best from Keith Emerson, what a dazzling runs and overwhelming sound! The high-tec Korg Trinity synthesizer enabled Toshio to sound mighty close to Eddie Jobson, at those moments Gerard seemed to be the Japanese answer to UK. But I also have to mention the very powerful and dynamic rhythm-section (the drummer is a kind of high- adrenalined Neil Peart!), they play an important role in the swirling sound of Gerard. The tracking list from this live album contains both material from their very early period (like "Orpheus Part 2", "Meridian" and "The act of apostles") as their latest CD's (songs from "Chaos", "Freedom" and "Pandora's box"). The Banco cover "La conquista della posizione eretta" showcases Gerard at their best. If you don't have a problem with super- bombastic instrumental keyboard driven progrock (with hints from ELP, Trace and UK), THIS CD IS A VERY EXCITING EXPERIENCE!!!

MAHOUJIN - Babylonia Suite
— This is one of the lesser known Japanese progrock bands. The instrumental keyboard- oriented progrock (synthesizers, piano, organ and delicate Mellotron flights) is a bit similar to bands like Triumvirat (Germany) and Northstar (USA): the sound is tasteful and features not much solowork but remarkable is the very dynamic rhythm-section, especially the bassplayer blew me away.

MARGE LITCH-FANTASIEN
- In 1986 this Japanese band formation started as a hardrock band and the y made 3 demos. From 1988 Marge Litch was more influenced by fellow Japanese bands Novela and Starless, both blende symphonic – and hardrock. After another 2 demos Marge Litch released their debut album “Fantasien” in 1990, eight years later we can enjoy a re-recorded version from that debut album. I needed a few session to get into their very varied progrock: classical and symphonic rock (orchestral keyboards), hardrock (heavy guitar riffs) and even opera (the vocals). This unique sound is delivered by good musicians, even the female vocalist (usually Japanese singers do have a bit squeeky voice!) and the compositions (most between 7 and 12 minutes) contains many surprising ideas and a clear sound. The keyboardplay is excellent, in the vein of Toshio Egawa (Novela, Gerard, Scheherazade). The guitarplayer showcases hit talents on the acoustic guitar in “Desire for wealth” (with echoes from John McLaughlin) and on the electric guitar in the captivating track “The sacred war” (a very moving solo). The highlight on this CD is the complex composition “Cruel alternative” featuring splendid keyboards (from majestic Mellotron to sparkling piano) and some great breaks. To be discovered!

MUGEN
This Japanese progrock band was founded in ’78 by Katsuhiko Hayashi (keyboards) and Takashi Nakamura (vocals and keyboards). Not until ’84 Mugen released their first album “Sinfonia della luna”, a very mellow CD with classical guitar, beautiful waves of Mellotron and sensitive electric guitar solos. A few accellarations and bombastic movements keep a certain tension in the music. The keyboardplay is very TONY BANKS inspired. The second album “Leda et la cygne” (’86) sound most alternating but the third “The princess of kingdome gone” (’88) is a bit disappointing, it lacks any tension. Obviously the band ran out of ideas and soon Mugen disbanded. On all albums the high-pitched vocals are remarkable, a kind of classical trained JON ANDERSON.

The second album is considered as their best, thanks to contributions by Takashi Kawaguchi on violin (from OUTER LIMITS), Kazuhiro Miyatake on flute and Ikkou Nakujima on acoustic guitar (both from PAGEANT). The album has very strong classical overtones but showcases more explosive moments, due to the contribution of Takashi Kawaguchi (Outer Limits) on violin, Kazuhiro Miyatake on flute and acoustic guitar and Ikkou Nakujima (both from Pageant) on guitar). They lift this CD to a very pleasant level: elaborate compositions featuring classical guitar/violin, flute/Mellotron, electric guitar/church organ and classical orchestrations liek The Enid. The highlight on this CD is the long track "Edmond's Old Mirror" delivering bombastic keyboards in a dramatic atmosphere like Le Orme's finale on "Fellona E Sorona": awesome Mellotron flights, moving violin and some distorted electric guitar. The up-tempo song "Carmilla" (with synthesizer-runs like Rick Wakeman) shows the variety of this band.
AN ALBUM TO DISCOVER!

NOVELA - "La songerie"
— This Japanese progrock band was very popular in their own country, between 1980 and 1987 they made many albums. The line-up on their first albums included Terutsugu Hirayama (later he founded Teru's Symphonia) and keyboard virtuoso Toshio Egawa (later Gerard and Sheherazade). On their first four albums Novela sounded as a blend of hardrock and symphonic rock, later they turned more from 'heavy progressive' into a harder-edged rock band.
This debut album can be divided in short songs that are up- tempo with fiery and heavy guitarplay and a bit screamy vocals and long compositions with lush keyboards. My highlight on "La songerie" is the titletrack (running time 13.52). It starts very compelling with a bombastic climate featuring wonderful, very moving Mellotron waves and slow but powerful drum beats, goose bumps! Then the moods shifts from mellow (coloured by acoustic guitar, piano and harpsichord) to swinging (nice duet from piano and violin-Mellotron) and splendid bombastic eruptions with violin-Mellotron. After a short Spanish guitar solo the composition ends with a great 'grand finale' delivering wonderful Mellotron and a sensitive electric guitar solo, the final minute contain moving waves from the choir-Mellotron, again goose bumps!
This album is perhaps Novela their most progressive effort. In general they tend to sound a bit simple, the distinctive Japanese vocals (a bit high pitched, sometimes close to screamy) will not be everybody's cup of tea but the often breathtaking titletrack is almost worth buying this CD! And Toshio Egawa has a strong contribution by colouring the composition very tasteful with his keyboards. In Gerard he would deliver his best work!

OUTER LIMITS - The Scene of Pale Blue
— One of my favorite Japanese progrock albums is “The Scene Of Pale Blue” (1987) from OTER LIMITS. This record is generally considered as the best OUTER LIMITS ever made and one of the absolute highlights of the Japanese progrock scene. The mind blowing title track can compete with the best work from the symphonic dinosaurs: captivating skills on guitar and violin, many changing climates, great build ups and finales and compelling keyboard play, including majestic Mellotron eruptions and an impressive church organ sound. The distinctive Japanese vocals give an extra dimension to the climates. The other four tracks showcase OUTER LIMITS’ maturity in composing and deliver lots of great instrumental passages. The remastered CD (Musea) includes the strong bonu strack “Pteridophyte” (almost 9 minutes). Not to be missed in any serious prog head collection!

PAGEANT - La Mosaïque de la Rêverie
— The first album “La Mosaïque de la Rêverie” is one of the most acclaimed Japanese albums. The seven compositions contain twanging guitars, delicate flute, lush keyboards and sensitive electric guitar. It’s beautiful symphonic rock, very melodic and harmonic with strong hints from GENESIS, CAMEL and RENAISSANCE. The Japanese vocals (not always a strong point in the Japanese prog rock) sound convincing: powerful and high pitched. The climates changes from dreamy to bombastic with splendid build-ups and exciting ‘grand finales’. If you want to float on symphonic waves, let you take away by this CD from PAGEANT, later albums sound also good but were less symphonic.

PALE ACUTE MOON - Newtopia
— The only album Pale Acute Moon ever released contains tasteful arrangements but the influences from the British symphonic rock dinosaurs like Genesis, King Crimson, Yes and Pink Floyd are a bit too obvious! Some great keyboard soli on this CD are directly derived from several Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson runs. This may be a challenge for progheads to do a game who can recognize the original work! I always wonder: is this blind worship or creative poverty?

PROVIDENCE - And I'll Recite An Old Myth
— If you are a Tron Maniac, don't miss this convincing debut-CD. It contains four long tracks, the first two have many influences from the jazzrock scene (with hints from Colosseum II) featuring good interplay between guitar and keyboards. The third song is in the vein of the early King Crimson with beautiful waves of the ubiquitous Mellotron along some changing climates with captivating guitarwork (from French progrock Atoll's Christian Beya). The final track contains spectacular breaks delivering exciting guitars and again wonderful Mellotron. GREAT ALBUM!!

SHINGETSU - Shingetsu
— This is a nice album that deserves to be discovered. The first and final track strongly evokes mid-Genesis (did Steve Hackett and Tony Banks some secret session work?). But the other tracks has a typical Japanese climate (warm and dreamy), it's very pleasant to hear the ethnic touches featuring acoutic guitar and flute. LOVELY MUSIC!

SOCIAL TENSION - It Reminds Me OF MacBethia
— “Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, ladies and gentlemen, .. Social Tension!”. Altough SOCIAL TENSION sounds like an ‘ELP fan’s wet dream’, they do not deserve to be described as just an ELP clone. Keyboard player Nobuo ‘Kodomo’ Endoh is a virtuosic but he has a more varied an refined sound than Keith EMERSON, using synthesizers, organ, piano, harpsichord, strings, classical orchestrations and ... Mellotron (Keith EMERSON refuses to play this instrument, it would cause unemployment for classical musicians he used to say). This CD is a compilation from the two albums “MacBethia” and “It reminds Me Of Those Days”, fortunately the record company has deleted the lacklustre tracks from the second CD for this compilation. The result is a very impressive tribute to the wonderful “Pictures../Trilogy” years: seven spectacular and dynamic keyboard-driven symphonic rock compositions with bombastic keyboard play and a powerful, very propulsive rhythm-section. Highlights are the two ‘epic’ title tracks with lots of breaks, changing of atmospheres and amazing keyboards solos. Breathtaking!

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Keyboards Triangle
— This CD (the sub-title is “Keyboard trio tribute”) is a collaboration from two great, very sumptuous keyboard-driven bands: Ars Nova and Gerard. They have made their own versions of seven compositions from ELP (two tracks), TRACE, PFM, RICK WAKEMAN, IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO and BANCO. You can always argue about the value of playing covers. But in my opinion these two splendid Japanese progrock bands have succeeded in making an interesting cover-CD. First because all musicians are very talented, second they play so tight, dynamic and powerful and third both Ars Nova as Gerard have succesfully added their own, very sumptuous sound and musical vision to the original songs. If you listen to “Toccata” (from ELP) performed by Gerard, it’s incredible that this music can sound even more bombastic than the original! And in BANCO’s “La conquista della posizione eratta” you will be stunned by the Jobson-like violin sound from the Korg synthesizer and the superdynamic rhythm-section. The final part includes wonderful violin-Mellotron waves and slowly fading harpsicord play, beautiful. Ars Nova does very well in “Birds medley” (by Rick van der Linden’s TRACE), “Epilogo” from IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO (their album “Ys” is a captivating and alternating but very complex ‘classic’) and “Tarkus” (from ELP) featuring varied and exciting duo- keyboardplay (great Moog flights and classical orchestrations) and also a very dynamic and strong rhythm-section. Very surprising is the choir-Mellotron intro in “Tarkus”, Keith Emerson refuses to use this unique instrument. The other two tracks are from Gerard. First “Catharine Parr” (RICK WAKEMAN) that features the amazing talents from Toshio Egawa on keyboards (piano, organ, Mellotron, synthesizers), driven by that high- energy rhythm-section. Especially those parts with the GRIEG-inspired synthesizer flights, supported by lush organ and Mellotron waves, sound impressive. Second the known piece “Fourholes in the ground”, from PFM including those quick and catchy Moog runs and the violin-Mellotron waves. Gerard changes this song into an up-tempo piece with lots of bombastic keyboard sounds. Not every Italian progrock aficionado will be pleased with the result and I have to admit that on one hand I miss the warm atmosphere and Italian vocals but on the other hand Gerard has given their own, very distinctive dynamic and sumptuous turn to this song and they deserve credit for that is my opinion. IF YOU LIKE BOMBASTIC KEYBOARD-DRIVEN PROG, THIS CD IS A MUST!!

VIENNA - Progress - Last Live
— When Yukihiro Fujimura (typing Japanese names is like learning to skate!) left Gerard, he founded his own band and named it Vienna. After two studio-album Vienna released this live-album. The music features strong and fiery guitarplay (a lot of blistering soli), dazzling keyboards and many spectacular breaks. The band even plays a classical piece ("The planets" from Holst) but in general Vienna makes harder-edged progrock that lacks emotion and originality in the compositions altough the technical level is high. I prefer Gerard but if you like progrock with exciting heavy metal guitar, Vienna could be worth listening.

I hope this list will lead to more Japanese progrock joy!

Kenso and Bellaphon are great.!