Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

An energetic passion has come from Kyoto, a traditional Japanese town.


DATETENRYU (1973, Kyoto, Japan ... from their MySpace website)

In May, 1971, Masao TONARI (organ, keyboards), Hiroshi NARAZAKI (bass, voices), Yosһitaka NAKAMURA (drums), and Kei YAMASHIΤA (guitars) - a talented quartet of Light Music Club in Kyoto Sangyo University (Japan) formed DATETENRYU as a free-formed jam band. They appeared on stage gloriously as an opening act of Kazuhiko Katoh (ex-The Folk Crusaders, Sadistic Mika Band) or Mops in the same year, and played periodic gigs in Kyoto. They made their musical activity wider all around Japan by playing on various stages in collaboration with lots of renowned artists. Disregarding their promising charisma, in the beginning of 1983 they suspended all of their music activity for the reason of Masao's intention without any notice.

After a long hibernation over ten years, DATETENRYU was suddenly reunited by Masao and Hiroshi, two of the founding members in 1996. They could hit it off on stage in Himeji and Namba, and released their first album '1971' (1996) via an Osakan independent label Gyuune Cassette. 'Unto' (1997) and '1976' (2000) were shot with the collaboration of Japanese indie labels and DATETENRYU finally founded their old material on their own label Banana Songs / Walking Press Records, that since then released their albums - 'Nagi' (2000), '2001 Shutoku Live' (2003), 'Red Afternoon Blues' (2004), and 'Cool Flying Dragon' (2006) - compiled from their old or new live material.


1971 - DATETENRYU's debut live album released in 1996

First of all, please break away yourself completely in pieces.

Namely, the first track name "Bukkowareta Boku" is "Myself Broken In Pieces" in English. The frontman Masao's aggressive keyboard solo could be goin' too fast to stop, and as though it crashed through the audience - my honest impression. Hiroshi's vocal is not only aggressive but also rampant and desperate, like Boz in King Crimson's Earthbound - this voices can lead us to a brave new world named DATETENRYU - Cool Flying Dragon! This strongest energy can be heard in the next "Harugeshiki", with more rampant (but rigidly steady and somewhat attractive) rhythm section by Yosһitaka's rumblin' drums and Hiroshi's deep bass. Exactly they seems to give rise to a thunder storm of improvised and non-traditional psychedelic sounds. Kyoto, Japan is a traditional city with lots of temples or idols indeed, but their energetic plays may blow this tradition and conventional atmosphere easily away I imagine? The three or four liberal intellectuals can do so. "Doromamire" is really their living way and the masterpiece ... the sound quality, remixing, and even their playing itself are not good but suitable for the word encourager. Their soundscape can sometimes float up and sometimes sink down, with lots of brilliant noises and dirty earaches around them. Please you easily imagine how the audience might feel. Through a weird terrorvision "Part-4", we can rush with them into the last irresponsible and apathetic song "Abuku No Aji". Hiroshi's slipshod voices are cool but warm, yeah why cannot we enthuse ourselves over this album, and these terrific stuffs?

Bottoms up for a Japanese pride.


Than you for reading this blog, and thank you Greg (G-Bombz) for your recommendation.


Edited by DamoXt7942 - June 15 2010 at 23:42

Anyway, please check Datetenryu's YouTube fellows.

....from Liverpool..to Tokyo

with love, Keishiro-san

DamoXt7942 wrote: Today let me recommend a very problematic outfit and album ... Takeshi Inomata Innocent Canon (1971) - TAKESHI INOMATA & SOUND L.T.D.

Just recently discovered Takeshi and this amazing album! Never heard anything quite like it.

Logan wrote: I've probably mentioned this before in this thread, but I've been returning to it a lot of late: Toshiyuki Miyama and his New Herd's 1972 album, Yamataifu.

Oh, sorry Greg I've not found your tasty previous post ...
Gonna check Yamataifu soon, thanks!

Takeshi Kovacs wrote: Damo - yesterday on my musical commute I played the Sadistic Mika Band's album, Kurofume. Interested to hear what you think and whether or not you think the band worthy of ProgArchives.

Yeah Takeshi, anytime soon I'm gonna recheck and suggest them.
(They may be much approved by Dean, an Admin ... I've heard on another thread.)

Anyway, the frontman Kazuhiko Katoh is one of pioneers in Japanese Acid Folk scene, as a member of The Folk Crusaders.
Sadly he killed himself in 2009, in trouble with his depression.

Damo, do you had time to listen to Black Page yet????? I'm really curious to see how you think about them. I've think they fits perfect to jazz fusion.

Hello Keishiro!  I just wanted to let you know that I've recently found out about an earlier album by THE WORLD HERITAGE, one which I thought was already impossible to buy (even though it was released in 2006).  I've ordered it (directly from Yoshida Tatsuya) and I'll be sure to stop in and let you know what I think of it.  The album is ICOMOS.  I still need to check out your suggestion of his other band, though he has so many it's a bit overwhelming trying to keep track of everything he's released. 

出た！Black Page。 リリース当初は、その洗練された音楽性と相俟ってか、これがフュージョンではなくてなぜプログレか？などという批判的な評価もありましたが。