Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

Rivertree wrote: this looks like a new challenge, Keishiro   HAPPY NEW YEAR

And finally Black Page have been added as a Neo-Prog outfit. Again thanks Bogdan (b_olariu).

http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=6126

A belated happy new progressive year!

Sorry for my belated update but I have a big problem upon my internet circumstance now ... very hard also to update here ...

Please let me take time fellows.

Hello, I'm new to this forum but i hope you can help me..
Many years ago i had this song from an japanese prog band that i don't remember the name of.

So I lost the song and I've been looking for it since then basically.

The things i remember is:

The song builds up with some really nice soulful Horns and Strings.

The lyrics was in english and the words i remember was: "This is what I'm.... Going  to do"

"When I think of you..."(not sure about this one though)

And then some la la la la



So that's what i remember, i guess this might be a long shot,
but i found this forum and thought it was a good chance to find this band/song again.





Edited by inhabit - December 21 2010 at 08:19

A bit renowned avantgarde pioneer in Japan ... via Epic Sony.


KILLING TIME, a Japanese experimental rock band

KILLING TIME, a Japanese experimental jam band, gave their first cry in 1982 by three session artists - Bun ITAKURA (guitar), Kazuto SHIMIZU (keyboard, piano), and MA*TO (keyboard, tabla) - previously belonging to a Japanese techno / new wave outfit Chakra. Around the three founders, the band formation had got changed flexibly and frequently for stages or events in their early years. In 1986, they released their first album 'BOB' via inviting Neko SAITOH (violin), MECKKEN (bass), and WHACHO (percussion) as formal players.

With Jun AOYAMA (drums) recruited as a member soon after that, KILLING TIME had appeared on stage or released five albums (including one compilation) via a Japanese label Epic Sony as a seven- or eight-piece band. In 1988, they joined the soundtrack 'Kaisha Monogatari - Memories Of You'.

Since 2004 they sometimes appear on stage despite of long suspension in mid 1990s or in early 2000s.


SKIP (1987) - KILLING TIME

This album "SKIP" is the second one of KILLING TIME, a Japanese bizarre experimental jam outfit formed in 1982 by three Chakran guys. They have introduced various worldwide music scenes, brought various instruments, and played skillfully for every situation under their imaginary tale. In this story (album) "SKIP", each of them acted a part or two of the stage play named SKIP ... so interesting situation I feel.

Highly energetic blaster has come from the beginning track "SKIP". The percussive starter like raindrops can splash killing attacks all around. Not only drums and percussion but also guitar, bass, electric piano, or violin ... all can be completely percussive and scattered for this song. As if we join a riot goin' on, all around us can be broken into pieces. And for us rioters this messy ground (including some ethnic percussion solo in the middle part) can be very impressive regardless of achy breaky loudness. This strategy sounded upon "SKIP" is even now very novel ... although it was released over twenty years ago. Let me say, absolutely one of the masterpieces in Japanese avantgarde progressive rock scene.

As one and only exception, the second track "Hearing Without A Break While Not Hearing A Break" is something of comfort. Very pleasant and delightful tabla flow and massively relaxing xylophone knocks ... based on ethnic impressing djembe-like percussion ... can absorb us into fantasy scene. On the contrary, Discipline Crimson-ish sounds (wow) can be heard in the third "One For Each Sentiment", along by this violin-based (might Neko be a follower of David Cross huh?) whacked-out soundroad. The last "Sunset" might be featured in Japanese traditional music Gagaku methinks. Eccentric horn, wind, and string sections can twine and squeeze together, then eerie structure can be born in this termination.

Surprising that KILLING TIME could make a formal contract with a Japanese major label Epic Sony. Might there be a manager who could understand them and their bizarre style?


The back sleeve of SKIP ... let's go weird & mysterious sightseeing.


Thank you for reading this blog. ٩(̾●̮̮̃̾•̃̾)۶

Damo - I tried sake years ago, when I went to Japan as an 18 year old (1983). Also attended a tea ceremony, and visited places like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, visiting some of the high-tech factories like Sony and Matsush*ta Electric etc. Was a great trip. Little did I know at the time that Japan had such an interesting music scene!

snobb wrote: I have this album, and it's really great! One of most interesting modern Japanese avant band for me

Thanks Slava, I'm gonna let Kazuo know your appreciation of them.

Do hope Kazuo Ogino, the keyboard player, can check this thread ...

Laya (2004) - POCHAKAITE MALKO

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DamoXt7942 Special Collaborator Psych/Space & ZART Team

Look at their album sleeve, how do you feel? I've been very amazed (and shocked) at the kinky world. Honest to say I've not known about Bulgarian music previously (as you may know, "Pochakaite Malko" is a Bulgarian phrase, that means "wait a minute" in English) and tried quick listening. Bulgarian melodies, ways of singing, tuning, voicing up-and-down ... something of affinity for me is here. Do not know the truth they have named themselves for Bulgarian stuffs (in near future they will mention about the origin of their outfit signboard, surely), but feeling close to them as Eastern people should be one of important issues I imagine. This was my first POCHAKAITE MALKO's album, that could at first fascinate me by Akihisa TSUBOY's violin solos. And furthermore, here is a flood of music fruits ... Junzo TATEIWA's stateless percussion (with tabla), Shigekazu KUWAHARA's deep bass phantasmagoria, and Kazuo OGINO's beautiful, and somewhat cynical keyboard fantasista ... all of them can twine around together, absorb all listeners in front of them, and sublimate themselves without breathing. POCHAKAITE MALKO world cannot exist even if here's not one of four keen creators, methinks. Terrifically complex and delightful music front line and rhythm nation are around them. Amazingly, these four-piece talented gang can play such an eccentric and complex kaleidoscope as if they could do naturally, without any hard effort. Actually Japanese likes, and tries to get "Technique", but we can be immersed in their unaffected skill and power surely. DamoXt7942 | 4/5 | 2010-11-25

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

Thanks Takeshi.

And I'm sooo glad your avatar has been added in Eclectic library (Revival / Al Basim).

Let me recommend GOLDEN AVANT-GARDE, another Japanese chamber rock project by Chihiro SAITO (Katra Turana, Lacrymosa).



GOLDEN AVANT-GARDE were another short-lived project formed in 1985 by Chihiro SAITO, renowned as a founding member of KATRA TURANA and LACRYMOSA. Hoisting up a theme flag named 'incarnation of Cyber-rock', they gigged around Tokyo and released their eponymous album via a Japanese independent label Belle Antique in 1994. It's said they appeared on stage as Golden Avant-Garde Special with collaboration from Atsushi Hiroike (ex-Katra Turana) after Chihiro's cessation but were disbanded without any notice. For a while Chihiro had worked as a writer or an editor for Japanese progressive rock magazines 'Marquee' and 'Euro Rock Press'.


Golden Avant-Garde (1994) - GOLDEN AVANT-GARDE

Another Japanese chamber rock world by Chihiro S., sandwiched between the former and the latter Lacrymosa"s", can sound more straight and rock-flavoured than Lacrymosa.

GOLDEN AVANT-GARDE were formed as a Cyber-rock project (for me this sounds like digitally-refined chamber rock or something) between Lacrymosa's hibernation in late 1980s. Guess Chihiro and the other members should try to climb a keen ice-rock-berg up for grasping their soundscape with more sharp-edged 'eavy rock essence, and as a result, this eponymous album could be released in front of us, chamber rock freaks. Based on Lacrymosa's chamber- and avant-ish hemisphere, they played typical-triplet-based "rock" here and there upon another side. The second track (and also the last one) "Pierrot De Fou" can be called as their masterpiece, with twin guitar floods, deep bass attacks, and heavy drum kicks (the closest to Lacrymosa's flavour of all in this album though). The opening one "Koe Naki Zekkyo" have full of critical moments in scattered guitar sounds and dry electronic bass effects.

Mysteriously, in the middle of this album we (at least I) can feel more eclectic texture (well, not only avantgarde but heavy, jazzy, electronic ... yes you know, exactly King Crimson just in Discipline period!) ... cannot ignore many Japanese progressive rock band should be much influenced by King Crimson or Pink Floyd, but so obviously as for them methinks. In my humble opinion, GOLDEN AVANT-GARDE should get Discipline-y, with a removal of serious chamber-ism from Lacrymosa, shouldn't they? I can understand why Chihiro should reunite Lacrymosa in mid 1990s and come back to such a serious chamber rock scene ... he might lose his point of view for a novel soundgarden sadly I imagine?

Anyway, a good album (not essential though), without any suspicion. However, I consider this album will not reissue or re-release in future at all. Because there's a banned (restrained?) word anywhere in this album. It's a pity.


Thank you for reading this blog.


Edited by DamoXt7942 - December 10 2010 at 16:59