Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

ZETTAIMU's debut creation is too depressive for the Japanese rock scene in those days (and these days too).

DamoXt7942 wrote: colorofmoney91 wrote: Awesome! I usually go through periodic phases where I try to find new Japanese jazz-fusion that I haven't heard. I especially like the guitar-synth sound, so I'll have to check out this album. Thanks Alan the Electronic Specialist. KEHELL, not in Progarchives Library now (already added in JMA), were a splendid Jazz Rock / Fusion project founded by a guitar genius Shigekazu KAMAKI (called Oyaji). Wonderful taste indeed, they won't disappoint you!

Vompatti makes beautiful music k 

DamoXt7942 wrote: KEHELL were a Japanese jazz rock / fusion trio founded as one of Shigekazu KAMAKI’s projects in autumn 1985. Three founders - Shigekazu (guitars), Toru HAMADA (drums), and Ryotaro ONISHI (bass) - brought their ideas together and recorded demo tapes before appearance on stage. Provided their songs for some compilations

Just one comment. I got compilation LP named Canterbury Edge (1988, Made In Japan MIJ-1019) and there is one song by Kehell (quite different from their Galileo album). On the centerfold of the cover there are English credits for every band and the name of Kehell's bassist is Kyotaro Jonishi...

I can add also that Shigekazu Kamaki’s guitar can be heard on 2nd album of Mr. Sirius and on some Pageant recordings.  

Well, Keishiro, I'm sure you know better 

I just thought that maybe there are some alternative spelling of this name... Or it's misprint then.

Hahaha, this sounds interesting. :)

That sounds interesting as well 

Tonight let’s watch a TV historical drama from Japan.



PSYCHE BUGYO were formed as an improvisational psychedelic / avantgarde rock ensemble by Atsushi TSUYAMA (guitar, voices; Omoide Hatoba, Acid Mothers Temple, Seikazoku etc. etc.), Ryota NISHI (keyboards), Keizo SUHARA (bass), and Nani SATOJIMA (drums). They released an original Japanese historical / traditional theatre "Psyche Bugyo Goshutsuza! (Psychedelic Judgeman Comes, He Has The Cherry Blossom On The Shoulder)", in collaboration with Ryoko ONO (saxophone, flute).


Psyche Bugyo Goshutsuza! (Psychedelic Judgeman Comes, He Has The Cherry Blossom On The Shoulder) (2011) - PSYCHE BUGYO

Say bravo for them, especially Atsushi TSUYAMA who has completely completed what he wanted to do.

Actually I assumed that this album should be a parody or a sham of a Japanese TV drama named "Toyama No Kin-san", where a major / judgeman Kin-san calling himself a playboy punishes bad persons with showing his "cherry blossom" upon his right shoulder. And exactly Atsushi pretended to be Kin-san (and each of the other members played a role upon a Jidai-geki, a Japanese historical drama) in this album.

The masterpiece "Psychedelic Judgeman" should really be a historical theatre, divided into four (almost three plus a bit) different scenes. The first "Prologue" is an aggressively dramatic and simultaneously infernal departure, featuring a parody of Japanesque historical scene of bribery and Atsushi’s improvised fuzzy guitar solo, Ryota’s violent but dreamy keyboard mad-mud-stream, and Nani & Keizo’s scattered but rigidly strict rhythm riffs. Wonder why they could play such a rampant and delightful improvisation. An awesome part indeed.

And the scene’s altered dramatically … slow steady space rock looks like Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon might be mimicked. Atsushi’s pleasant and funky voices can get more and more echoic, and we cannot help laughing at his laughter per se (I guess he might enjoy singing the song fully with smile). Strongly understood he’s done an homage to Pink Floyd and their Space Rock, with his fuzzy and melancholic guitar solos. On the contrary, in the last scene they again grabbed improvised funky-punky speed psychedelia. Oh, who knows how long they can play improvisation. Ryoko’s saxophone can make their psychedelia more and more avantgarde and explosive. The ending "Dai-dan-en" is Atsushi’s joke with hearty comments for listeners LOL.


Psyche Bugyo (with Ryoko Ono) at Tokuzo, Nagoya, Japan

The first track "Ore No Abarenbo Shogun" (in English, my aggressive shogun) is a massive and aggressive stuff, especially with Ryoko’s terrifically funky saxophone sounds. Cannot know what the song or the title means (and no need to know), but sounds like Atsushi’s aggressive, flexible personality that may give a funky trouble to other members and the audience (sorry). However, not only a comical stuff but also that their splendid technique and enthusiasm can be realized, let me say.


Atsushi TSUYAMA (Cool!)

The last track "Son Of Mr. Livingwillow" is a tragic landing upon the muddy ground of another world. Fuzzy guitar, dark bass, heavy drums, and plaintive flute sounds, based upon mellow, dreamy melodies, go towards our brain, maybe persistently mentioning tough living will of a cool man. Suggest this song be a cynical message for this real world, with lots of painful / suffering accidents or disasters alongside. Please do not stand, but cry out loudly for your pain, they might say gently I imagine.

Anyway, for me this album is one of the most impressive creations this year so far. Cannot help recommending this funny fuzzy funky psychedelia, forgive me please.




Thank you for reading this blog, and Svetonio for your fantastic recommendation! ٩(̾●̮̮̃̾•̃̾)۶

Edited by DamoXt7942 - October 20 2011 at 07:40

colorofmoney91 wrote: That is some crazy hardcore psychedelia :D

And finally added in PA.
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=6791

A new Japanese Neo-Prog voyager, let me recommend you all!
(Actually, their debut EP has been released a few hours before!)


ZONK MONK upon debut EP commemorative stage in Nakatsu Vi-Code, Osaka, Japan

ZONK MONK, a three-piece rock ensemble based upon twin keyboards, were founded by Keigo "Kegoi" TAKADA (drums), Shoko NAGASAKI (keyboards, organ), and Ai OHNUMA (keyboards, organ) in Osaka, Japan in 2008. This unique "guitar-less" formation draws out their original versatility across various musical genres. Via lots of gigs around Osaka, they've appeared upon stage in Tokyo in 2011. and finally their debut EP "Disorder - Out Of The Cosmos", in collaboration with ISAO, the guitarist of Spark 7, saw the light in November, 2011.


Disorder - Out Of The Cosmos (2011) - ZONK MONK’s debut EP

A Japanese keyboard-beauty-based dramatic Neo-symphonic progressive rock.

Never forgotten their terrific impression given to me when I met them and watched their gig in Osaka. Ai and Shoko launch dramatic, classic-flavoured and perfectly harmonized keyboard sounds through the whole EP. And Kegoi plays drums along with his aggressive style, without pushing himself in front of the graceful twin keyboards (auditorily and also visually). Amazingly, each individual player - a cool beauty Shoko, a tragically passionate princess Ai, and ... a killa drum tiger Kegoi - has her/his own personality and ability for encouraging and inspiring others to create more enthusiastic sounds. Also, the keyboard battles between Ai and Shoko are too hot and of passion for us to listen with keeping safe and sound.

"Into The Green World", composed by Shoko, has so cool and fresh shower of green air like her, and simultaneously for us the most easily listenable (namely, a bit far from progressive) and the most light- and delightful-touched flavour. Suppose Kegoi’s drumming may be less outstanding in this stuff. Fresh and clear nature including lots of complex and colourful phrases created by Shoko intentionally, a dreamy one.


Shoko NAGASAKI (Keyboards, organ)

"U.T. - A Hole In Danger", launched by Ai (you know the reason I’ve mentioned Ai is a tragically passionate princess above), possesses various appearances quite different from each other ... a danceable rhythm groove created by percussive taps around the trio, highly intensive infernal keyboard shouts, magical synthesizer black fantasia, and hearty flower-sound-garden. Mystic and phantasmagorical appearance alterations they've shown, as if we saw the snowy light after passing through a long and dark tunnel by a train. Let me say that we can hear their mischievous originality in this stuff. (To be honest, this is my fave really.)


Ai OHNUMA (Keyboards, organ)

The last track ("Disorder - Out Of The Cosmos") can let us know what they should mean in their masterpiece ... contrary to a classic-tinged piano play, massive and straight symphonic keyboard sunshine plus deeply heavy pedal bass quakes, and explosive, eccentrically rhythmic drumming rumble (with a flood of sweat LOL) soon attacks our ears. A bit seasoned with mainstream but their attitude can be kept strictly, especially upon tense but comfortable keyboard chorus by two beauties, and persistently chivalrous drumming. ISAO’s speed guitar stunts can be fantastic, but amazingly his play may be blown away by the three ... yes, ZONK MONK push their assertion forward fully and strongly, we can say?


Keigo "Kegoi" TAKADA (drums)

In conclusion, the EP "Disorder - Out Of The Cosmos" is a good debut one indeed, but sadly it’s a bit tough to realize their actual originality. Looks like they play strictly Neo-symphonic progressive rock leaning toward a bundle of pioneers in the same scene (cannot know if true or not, because of too little and short material of them ... they’ve said clearly "not" though). Anyhow, we can get amazed at their theatrical communication with fantastic twin keyboards and strongly passionate drums. Looking forward to their full-length creation maybe coming soon.


Kegoi’s fan service to play not the drums but "tarai" (a Japanese bucket)


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

Edited by DamoXt7942 - November 11 2011 at 11:47