Hello fellow progheads.        &n bsp;         &n bsp;         &n bsp;    

A good reason to start a thread about Japanese prog is that one can read so few reviews about Japanese bands on this site while this scene is so prolific and fascinating! For me the discovery of it started in the late Eighties when I visited a SI Music Progrock Meeting on a boat in Rotterdam, the famous Dutch harbor city. At the end of the evening a reviewer played two albums by Japanese progrock band Gerard, I was blown away and determined to get this music! A few years later I finally succeeded to purchase their fist two albums, each US $ 30,-, special import prices but I didn’t care at all because my quest for Japanese progrock had started from that moment. In the forthcoming years I ordered Japanese progrock from labels like Made In Japan and Nexus and also noticed that Japan has a vivid progrock scene, many great LP’s from non-Japanese progrock bands (from Argentine Crusis and Dutch Earth &Fire to Spanish Crack) were exclusively released in Japan.

But back to the Japanese progrock, it is a very varied scene featuring very crafted musicians who often play more than one instrument. Many bands are strongly influenced by ELP, King Crimson and UK but the Japanese progrock also delivers classical overtones.But you have to be up to the often high pitched Japanese vocals, these will not be everybody’s cup of tea.  

Here are my favorite bands/recommendations:

* Gerard-Gerard and Empty Dream: compelling prog with great keyboards and fiery

   electric guitar, akind of harder edged mid-Genesis

* Ars Nova-The Goddess Of Darkness: virtuosic ELP inspired instrumental prog

* Outer Limits-The Scene Of Pale Blue: excellent blend of classic and symphonic with

   echoes from King Crimson, beautiful violin and splendid Mellotron waves

* Providence-And I’ll Recite Of An Old Mythe .. : dynamic and powerful prog featuring

   wonderful Mellotron eruptions in the vein of early King Crimson

* Cosmos Factory-An Old Castle Of Transylvania: lots of Hammond and Mellotron and

   psychedelic climates

* Pageant-La Mosaique De la Reverie: beautiful melodic prog with hints from Genesis,

   Camel and Renaissance, the work on guitar, flute and keyboards is very moving

* Novela-Symphonic World: compilation that contains most of their long compositions

   delivering lots of Mellotron waves

* Keyboards Triangle- a thrilling compilation with tracks from ELP, Trace, Il Balletto Di      

   Bronzo, Banco, Rick Wakeman and PFM, played by Gerard and Ars Nova, you can’t

   beg for more keyboard pyrotechnics!

* Interpose+-Interpose+-stunning new band that plays very dynamic prog with lots of

   shifting moods and great soli on keyboards and guitar. The music alternates between

   symphonic and jazzrock, highly recommended!

I am very curious to your opinion about the Japanese progressive rock, which bands you like or what recommendations you have!

                  A BIG HAND FOR THE NIPPON PROG  !

There are many masterpieces unlisted on Prog Archives. My favorite bands/artists are:

*Yoninbayashi - The most famous band. Usually Japanese choose this band as the most popular progressive rock band. ALBUM: Isshoku Sokuhatsu

*Cosmos Factory - As well as Yoninbayashi, Cosmos Factory is one of the most popular band in Japan. All the four albums are attractive. But if I select one album, I agree with erik neuteboom. ALBUM: Transylvania no Kojo

*Gerard - I prefer Fujimura's vocal era. ALBUM: Irony Of Fate

*Ars Nova - All female trio. Ars Nova is influenced by Il Balletto Di Bronzo and ELP. ALBUM: Android Domina

*Bi Kyo Ran - One of the most King Crimson like band in the world. When I listend first time in early 1980s, I was astonished because Bi Kyo Ran played like Crimson. ALBUM: Parallax

*Far East Family Band - Kitaro joined in this group. But the band leader is Miyash*ta. ALBUM: Parallel World

*Ain Soph - Ain Soph was tremendously suffered by earthquake in Kobe. So they stopped around 10 years after the disaster. ALBUM: A Story OF Mysterious Forest

*After Dinner - RIO avant garde pop. After Dinner was one of the outstanding group in 1980s. ALBUM: Glass Tube

*Wha-ha-ha - Avant gard music and comedy ! If you can speak Japanese, you can laugh this strange world. ALBUM: Getahaitekonakucha

*Marge Litch - Progressive hard rock band. They are still active today. ALBUM: Higeki no Izumi

*Novela - One of the most important progressive hard rock band. Many Japanese bands have been iinfluenced by Novela. ALBUM: Paradise Lost

*Love Live Life - Important band of first generation of Japanese progressive rock movement. Best album is Love Will Make A Better You. This album is released by Love Live Life + One. Because Love Live Life invited a guest singer Fuse Akira and he was added as One.

*Magical Power Mako - The most important avant garde musician. He has been released more than 20 albums since middle of 1970s. ALBUM: Magical Power

*Vienna - Super band by famous progressive rock musicians. ALBUM: Step Into ...

*Outer Limits - Tsukamoto's band. I remember they were acclaimed in France in 1980s. ALBUM: A Boy Playing The Magical Bugle Horn

*Shingetsu - Japanesque Genesis ? Shingetsu was gem of late 1970s' Japanese scene. ALBUM: Shinbetsu

I have to go job !

May continue next post ???

Hello Reverie: check out Kenso and Far Corner (see my review on this site).

Hello Honganji: thanks for the addition, that is also my goal with this thread that progheads react and give their opinion and recommendations instead of summing up all the Japanese progrock bands I know!

    my favorites are:

1. Ruins
2. Koenjihyakkei
3. Happy family
4. Korekyojin
5. bondage fruit
6. Bi Kyo Ran

• GERARD - Gerard / Empty Lie, Empty Dream / The Pendulum / Sighs Of The Water / Meridian / The Ruins Of A Glass Fortress
• ARS NOVA - The Book Of The Dead / The Goddess Of Darkness / Android Domina
• NOVELA - La Songerie
• OUTER LIMITS - Misty Moon
• PAGEANT - Abysmal Masquerade
• PALE ACUTE MOON - Newtopia
• SOCIAL TENSION - It Reminds Me Of MacBethia
• TERU'S SYMPHONIA - Egg The Universe / Fable On The Seven Pillows
• AIN SOPH - A Story Of A Mysterious Forest
• BI KYO RAN - Same
• CINEMA - The Seventh Stories
• DEJA-VU - Baroque In The Future
• KBB - Lost And Found
• KENSO - Same / Yume No Oka (Dream Hill) / Fabulis Mirabilius De Bombycosi Scriptis
• MANDRAKE - Unreleased Material Vol. 1 & 2
• MIDAS - Beyond The Clean Air
• Mr. SIRIUS - Barren Dream / Dirge
• MUGEN - Sinfonia Della Luna / Leda Et Le Cygne / The Princess Of Kingdome Gone
• PAZZO FANFANO DI MUSICA - Same
• RUINS - Symphonica
• VERMILION SANDS - Water Blue
• VIENNA - Overture
• FAR EAST FAMILY BAND - Nipponjin (1975) / Parallel World
• FAR OUT - Nipponjin (1973)

I came back from job

Japanese Prog Part 2

*Kenso - Symphonic jazz rock. Famous in USA. ALBUM: Biroudosho Kitan

*Prism - Jazz rock or fusion. Once ex-Yoninbayashi Morizono temporarily played in this group. ALBUM: III

*Pageant - I prefer 2nd album. 2nd is straight symphonic rock in comparison with 1st. ALBUM: Yume no Hoshu.

*Ie Rai Shan - ex-Pageant Nakajima's band in 1990s. Symphonic rock. ALBUM: Ie Rai Shan.

*Sense Of Wonder - One of the big name of Japanese symphonic rock bands. SOW started in early 1980s and still active. Great band !

*Datetenryu - Datetenryu is one of the oldest band which continues until today. I like around 1973-era Datetenryu. I'm attracted with wild performance. ALBUM: 1971

*Vermilion Sands - Sally Oldfield + Renaissance ?? Beautiful voice singer Royama was already dead. ALBUM: Water Blue

*Picaresque Of Bremen - Early Bremen was Jethro Tull type. However late they became progressive pop rock. Probably almost of Prog Archive members haven't heard this band. ALBUM: Chronoclasm

*Heretic - Electronics music virtuoso. However I don't hear this name recently. ALBUM: Escape Sequence

*Mugen - Classical symphonic rock. 1st and 2nd are great masterpiece in Japanese progressive scene. ALBUM: Sinfonia Della Luna

*Providence - Progressive rock band in Sapporo. There are 2 studio albums. I prefer 2nd album. ALBUM: Choko muro no Ichiya

*Optical*8 - Helmet + King Crimson ? Hoppy Kamiyama, Minato Masafumi, Otomo Yoshihide and reck played in this group. ALBUM: Bug

*Pochakaite Malko - Horizont + Henry Cow ? Avant garde rock. Both 1st and 2nd are excellent. ALBUM: Laya

*Katra Turana - Acoustic avant garde pop rock. No other group is close to them. 12 inch single: The End

*Asturias - Clear sound like Mike Oldfield. Also recent Acoustic Asturias is very good. ALBUM: Cryptogam Illusion

*Keep - Jazz rock. ALBUM: Rock'n Rocked Rock

*Taj Mahal Travellers - Experimental music. They were popular in Japan around 1973 - 74.

*Inoue Keizo - He is known as a jazz saxphone player. But his albums are also progressive rock ones. 1st and 3rd are excellent. ALBUM: Boys, Be Ambitious !

*Teru's Symphonia - ex-Novela Hirayama's symphonic rock band. However this group may stop today. ALBUM: Egg The Universe

*J.A.Caesar - Composer of play party Tenjosajiki. I suggest Tenjosajiki's album. ALBUM: Shintokumaru

*Killing Time - One of the best 80s band. Of course, they are still active. Experimental jazz rock ?! ALBUM: Skip

*Rosalia - All the five members are girls. Symphonic rock. Except Miura, they may not play the music now. ALBUM: Zillion Tears

*Bondage Fruit - They have released 6 albums (exclude compilation). Big name of 1990s and 2000s. ALBUM: Bondage Fruit IV

*Koenjihyakkei - Magma type. ALBUM: Koenjihyakkei

*Sakamoto Ryuichi - He is known as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra. There are many solo albums. In case of progressive rock, B-2 Unit is important album.

*Maria Kannon - VDGG type (temporarily). Kowata's vocal is aggressive ! ALBUM: Inujini

*Cinorama - Probably obscure band for common Prog Archive members. Tom Newman/Faerie Symphonie type band. ALBUM:Niwa niwa

*Fromage - Symphonic rock like Itoiz, Tai Phong. Fromage is inherited to Cinema. ALBUM: Ondine

*Stomu Yamash'ta - Pianist. He was famous outside of Japan in 1970s. ALBUM: Go Too

UMMMM, it is impossible to write all the bands/artists I know. Too many........

Hi erik neuteboom: Japanese albums are notorious for its expensiveness. I wish many foreign labels would release Japanese albums. There are many masterpieces which haven't been reissued outside of Japan. So many fans must buy expensive Japanese issue.   It obstructs to inform Japanese progressive rock for world wide.

I heard a couple of tracks from Fabulis Mirabilius Bombycosi Scriptis by Kenso on Delicious Agony Prog radio last month. Thought it was great!

I thought I'd get the album, but it seems that it's pretty tough to get hold of at a reasonable price.

Honganji - Thanks for all the information. I will definitely listen to some of the stuff you mentioned!

As someone has already said, this recent run of threads concerning music from different countries has been fantastic. Lots of great recommendations to check out. This is what I was hoping for when I signed up to PA!! The downside is that its costing me a bloody fortune in CDs!!

honganji
Where have you been up until now?

Priceless information you have given us. Definitely will keep me busy for a while, to discover al these. Thanks!

Erik,

Again, another great thread!

Hello fellow progheads.

Great response, great contributions but Honganji is bad for my self-esteem  ...... !

By the way, during this months it's time to get the annual tax paid back in The Netherlands so maybe this will help with your wishlist/orders ...  ...

erik neuteboom wrote: Hello fellow progheads. Great response, great contributions but Honganji is bad for my self-esteem  ...... ! By the way, during this months it's time to get the annual tax paid back in The Netherlands so maybe this will help with your wishlist/orders ...  ...

Yes, here as well, I'm counting on my wife to get some money back, so I can spend it...

BTW - I noticed some of the Japanese bands mentioned here have either French or Italian names, songs names or album names. I assumed they sang in their native toungue. So how many of these mentioned above sing in Japanese and how many in English, and other languages?

Another thing, does someone know how did Ain Soph choose their name (which means Infinity, by the way)?

Hello Avestin.

It's a bit weird but many Japanese bands have French inspired names. I asked the band Gerard about this when they performed in The Netherlands during their small European tour, they said Gerard is derived from a clothing shop in Tokyo  !

Most Japanese bands sing in their native language because their English is very poor  , I will check out which bands sing in English.

There is a good band called Magdalena, with their only album wth the same name, sounds good, symphonic

I only know Ars Nova, excellent female trio a la ELP

and Kenso, excellent jazz influenced band

Many thanks to erik for starting this thread

Just a few short days ago I was going to ask everyone here on PA for recommendations for some Japanese Prog. This information has been a very big help to me, I can't wait to track these titles down.

Hemulen wrote:     my favorites are: Ruins Koenjihyakkei Happy family Korekyojin bondage fruit Bi Kyo Ran

It's pretty much the same for me, plus I like some of the Acid Mothers Temple incarnations and offshoots. Acid Mothers Temple SWR is the psychedelic power trio against which all others must be judged, Zoffy are a great laugh and Kawabato Makoto's solo albums are well worth checking out.

Hello fellow progheads, here is some additional infomation, it is based upon an article I wrote for a Dutch progrock magazine.

ARS NOVA-THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

On this CD Ars Nova 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: 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

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.

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!

DEJA-VU-Baroque in the Future

The Japanese keyboardplayer Motoi Sakuraba sounds 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 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..

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

I needed a few session to get into Marge Litch 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.

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?

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!

VIENNA - Progress - Last Live

When Yukihiro Fujimura 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 don't know any folk-prog (koto, flutes) Micky so recommendations are welcome!

It's remarkable how pivotal UK (Mark II) was in Japan along ELP and King Crimson but also Dutch band Trace was very appreciated, Japanese progheads love bombastic keyboard driven prog  !

English song albums

• Love Live Life + One / Love Will Make A Better You
• Outer Limits /  A Boy Plying The Magical Bugle Horn
• Quaser / Out From Quaser
• Strawberry Path / When The Raven Has Come To The Earth
• Madoromi / The Hardest Live '76
• Magritte Voice / Magritte Voice
• Deja Vu / Baroque In The Future
• Cinderella Search / Stories Of Luminous Garden
• Marble Sheep / Stone Marby

etc, etc

Usually Japanese don't sing in English. If I use words in my song, I must use Japanese.

Coined words

• Koenjihyakkei
• Katra Turana
• Ruins

Yoshida Tatsuya usually sings in his word. He doesn't think Japanese fits to his music. Katra Turana's lyrics are coined by Hiroike Atsushi.

Why many Japanese bands use other languages on their name ?  Is it strange ? There are many cases outside of Japan. Though they don't come from English countries, many bands use English name on them. Same pattern.

Anyone knows the 28 minutes epic of X Japan "Art of life" , is a heavy metal song  but is a master piece.

honganji wrote: i erik neuteboom: Japanese albums are notorious for its expensiveness. I wish many foreign labels would release Japanese albums. There are many masterpieces which haven't been reissued outside of Japan. So many fans must buy expensive Japanese issue.   It obstructs to inform Japanese progressive rock for world wide.

I feel de ja vu here. But for (repeated) completeness, would add:

Foodbrain: early 70's psychedelic jazzrock

Kennedy: late 80's heavy rock/jazz rock band - their live album Kennedy! includes an extended cover fo Mahavishu's Birds Of Fire

Casiopea: jazz rock group who started in the late 70's and seems to be still going!

http://www.answers.com/topic/casiopea - http://www.answers.com/topic/casiopea http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=music-jp&field-author=%E3%82%AB%E3%82%B7%E3%82%AA%E3%83%9A%E3%82%A2/250-6965558-7033821 -

And probably the best Japanese jazz rock guitarist, with a very distinctive sound: Kazumi Watanabe - check out his work with Bill Bruford and Jeff Berlin as his rhythm section, i.e. the two Spice Of Life albums, also Mobo albums.

Agree up to a point wrt cost of Japanese albums. However, the French prog specialist Musea Records, has reissued a number of Japanese recordings, e.g. Bi Kyo Ran, Kennedy, at reasonable prices. And I was shocked how many and how cheap Kazumi Watanabe albums were in Singapore's main branch of HMV. The US label (amongst several) Gramavision have issued ~6 Kazumi Watanabe albums (including the one's named above). I see Spice Of Life Too is listed at 75 dollars US in Amazon.US at the moment, perhaps because the label do seem to delete their  albums from the catalogue very quickly. However, Amazon UK list it at under 18 quid............

Shop around!

My favourite Japanese prog albums:

1. Vermilion Sands - Water Blue
2. Shingetsu - Shingetsu
3. Pageant - Mosaique D'Un Reverie

Three great albums, and I have the idea that I will like Mugen's Sinfonia Della Luna as well.

I tried Gerard and although I like their virtuosity, I don't really like their compositions  . It bothers me a bit, because Gerard should have been everything I like, very keyboard driven and ELP / UK - like. But for some reason, I don't like their music very much. I really think it's the compositions. That's always my main reason for liking or disliking a band.

But there are certainly some Japanese cd's I would like to check out! Starting with Mugen.

Great to notice that so many experts and 'Nippon progheads' has joined this thread, thanks!

Today I found a French progrock magazine (from 1987) in my collection featuring a Japanese progrock special, I will do my best to translate this into decent English. It contains a brief history, recommendations and an interview with the owner of Japanese progrock magazine Marquee, perhaps the most beautiful one in the world!

Japan has one of the best prog scene of the world,Japanese Prog  i own:

Gerard (which is one of my favorite bands),their first album is one of my top 10 of all time.

Teru'Symphonia

Outer Limits

Shingetsu(one of the Japanese best)

Far East Family Band(excellent psychedelic prog!)

Ars Nova

Keyboard Trio(which is a compilation )

Mugen

I love keyboard work in Japanese prog bands ,i think they keyboard players are one of the best, even equaling those from Italian scene.

Thanks to Eric Neuteboom to opening this thread!

          A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE JAPANESE PROGRESSIVE ROCK

      (based upon an article in the French progrock magazine Harmonie from 1987)

The history of the Japanese progressive rock  be divided into four parts.

Part I:

The roots are in in the late Sixties and early Seventies, between 1969 and 1971. It was a very experimental era, influenced by the German cosmic rock (like TANGERINE DREAM and ASHRA TEMPLE) and the Anglo-Saxon progressive rock like PINK FLOYD. Soon many bands emerged in Japan like N. Morichita, April Foot, Hiro Yanagida (a legend in Japan, the album “Milk Time” is excellent), Too Much, Tatuo Inada, Stroberry Pass, Speedgrov & Shinki, Food Brain, Love Live Life, Far Out and  J.A. Seezar.

In those days the Japanese public was not very interested in their own music and more and more musicians started to play on rock instruments like guitar, bass and drums and even typical progressive rock instruments like the Mellotron.

Part II:

This era spans the time between 1972 and 1977. Slowly we can witness the birth of the Japanese progressive rock, influenced by the UK symphonic rock dinosaurs Yes, King Crimson, Genesis and Pink Floyd. The first results are albums like “An Old Castle In Transylvania” by Cosmos Factory and “Golden Picnics” by Yonin Bayashi. Some bands even got attention from the European public like Far East Family Band, Chronicle, Kitaro, Osamu Kitajima and of course Stomu Yamashta. Despite the European recognition, most bands remain loyal in keeping traditional Japanese elements into their progrock.

Part III:

In this period (between 1978 and 1984) the Japanese progheads really started to appreciate their own progrock scene that blossomed in those years. One of the oldest and most legendary is Novela featuring keyboard wizard Toshio Egawa (who later went to splendid Gerard) and Terutsugo Hirayama. Other great bands were Gerard, Bi Kyo Ran, Shingetsu, Mandrake, Ain-Soph, Dada and Kenso.

Part IV:

This is an era (between 1985 and 1987) of maturity, influenced by the UK and Italian progrock: a rich sonority, elaborate compositions, melodic refinement and an omnipresence by vintage keyboards, especially the ubiquitous Mellotron. It delivers many outstanding and exciting bands like Outer Limits, Pageant, Mugen, Negapshere, Pale Acute Moon, Bellaphon, Mr. Sirius, Black Page, Fromage, Ataraxia, Magdalena, Kennedy and Vermillion Sands. Although it is a very prolific period, there is an almost cruel concurrence and many bands don’t survive. It seems that the abundancy, like in nature, created natural selection in the Japanese progressive rock scene too. But those that managed to survive are very interesting like Outer Limits, Gerard and Mugen.  

Great job on the japanese prog, Erik and Co. (I wasn´t on time to participate in the beginning of the thread...)!!!!

I think that all has been said, but pertaining Gerard, guess I prefer the keyboard power trio after the first albuns. Their latest album is great!

Cheers!!

What an incredible coincidence: while just reading the latest reactions on this thread (thanks again everybody  ), I receive a parcel from Background Magazine (Dutch progrock magazine I write for since many years) with ... two Japanese bands! The first is Walrus with two albums (their first is wonderful and a bit early Genesis inspired with Mellotron), the second is Quikion, a prog-folk band with great female vocals, virtuosic accordion play and lots of worldwide ethnic instruments like the Greek bouzouki and the Indian tampura, very interesting music if you like folk (on the Japanese Poseidon label).

http://www.recordheaven.net/japan.htm - http://www.recordheaven.net/japan.htm

Happy exploring .

DarioIndjic wrote: I'm surprised that there is no members from Japan on this site!

Obviously you didn't read this thread, otherwise you'd see that there is.

Check out Le Silo! Just got the CD [8.8] and it is sublime!!! [this is another Yoshida spin off FYI those who care - his other bands are such as Ruins, Koenji Hyakkei, Tipographica, KOREKYOJIN, etc etc...

http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~tolsilo/contents/lesiloeigo.html - http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~tolsilo/contents/lesiloeigo.html

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EUEGGKRH REOFHD DLFKJFRHRK  FJJFYRYRJIRH

OK,  ?

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DarioIndjic wrote: I'm surprised that there is no members from Japan on this site!

Look above...

Since this thread started, I've checked out 3 Japanese prog albums - 2 by Kenso (III & Sparta), and one by Asturias (Brilliant Streams).

The Kenso stuff is a little bit light (I'm still trying to get a copy of Fabulis Mirabilis...), but I think the Asturias CD is excellent! I was surprised to find that they are not on Prog Archives!

You have GOT to check out Art of Life by the group X Japan.

It is a 25 minute proggy "epic", sung in English and only performed once (flawlessly) live.

Based on the strength of this song (the MP3 of the live version), I bought six X Japan CDs. Although nothing they have done is as proggy as Art of Life.

One word of warning.... Art of Life contains a piano solo in the middle thats pretty.... ummm.... experimental.

There are still so many less known but very good bands that need to be added to this site, I am working on it, Norm Cash, time is on my side I hope!

Asturias is one of the bands I am working on but it's a very hard job to write biographies if you cannot find information or only information in Japanese (although I know some Japanese  ).

Anyway, thanks for keeping this thread still going on everybody!

erik neuteboom wrote: EJEKEIDHJ   LELEIFDBSKE  DIEHEHSJSBWE   SUUEKGHFSJEO LKDKYEIHJDF DHHFIUEJHJEHDSTEIRUHD  JFHJFHHDSTPOWTEGEGU   DHDHG  EUDHGSDFLEK EUEGGKRH REOFHD DLFKJFRHRK  FJJFYRYRJIRH OK,  ?

Where can I get this album, Erik?

avestin wrote: DarioIndjic wrote: I'm surprised that there is no members from Japan on this site! Look above...

Ok,i see!

OK, let's finish this thread with our 'Nippon Prog' Top 5 Compositions, here is mine:

1) Gerard - Melting Time (Meridian version) 

2) Outer Limits - The Scene Of Pale Blue

3) Cosmos Factory - An Old Castle Of Transylvania

4) Provicdence - And I'll Recite An Old Myth From ..

5) Ars Nova - Kali

1. Tenjosajiki / Shintokumaru (including all the tracks of the album)
2. Heretic / Do Heretick
3. Shingetsu / Oni
4. Killing Time / Skip
5. Kirche /Schwartz Nacht

Here is my top 5

Muuuu  It's difficult. If I could do, I want to choose 50  or 100 . I can't write Cosmos Factory, Kalo, Fairy, Wha-ha-ha, Asturias .....

An interview with Shingo "Numero" UENO of Made in Japan Records by Raimo Eurasto, COLOSSUS-Magazine #16.

1) Would you please tell our readers something about yourself. Who are you and how did you get interested in progressive rock? Can you also tell us something about Made in Japan Records. How and when did it get started?

I'm "Numero Ueno", producer, illustrator and cover art creator of Ars Nova, Made in Japan Records and King Records. I'm also a monster creator for movies. I have produced over 100 albums of Japanese progressive rock between 1980 and 2001. So, in my teenage I studied Italian opera and oil-painting and surrealism. At my high school I met Yonin-Bayashi and I started to play keyboards as a professional and to arrange music like fusion and pop-music and I was influenced by Chick Corea and Tom Costa. When I was 20 I saw Banco del Mutuo Soccorso in Rome when I went for the first time to Italy. I liked the band more than British prog bands and I felt the music to fit well with my art feeling. When I went back to Japan I stopped playing music and started to look for excellent Japanese prog bands to produce. And I met Outer Limits as young musician in 1979. These were the most important things and a turning point for my musical life: seeing Banco and meeting with Outer Limits. I changed from keyboardist to producer and my music changed from Latin rhythms to progressive rock. I was managing Outer Limits, Kanzeon and Acqua Polis and I tried to contact major record companies but none of these were interested in progressive rock. That's why I established Made in Japan Records as independent label in 1980 for these bands.

2) Nowadays almost everybody has their own definition of progressive rock. What does progressive rock mean to you? What kind of progressive rock and music do you specially like? Can you give some examples of your favorites? Is there something that you don't like at all? How do you like the new "progressive" bands compared to the classics of the 70's?

I love many kinds of music. For example Chick Corea, Santana, Sonny Rollins, Allman Brothers Band, Ultravox, Tears for Fears, Lotus Eaters, Aster Piazzola, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Banco, Yes etc. Not only progressive rock. Of course, I like 70's prog. It has fresh feelings and many experimental ideas. But not all music that I like is progressive rock. Nowadays many bands people call "progressive" are only copies from the 70's style and they have stopped progressing in their music. I'm also very interested in art, fantasy and European movies (David Cronenberg, Tim Burton, Peter Greenway, Jan Svankmajer, Terry Gilliam, etc.), surrealism-painting (Dali, Hundert Wasser, Remedios Varo, etc.), traditional art (Africa, Egypt, etc.). I'm interested in too many things! Progressive rock is only one form of art to me. Why do I like progressive rock? It's not simple music, it's mix-culture: classic, jazz, rock, pop, new wave, avant-garde and traditional music. You can also include cover art and album concept. So, I think most important thing is originality in composing the music and album concept. I love two composers Shushei Tsukamoto (Outer Limits, Vienna) and Keiko Kumagai (Ars Nova) on my label. They are great composers and original. I feel their music is "real" progressive rock like it used to be in the 70's.

3) Not so many people know much about Japanese progressive rock in the 70's and also later in the 80's and 90's. Could you tell our readers something about the progressive rock scene in Japan in the 70's and 80's ? How is the progressive scene in Japan nowadays? Are there many original progressive rock bands in Japan today? How about live concerts, are there many prog concerts and is there many people interested in this kind of music?

Japanese progressive rock generations are classified in 5 steps. First step was 1969-1975 and that was the dawn of Japanese progressive rock. Hiro Yanagida, Flied Egg, Yonin-Bayashi, Cosmos Factory, Far East Family Band etc. were the first (in Tokyo area) to start progressive rock in Japan and they were influenced by Pink Floyd, Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. They didn't have so much progressive rock spirit and soon they changed to play other kind of music. Second step was 1976-1980 and that was newborn real progressive rock. It was great and visionary golden age, I think. I felt regret that many of the bands could not record any album. Specially, in Tokyo area Bikyoran, Shingetsu, Mandrake, Mahoujin, Green, Quaser, Surre More, Moon Child etc. were influenced by King Crimson, ELP, UK, Genesis and PFM. It's real progressive rock sounds unlike before this. But all of them could not get a deal with major labels. So third step was my generation. I started my label "Made in Japan Records" in 1980. In 1977-80 Japanese progressive rock scene was underground. But many great bands (Mandrake, Shingetsu, Bikyoran, Mahoujin, Green, Kenso, Outer Limits, Surre More, Green etc.) formed by influence of European rock. I released the first Made in Japan record (joint album with Outer Limits and Kanzeon) in 1981 for 300 copies only. But it couldn't sell more than 100 copies because Japanese progressive fans are interested in European bands only. Japanese fans yearn for European rock too much. And after some time many bands had to split up or change their music because the audience was so small. I stopped the label and management and I worked in record shops for reformation of progressive fans' prejudice to Japanese bands between 1981-85. In 1984 many new bands (Pageant, Mugen, Starless, Gerard, Teru's Symphonia etc.) from Kansai area (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe) formed and grew up by influence from commercial success of Novela and Outer Limits reformed, too. Tokyo scene and Kansai scene are very different in music, culture, language and conditions. The bands in Tokyo scene were influenced by European rock and fusion. Mostly they sang in English and played long instrumental parts. For example, Bikyoran, Outer Limits, Mandrake, Green, Kenso and Ars Nova were influenced by King Crimson, UK, ELP or fusion. They released their debut albums by themselves on independent labels because major labels were not interested in them. Their sound was too much instrumental and maniac. They played in a small live venue called Silver Elephant only. The place was a progressive rock speciality. They grew up underground. But the bands from Kansai scene were influenced by Novela, hard rock, Queen and Genesis. Mostly they sang in Japanese and they tried to be rock stars influenced by the success of Novela. King Records released their recordings. Mr. Nakafuji (Monolith label) and I arranged the first progressive rock festival "Progressive's battle live" as Kansai vs Tokyo in May 1985. Line-up was: Kansai/ Pageant, Mugen, Bellaphon and Tokyo/Outer Limits, Negasphere, Ataraxia. I changed my occupation from small shop to big shop "Edison" for big funds and distribution and I released "Misty Moon" by Outer Limits in September 1985. And four big venues (Eggman: Tokyo, Vivire: Yokohama, Ell: Nagoya and Chandy Hall: Osaka) arranged the biggest festival "Progressive circuit" lasting two weeks. It was joined by over 30 bands and supported by King Records, Edison and other big shops. These two big festivals are the most important things for the Japanese prog scene and the scene grew up and many bands released their debut album between 1985-87 and that was the golden age. So, it was a good timing for sale to release "Misty Moon". The album was at the top of the independent charts and sold over 5000 copies. In 1986 I released debut album of Osaka's Pageant "La mosaique de la Reverie" and it sold the same as "Misty Moon". These two albums sold more than the releases of King Records and my label's position on Japanese progressive rock scene was at the top. The fourth step was 1987-88 and it was a turning point. Because many young bands (Deja-Vu, Social Tension, Vermilion Sands, Ataraxia, August, Providence etc.) grew up influenced by European rock but many leading bands (Gerard, Sofia, Starless, Pale Acute Moon, Negasphere etc.) split up or many principal members left the band. I planned to form new leading bands from the members of these bands and so Vienna was formed by my commission. Vienna's debut album was released by King Records in1988 with big expectations and big promotion. The album was a good sale for a Japanese prog release (about 8000 copies). But they could not keep the formation. R. Nishida left the band and they split up in 1989. Why did all leading bands split up until 1989? They became famous and they could have their records released on major labels. But they could not get much money for living. All of them worked on other jobs and they started to get old as musicians. They had to get money to marry and have families. So they stopped playing progressive rock except of a few musicians who really loved prog. And young bands could not work without the leading bands. Still more, King Records stopped releasing progressive rock and Edison became bankrupted because of their investments in 1991. Fifth step: Japanese progressive rock scene was becoming very small soon. And I had to restart Made in Japan Records by myself and I was looking for new bands. I met Ars Nova in 1991. All other prog bands were influenced much by old Japanese bands as Novela, Gerard, Pageant etc. and they lost their real prog spirit except Ars Nova. Some time old big bands reformed (Novela, Scheherazade, Vienna, Outer Limits etc:) but they did not have the power and spirit they used to have before. So, Ars Nova's album sales were successful (about 3000 - 4000 copies). But other bands could not do this. Nowadays many progressive rock shops can make good sales of progressive rock CDs at least in Tokyo. Of course I get good sales of Ars Nova CDs also. But all progressive rock fans become old now and they buy only CDs, they don't come to live gigs. So, Ars Nova and I are trying to book gigs in USA and Europe for new audience.

4) How do you see the future of the progressive scene? Will the new bands only be taking influences of the big names of the 70's or is there going to be some new and original stuff released also?

-I think all bands in Japan or internationally sound too much influenced by the big names of the 70's. I think that they must change or "progress" the sound, style and fashion in the future. Progressive rock should have an exciting spirit like before. Ars Nova and I will want to grow up the sound and mix other music with it and show up on live performances forever!

Is there anything else of importance or interesting information that you would like to tell to our readers?

I have some information of new plans. I will produce Akira Ifukube's tribute album. He is a composer of famous Japanese monster films' music (Godzilla etc.) This album will be arranged by S. Tsukamoto and Keiko Kumagai and released by King Records next year. Ars Nova's next album after "Android Domina" will be released next year with many foreign guests musicians. The concept is monster Science and Fiction like "Alien".

We thank you for answering these questions and we welcome you and Ars Nova to Finland in the summer.

i love when people assume that you don't have an open mind, makes you feel good

erik neuteboom wrote: Well, Micky, that CD is a great one (see my review on this site, I have even added it), great keyboard work and lots of dynamics!                            BUY IT

VARIOUS ARTISTS — Keyboards Triangle

Gerard Live Uden Holland 1998

ARS NOVA

The Goddess of Darkness

My review is produced using this release: Musea Version: Made In Japan Records / Musea FGBG 4196.AR

My Rating:9,5/10 PA Rating:5/5

This is my first cintact with Japanese Prog!!! What a contact!!! A mix of ELP, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, Rick Wakeman and King Diamond!!! This is "The Goddess Of Darkness". For sure... This is a Girlpower Trio and in my opinion they should have listened to until the death "Garofano Rosso" (by Banco del Mutuo Soccorso), the ELP, Rick Wakeman and King Diamond (being Japanese I should not have blundered!!!). The use of the keyboards remember me "Conspiracy" of King Diamond... Also the musical style is that... Horror Prog, in this case (not Horror Metal). The songs seem, however, written from Rick Wakeman and arranged by Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso. In truth these songs are written by Keiko Kumagai, a female and Japanese version of Rick Wakeman... The drums is played by Akiko Takahashi, a female and Japanese version of Carl Palmer and bass is played by Kyoko Kanazawa, another torrid performer. This album is totally instrumental and this fact increases the gothic part of the music... Music That ever I had heard so gothic!!!

This is my first contact with Japanese Prog... But... What a contact!!! Like that that of the meteorite that that make disappear the dinosaurs with the World!!!