We use cookies on our website to provide you with the best experience. Most of these are essential and already present.
We do require your explicit consent to save your cart and browsing history between visits. Read about cookies we use here.
Your cart and preferences will not be saved if you leave the site.
Special 15% discount on all available VOD Records items until Monday at midnight!

Masayuki Takayanagi

Masayuki 'Jojo' Takayanagi (1932 - 1991) was a Japanese jazz / free improvisational musician. He was active in the Japanese jazz scene from the late 1950s. He was one of the earliest noise guitar improvisers, and the first (with Keith Rowe) to use the table-top guitar.

Masayuki 'Jojo' Takayanagi (1932 - 1991) was a Japanese jazz / free improvisational musician. He was active in the Japanese jazz scene from the late 1950s. He was one of the earliest noise guitar improvisers, and the first (with Keith Rowe) to use the table-top guitar.

Mass Hysterism: In Another Situation
Mass Hysterism: In Another Situation, a 1983 record by the late Japanese noise-guitar hellion Masayuki Takayanagi (1932–1991) is one of those albums that always going to be lurking in my attic, so to speak. I can put it away for a while, but it never goes to sleep—it's always calling me. Even if it takes a few years, I'll be back. (As an illustration of this, I obsessed over Takayanagi in a February 2007 post as well.) It's a bashing, clanging exorcism: two electric guitars (the other played by …
Angry Waves Vol.2
Masayukia Takayanagi, electric jazz guitar. Nobuyoshi Ino, contra bass. Hiroshi Yamazaki, drums. Recorded live at Yokohama Airegin on August 26, 1984. Remastering and remix by Yukio Kojima from Takayanagi's private tapes. Linernote (in Japanese) by Kazuo Imai.
Angry Waves Vol.1
Masayuki Takayanagi, electric jazz guitar. Nobuyoshi Ino, contra bass. Hiroshi Yamazaki, drums. Recorded live at Yokohama Airegin on August 26, 1984. Remastering and remix by Yukio Kojima from Takayanagi's private tapes. Linernote (in Japanese) by Kazuo Imai.
Independence: Tread On Sure Ground
**2008 release, long out of print, very few copies available** New release in Tiliqua Records ongoing Archival Series is this quintessential album by Takayanagi Masayuki. It was his debut recording as a leader with his newly erected unit The New Directions, a trio consisting out of bassist Yoshizawa and drummer Toyozumi "Sabu" Yoshisaburo. Recorded at the Teichiku Kaikan studios on 18 September 1969 (released in 1970), "Independence – Tread on Sure Ground," is largely regarded as the first true …
Guitar Solo
The Guitar Solo album was produced by Takeshi Fujii, the producer of the legendary jazz label "Three Blind Myth", in June 1981.  Takayanagi responded to the request with "Lonely Woman" recorded in August 1982. As stated in the liner notes of this work, Takayanagi said: "In my two years of fighting against illness, my thoughts have changed, and now I'm thinking rather than making a group album. The form of solo would be appropriate to put it together" and he worked on the guitar solo as the first…
The Complete Works Of Jojo: Jazz 1
Masayuki Takayanagi: electric guitar, gut guitar. Nobuyoshi Ino: double bass. Filmed by Yasunori Saito at Jazz Club Lovely, Nagoya, March 20 (1) and 21 (2-6), 1990. Edited by Yoshihiro Imaizumi. Mastered by Yukio Kojima at Kojima Recordings. Cover design by Studio Zap. + 1 free blank CDR.
El Pulso
El pulso (1991) is a live collaboration with other guitarists. Masayuki Takayanagi (g), Toshio Sato (g), Shojiro Ikeda (7st.g), Akira Matsuoka (g), Hidetoshi Tanba (g), Taisuke Sakamoto (g), Shinichi Miyazaki (g), Nobuyoshi Ino (bass). Quite possible one of the strangest releases in the Takayanagi (New Direction Unit) discography: an acoustic guitar nontet playing covers of South American tango, milonga, vals, rumba, &c.
The Complete Works Of Jojo: Action Direct 1
Masayuki Takayanagi: guitars, motors, tape recorders, ring modulators, analog effects, megaphone speakers, etc. Filmed by Yasunori Saito and Kyoko Saito at the New Direction for the Arts Regular Concert Vol. 69 (1, 2) and Vol. 70 (3, 4), at Jean Jean, Tokyo, August 4 and December 17, 1990. Recorded by Masaki Shimada (1, 2) and Yasunori Saito (3, 4). Film edited by Yoshihiro Imaizumi. Cover design by Hidetoshi Shinohara.' + 1 free blank CDR.
Inanimate Nature
the first title in yasunori saito’s exhaustive survey of the music of masayuki takayanagi via his jinya disc imprint... the arrival of these discs in the mms catalogue has been a long time in the making; extremely glad to have these seminal documents of free-scrape/noise-guitar crossover in stock !!!this disc features takayanagi on solo “tabletop guitar” as recorded “aug 4, 1990 at ‘new direction for the arts, regular concert vol.69’ jean jean tokyo” - nothing at all like fred frith, keith rowe,…
kaitai teki kohkan
Two of the most relentless and uncompromising artists from the 70s free jazz scene in Japan in a full-on assault. Totally essential
cool jojo
Third volume in a series of Takayanagi reissues on this Japanese jazz label. As with the prior Free Form Suite, this features super deluxe hardbound book-like packaging and "extended resolution CD" sound. First reissue of this obscure album, originally recorded in Dec. of 1979; with four bonus alternate takes issued for the first time. Takayanagi (guitar), Kenji Kohsei (piano, electric piano), Nobuyoshi Ino (bass), Yasuhiro Yamazaki (drums). A "cool jazz" recording in the Tristano tradition, All…
Complete "La Grima"
"La Grima (Tears) was performed on August 14, 1971, at the Genyasai festival in Sanrizuka, Japan. The first six minutes or so of this performance can be heard on the omnibus LP Genya (released on CD in 2004). This CD presents the complete, unedited version of the performance.As if to slash through the audience's scornful, jeering reaction to Takayanagi's opening remarks, the group launched into a fiercely convulsive performance. Despite having a variety of objects thrown at them, Takayanagi and …
Live independence
Another previously unreleased archive release from Takayanagi, the premier Japanese free-guitar stylist. Recorded live in 1970, waves of trademark feedback abound, but also some more serene segments with flute, freedom atmospherics, etc. Not as overwhelmingly brain-bombing as his previous release on the label (PSF 41), but definitely another important piece in the crucial documentation of Takayanagi's career.
Call in the question
Takayanagi is the premier free-guitarist legend in the Japanese underground story. This CD features unreleased material by the master, from 1970. The sound is heavy improv, with Takayangi's explosive feedback wail in prominent display. As fine an introduction to his music as you could hope for (most of his albums from the '60s & '70s are impossible to track down)
Eclipse
Originally released in 1975 as an LP on Iskra Records (ISKRA-001). 'First session 1: Gradually Projection'. 'First session 2: Gradually Projection'. 'Second session: Mass Projection'. New Direction Unit are Masayuki Takayanagi: electric guitar. Kenji Mori: alto saxophone, flute, recorder. Nobuyoshi Ino: bass. Hiroshi Yamazaki: drums, percussion. Recorded by Mikio Aoki in Tokyo, March 14, 1975. Includes liner notes in English by Alan Cummings.
Axis another revolvable thing. Vol.2
Originally released in 1976 as an LP on Offbeat Records (ORLP-1009). Masayuki takayanagi New Direction Unit. Masayuki takayanagi: guitar. Kenji Mori: reeds. Nobuyoshi Ino: bass, cello. Hiroshi Yamazaki: percussion. Recorded live at Yasuda Seimei Hall, Tokyo, September 5, 1975. Remastered by Tsutomu Suto. 'Fragment I: Gradually Projection'. 'Fragment IV: Mass Projection'. 'Fragment V: Mass Projection'. All compositions by Masayuki takayanagi. Includes liner notes by Teruto Soejima in Japanese an…
Axis another revolvable thing
restocked! Originally released in 1975 as an LP on Offbeat Records (ORLP-1005). 'Fragment II: Gradually Projection'. 'Fragment III: Percussion Solo'. 'Fragment VI: Mass Projection'. All compositions by Masayuki takayanagi. Masayuki takayanagi New Direction Unit: Masayuki takayanagi: guitar. Kenji Mori: reeds. Nobuyoshi Ino: bass, cello. Hiroshi Yamazaki: percussion. Recorded live at Yasuda Seimei Hall, Tokyo, September 5, 1975. Remastered by Tsutomu Suto. 'One begins to see--and hear--each sound…
1 2 3