Music from Japan

** Edition of 300 ** "Patterns and Mechanisms", Eraldo Bernocchi and Merzbow's first album together, was written and recorded during the lockdown. Both artists exchanged audio files and ideas fascinated by the phenomenon of urban wildlife where wild animals decide to relocate, or establish home in our cities, the album is just two long pieces. Despite being dense and noisy, "Patterns and Mechanisms" has a 'melodic' approach to composition, with Merzbow's noise assault conjugating with Bernocchi'…

**Limited Edition of 199 copies.** Formed in 1984, Solmania is a music experimental project of Masahiko ''Masaki'' Ohno and is one of the earliest amazing noise projects out of Japan. Pushing far beyond expectations of free improvisation, Masahiko weaves blistering passages that incorporate touchstones from progressive , punk, metal, noise, and drone, into more intricate movements of dystopian avant-gardism, culminating as a strikingly forward-thinking expanse of sonic creativity that pushing to…

**Limited Edition of 299 copies.** Merzbow stands as the most important artist in noise music. The moniker of Japanese artist Masami Akita was born in Tokyo in 1979. Inspired by dadaism and surrealism, Akita took the name for his project from German artist Kurt Schwitters's pre-war architectural assemblage The Cathedral of Erotic Misery or Merzbau. Working in his home, he quickly gained notoriety as a purveyor of a musical genre composed solely of pure, unadulterated noise. Embracing technology …

**Limited Edition of 199 copies. Fully remastered** Few projects can claim the seminal importance of the Incapacitants on worldwide noise scene. The group was formed in 1981 in Osaka, as the solo project of Toshiji Mikawa, a member of the amazing noise group Hijokaidan. Later Mikawa moved to Tokyo, where he joined with Fumio Kosakai, also an occasional member of Hijokaidan, as well as a former member of C.C.C.C., to make Incapacitants a duo. They've been making some of the most unremittingly ear…

For Métron Records' tenth album release, the label welcomes back Japanese artist 7FO (RVNG, Bokeh Versions, EM Records) for his second album on the imprint. Originally created to accompany a 2014 exhibition by Osaka art collective Himitsu, Music For Himitsu has now been remastered and pressed to vinyl for the first time. Made up of ceramicist Shiori Nishino, photographer Hiroshi Nakamura and landscape gardener Takashi Torigoe, Himitsu showcased an elemental combination of light (photography), wa…

'I became acquainted to Joe Fonda’s musical creativity in 1998, precisely on November 6th at a concert of the Fonda/Stevens Group at Bunker Ulmenwall in Bielefeld, Germany. Along with some friends, I was curating the club‘s jazz program since 1996 at that time. After the enthralling show in 1998 Joe was a frequent artist at our club as his music was immensely inspiring - full of enthusiasm and playfulness. On November 8th 2003 there was Satoko Fujii Quartet playing a show in Bielefeld. On this e…

An important historical document and essential nineties Japanese Harsh Noise relic originally released on cassette by Old Europa Cafe in 1995. This long out of print and sought after material is finally available to the public once again, newly remastered from the original DAT recording (which Mr. Mikawa had to graciously dig for) complete with a layout design true to the simplicity and color scheme of the original. One of the most overlooked Incapacitants releases, which is puzzling to me becau…

This is a really cool post-punk record that manages to be somber at times yet weird and funky too. Very creative! As After Dinner approaches Rock in Opposition through more of a Japanese pop lens, this record does much the same with Krautrock. Of course it doesn't hurt that the musicians Phew is playing with are huge figures from that scene: Holger Czukay, Jaki Liebezeit, and Conny Plank namely. Lots of great drumming, interesting synths, and really whacky bass sounds!

Tip! "Expect the unexpected.  Masami Akita, corrupt mastermind behind the bound and gagged and tossed into the jet engine noise of Merzbow has, over the last years, really begun to stretch the limits of what he sonically does.  Seems, with releases (Tauromachine, Hybrid Noisebloom, 1930...), there has been more variety within the choppy slabs of noise that he designs. What we have here is, quite possibly, the most varied Merzbow release to date.  Why?  Because, amidst the stalk and squeal noise,…

*200 copies limited edition* "Hybrid Dub Metal Musik" is K2's cataclastic worship ceremony of corroded metal, rotted electronics, and decayed tape-loops. Bursts of feedback resonate and swell under vicious maelstroms of delay, screeching and howling in awe of their own malevolent frequencies, collapsing in a relentless low-end ambush of analogue ruins. Originally sourced from "The Rust" and "Metal Dysplasia" sessions.

Reissue of Flower Travellin' Band's debut album Anywhere, originally released in 1970. Anywhere is the first album from the legendary Japanese rockers fronted by Yuya Uchida. Although an album consisting mainly of cover versions, Anywhere still exhibited many of the musical traits that were to come to the fore on the band's next release, the classic 1971 album Satori, an album of original material delivered with panache by the increasingly confident Uchida. An album made memorable by its risky c…

*100 copies limited edition* Government Alpha is the long-running and incredibly prolific solo project of Japanese artist Yasutoshi Yoshida. Having released dozens of albums since the mid 1990s (on his own Xerxes label as well as countless others), Government Alpha has solidified a place as one of the seminal acts of the Japanoise sound and scene. "Mobility" recorded at Xerxes Studio in 2021 Coalminer is the malevolent brainchild of Chester Masangya and Robert Glen Dilanco based in Rizal, the Ph…

Famed free jazz concert registration of an early New Direction for the Art performance. Recorded in 1971. Old-style Gatefold LP, with rare photographs & extensive liner notes by Alan Cummings.

Noisembryo definitively presented here on cd with bonus disc noise matrix including unreleased material from the same sessions as Noisembryo and counterpart 'hole' and selected recording from the time period. Absolutely can’t be missed for fans of this period of noise deity Merzbow. the bonus disc alone makes this essential for any Merzbow fanatic as well as new listeners. When people ask where to start with Merzbow? This is the answer! The holy grail, not only of Merzbow’s obsessive discography…

In August 1969, Masayuki Takayanagi formed his first New Direction group and embarked on an unparalleled musical journey that over the final 22 years of his life would define him as an uncompromising artist who would forge a visionary new musical language. Comprised of himself on acoustic and electric guitar and joined by Motoharu Yoshizawa on bass and Yoshisaburo "Sabu" Toyozumi on drums, Takayanagi's group created a new unconstrained form of music; It expanded on the most radical, fiery elemen…

Masayuki Takayanagi was one of the truly iconoclastic musicians to emerge from Japan, or anywhere else, in the 20th Century. Though he won acclaim in the 1950s and '60s as a master of the electric guitar and jazz improvisation, Takayanagi was a restless spirit, deeply engaged with the era's new movements in contemporary art, music, literature, and philosophy. His work, beginning in the late 1960s placed him on the leading edge of these developments; he began expanding on the most radical element…

First time on CD for this classic Merzbow duo album from 1983. Material Action is a favorite among early Merzbow free-music, junk-noise workouts. Psychedelic improvised instrumental energy abounds on this essential early recording that is Pure Merz. Masami Akita plays tapes, percussion, electro-acoustic noise, organKiyoshi Mizutani overdubs tapes, synthesizer, violin, machine noise

*20th anniversary reissue!* Merzbow's Merzbeat is one the most unique and legendary titles in the artist's vast archive. This 20th anniversary reissue is being issued at the same time as CD reissue of his 1983 album Material Action 2 and a brand new collaboration with Arcane Device, all on Important Records. Originally released in 2002, Merzbeat contains over 50 minutes of aggressive, psychedelic, organic, analog beat oriented Merzbow compositions. Drummed rhythms, massive looping samples, a pun…

Japan's leading noise luminary Merzbow meets American electro-feedback artist Arcane Device as they mix and manipulate each other's work.

Tip! The mid-90s were particularly abundant years for harsh noise, producing many albums which are now considered masterpieces. One of the most beloved classics from this period is "As Loud As Possible" by Incapacitants. Active since 1981, the duo of Toshiji Mikawa and Fumio Kosakai found their stride in the early 90s and set off on an unrelenting course which produced countless gems of noise. Many of these have been well preserved and documented elsewhere, compiled on "Box Is Stupid" and "Alche…