Psychedelia & Kraut / Japan

** 3LP, black vinyl edition**  In 1991, Les Rallizes Denudes released three full-length albums on CD, the band’s first-ever recordings to be made available since their formation in Kyoto more than two decades prior. In 1993, the band appeared in front of an audience for the first time since 1988.  Their February 17 appearance at Club Cittaʼ, which came four days after their “comeback” gig at Baus Theater, turned out to be one of the most notable out of all the Rallizes performances thus far. The…

** Black Vinyl edition **  Temporal Drift presents the first-ever officially sanctioned reissue of celebrated Japanese cult band Les Rallizes Dénudés’ three albums, originally compiled and released in limited quantities on CD in 1991. Led by the enigmatic Takashi Mizutani, Les Rallizes Dénudés has gained an almost mythical status the world over with their delicate balancing act between transcendent psychedelia and pure sonic assault, maintaining its status as an underground phenomenon throughout…

** 3CDs housed in a deluxe hardbound book with a newly written 100+ page oral history of the OZ scene, including a Japanese translation. ** Oz Days was originally released in 1973 as a private press two-disc set, packaged in a brown paper bag with its album title hand-stamped in rainbow-colored ink. The self-distributed record was made to commemorate the closure of OZ, the now-legendary venue located in the Kichijoji neighborhood of Tokyo. Operating out of a small upstairs space just around the …

Les Rallizes Dénudés returns with Disque 4 -’76 Studio et Live-, the latest in the ongoing series of official archival releases from the celebrated Japanese underground band.

** 3LP, black vinyl edition**  Temporal Drift presents the first-ever officially sanctioned reissue of celebrated Japanese cult band Les Rallizes Dénudés’ three albums, originally compiled and released in limited quantities on CD in 1991. Led by the enigmatic Takashi Mizutani, Les Rallizes Dénudés has gained an almost mythical status the world over with their delicate balancing act between transcendent psychedelia and pure sonic assault, maintaining its status as an underground phenomenon throug…

** 2LP, red velvet vinyl edition**  BAUS ‘93 contains the Rallizes storied comeback performance from Baus Theater in Kichijoji, Tokyo, which took place on February 13, 1993 in what was their first live appearance in five years. BAUS ‘93 follows the widely acclaimed worldwide release of Città ‘93, which captured the Rallizes’ fiery gig that took place four days later at Club Citta’ in Kawasaki. Newly mixed and mastered by Makoto Kubota, BAUS ‘93 features the previously unheard live recording meti…

Originally released in 1971, "Satori" is Flower Travellin’ Band’s groundbreaking masterpiece and one of the most visionary albums of the early heavy rock era. It fused hard rock, psychedelia, progressive music and traditional Eastern influences into a sound unlike anything heard before. Unlike many rock albums of the era, “Satori” is structured as a continuous musical journey, with its five tracks presented as interconnected movements rather than conventional songs. The band’s powerful rhythm se…

2024 vinyl reissue. Green color vinyl. "Returned from early '90s Japan are the holy sounds of Ghost. Their collective, clearly inspired by various forms of transcendental music throughout history, created a new syncretic psychedelia with these albums, mixing the texture and vibe of multinational forms of traditional music, with strummed antique stringed instruments and the haunting wail of a recorder on top of their heavy beats and guitars. The considerable depth of this approach was explored th…

2024 vinyl reissue. Blue color vinyl. "Returned from early '90s Japan are the holy sounds of Ghost. Their collective, clearly inspired by various forms of transcendental music throughout history, created a new syncretic psychedelia with these albums, mixing the texture and vibe of multinational forms of traditional music, with strummed antique stringed instruments and the haunting wail of a recorder on top of their heavy beats and guitars. The considerable depth of this approach was explored thr…

Nippon Psychedelic Soul 1970-1979 is Time Capsule’s continuation of the deep dive into Japan’s rich history of folk and psychedelic soul music.

*2026 repress* The birth of Japan’s nascent acid folk scene was rooted in the messy and invigorating political climate of the late 1960s. It is a story of Dadaists, communists, pharmacists and cult leaders, led by a young generation of upstart students, artists and dreamers hellbent on turning their world upside down. Born on the campuses of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and centred around newly formed independent label and left-wing stronghold URC, this uniquely Japanese form of folk expression provi…

Here's for the real thing! Sixties Japanese Garage/Psych Rarities Vol. 2 uncovers a lost vein of cosmic rock from late‑1960s Japan, presenting a vivid collection of raw, psychedelic sounds from the heart of the Group Sounds movement. This second volume brings together rare singles, private-press gems and previously uncompiled studio cuts that reveal how Japanese bands absorbed and reimagined Western garage, soul and acid rock into something entirely their own. Featuring early and hard-to-find re…

A door into the most private corner of the Japanese underground. With its La Musica series, Black Editions turns to the catalogue of La Musica, the tiny imprint run by Asahito Nanjo - the bassist and ringleader behind High Rise, Mainliner, Musica Transonic, Toho Sara and more - on which he issued a stream of hand-assembled cassettes and CD-Rs, sold in microscopic editions at a handful of live dates and all but impossible to find ever since. This first instalment, Flight 1, gathers six of those l…

Speed, Glue & Shinki's second release, originally released in 1972 on Atlantic and often referred to as Tiger, brought together a number of tracks not included on Eve, as well as some new recordings that took a very different musical slant. Joey Smith decided that since he could he handle himself admirably on drums, it was time to challenge a new instrument, so he bought a synthesizer. Drafting in friend Mike Hanopol to take over the bass-playing duties from the departed Masayoshi "Glue" Kabe, S…

Speed, Glue & Shinki's 1971 debut album, Eve. Ex-Food Brain guitarist Shinki Chen, bass player Masayoshi Kabe (also known as M Glue) and Filipino Vietnam war veteran Joey "Pepe" Smith, who doubled as both the trio's drummer and vocalist, released two legendary albums in the early '70s. Eve, the earlier of the band's two efforts, was probably the band's only "real" recording, as the self-titled second release in 1972 was put together by Smith from studio outtakes of Chen's guitar playing and trac…

Lucky restock. Black Editions present the first ever vinyl edition of Tokyo Flashback, the legendary 1991 compilation that defined the Tokyo psychedelic movement and first brought it to the outside world. Tokyo Flashback is one of the most iconic compilations in the history of underground music. Originally released by Japan's P.S.F. Records, Tokyo Flashback defined the breathtakingly unique and previously obscured musical movement that had been developing in Japan since the late 1970s. The compi…

Black Editions is pleased to present the definitive edition of Dispersion, remixed and remastered from the original master tapes by Asahito Nanjo and released in a deluxe gatefold double LP edition housed in a die-cut slipcase printed entirely with spot colors and featuring spot UV gloss and soft touch finishes.

Originally formed in 1968 under the name The Silencer, Nagoya, Japan progressive rock band Cosmos Factory didn't change their name until their 1983 debut on Nippon Columbia with "An Old Castle Of Transylvania". Loaded with heavy psychedelia and prog rock guitar moments, experimentally blended with the use of Hammond and Mellotron, the band lead by keyboardist / vocalist Tsutomu Izumi takes you on an adventure throughout the dark forests of Transylvania. Throughout the years, the album has become…

Make Up, the fourth album from pioneering Japanese rock outfit Flower Travellin’ Band, captures the group at a point of bold experimentation and artistic growth. Released in 1973, the record was conceived as a deliberate hybrid of live performance intensity and studio-crafted exploration, offering listeners an immersive portrait of a band expanding its sonic and creative horizons. Following the band’s return from Canada, Flower Travellin’ Band set out to build an album that balanced raw concert …

Shortly after the breakup of Flower Travellin’ Band, guitarist Hideki Ishima released his first and only solo album in 1973—a hauntingly beautiful work that stands apart in the landscape of ’70s Japanese rock. Known for his later work as a sitar player, Ishima showcases a signature floating guitar sound throughout the album, blending psychedelic rock, acid folk, and introspective singer-songwriter elements into a deeply personal and atmospheric record. Contributing to this richly textured sound …

*300 copies limited edition* A lost jewel of 1970s Japanese psychedelia. Recorded by high school friends Minoru Sasaki and Masanori Nishigaito who spent their days rehearsing in a decrepit abandoned hospital, supported by their friends’ band Momonga. Self-released in 1974 in only 100 copies on the highly collectible Mountain Fuji Record imprint, most surviving copies have surfaced without jackets, further adding to the record’s mystique. For fans of private press psych and Japanese folk rock act…

"More unearthed demo recordings by the Japanese psychedelic noise legends Les Rallizes Dénudés. Recorded in Azabu, Tokyo 1985." - Take It Acid Is. Vol. 2 of a two-volume set.

Somewhere between 1967 and 1968, at the very nerve of the psychedelic era, Japanese singer and composer Harumi recorded in New York an album that today sounds like a lost manifesto of cosmopolitan psychedelic pop. Harumi is a rare example of delicate, almost fragile psychedelia - where Eastern melodic sensibility meets soft American folk-rock and the studio imagination of the late 1960s. Recorded with New York musicians, the album moves between dream-pop long before the term existed, baroque pop…

*2026 repress!!!* Sought-after compilation exploring the Group Sound movement that swept Japan in the mid 1960s. Under the influence of the Beatles dozens of Japanese bands devoted themselves to exporting a wide genre that ranged from surf-rock, garage fuzz, psych and wild R&B. Featuring the influential The Mops, the Filipino band (relocated to Hong Kong) D’Swooners and The Golden Cups.

*2026 repress!!* Here's for the real thing! A late 60s Japanese compilation investigating the so-called "group sound" movement. Includes early recordings by a series of musicians later to perform with legendary bands such as the Flower Travellin' Band, Speed Glue & Shinki, Les Rallizes Denudes and Foodbrain. Must have !

Massive free-from psych from the Japanese cult band, three long tracks almost approaching 55 minutes in pure controlled chaos ! Formed by band leader Mizutani Takashi, their music remained remarkably familiar over the years, and is best described as high volume, raw lo-fi repetitive feedback-drenched guitar noise fests with nods in the direction of the Velvet Underground and Blues Creation.

An’archives are thrilled to present the debut album by Tokyo avant-pop duo Jyuriaano, Dreaming Glass.

Like a demon moving through time and space to settle a score, Modern Bible invites you to a truly unique experience!

Blues Creation’s seminal album, "Demon & Eleven Children," stands as a landmark of Japanese rock history, pioneering the proto-metal genre from the East. Released on August 25, 1971 by Denon, this album marks Blues Creation’s first full-length venture into original songwriting and showcases the explosive creative energy of guitarist and bandleader Kazuo Takeda. Featuring a transformed lineup—including Hiromi Osawa on vocals, Masashi Saeki on bass, and Masayuki Higuchi on drums—the band evolved f…

On May 13th, 1987, at Tokyo's Rokumeikan, Les Rallizes Dénudés delivered what may stand as their definitive performance—a concert that captured the band's unique ability to transform noise into transcendence. Critical Trip: Live At Rokumeikan, Tokyo documents this extraordinary evening, preserving the raw, immersive power that made Mizutani Takashi's ensemble one of Japan's most enigmatic and influential musical forces. By 1987, Les Rallizes Dénudés had spent nearly two decades perfecting their …

“The fifth studio album & last euphoric mind-trip to Kikagaku Moyo's imagined island. Best-suited for counting stars, looking at the ocean, and dancing in one’s daydream.”

An’archives are thrilled to present the debut album by Tokyo avant-pop duo Jyuriaano, Dreaming Glass.

Black Editions is pleased to present the definitive edition of Dispersion, remixed and remastered from the original master tapes by Asahito Nanjo and released in a deluxe gatefold double LP edition housed in a die-cut slipcase printed entirely with spot colors and featuring spot UV gloss and soft touch finishes.

White Heaven's debut album Out is one of the greatest psychedelic rock albums ever recorded. First released in 1991 by Tokyo's P.S.F. Records and pressed in an edition of 500 copies the original LP has become a holy grail in underground circles, with only a scant few copies ever making it outside of Japan. Built on the chemistry between You Ishihara's lysergic lyricism and the blistering leads of one of Japan's undisputed guitar gods Michio Kurihara, Out is an absolute classic. It is one of the …

2025 Repress The shifting dimensions of Masana Temples, fourth album from psychedelic explorers Kikagaku Moyo,are informed by various experiences the band had with traveling through life together, ranging from the months spent on tour to making a pilgrimage to Lisbon to record the album with jazz musician Bruno Pernadas. The band sought out Pernadas both out of admiration for his music and in an intentional move to work with a producer who came from a wildly different background. With Masana Tem…

2025 Repress Kikagaku Moyo here sound anything but lost, their child-like wonder manifested in a confident, courageous exploration of sound. Labels – psychedelic, folk, prog-rock, psychedelic-folk-mixed-with-prog-rock – do little to accurately reflect the spectrum of influences on display, let alone the more impactful realization of completeness in Kikagaku Moyo’s songs.

Violinist, composer, and arranger Hiroki Tamaki presents a majestic musical tapestry inspired by the teachings of Indian spiritual philosopher Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Layering his own vocals in rich harmony and weaving in the ethereal synthesizer work of Fumitaka Anzai (of TPO and Urusei Yatsura fame), Tamaki creates a soundscape of mysticism and spiritual balance. The album features progressive rock-influenced tracks such as “The Songs of Mahamudra” and “Meditation,” alongside hidden gems of Ja…

After his work with Miki Curtis & Samurai and just after joining the British rock band Free, Tetsu Yamauchi recorded his first solo album during a brief return to Japan in 1972. This remarkable record is packed with standout tracks: the razor-sharp guitar riffs of “Wiki Wiki,” the groovy funk-rock vibes of “First Time,” “How To Cook,” and “Orange Dog,” and the sultry, melancholic vocals of Eleanor on “Alexander Stone,” “Why,” and “Baby Blue.” Now beautifully reissued and remastered by Makoto Kub…

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release of Akiko Yano's cult 1979 album 7 O'Clock in Tokyo, recorded live in September 1978 at a pivotal moment in Japanese music history, just as Yellow Magic Orchestra was about to take the world by storm (Yano would tour the world with the group in 1979). Featuring a very funky Yano performance accompanied by Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, plus Tatsuro Yamashita and Minako Yoshida, the album is presented outside Japan for the…

Les Rallizes Dénudés' MIZUTANI album: mostly acoustic recordings made in 1970 at Doshisha University's student broadcast studio, with Takashi Mizutani and Makoto Kubota, first issued in 1991.