A classic record by this important Japanese band, and one that was actually made in Canada, despite the title – at a time when the group were visiting, and managed to create this wonderful record with a very relaxed, organic vibe! Vocals are in English, and lead singer Joe Yamanaka has a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – not afraid to really run up with expressive passages when needed, but also sometimes nestled right down next to the fuzzy guitar and heady bass – which occasionally have echoes of some of the new hard rock modes of the UK, but with more of a sense of space between the notes, which Joe is more than happy to fill in a really great way! Guitarist Hideki Ishima also plays a bit of sitar – and titles include "Spasms", "Heaven & Hell", "That's All", "Hiroshima", "Aw Give Me Air", "Kamikaze", and "Unaware". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic record by this important Japanese band, and one that was actually made in Canada, despite the title – at a time when the group were visiting, and managed to create this wonderful record with a very relaxed, organic vibe! Vocals are in English, and lead singer Joe Yamanaka has a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – not afraid to really run up with expressive passages when needed, but also sometimes nestled right down next to the fuzzy guitar and heady bass – which occasionally have echoes of some of the new hard rock modes of the UK, but with more of a sense of space between the notes, which Joe is more than happy to fill in a really great way! Guitarist Hideki Ishima also plays a bit of sitar – and titles include "Spasms", "Heaven & Hell", "That's All", "Hiroshima", "Aw Give Me Air", "Kamikaze", and "Unaware". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic dip into the world of Japanese funk during the 70s – a great place to start if you don't want to slap down big money for expensive imports – and a set that's also got a fair bit of obscure numbers in the lineup, even if you have some of the material from this time! The collection's got a specific ear for a groove – and often focuses on tracks that mix US styles of jazzy funk with specific Japanese styles of instrumentation – a wood flute here, a bit of koto there – all used in very cool, very groovy ways – and in a setting that's still very appealing if you're a fan of more familiar funky jazz from the 70s! Titles include "Incitation" by Monica Lassen & The Sounds, "Soran Bushi" by Toshiiko Yonekawa, "Touch Of Japanese Tone" by Takeo Yamashita, "Cloudy" by Chikara Ueda & The Power Station, "Downtown Blues" by Chumei Watanabe, "Sidewinder" by Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalos, "Sniper's Snooze" by Masahiko Sato and Jiro Inagaki, and "Hanagas Onda" by Kifu Mitsuhashi. (Funky Compilations, Japanese) LP, Vinyl record album