Sweet instrumentals from the Japanese minimal scene of the 80s, but work that's sometimes got some warmer touches than other material of the time – maybe a slight new age sensibility at points, but touched with a sentimental sense of melody that almost prefaces some of the later Ghibli modes! Akira Mitake plays all instruments – almost all electric, but with modes that resonate with an acoustic sense of space – especially on some piano bits, and occasional elements that almost feel like harp, or maybe a keyboard harp! Titles are all in Japanese, and they're all instrumental – and the album's got a spacious vibe that's very much in keeping with its cover. LP, Vinyl record album

Not nearly as primitive as you might guess from the title – and instead, a heady batch of electric funk from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s! The album's got a heavy dose of percussion at the bottom – drums and more, interwoven with lots of electric guitar in the rhythms – all to support the solo flute lines of Toshiaki Yokota, a player who manages to mix sensitive moments with some really freewheeling lines that would be right at home in the company of Roland Kirk or Jeremy Steig! The range of percussion definitely supports the sound you might imagine from the title – but the guitars also blow the sound away with a heavy, rumbling quality that's plenty modern. (Jazz, Japanese) 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