A slinky, soulful set from the Japanese scene of the early 80s – one of those records from a time when it really seemed that jazz fusion was informing some of the best records from singers overseas – and that's definitely the case here! There's a warm jazzy glow to the record that's wonderful – and Takako Mamiya sings with a style that's right up there with some of the most sophisticated American soul singers of the period – particularly that shift that happened in the late 70s with artists like Phyllis Hyman or Marlena Shaw – although the lyrics here are all in Japanese. Genji Sawai produced, and handled some of the arrangements – and titles include "Love Trip", "One More Night", "Mayonaka No Joke", "All Or Nothing", "Chinese Restaurant", and "Nagisa De Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

60s jazz meets Japanese bamboo flute – all in a session with a great mix of groovy and exotic touches! The record's a unique meeting of jazz and folkloric elements – done in a style that's a bit like some of the late 60s sessions of this nature on MPS, but a fair bit groovier overall – as the tracks are shorter and more focused, and often have a nice sort of bounce at the bottom. Flute is by Minoru Muraoka, and arrangements are by Takashi Ikeda and Kozaburo Yamaki, conducting their New Dimension and New Emotion groups respectively. Bits of sitar bring in an even groovier sound to the record – and the flute itself has some oddly off-kilter notes that further trip out the tunes. Titles include "Soul Bamboo", "Take Five", "The Positive & The Negative", "Call Me", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", and "Scarborough Fair". (Jazz, Japanese) LP, Vinyl record album

The sweet image really gets at the wonderful sound of this record – a Japanese pop gem from the end of the 60s, and one that seems to mix together elements of bossa nova and European grooves – all in this way that really fits the way that the male and female vocals come together! The singers unite at points, separate at others – and they sound wonderfully dreamy amidst the well-penned arrangements that make the album a treasure throughout – especially if you dig innocent soft pop, ala Free Design! Lyrics are all in Japanese – and songs translate as "Beautiful Misunderstanding", "A Wonderful Bus Trip", "Suddenly One Day", "Lover's Talk", and "Beautiful Garden In My Memory". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great take on the music of Studio Ghibli – one that presents the sounds with very much the jazz promised in the title! The sound is very lean and stripped-down, with a small combo style on most numbers – all instruments handled by Tomoo Nogami, who mixes piano, bass, and drums with some other elements thrown into the mix – maybe more of an easygoing version of the clubjazz style of the Tokyo scene! Yuriko Kuwahara of Cosmic Home fame handles the vocals – all in Japanese, and again with a jazz-based approach that's nicely different than the originals. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the heaviest albums to ever come from Japan – a wicked batch of tripped-out, fuzzy tunes to rival the hardest rock from the UK at the time! Flower Travellin Band have a basic approach that's build on pounding drums and rumbling basslines – and although the guitars are fierce too, they're often used with some slight exotic phrasings at times – styles that have a slight Eastern flavor that really adds to the record. The vocals are really wailing too – banshee-styled, but also with some bluesy undertones – and the album is essentially one long track, broken up into different sections with a different feel. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little record from this Japanese trio – all instrumental, and put together in a style that blends elements of electro pop, electric fusion, and maybe a bit of sound library funk! The tunes are all pretty vivid – maybe evoking the scene in the title – but they also have elements that tie them more strongly to the emerging electronic groove coming from the Japanese scene at the end of the 70s – almost as if you were stripping away vocals, and coming up with spare tracks that are heavy on keyboards and other eletric touches. Titles are all in Japanese – but translate as "Aegean Fantasy", "Rose Between The Waves", "Image", "Daybreak", "Aphrodite's Mourning", and "Mykonos' Bride". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite a weird little record – part psychedelia, but with some really rootsy elements – and also some odd use of recorded music as well! The sound here is really mindblowing – experimental and trippy, but never too free or over the top – and the core instrumentation includes lots of fuzzy guitar, organ, and rough percussion – plus additional vocals in parts, and even a bit of sitar as well! The production abstracts some of the sounds nicely, but never too much – and at times a more traditional Japanese style of music lurks in the background, possibly as a brief nod to the Buddha in the title. Most unusually, though, is that the first track on the record features part of a David Axelrod album playing in the background! There's clearly an Axelrod influence going on – both in the structure and sound of the record – although the group also take things very much in their own direction too. Titles include "Shomyo (part 1)", "Flower Strewing", "Prologue", and "Prayer (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album