Jan Akkerman did plenty of unusual projects in the 70s, and this album may well be the best of them – an outing with vocalist Kaz Lux, whose unique phrasing really helps give the music a lot of focus! Akkerman's still hanging nicely between rock, funk, and jazz – but the use of vocals means that some of his guitar lines are a bit more spacious in ways that we really love, especially when they mix in these cool cosmic passages with the MPS-like keyboards of Jasper Van't Hof. The album's hardly a straight fusion album, but it's also not really a rock one either – more like a fusion set with vocals in all the right places – on titles that include "Guardian Angel", "Tranquilizer", "Can't Fake A Good Time", "Naked Actress", "Wings Of Strings", and "Strindberg". LP, Vinyl record album

A notorious EP from Japanese actress Kaoru Kuroki – who both bares herself on the cover, and on the songs within! The approach is a bit like city pop from the time, but with a style that's a bit more fluid – as the leadoff track is an electric take on a famous folk melody, followed by an erotic poem written by Kaoru and set to music! There's also a bit more of an erotic current through the other tunes too – and titles include "The Age Of Innocence", "A Love Note For You", "Chinatown Love", and "Birth From Time". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album from Meiko Kaji – an artist most folks knew first as an actress, but whose voice finds a wonderful setting in this record! There's a gentle current of funk to most tracks – stepping electric bass next to soaring strings, a bit of horns, and great use of koto from time to time – all to create this mellow groove that's totally great, and instantly appealling – which then opens the door to the subtle drama that Meiko brings to her vocals – beautifully sung, but with a presence that's very gripping, even if you don't understand the lyrics – and really served up in the best way possible, given the arrangements! Lyrics and titles are in Japanese – and tunes include "Shitto", "Aieno Kitai", "Ginchou Wataridori", "Jingi Komoriuta", "Ginchou Buruusu", "Hamabeno Meruhen", and "Yogiro Sukina Anata". LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful sounds from Meiko Kaji – an actress as well as a singer, one who was famous for her Nikkatsu work at the start of the 70s – and who delivers the songs here with a similar sense of darkly moody drama! The music often mixes rock touches with larger arrangements – and the recording quality is completely sublime – so that Meiko's voice is right out front in the mix, really commanding the proceedings with a vibe that's expressive, but in ways that are very different than Japanese female vocals from the decade before. You might recognize her voice from use of her music by Quentin Tarantino – but you hardly need that reference to enjoy this set – a wonderful album full of gems that include "Wara No Ue", "Onna Somuki Uta", "Onna Hagure Uta", "Nigori Onna", "Urami Bushi", "Betuni Doutte Koto Demo Nishi", "Hitora Kaze", and "Onna Kawaki Uta". LP, Vinyl record album

The only album ever cut by Korean singer Moon Ji-Young – and a really creative set that even includes a few instrumentals next to the really great vocals from the star act! The set was done in collaboration with arranger Yon Seok-won – who comes up with a few funky touches that really send the record over the top, especially on the famous title cut – and in a way, the record feels a bit like some of those late 60s/early 70s Japanese productions that bring in a female artist, but as a way to loosely structure a whole host of playful modes on record – not that Moon was a superstar or actress, but she definitely does a great job of holding sway at the core. Lyrics and titles are all in Korean, and the set's a rare treasure from the 70s scene! LP, Vinyl record album

A very strange soundtrack from Andre Previn! The film is an obscure Natalie Wood vehicle – about an actress in Hollywood of the 30s – and it appears that Wood is the vocalist on the album's few numbers with lyrics, written by Andre with the help of Dory Previn, making the set one of their earliest collaborations! The vocal numbers are more 60s period sounding than 30s – and the instrumental ones are darker orchestral themes, with quite an edge to them. Titles include "Breakdown", "Swan's Way", "The Career Begins", "Sailboat", "The Convalarium", "The Circus Is A Wacky World", and two versions of "You're Gonna Hear From Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual record from early 70s Japan – one that features vocals from erotic actress Reiko Ike – done in a mode that's very similar to her sexy appearances on screen! And in fact, when we say "vocals", maybe "vocalizations" should be more the case – as many of these tracks are sexy grunts, groans, and exclamations – mixed with a bit of more conventional singing – set to instrumentation that's groovy and jazzy, and which has some nice soundtrack modes in the styles – all almost like an audio equivalent of softcore porn, with a quality that's enough to make Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin blush! LP, Vinyl record album