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    OTF Japanese Mixtapes

    After the riproaring success of my indiepop mixtape of a few weeks ago, I could scarcely resist the opportunity to do the same sort of thing so soon afterwards - and here we are. This time, however, I've pulled together two collections of Japanese artists, some of whom are reasonably well known outside Japan and others who are almost certainly not.

    To stress right from the very start that this is most emphatically not because I want, or have the knowledge, to set myself up as an kind of expert on Japanese music. No doubt the grouping together of these bands and artists would appear incomprehensibly idiotic to music fans in Japan. However, this is some of the stuff I enjoy listening to and as such I thought that OTFers might find it interesting or unusual.

    There are two separate collections in two separate files for download, which for convenience's sake I have labelled simply Pop and Experimental. The Experimental collection is in fact fairly wide-ranging, from Rei Harakami's stunning down-tempo techno to the languid piano pieces of Tomoyoshi Date and Le Mepris, with a whole mixture of field recordings and other oddities in between.

    Sawako is a particular favourite of mine, but the problem with her music is that it is so hard to pick an individual track when it is really intended to be heard in the context of a whole album. My suggestion would be to listen to all this as quietly as possible (yes yes, I know).

    The pop collection draws heavily from the mid-90s bossa-esque loungecore of the Shibuya-kei scene that revolved around the likes of Pizzicato 5 and the Readymade Records label, although there is a smattering of more recent J-indie and electropop, such as Sucrette and the bliptastic YMCK.

    It is perhaps worth mentioning Chappie in particular, a music project that consisted of a single album that was driven by the Groovisions design agency, who engaged a range of different artists to produce what is in effect a compilation album with the Chappie character on the album cover and posters. The track here, whose title translates as Swimming Goggles, is sung by the angelically-voiced Makoto Kawamoto.



    Hey Chappie hey Chappie go Chappie go Chappie, C-H-A-P-P-I-E

    Japanese Experimental

    1. Le Mepris - Susu
    2. Lullatone - Floating Away
    3. Sawako & Sputnik Sweethearts - The Signalling Station
    4. Tomoyoshi Date - Long Sequence On The White Square
    5. Ami Yoshida - Track 53
    6. Kota Yamori - December / Falling
    7. Sawako - White Sky Winter Chicada
    8. Rei Harakami - Vice-Versa
    9. Sora - Live

    The Experimental zipfile is here.

    Japanese Pop

    1. YMCK - Sabita Tobira No Dai 8 Tengoku
    2. Fantastic Plastic Machine - Samba De Minha Namoradinho
    3. Advantage Lucy - Solaris
    4. Takako Minekawa - Kraftpark (Micro Trip Edit)
    5. Pizzicato 5 - Baby Love Child
    6. Sucrette - Love Prologue
    7. Piana - Snowbird
    8. Chappie - Suichu Megane
    9. Towa Tei & Kylie Minogue - GBI (Radio edit)
    10. Hiroshi Takano - Aikawarazusa

    The Pop zipfile is here.

    #2
    OTF Japanese Mixtapes

    Well, I've got a grand total of 1 of those tracks - the Towa Tei/Kylie one. However, this at least means it will be a voyage of discovery for me. So thanks for this, Furtho! :-)

    No Polysics then?

    Oh and by the way - Cornelius is playing the Shepherds Bush Empire this Summer:

    http://www.last.fm/event/556091

    Comment


      #3
      OTF Japanese Mixtapes

      Baby Love Child is an excellent tune. First heard it on the old 10-12 Mark & Lard show many years ago, and I bought Born in USA as a result - not a great album, but that track stands out head & shoulders.

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        #4
        OTF Japanese Mixtapes

        Clive - it's a pretty mixed bag, but hopefully you'll find something of interest amongst this lot. No Polysics, though, no. Brilliant idea, obviously, but I just don't think that they're actually all that good.

        Crusoe - that's, , uh, Made In USA. Actually I do like pretty much all that album, but Baby Love Child is just a delicious song combined with a somewhat saucy vocal performance from Maki. Swoon.

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          #5
          OTF Japanese Mixtapes

          Oops. That'll teach me to post first, think second.

          Comment


            #6
            OTF Japanese Mixtapes

            I've listened to the "experimental" set, and it's mostly very lovely indeed. Music I'll return to, and I'll seek out more. The one track that didn't register with me was Track 53 - I didn't really get the point of that. Although I guess that a blank reation might well be exactly the response aimed for.

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              #7
              OTF Japanese Mixtapes

              Oooh! Thanks for the Cornelius pointer, Clive. I've seen them/him a couple of times, and they have been two of the best three or four gigs I've seen.

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                #8
                OTF Japanese Mixtapes

                I've listened to the "pop" set as well now. There's a huge amount of charm in many of these, and the whole thing is a vast distance away from the weak imitation of high-selling bland western stylings that blights a lot of JPop.

                Huge thanks for this, Furtho.

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                  #9
                  OTF Japanese Mixtapes

                  I'm so going to download that and have a good listen, cheers Furhto!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    OTF Japanese Mixtapes

                    Thanks for the kind comments, Andy C - delighted to know that some of this has hit the spot.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      OTF Japanese Mixtapes

                      "and I bought Born in USA as a result - not a great album, but that track stands out head & shoulders"

                      Ooh, I have to disagree there, I thought it was an outstanding album. According to iTunes it's the 5th most played album on my iPod. Sweet Soul Review and Magic Carpet Ride were my faves.

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