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Monde Bruits LP Purgatory – Urashima

Limited edition of 199 copies, * Monde Bruits is a Japanese experimental noise project formed in the early 1990s, from the brainchild of Iwasaki Shōhei. The sound has been compared to other experimental noise acts of the time, such as Merzbow, Hijokaidan or Incapacitants. However, Monde Bruits’ approach to noise is distinct, incorporating elements of musique concrète, industrial, and free improvisation which raw and bristly aesthetic. “Purgatory” cassette, released on the G.R.O.S.S. Japanese tape label, founded and run by Akifumi Nakajima, in 1992, is a significant document of Japanese experimental noise music from the early ’90s.  The cassette’s limited release on a legendary Japanese tape label adds to its underground and obscure appeal, making it a sought-after collector’s item for fans of experimental noise music.
The opening track, occupying the entire a-side of the vinyl reissue, “In to Purgatory,” sets the stage with its distorted and unsettling sounds that build to a crescendo before giving way to the pounding noise. The track is a melancholic ode to the fleeting beauty of life, is a long and intense composition that seems to guide you through the levels of hell with its mix of distorted sounds and synthetic melodies, which creates a sense of unease with its eerie atmosphere and unsettling sounds. 
On the flip side, the second track “Out to Purgatory” is another highlight, with its throbbing beat and distorted feedback, its harsh and abrasive sound, unconventional approach and a lo-fi production that seem to be calling out from the depths of the underworld.

Overall, “Purgatory” is an incredibly immersive and powerful release that showcases the unique talents of Monde Bruits. The use of distorted sounds, industrial textures, and electronic melodies creates a haunting and foreboding atmosphere that transports the listener to another world. If you’re a fan of experimental music that pushes boundaries and explores new sonic territories, then this release is definitely worth checking out.
Skillfully remastered at Audio Dissection from the original audio master by Emanuele Bonini, exclusively for this vinyl version, and released in a limited edition of 199 copies with original artwork and double insert with original credits and complete interview by Satoru Higashiteto translate in English by David Hopkins (RIP) originally published on Bananafish magazine. This is a must-listen for fans of noise, industrial, and avant-garde music.

$25 only a very few

Violent Onsen Geisha LP Wagamama Na Ofukuro – Urashima

Limited edition to 299 copies **  In 1987, Nakahara Masaya founded the project Violent Onsen Geisha, which quickly became one of the most well-known and influential names in the Japanese noise music scene, distinctive among others for frequently displaying a bizarre, sarcastic, and mischievous sense of humor. The band’s name, which translates to “violent hot springs geisha,” is a reference to the traditional Japanese practice of hot spring bathing, as well as a nod to Nakahara’s confrontational and irreverent approach to music. As Violent Onsen Geisha, he creates experimental music that blends elements of noise, industrial, and avant-garde styles. He is known for his use of unconventional instruments and sounds, including feedback loops, field recordings, appropriated or “found” music, in addition to (or even instead of) straight-ahead noise. As well as his work as a musician, Nakahara is also a prolific visual artist and writer. His artwork has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, and he has published several books on the subjects of art and music. He is known for his irreverent and humorous approach to art, which often subverts traditional Japanese imagery and cultural norms. Despite his underground status, Nakahara has been a highly influential figure in the Japanese art and music scenes for over three decades. His work has inspired countless musicians and artists both in Japan and around the world.
“Wagamama Na Ofukuro” is a super rare 1993 cassette release by Nakahara’s label “My Fiance’s Lifework”. The title translates to “Selfish Mother” in English, and the tape is known for its confrontational and irreverent approach to music. It consists of a handful of tracks that features a barrage of harsh noise, feedback, and distorted vocals. Despite its abrasive nature, there is a sense of humor and playfulness to the music, with the artist incorporating samples of children’s songs and nursery rhymes into the mix. Nakahara’s use of unconventional instruments and sounds, as well as his willingness to push boundaries and challenge established norms, make this cassette a standout in the noise genre.

$25 only a few copies available

Japan Blues Meets The Dengie Hundred LP Demdike Stare

Six years since his debut Japan Blues album ‘Sells His Record Collection’, Williams is back – and it’s been worth the wait. Based around enka and minyo recordings made with London based singer Akari Mochizuki and Tsugaru shamisen master Hibiki Ichikawa at London’s Earthworks studio back in 2018, Williams adds field recordings made while traveling through Japan,  inviting The Dengie Hundred to co-produce, bringing his own sound worlds into the mix.

The two spent several months shuttling ideas back and forth, processing mixes and adding environmental recordings, like snatched penny whistle melodies or the familiar whirr of an extractor fan. Singer Tamami Pearl is the final piece of the puzzle, providing an almost imperceptibly breathy aura to proceedings. The obsessively researched archivist’s resolve is still very much present, but the processing style and overall sound here is more faded than the Japan Blues of yore, transmuting discernible sounds into magickal textures that boil and bubble until all that’s left is vapour.

On ‘Sazanka, Hokkai Bon Uta’, Japanese vocals are dubbed into bare syllables, juxtaposed with flute improvisations and muddy whirrs. Eventually, the instrumental elements turn to noise, like some shortwave radio transmission slowly falling out of range. Environmental sounds become uneven, clunking percussive currents offer a sort of dream logic, morphing into faint choirs. In the final third, Williams pulls away the veil almost entirely.

The album’s most compelling section is the side-long ‘Soran, AIzu Bandai-San, Shimabara Lullaby’. If you’ve heard Robert Turman’s 1981 album “Flux” – a reel-to-reel recorded slo-mo kalimba and piano masterpiece – you’ll have an idea of how this one rolls. Williams and The Dengie Hundred work into the source material like modelling clay, dubbing and distorting shamisen twangs and echoing vocals into half-speed, dissociated dream visions. 

It’s not Ambient by any means, but there are undoubtedly traces of Brian Eno’s earliest, most crucial experiments. It’s not Folk music either, but Williams’ deep obsession with Japanese traditions allows him to integrate sounds holistically, provoking a conversation rather than simply cherry picking aesthetic decorations. He works like a dedicated DJ, giving The Dengie Hundred room to tweak the spaces in-between. Together, they create an atmosphere that’s fiendishly hard to put into words, and even harder to forget. 

If you’re into tape-damaged industrial experiments (think Skaters, Spencer Clark, Aaron Dilloway et al), the surrealist global exploration of labels like Stroom, or simply after a new perspective on Japanese folkways, “Japan Blues Meets The Dengie Hundred” is unmissable.

Transparent orange vinyl ltd to 500- $29

Free Jazz in Japan Book – Soejima Teruto translated by David Kato Hopkins – Public Bath Press

The first authentic Japanese indies written in English Japanese Indies Music 1976-1989, historic and then became a guide,

firstly published by Seidosha in 2002.

Yosuke Yamashita, Masahiko Togashi, Kaoru Abe, Toshinori Kondo, and today’s Yoshihide Otomo and Shibusashirazu. At the end of the 1960s, Japan’s free jazz, which emerged as the flagship of the era, has created expressions that are ahead of the rest of the world. Teruto Soejima, who has pioneered the scene as a producer from the early days to the present, testifies to the documentary/avant-garde trajectory. Newly written “History of Japanese Free Jazz”. 

15 x 21 cm, 363 pages with black and white pictures

Only a very few $42

Ultra Bide LP The Original Ultra Bide – P-Vine

A band tha tsounds like a traffic accident, a ferocious synthesizer, and BIDE’s nonsense lyrics. Collecting the sound sources of “Ultra Bide”, which was active as a central member of Kansai NO WAVE from 1978 to 1980, the album released from Alchemy Records in 1984 is finally remastered and reissued! Ultra Bide is a quartet consisting of JOJO Hiroshige, who later formed Hijokaidan, Taiqui, who became the drummer for Ain Soph, BIDE (HIDE), who is still active in Kyoto, and Koichiro, who was a member of MaherShalal Hashin the early days. The phenomenal sound that had already established avant-garde punk in 1978 was not only cutting-edge at the time, but also the ultimate originality that had a great influence on the underground scene such as punk, noise, and psychedelic. ! It is also known that Oshiri Pen Pens respects them as the most influenced band.

$35

S.O.B.Kaidan LP Noise, Violence And Destroy -P-Vine

Osaka’s representative SOB, who is said to have influenced Napalm Death, a big name in the grind world, collaborated with Hijokaidan, a noise violence group, for this work. Noise is echoing in the background, but it’s fast and cool, unprecedented high-speed guitar, high-speed drums, death voice vocals, and noise.
The unit “SOB Staircase” is a combination of the hardcore band “SOB”, which was active in the 1980s in Osaka, and Hijokaidan. Released on analog record in 1988, 3000 copies sold out immediately. Since then, it has been made into a CD three times, with a total of over 5,000 copies being pressed.

$35

Sekiri LP “Push push Baby – Love star” – P-Vine

赤痢 (Sekiri; literally “Dysentery”) is a Japanese female punk band (with Aya Onishi whol later joined the Nihilist Spasm Band), formed by four 13~14-year old pervy punk girls in Kyoto in 1983 and disbanded in 1995.

Reissue of this 1987 album, this one  incorporates elements from hardcore to pop tunes and even ethnic music.

$35

Sekiri 7′ single”Sekiri” – P-Vine

Released in 1985 from BEAT CRAZY RECORDS, the debut EP “Shigetsu” is a 7-inch EP with a special jacket just like the original, and a valuable lyric card is also attached!

One of the best girl punk bands formed in Kyoto in 1983. The lyrics of “Yumemiru Omanko” recorded in the first 7-inch EP “Dysentery” released in 1985 caused ripples and left a strong impact. Since then, he has continued to work as an independent artist without making major debuts, constantly releasing works. Until 1995, they were active mainly in the Kansai region, and of course they had a great influence on girl bands at that time and later.

$18