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Aburadako LP ” st” Japan Records 1985

First album from this long running japanese band who’s still active with Hirotomo Hasegawa as singer and also half of the Hasegawa-Shizuo band. Music is depply rooted in punk – hardcore with this singular nasal noise. I’d say they have a particular sound and you can hear they are good musicians. It’s  a lot of fun with some improbable breaks . Simply nuts, makes me feel younger !

NM /NM

SOLD OUT

Aso Ai LP “Lone”  Ideologic organ

guitar, keyboard and her white ghost voice

SOLD

Aso Ai LP  ”Lavender edition”  2010  Pedal

NEW / $40

Takumi Akaishi LP “Music for hurdy Gurdy”  Ltd to 100 and numbered 2012

Excellent artist release with a new artist / musician to discover. Akaishi has played with Otomo Yoshihide  but this album is quite simple : yes it’s hurdy Gurdy, played in a very personnal way, not so experimental, sounds like some modern medieval tracks.., it could have been releases years before., yo ucan hear this guy love tubes, warm sound. packaging is quite stunning with recycled carton board and a lot of inserts, it’s quite coherent with the global yellowed aesthetic.   Highly Recommend, a shame theres’ only 100.

NM/NM

SOLD

Tetuzi Akiyama & Che Chen LP Cold Soup – Incunabulum records

“Cold Soup” LP on Jozef Van Wissem’s Incunabulum Records. Handsome silver on black jackets, limited edition of 350 copie

SOLD

Amephone LP “Retrospective” Enban

Comes in a gatefold cover

Originally released as a CD in 1998, Masanori Yanagawa is a sound  recordist but his compositions are musical, in a personnal folk & folkloric style with a lot of guests such as Aya Colette, Tetuzi Akiyama, Taku Sugimoto…

DJ’s’ing  boogie woogie with north african rythms and drunken japanese, a bit chaotic. sounds sometimes like a soft medieval psychedelism, a bit nuts…hard to categorize  and that’s a good thing.

SOLD

Yukiji Asaoka LP “Furimuitemo Kurenai” – 1966 Crown

No need to introduce Asaoka Yukiji, she’s one of the most important singer from the 60’s & 70’s; This rare album that cmomes in a nice textured gatefold cover with a pasted print inside if one of those 2 albums she recorded for the mythic Crown Label. After a long period of hybrid and minyo albums Asaoka went deeper in a enka / kayo with some bossanova and latino influences. Sounds more croony but she’ has a specific vible, between up tempo songs and a few more nostalgic ballads. She’s a star ! rare copy with obi

EX (minor shelfwears) / EX (2 inaudible scuffs on side 1) – plays really nice, almost perfect

SOLD

Aunt Sally LP”Aunt Sally” – Joystick 1984

First released on ALM records in 1979, this reissue is also rare and still remains as a key document if you are in the underground scene.  Phew is such an atypical singer born from the avant-punk scene  and associated with Bikke . Later  she was associated with members of Can in Conny Plank’s studio and her career had a much more audience in the world of “bizarre”. Aunt Sally was more no wave oriented but Phew had always her voice and her very personnal diction, like a desincarnated and arythmic doll’s talk.

EX+/EX toEX+ (super clean, only a few surface noise)

SOLD

Lovely album by  a very popular duo during the 70′s. Honestly their music wasn’t  mainly very interesting, but this album sounds really nice, a bit like a soft folk type of music with a soft high childish voice. This album has something definitively more adventurous and quite simple on the paper : Songs are very simple but almost all tracks have really Shuji Terayama signature or minds, it sounds more melancolic and fragile. Musically it’s like an avant soft  pop mixed with some typical japanese sounds, sometimes not so far from some Tenjo Sajiki moments, Yuigonka or Kyokubakan with a more loneliness taste.  I think  we can hear the pre – 80′s period, maybe some could find it naïve but in my opinion it was also as one of Terayama’s trademark.

EX+/NM

SOLD

Toru Funamura LP “Enka Junrei” Polydor 1979

Great enka record by one of the most popular composer, he has written more than 5000 songs for singers such as Hibari Misora, Hiromi Sairaiji; Naomi Chiaki, Keiko Fuji..Many great classics that almost every  serious singer from the 60 & 70s have interpreted.

Funamura was a great guitar player too and his voice very sweet and expressive. This album has some nice lush orchestration, if you must have one enka album with a male singer, that must be this one. Hard to find,even the CD version has sold out for years

EX- (some stains and obi has small tears) / EX to EX+ , some occasional surface noise

SOLD

Toru Funamura LP “Otoko guitar ” Columbia 1976

Great and pretty rare guitar album, just some enka pearls songs. Never released on CD and unknown…Given price.

EX+ / VG+ (some surface noise but looks clean)

SOLD

GRIM LP “Psycho Sun” ltd to 100 Steinklang Industries 2013

Jun Konagaya is back, the legend of the 80’s..harsh, martial, guitar, percussions with distorted voice…

SOLD

Ogi Hiroko 7inch 33 rpm “Jingi” Columbia 1970

4 excellent songs that came out in this nice collectio with a nice textured gatefold cover with its attached  mini pin-up poster, Hiroko Ogi was better known as an actress  but her voice has a deep distinctive depth  a bit à la Keiko Fuji.

An important singer that needs to be heard by a wider audience, if you are in Junko Fuji, Meiko Kaji and singers from those golden years.

EX+/EX

SOLD

Jutok Kaneko & Kikukawa Takahisa LP “Wedged Night” – Siwa records 2005

comes in a silkscreened  cover+ 2 inserts. Siwa is a great label both for the music and the artwork. Kaneko Jutok was Kousokuya’s leader  and his guitar playing was very distinctive..sadly he passed away in 2007 and he stayed a little bit in the shadow…

EX / EX + (some marks, unplayed copy but main pressing has some visual defaults)

SOLD

Yoshio Kuge & Ikuro Takahashi  LP  “2008.1.13” Enban 2013

Recorded in Shibuya, 2 veteran drummers from Pungo,  Fushitsusha, Maher Shalal Haz, Ché Shizu, Tenniscoats and a lot more. ..Taiko festival

Ltd hand made release

SOLD

Maher Shalal Hash Baz 3LP Box “Return Visit to rock Mass” – Org Records 1996

Great classic from Tori Kudo’s spirit…

New

SOLD

Kan Mikami LP “Bang !”  URC 1980 Promo Copy

Rare second and promo copy of this legendary album  originally released in 1973 with Yosuke Yamashita and one of the most  Mikami stunning  eponymous song “Bang !” with cut up,  musical excerpts and rage.

NM/NM

SOLD

Kan Mikami LP “Blue Flame on the Destruction” – Victor

Second rare edition, Mikami Kan doesn’t need anymore any introduction …This album has one foot in soul & funk, imaybe one of the strangest album  from Mikami’s early years..

EX / EX+

SOLD

Kan Mikami LP ” Dai kan Gei – solo lIve” Ltd to 279, numbered Loud and Silence records 2013

Japanese exclusive release, already out of print

SOLD

Eddie Marcon LP “Miira To Ka” – Enban / 2013

Ltd release comes in lovely gatefold cover with silkscreened pasted prints. Nice compilation taken from ltd CDRS. Eddie Marcon was mamber of COA , for years she’s has been composing some lovely dreamy songs. Just perfect for this autumn. has sometimes a nocturnal feel, intimist and as always her releases are nicely packaged (see her last CD – stunning packaging !)

SOLD OUT

Makoto Oshiro  single sided LP ” variation” Enban 2013

Comes in a slikscreened PVC cover, ltd to 200

Excellent release by a discret artist, between feedback and amplified self made instrument. Very organic, soft, delicate & mysterious

Mint /SOLD

Oyauchi – Deku duo LP “Now’s the time” Armageddon Nova 2013

With extra flyers, ltd to 250 copies

Aishi Oyauchi is a radical alto saxophonist in the tradition of Kaoru Abe and who hails from the same first generation of Japanese free improvisers while Deku is a bassist who comes out of the whole Motoharu Yoshizawa school of radical free improvisation and rigorous sound art and was a student of legendary percussionist Masahiko Togashi. Due to having little interest in documenting their thought the duo have remained unrecorded despite both players being in their 60s and playing out for several decades so this is the first recorded evidence of the kind of ferocious invention these two are capable of and that has attracted regular collaborators to them over the years like PSF recording artist and folk-sprit Kan Mikami and drummer Sabu Toyozumi (who the duo have reconnected with for a special launch show last summer in Japan).

New / SOLD

Quasipecies four LP Ltd to 250 Art Into life

Toshiji Mikawa – Electronics / Hideaki Shimada – Violin, Electronics / Nobuo Yamada – Metal Junk Objects / Katsuyoshi Kou – Guitar, Electronics

A document of a quartet session by Toshiji Mikawa, Hideaki Shimada, Nobuo Yamada, and Katsuyoshi Kou, recorded at Hatchobori Nana Hari on April 28, 2012. At the time Hideaki Shimada (Agencement) had just started drawing again, and it was advertised that the session would be recorded and released as an LP using Shimada’s artwork. Four twenty minute takes were recorded, and the LP includes two of these takes. The project title, Quasispecies Four, was inspired by the image of an indeterminate and neurotic noise performance. Limited edition of 250.

Comes with an obi with attached string that encircles the whole jacket. On the rear is an insert with photographs from the performance. Recorded live at Hatchobori Nana Hari on April 28, 2012

New / $15

Chiyoko Shikamura 10″ LP “Chiyoko no Hanachiru shimoda” – Columbia 1960

Chyoko Shinamura started her career when she was 16 in 1955, she’s a popular enka singer but maybe not as Hibari Misora…This album is one of the oldest and her voice was fragile and expressive like a chil slowlyd sinking in deep sad enka waters. One more album to cherish if early enka years are your thing.

EX-EX+ / VG+ (hes a few visible scuffs and plays with surface noise)

$35

Akio Suzuki LP ltd to 300 “Mu Ro Bi Ko” Senufo / Gan

Full concert recording from Suzuki’s first performance in Milano. Three different sections played on Analapos (his self-made echo instrument), a selection of small stones, and the De Koolmess Glass Harmonica. Recorded in April 2003 at A+MBookstore

New / $15

Taco LP “Taco” – Pinakotheca 1983

One of our long time favorite album, released on the mythic Pinakotheca label.

This album is maybe one of the craziest and hardest to review. Leaded by Harumi Yamazaki and Toshiharu Ohsato, this band has also as memebers Lolita Junko and Shiraishi Tamio who was also one of teh first memeber of Fushitsusha. Music is hard to categorize because each tarck is different but the whole make an irreverential and avant gardist punkist key document. , Ryuichi Sakamato, Tori Kudo, Non, Munehiro Narita, Michiro Endo and some more names are also on this album. Weird in the true ssense with radio transmissions in different languages, jumping from rocky songs to bizarre ballads…, demented ! Hard to find in such condition with its insert

EX / EX

$75

Tenniscoats LP “Tokinouta” – Majikick/ Enban 2013

Wonderful release, comes in an embossed/ debossed  silver cover, nice collection of songs with voice, guitar, small casiotone and sometimes a melodica. Pop music at his peak, one band we cherish here .

Saya has a breathy and a soft  voice that can move and make cry  dead souls and stone hearts.  Sounds folky with a rare depth…

Move fast,  probably a collector in a matter of weeks. Came to celebrate their 10 years anniversary

New but all copies are warped / Plays without incident on my 2 turntables

$50

Urabe Masayoshi / Fukuoka Rinji  Barcelona express LP ltd to 150 copies / Label : 8mm 2013

SOLD

V/A “Giri To Ninjo” 2LP Teichiku

Fantastic release from the 70’s featuring Ken Takakura, Meiko Kaji, Izumi Chidori, Junko Fuji, Bunta Sugawara, Umemiya Tatsuo, Wakayama Tomisburo…

This specific compilation explore sthe cinematographic genre in enka with the yakuza’s related songs, loneliness feeling,  self sacrifice,  women pain, male pressure. Opens with the  legendary “abashiri Bangaishi”.

Comes in a heavy double weighted gatefold

EX+ / EX+

SOLD

 Maki Asakawa LP “Asakawa Maki no Sekai” – Express 1970

First album by the legendary singer who sadly passed away in 2010. She was a true legend, known as a jazz / blues singer  at US Army bases in Japan before getting her big break in a series of concerts organized by underground playwright Shuji Terayama in 1968. evidently she was under a saint Germain des Près influence with her all dressed in black and nicotine smokes. This first album is my my favorite so far, hinestly it tokk me soem years to fully appreciate it. it’s a mix of blues, jazz and even some funky tunes with some concrete sounds between tracks. I’d say she had the blues.

EX / EX to EX+

SOLD

Maki Asakawa LP “Maki 2” Express 1971

Maki Asakawa’s third record(2nd studio), “Maki II.” “Maki Asakawa is the perfect late night beatnik torch singer – head to toe black, enigmatic smile, existential angst and a smack ‘n’ black coffee voice.” Alan Cummings

Dark clad, nicotine stained and black sugarless coffee drenched female vocals against an avant-jazz backing, excellent for those late night booze drenched evenings. Jazzy-styled acid folk with superb female vocals. Jazzy influences touch on fragile acid folk with psychedelic overtones.

EX+( a very few stains) : EX / mostly EX+

SOLD

Ruriko Asaoka LP ” Minyo O Tozune” – Teichiku

gatefold cover + obi

Fantastic and quite unknow album by a legendary actress and singer, the best album of this month. A very surprising album with these folkloric covers, same as Eri Chiemi, Hibari Misora but here we have a lot of tradionnal instruments, backed voices and a very typical bass of the early 70′s (like 1st Meiko Kaji album).  Ruriko Asaoka is more sensual than Chiemi, it brings something different to this repertoire, I’m really a huge fan of this material, if you are both in Itoh Kiyoko and the minyo vibe this album is just the best I’ve heard.

EX (gold obi has a few wrinkles and some fingermarks) / a very few scuffs, plays EX /EX+

SOLD

Ruriko Asaoka LP “Kiri  no Yoru Anata to” – Teichiku 1971

gatefold + attached booklet + obi

Ruriko Asaoka had obnly a few albums and this one is maybe the harder to find and remains unknown for many ears. Once again this one is indispensable for Asaoka’s fans and people who  loves Kiyoko Itoh too and Carmen Maki’s “Peoms in the midnight”. This album is very specific because it’s half narrations with musical backgrounds and half with typical kayo songs. Instrumentation is varied and rich ornaments such as flutes, harps, strings,  and typical bass from the 70’s. So this is the most cinematographic album in Asaoka’s discography, she’s very expressive, yo ucan close your eyes and sink in your dreams. Some would say Ruriko Asaoka is sexy, yes thats’ true, she was maybe the most elegant singer and actress and even in the 70’s, her charm was deeply rooted in the 60’s. Highest recommendations like all Asoaka’s albums comes in a stunning illustrated gatefold, with a Daliesque touch

Also, check below, I’ve found another copy of  “Ruriko Asaoka ai o utau” LP album

EX (some wears and dirt) / a solid EX close to EX+

SOLD

Yukiji Asaoka 10″ LP “Tsukiji Akashi Machi” – Toshiba 1962

One of the most accessible early Asoaka album, once again as I wrote it a lot of times, this is the cream of good enka / kayo music, if you’re like me, loving the popular songs with minyo influence, Yukiji Asaoka is one of the best singer and all her early albums are like a part of japan’s history. Highly recommended, quite hard to find in good condition after 50 years !

EX/ EX to mainly EX+ (a very few visible scuffs)

$70

Yukiji Asaoka 10″ Red Wax LP “Meigetsu Akagiyama” – Toshiba 1962

One of the best early Asaoka release, among her 10″ albums it’s my personnal favorite. True enka treasure with minyo influences, if you want a true Japan’s piece, I’d recommend you to collect this type of stuff nad go back to the 50 & 60’s movies. Maybe it’s abit an idealistic vision of Japan, I don’t know but sure the music here is far from any fashion, if enka and ballads are into your veins, that’s for you.

EX (minor wears) /graded VG+ because of marks and scuffs, but plays EX (excellent copy overall)

$65

Yukiji Asaoka LP “Matsu no ki kouta” red wax – Toshiba

Attention : Yukiji Asaoka’s masterpiece ! One of here rarest and my favorite coming from the early 60′s. Yukiji Asaoka a a legendary actress and singer, she had  one dozen of 10″Lps and a very few 12″ LP from this period. This one is particularly interesting because it gathers some straight enka songs, some minyo influences and has a few tracks with a south american production that could explain she was signed later in 1966 for a bossanova influenced album on Crown label. I’d say it’s the perfect bridge between traditions and the cuban vibe à la Eri Chiemi. Yukiji Asaoka is more tempered than Chiemi, she’s a different charm with a slower diction and sometimes a mischievous vibe. So it’s a great synthesis of Asaoka’s highlights, she was not in one distinct style but when she decides to break your heart in pieces, believe me you can only fall in sand but  hopefully Asaoka will save you and bring you a rebirth from one song to another one.

EX+ / EX+ with obi and its innersleeve

SOLD

Ché-Shizu LP “Glimmering star” – Aleutian Retto 1999 ltd to 250

Second and last vinyl release by Chie Mukai folk band, this time Tori kudo wasn’t in the line up and Mukai’s voice and erhu were assisted by Ikuro Takahashi (Fushitsusha / LSD March),  Nishimura Takuya & Koma Keita. It’s probably the most satisfying Ché Shizu album, the most narcoleptic one’s with Mukai’s haunting erhu, piano and her floating voice on some  never ending  ballads. Sound is a bit cryptic and it brings something more, it sounds very intimist and makes like  these long forgotten melodic lines  were hidden in our memories. Mukai is an important figure on the Tokyoist scene for almost 3 decades,  she had been a long time musical partner with Urabe Masayoshi and Ché Shizu still remains as her only folk and songs oriented project. Finger crossed there’s a new album someday…

EX  to EX+ (spine has minor wears) /  EX+

$75

Izumi Chidori 2 LP gatefold  “Best 20 deluxe” – Teichiku

Nice collection with the heroic Izumi Chidori who was an actress in the 70’s and also a very special singer in her early years. Just look the cover and you’ll get a slight idea of the music you could hear on this compilation. Some enka/ Kayo songs  with a yakuza vibe, very cinematographic, very expressive and exhuberant. Music and voice are like a rolling ball, knocking all walls around you. I’m pretty sure Izumi Chidori could be a star in some DJ’s hands…when anti heroes have more to say than the so called heroins….

EX / EX

$40

The FOLK CRUSADERS LP “Kingen Nisennen” – Capitol (CTP-9022)

gatefold cover with attached booklet

Originally  released in 1968 (no idea when this edition was released but it’s definitively a latest one) this album is probably the most famous album by this popular band. Sadly it’s not so well known here and this album still remains neglected here on our shores. Kazuhiko Kato was the most famous musician from the band with working later under Sadistic Mika band. Kato commited suicide by hanging in 2009 but music survives  and songs still knows a lot of covers such as Phew recorded superbly a couple of years ago for her masterpiece “five finger discount”. Nobody wrote it but in my opinion it has a lot of similitudes with Happenings Four “Outsider no sekai” but Folk Crusaders recorded this album 2 years before. So, music is a very unpredictable patchwork of styles or melancholic ballads, drunken cowboys under amphetamines & LSD, pysché folk with cut ups, tape manipulations…Music has a lot of charms, hard to believe it has been covered by  a large range of  singers as Phew and Keiko Mari 40 years before. Artwork is gorgeous, definitively one in my personnal top 10 album.

EX to EX+ / EX+

SOLD

Ari Hanabusa LP gatefold “Aishi te ha ikenai” – Victor 1974

Born in 1950, Ari Hanabusa is a singer who started her career in 1968 but apart a very few informations I don’t know her very well, in fact I’ve discovered her thanks to my friend F. in UK who sent me another mysterious album with her. Strangely I find this album very nice despite it’s deeply rooted in the 70’s, usually my tastes are more in one or 2 decades before. We have here an archetypal collection of kayo songs wit ha few op accents, Ari Hanabusa has a fragile voice, very thin and delicate, there’s a true innocent feeling coming from her voice. In fact she remains me a litlle of Cherish  band singer,  the melancholic mood has really something comparable with the ones’ you can hear through Shuji Terayama songs. It’s s really rooted in japanese  enka pop with a rich and varied orchestration. Quite a laid back but like a walk in an hidden garden, like a later Sono Mari, one of the best recent discovery, thanks again F. !

EX+ (a few stains inside) / EX+

SOLD

Kiyoko Itoh LP “Sinmon & Garfunkel, country best sung by Kiyoko Itoh” – CBS

Gatefold + obi  / WHITE LABELS – “NOT FOR SALE”

Mega rarity for this unknown, hidden album in Kiyoko’s discography, I think you can have a slight idea of its content with a such title.

If you’re familiar with this place, you probably know how we fetichize Itoh Kiyoko, along Carmen Maki’s first albums she’s just our favorite singer for years. Of course this album has a different place because it’s quite unexpected to hear such covers like “El Condor Pasa”, “The sound of silence” and some more hits like these.  Ok, I must admit I’m sometiems like  “old socks”, I love ancient hits and Simon & Garfunkel still sound good for my ears ; I’m sometimes a subect for mockery with friends and I haven’t any problem with my various musical tastes. Ok there are also some more country songs on this album, I’m sometimes dubitative, because honestly this a style I don’t like so much. So to be honest the B-Side isn’t perfect for me but my son finds these songs quite funny if you feel like a cowboy spirit. MEGA RARITY, got only 3 copies in my life.

EX+ /  EX+ to Near Mint

SOLD

Meiko Kaji LP gatefold “Yadokari – original best”  – Teichiku 1973

Known as the third album, acid kayo for Sasori fans.

EX  (some shelfwears)/ EX to EX+

SOLD

Meiko Kaji LP “Otoko onna Kokoro no aika” – Teichiku 1975

One of the last album with mostly some well known enka / kayo  standards such as  “Tokyo Nogaremono”, “yume wa yoru hiraku”…

EX / EX to EX+

$50

Meiko Kaji LP “Best kayo 16” – Teichiku

EX / EX+

SOLD

Le Son de L’os LP “old Sun” – New vague records

Le son de l’os could be seen picking up where Onna-Kodomo left off in the mid-1990s or early Nijiumu.

Current line-up is Yuko Hasegawa (Onna Kodomo), Shizuo Uchida (Kito Mizukumi Rouber / Hasegawa-Shizuo / Suishou No Fune) & Mashiro Deguchi (Gendai Sokkyo), the band was signed for a first album on P.S.F. 2 years ago. If you are in Nijiumu, in nighty improvisations, slowed down kind of blues or miniatures folk songs with bass,  vocals, guitar…

Ltd to 285, comes in a nice silkscreened cover done by Alan Sherry, dedicated to our friend Joel Nickelson who died before he had completed his first 2 releases on his label. Thanks to Alan who has helped Joel’s family to finish and sell this project along Majutsu No Niwa reissue.

NEW

$20

or $35 with  “Grass pillow” previous CD album released on PSF

LSD MARCH LP “Totsuzen hono no gotoku” – White Elephant records 2002

ltd 200 white vinyl

Ltd to 200,  95 came with a blue cover,  later reissued under the title “Suddenly, like flames”, this album had Ikuro Takahashi, Masami Kawaguchi with Shinsuke Mishishita’s leader  this album is maybe one of the most accomplished album from Japan who finds its source in the Velvet Underground after les Rallizes Dénudes. Really nice, sounds anyway very personnalnmurky recording with FX solos, had this kind of depressed blues that could hae been recorded 20 years before.

EX+ / EX to EX+ (not the best pressing but a solid copy anyway)

$65

Kan Mikami LP “Yuyake no kioku kara – Live in Aomori” – Victor 1977

white promo labels

fantastic release from the early years with Mikami Kan facing its public with his acoustic guitar and passion. One of his best live release with great classics such ‘Yume wa yoru Hiraku” and “Lake full of piss”  and a special mention to the great audience. I’d have loved to hear Mikami there, taht’s not to say he’s bad now but now he’s more like an actor, he just grew up I guess.

EX+ / EX+

$75

Kazuko Matsuo LP gatefold  “Shirutaku Naino” – Victor 1967

Subtitled Kazuko Matsuo in person…Nice live album by one of the sweetest voice which has a very personnal melancholic vibe, a night mood with a latin touch. Tracklisting is just perfect with rtitles such as “Ginza Blues”, “the girl of Kasbah” and one of my personnal highlight “Una sera di Tokyo” also frequently covered by Sachiko Nishida and more frequently by Ché Shizu / Chie Mukai / Tori Kudo. If you’re looking after a sensual singer Matsuo Kazuko is one of the best;

EX+/EX+

SOLD

Miki Minoru box 4 LP “the music of Minoru Miki performed by the Ensemble Symphonia” – Columbia 1970

comes with 2 illustrated  60 pages booklets with instruments and scales.

Miki Minoru was a promoter of traditionnal japanese and korean musical instruments and after Toru Takemitsu he was the one of the best overseas well known composer. Strangely hes been neglicted by a lot of people in contemporary music despite his varied repertoire. Miki Minoru  founded the Nihon Ongaku Shūdan in 1964 also known as Ensemble Nipponia, for which he has composed extensively and collaborated with Keiko Nosaka developing the 21-string koto and reviving the instrument’s repertoire with many new works in a variety of genres and combinations, including five concertos for koto and orchestra. But music here in the box set is not typically japanese, you can hear some western jazz / impro idioms with great folk sides. I must say the sound recording is exceptionnal, you can hear a lot of details and spacialization has rarely been so rich with all the acoustic instruments. I’d say PLAY IT LOUD if you want to hear all subtilities. If you are in Makoto  Moroi and his shakuhachi compositions,  Miki Minoru is less austere but he was also a brilliant composer and his musicians were probably among the best.  Compositions are Tennyo, Jo No Kyoku, Paraphrase after japanese  ancient music; You’ll hear how koto sounds are not only for musical backgrounds, muzak for lifts , restaurants or liquid soaps commercials. Just take a Miki Minoru shower !

EX (some minor wears on the outer box, obi is VG) / vinyls are EX+

SOLD

Miki Minoru LP “Slected works of Minoru Miki vol 1 – The young sprout” – Camerata 1976

Performed by Ensemble Nipponia, excellent

NM /NM

SOLD

Noise  LP “Tenno” – Org Records 1997

Originally released in 1980 on ALM records with Tori Kudo and Reiko Omura (who became later Kudo’s wife and known as Reiko Kudo) and recorded by Fumio Kosakai, this  album is one of the most important album of the underground scene from the 80’s.  Most songs are (over) driven by a  lo fi & doomy organ with Reiko’s fragile voice, echoed trumpets, some would say it’s like an awakened nightmare. Alienish, coming from nowhere, I’ve seen once maybe it could be a mssing link between Suicide and Nico…essential, a key document and this edition looks better than the original one.

NEW

SOLD

Hiromi Sairaiji LP gatefold ” Hatoba” – Columbia 1972

That’s a long time I haven’t a copy of this album that many people like me discovered some years ago through Tiliqua mailorder. Johan from Tiliqua first heard it at Ikeezumi’s PSF boss headquarter so we need to thank them for sharing a such treasure. This true fantastic enka/ballads album stills needs to be wisely known and heard. Sairaiji was also an actress and she was 19 years when she recorded this first album composed by the legendary Toru Funamura.  Many songs here are quite well known but Hiromi Sairaiji high  and nasal voice is just unique, she  howls as she lives her last hours, there’s so much passion, it’s just hard to believe , just like a violent wind  entering and breaking windows. Many peopele have some difficulties to recognize japanese enka singers, believe me, after the first song you’ll hear how Sairaiji is so special, crazy and extreme. Almost a given price, comes with obi, this is the EXTREME BLOODY ENKA STUFF.

EX (some wears) / EX to EX+

SOLD

Hiromi Sairaiji LP “Sairaiji Hiromi no atarashii uta natsukashii uta” Columbia 1972

gatefold with attached calendar poster

3rd album record within a year, this one is a bit less enka rooted, it has a more kayo / pop directions with some up beat songs. More varied, a bit less extreme but I suspected her producers were amazed with her voice and they wanted Sairaiji covering a large selection of songs. It’s indeniable they had fun during the recordings, not sure they met a true success but it seems Sairaiji was really supported by her producers. One more odd album in the enka / kayo troubled waters. Comes with its rare gimmick obi

EX to EX+ (some stains inside) / EX to EX+

$75

Minao Shibata Box 5 LP “Works of Minao Shibata” – Victor 1978

Minao Shibata was born in 1916 and his works show a development from Germanic Romanticism to serialism and  electronics in the 1950s and then to more avant-garde techniques, including  graphic notation and aleatory writing.  Many of us have only heard of him  with is participations through the nice Oto No Hajimari compilation that gathers pioneer documents from NHK studio. Like Makoto Moroi, Joji Yuasa, Minao Shiabato worked with orchestras and had also recorded some electronic music with filters, modulators. This box is quite uncommon and brings a little of light of one other nice japanese composer.

EX to EX+ (a few stains) / EX to NM

SOLD

Suishou No Fune LP “Bonsai No Ie” – 8mm records 2011 ltd to 250

from the label : “The new installment from Pirako Kurenai and Kageo’s Suishou no Fune is finally ready, and it’s a true gem. Recorded in a Bonsai Shop in Tokyo, summer 2010, ‘Bonsai No Ie’ is a dream made out of floating guitar textures and vanishing vocal lines. Four spectral, naked pieces that stand as the core of Suishou no Fune’s poetry, where delicate folk moments, abstract blues riffs and oniric ballads concur in the realisation of the definitive psych experience. Close your eyes and abandon your senses to a journey through the land of ethereal joy and endless abandon”

NEW

$15

Yuji Takahashi + Masahiko Satoh LP “Samarkand -Taklamakan-Lob nor” – Denon 1983

Consisting of one acoustic side + one electronic side and originally recorded in 1974. Prepared piano, Mini moog, EMS synth AKS, Fender Rhodes

EX+ / EX+

SOLD

Tenjo Sajiki LP +  Ken Togo CD single “Baramon” – Tenjo Sajiki records 2004

Originally released in 1972, maybe it’s one of the most underrated Tenjo sajiki release with J.A. Seazer

“By 1972,Baramon saw J.A. Seazer and Kuni Kawachi (of the Happenings Four and Kirikyogen) splitting the compositional scores on a bizarre musical manifesto for sexual liberation. So far so Hair, but rather than a tribute to free love, Terayama instead composed an eloquent plea for the liberation of the sexual underclass suffering discrimination, in the form of a ‘gay revolution.’ It wasn’t Terayama’s first engagement with the Tokyo queer scene — one of the earliest plays he wrote for the Tenjo Sajiki was a vehicle for transvestite actress and chanson singer Akihiro Miwa, who was rumored to have had a dalliance with Yukio Mishima. Baramon’s opening is a blast — a densely narrated and impassioned call to arms set to a Nazi military march that links sexual second class citizenship to imperialist social control and warmongering. Featuring the actual voices of numerous smutty, cross-dressing scene queens, the record’s content was deemed so subversive that it was only sold under the counter of Tokyo gay bars. Like a biker backstage at the Cage Aux Folles, fuzzed out guitar riffs and heavy swelling organ-based psych rock tracks rub shoulders with the lachrymose ballads and tawdry, mascara smudging chanson still favored in certain Shinjuku nighteries.’”

– The Wire, Alan Cummings

EX+ / EX to EX +

$75

Tokk –  Ensemble Tokyo LP

Toshi Ichiyanagi / Yoshiro Irino / Maki Ishii / Toru Takemitsu

” Music for Living Process / Strömung / Nucleus / Munari by Munari / Corona for Pianist” – Victor 1976

Massive and mythic album featuring Toshi Ichiyanagi, Takehisa Kosugi,  Yasunori Yamaguchi among some more names.

Not only there are famous names but compositions are great classics and these versions are quite unknown.

EX to EX+ (corners are slightly bumped)

There’s only the facial obi, it has been fixed with adhesive on the back cover.

Vinyl plays EX+

 $200

Kazuki Tomokawa LP “Senshu” – Bourbon records 1978

rare early compilation with one of our favorite singer that compiles his first albums with some of his tracks produced by J.A . Seazer

EX/EX

$60

Ultra Bide LP  “Utra Bide the original” – Alchemy 1984 ltd to 500

Ultra classic for this band coming from kansai with Jojo Hiroshige on bass; Just punk, just rock as any good punk music !

Highly recommended, a great classic, comes with insert

EX+/NM

$55

V/A LP “Forty Minutes And Eleven Seconds” – 2011 red wax lted to 500

With Takehisa Kosugi , Christian Wolf, John King, David Behrman, Jesses Stiles

Sold through  Merce Cunningham fundation,  interesting and official document for Kosugi’s partcipation; I’d say It’s quite funny because in a way Kosugi sounds a bit like Burning Star Core, sounds like easy to do for Kosugi and could be considered as the best Spencer Yeh would make ! Kosugi doesn’t make enough and Yeh just makes too much.

New / $35

V/A Orchestral Space at Nissei Theatre 1966 volume 2 – Victor 1967

gatefold with attached booklet

György Ligeti – Inannis Xenakis – John Cage –  Roger Reynolds – Motohiko Adachi

EX+ /EX +

SOLD

A-Musik LP “e kú ìrójú” – Balcony 1983

One of the greatest album coming from the 80’s with a lot of japanese underground musicians that became more familiar to our ears later. What a casting !

EX+ /EX to EX+ but no booklet

$65

Ritsuko Abe LP gatefold +attached pin up poster “Oh ! Biutifuru sacchi !! ” – King 1971

Rare album by  sexy  Ritsuko Abe singer who was famous for her legs and her mini skirt when she appeared on TV,  born  in the late 40’s , she became one of the post GS legend with Yumi Kaoru and had a few hunted down kayo albums during the 70’s. Ritsuko Abe became quite an archetyp of pop singers who made nude pictures sessions organised by the music industry, but more than her sexy covers she had also a true kayo singer talent and I must say a certain charm. Her repertoire is quite well known with  songs such as “Keiken” , “X+Y = Love” but I’d say she’s far better than most of Mari Henmi stuff, music is nicely balanced between kayo ballads, pop lushed orchestration with a few psych guitars, sometimes not so far from Yukiji Asaoka early 70’s. Just charming, pop as its cover, hard to find because of crazy fetichists in Japan. Downpriced because of its condition .

EX (some wears, time aged, some stains inside and on the pin-up attached poster ) to EX+ – Obi has one discreet tear

graded EX because of  2  inaudiblevisible scuffs but vinyl plays EX to EX+

$80

Ark Percussion Staff  LP 45rpm “Pulse ! Vol.1 Zyklus Nr.9” – CBS 1977

Ark Percussion staff leaded by percussionist Yasunori Yamaguchi, one of the most active musician on the avant garde scene,  has collaborated a few times on LPs with Michael Ranta who’s one of the most stunning musician since the 70’s. I’m sad to say they are both together better than most of the composers they have covered. Stockhausen is not my cup of tea, I’m sorry, but I know I really appreciate Yamaguchi and Ranta for years because they have the feeling/ The “thing” that lacks with many improvisors or players.

EX (Some stains on the front cover) / EX+

$50

Ruriko Asaoka LP gatefold cover with obi & fold out booklet  “Ai o utau” – Teichiku 1970

This is the perfect RECORD ! Super rare album by the actress and singer Ruriko Asaoka who’s better known for her album with Yokoo’s cover “Ruriko Asaoka no Subete” that was released earlier. This one sounds more mature, almost like a concept album, in a way it reminds me “Sareyo, Sareyo….” by Meiko Kaji but goes further between melancolic ballads/kayo tunes and some up beat songs with a slight psych touch. But the whole affair stays in a melancolic mood augmented with some more french string arrangements. Also, this a very emotional album because Ruriko emphazises her sadness and we can hear something like urgency in her voice even in the  more rythmic tunes.Absolutely fabulous (I’m rarely into superlatives), this album is mostly unknown on western shores, Ruriko Asaoka is one of my favorite singer, she’s lovely, sexy but don’t get me wrong, she has more like Itoh Kiyoko’s sensuality than Ike Reiko’s attributes.

EX to EX+ (some minor shelfwears) / EX+

SOLD

 Yukiji Asaoka LP “Yukiji Asaoka Aishu Kashu” – Toshiba -Red wax – 1962

One of my favorite singer (she was also an actress), strangely she was most known in the early 70′s with some soft erotic kayo albums, but this album belongs to enka/kayo with some minyo influences and makes Yukiji Asaoka one of best accomplished singer for her whole carreer. Here you’ll hear Japan’s heart, you can believe me all her albums and 10 inch are beautiful..Some ballads and some more rythmic / folkloric tunes, if you are also in Eri Chiemi you’ll recognize some of these songs with a different vibe. One of my favorite album since I’m in enka stuff, hard to get in a such condition with its illustrated inner sleeve and RED WAX

EX to EX+ (a minor crease and a tiny tear on obi) / EX to mostly EX+

SOLD

Mari Atsumi LP “Yoru No Tameiki” gatefold cover – Daei 1970

One great kayo album from the early 70s,  a great mix of bossanova and a warm lounge style of music, Mari Atsumi became famous as an actress and for her  anatomy. Hopefully, her sensuality was not only on the pictures, her decontracted style of singing and her sweet & sexy voice remains as one of best charming document for our ears too.

EX (Cover is EX+ but has a small crease on one of a superior spine) / EX (Plays EX , a few superficial marks and a few surface noice on some tracks, specifically on the last track)

SOLD

The Beatnicks LP gatefold “Hit Stadio best = 14 Ai No Kaseki” – Teichiku

Amazing mondo album featuring Ruriko Asaoka for its ouverture, music sounds like a  shaked kayokyoku cocktail with exotica and easy listening.  Tanabe Yuichi lounged piano lines are flying all along these intrumentals among twangy and funky breaks. Perfect drink if you want to swim from the pool to the bar

EX+ (a few stains inside) / EX+ to NM

SOLD

Izumi Chidori LP gatefold “Yoroshu o yuri yuki…” Teichiku

One of the most astonishing album I’ve heard from the early 70’s. Izumi Chidori actress and singer in her early years was the antithesis of Meiko Kaji despite they were both on Teichiku. Chirori has the yakuza vibe and sings with a sword in her hand…I’d say swords are above our heads on this album, music finds its place between enka ballads and some more up beat songs with a local Ennio Morricone behind the console. Take a ride to the horizon and you’ll hear mexican cowboys. Heavy bass lines with a lot of traditionnal instruments insertions, Izumi Chidori will warn you before singing and cut your tongue for more than 40 minutes. I’ll be honest and I’ll tell you that maybe 2 tracks are weaker but this whole album is really one of my favorite wild cinematographic enka/ Kayo album. Sadler her later work lack of her original originality. VITAL !

EX+ (some stains inside) /EX+

SOLD

Shima Chinami LP “Shima Chinami no Akai glass” – Teichiku

Extremely rare and quite unknow enka / showa kayo album on the western sides, Chima Shinami is best known as an actress, only a few singles are mostly on the markets and this album which has its eponymous hit is really hunted dow by japanese collectors.This is quite a typical urban album from the early 60’s, with Shima Chinami rooted in ballads such as Yukiji Asaoka, early Ruriko Asaoka. matsuo Kazuko comes also in minds but here the music and atmosphere is more like street lights neons, balancing between blue, red, purple and traffic.

EX+ / EX ( some surface noise but not so much – very nice copy overall)

$70

Misae Enomoto LP “Meikyoku shu” ” – Victor 1973

Lovely album by Misae Enomoto singer who was popular 2 decades before, this album could be almost an anachronism even if the bass lines betray the actual year of this release. This is the heart of the popular japanese songs,  Misae Enomoto’s voice is like coming from the last century  and the greatest japanese film makers. She had a lot of singles but today they don’t float too much and albums are awfully hard to find. Just epic in its simplicity, that’s just music for  weaked hearts like mine.

EX+/EX+

SOLD

Koshiji Fubuki LP gatefold “Rasuto Dansu Ha Watashi hi” Red Wax – Toshiba

Koshiji Fubuki (1924-1980) is a popular artist, actress and singer coming from the Takarazuka world, the japanese music hall in a western /Broadway style of production, and built a serious and long career all along a few decades. Also know for a love story she had with Yukio Mishima, she was one of the shining star with Hibari Misora and Sayuri Yoshinaga but she stays here less well-known. This rare album recorded in the early 60 covers a lot of french songs with a particular swing which stays sober. Koshiji Fubuki’s voice is very expressive and doesn’t emphasize too much as many singers did, so the result here is a nice collection of soft and melancholic songs.  bargain price for its condition but red wax, 50 years old !

EX- (thin gatefold cover has some wears and stains inside) / VG+ (some scuffs but plays VG+ to EX)

$30

Teruko Fuji LP gatefold with obi “Fuji Teruko no miryoku” – King 1971

Mostly known for a couple of erotic singles, this album with Teruko Fuji is one of the most intriguing album I’ve heard.  Arranged by Takehiko Akahoshi this full coherent album belongs to any real genre because music is mostly some  heavy environmental and concrete sounds mixed with Teruko Fuji voice ” a capella”, sometimes augmented by some music elements in the background. Sometimes Teruko Fuji’s voice sounds like a lonely cantata / opera singer lost in a heavy blizzard  or under a heavy storm. Very strange album with a lot of details, far from the common used of “field recordings” which rarely finds another justification than the only ornemental use ,  this album still remains as one great exemple of pure oddity with a simple expression, it ‘s just an “out of time” record which finds its end with a perfect “Adagio Cardinal”.  A lot of natural elements( storm, wind, rivers, wood…) are heard and I’d say it sounds more like an autumnal or early wintertime album than a buccolic collection of classical songs. With a few nursery like songs, a rare but accurate use of echo on voice it adds a little more to a feeling of a last and final opera lost in the tundra. Highly recommended if you are in Tenjo sajiki and hard to classified releases, this album has gained a cult status in japanese collections but it’s rarely offers to western ears.

EX+ / EX+ (slightly warped)

SOLD

Akira Fuse LP gatefold + attached booklet “Derrakusu Sotto Ayusumi” – King 1970

Akira Fuse is one of the most worldwide japanese popular singer since the late 60’s, and became the voice of a true legendary album with Love Live Life. This album from 1970 is probably one of the best male kayokyoku album I’ve heard, I bought one copy from Tiliqua many moons ago and I have to thank him for this discovery. A nice collection of kayo ballads and great escapades à la Morricone with a lushed orchestration, Akira Fuse is just at his top, fever was high when it was released. Sadly I can’t say the same with most of his albums, this one blowns windows, sometimes we can hear it must have been hard to calm him down because of his temperament. Far from Love Life Life hybrid psyched album, you can hear here he was just the right singer for a such project, he was then a such devoted and crazy singer .

NM/NM

SOLD

Ogi Hiroko LP gatefold “Shinjuku Burusu” – Columbia 1967

Mostly know as an actress, Ogi Hiroko was Sasori / Meiko Kaji’s friend on the screen (female prisonner), this is in my opinion one great and underrated voice to discover. She has one of the most complete voice, from a deep and a spicely  deep voice à la Keiko Fuji but without any monolithism. Within a few seconds she can finds a high pitch and she will bring you tears. This early album is one of the most varied with enka / showa kayo songs, most of time Ogi Hiroko has one rare solemnity. Sometimes and more rarely she can charm too like Sachiko Nishida, there’s just no weakness with the whole album.

EX+/EX+

SOLD

Ogi Hiroko LP  Gatefold “Onnagokoro o Utau” – Columbia 1968

white promo labels

Same and excellent album too as the one below, this one is a bit less varied and a step further with her specific solemnity. Ogi Hiroko is really one name to discover.

EX+ / EX +

$70

Ono Hanako LP “Akita Funa Gata bushi…” – King 1979

Rural minyo album from Akita, Ono hanako is a brilliant singer whose style is very energetic and powerful with flutes following her melodic lines, you can hear her voice beyond hills. Beaten percussions and shamisen strummings…Remarkable

EX+ (some stains on the back) / NM

$30

Maki Ishii / Joji Yuasa / Shuko Mizuno LP gatefold cover with attached booklet

” the contemporary Music of Japan = 14″ – Columbia 1971

Rare and excellent collection with 3 nice composers with pieces focused on piano and shakuhachi. 1st edition

EX- (some wears and stains but no tears) / EX+

$100

Itoh Kiyoko LP gatefold cover “Woman at 23 hour – love in” – Sony 1971

I guess you’ve probaly heard this mythic album she got backed up by again a bunch of Tokyo underground heavy weights such as J.A. Seazer and Kuni Kawauchi of the Happenings Four.  Itoh kiyoko was one of the loveliest cutie girl and this album (not her final as I’ve read a few times) is probably the most acomplished with its slightly psychedelic touch. A masterpiece hard to find  in any condition, this copy is not the perfect one but sound really nice with its sweet price. If you are interested with her only single taken from this album, just ask me…

EX to EX + (One dinged corner, a very few stains, insert has stains)

Side A has some scuffs, plays VG+ to EX, some crackling noise but no skips and doesn’t cover the music / Side B has a very few tiny suffs, plays EX to EX+

SOLD 

Junko Makimura LP gatefold “Yoru To Onna to Tameiki” – Polydor 1970

After a few singles Junko Makimura embarked with 3 erotic albums, this one is just one of the greatest erotic and sexy album I’ve heard.I’d say it’s just the (pink) bridge between the enka / kayo  from the superb Polydor years with such singers as Sono Mari, Sachiko Nishida. One of  the great characteristic of this album is the Polydor sound, whereas many erotic releases have  a foot deeply rooted in the early 70’s, this album stays in the late 60’s sound, the one we call as showa kayo sound. Junko Makimura voice sounds almost a naked  and adult Sono Mari or even Matsuo Kazuko with switched off lights. Music is sparse, brilliant in the night and songs are among the best ones. A side is just the perfect tracklisting with an unexpected and beatifully sexy Carmen Maki’s cover taken from “Poems in the midnight…” – If you are in Takako Uchida, , it can give you some more ideas where this album could ind its place, far better than Yukiko Kuwabara, Sandra Julien…

EX (some peelings, a few white dots) / EX+

SOLD

Sono Mari LP gatefold cover “Ai taku te ai taku te” – Polydor 1966

Another lovely album from the 60’s, one of my favorite for its cover. There’s no bad album with Sono Mari, she’s one of the most gifted voice and finding her albums in a such condition is not so easy. So if you haven’t enough money, I’ll suggest you with selling one or 2 Meiko Kaji and I’m sure you won’t regret it. Can I tell more ? Sono Mari is coming from the sky…

EX+/EX+

$80

Kaga Mariko LP gatefold cover + attached booklet “Aishiau Futari No Tame Ni Ai No Resson” – Warner 1971

Obscure and mega rare erotic album by actress Kaga Mariko , these “lessons in love” are rooted in the 70’s sound with a heavy french influence, soft pop with talkings, singings, I’d say as Sandra Julien album if this last one  had been better than it’s actually. Don’t let you blinded by only the”famous” albums and hear by yourself.  Make a cocktail with Gainsbourg, Sandra Julien and Yukiko Kuwabara and you’ll find the best drink to sink..vamp, one of the best queen coming from the 70’s.

EX+/EX+

SOLD

 Kondo Masaomi with Freedom Unity LP gatefold “Hitoribochi no Heya” – Canyon 1971

Kondo Masaomi is quite a well known actor in Japan, not a real singer but here on this album  he recites some anarchist texts on a  nicely over produced psych jazz fusion with a funky, groovy, acid vibe. and you won’t be surprised because team is like a true who’s who of  70’s  musicians : The Freedom Unity on this occasion consisted out some of the finest musicians to be on the scene and included heavyweight players such as Sato Masahiko (piano); Ishikawa Akira (drums – Uganda etc); Sugimoto Kiyoshi (guitar – Count Buffaloos, Hino Hideshi Group, Rock Communication, etc), Terakawa Masaoki (bass – Love Live Life + 1, Ishikawa Akira & Count Buffaloos, Dema), Muraoka Takeru (Sax – Uganda, Count Buffalos, Love Live Life +1, Dema) and Suzuki Hiroshi (Trumpet – various line-ups of Freedom Unity). Crazy raps on psych and free crescendos with fuzz and wah wah , sax…Nice price, a great steal…

EX/EX+ (very slightly yellowed) / EX+

SOLD

Akihiro Miwa LP gatefold ” Karei Na sekai” King 1973

One great album released after Murayama Akihira transformation, another piece in her enka/kayo repertoire with some french “chansons”  in a post cabaret style. Linked to Shuji Terayama / Tenjo Sajiki, Akihiro Miwa is a true singer who knows these days a wide celebrity.

NM/NM

SOLD

Ootsuka Miharu LP “Minyo Ohakushu” – Victor

Excellent Minyo album (late 60’s)his wailing voice and backed choirs against the percussions, flutes, shamisen. Very accessible and charming kind of music that doesn’t fall in the world music soup. Original and true, maybe you’ll hear some songs you’ve heard before with your favorite kayo singers because this genre of music has been covered, & adapted for decades and maybe it’s time to hear the traditionnal side.

EX+/EX+

$40

Kaori Momoi /  Terayama (and arranged by J.A. Caesar)   LP ” Mo Hozue wa tsukanai” OST – Victor 1979

NM/EX (has 2 scuffs but LP plays EX+)

SOLD

Akiyuki Nosaka LP gatefold + attached booklet “Fujouri no uta” – Elec Records 1973

Akiyuki Nosaka is a famous writer, famous for its semi auto-biographic novel  called “Hotaru no haka ” (1967)  [Grave of the fireflies] adapted later by Ghibli studios and  also  “Jinruigaku nyumon : Erogotshi yori” [the pornograph] adapted by Shohei Imamura. Nosaka is also a lyricist and   a great singer and this album is a live recording of an “obscene” recital that hold in Hibiyakokaido in 1973 with Akihiro Miwa, another “enfant terrible” coming from the subculture.  Some  quite dark songs, folk oriented  with an enka vibe and opener Akihiro Miwa participated on a few other tracks with  a ballad and her usual  adpated post-cabaret style. Somes songs included here became famous such as “Marylin Monroe no return”, “Virgin Blues”, this album is a great classic if you’re curious with catching some “provocation”  dated from 1973 crossing with some more  great elegiac songs.

EX+ with horizontal obi /EX to EX+

$ 60

Miyoko Otsuki 2LP gatefold ” Daburu derakkusu” – King 1971

Wonderful enka / Minyo release by the unknown  Osaka Born Miyoko Otsuki singer, if you are in the traditionnal ballads à la Hibari Misora.

Music is just well balanced, no hype, just pure beauty.

EX+ (some stains inside) / EX+ to NM

$50

Samurai LP Gatefold cover / Picture disc “Ai No Tenorsax” – 1967

Miki Curtis and Samurai : one of his first release with saxophone player Fuyuume Kunimitsu, guitarist Izumi Hiro, bassist Yamamoto Gorô, drummer Toyozumi Yoshisaburô and pianist Kikuchi Kiba.  Far from a psych album, this lovely album is more like a collection of  cocktail lounge / exotica tracks with up beat, twisted tempos. Very rare, this sexy copy is not the best but a good oportunity to get a collector at a downpriced offer.

Outer cover is EX+ / Picture disc shows some scuffs and plays VG+, some surface and a few crackling but it doesn’t skip and doesn’t cover the music

SOLD

 Yuki Saori LP gatefold “23 years after / Yuki Saori sings love life” – Express

Rare Yuki Saori lolita and idol singer, this album from the early 70’s is a door opened on the J-pop music with some soft pop tracks and some more funky tempos with a rich and varied production. Yuki Saori has a soft &  sexy voice and it’s easy to understand why they are some fetichist collectors of her ealy stuff. Just a soft erotic touch combined with an innocent and cristal like voice, maybe it’s one of the corner piece of a genre that became popular and less good I’d say a decade later. Top rarity, bargain price because of the missing obi and gradation

EX (outside is EX +, inside has some stains) / EX to EX+

SOLD

Yuki Saori LP gatefold and attached pin-up poster ” Meiji Ichidai Onna” – Express

For lolita’s lovers, this Yuki Saori album released in the 70’s talks for its title. Albums starts with a true masterpiece like it’s said with the title, it seems some producers have the nice idea to investigate the enka / minyo repertoire with  this lolita singer. Yuki Saori stays herself with her breezy and sensual voice  and production serves her pop accents with some updated and slightly lounged  versions of these old standards. Hard to resist…I’m just like a dog after its bone with these songs.

EX+ (some stains inside and on the poster) / EX+

$50

 Joji Yuasa LP “Triplicity for contrabass – Masahiko Tanaka electronic studo for NHK” – RCA 1974

I think I don’t need to write more…Historic and one of  the best and rarest electronic album coming from Japan at a very reasonable price.

NM/NM

SOLD

Aki Yujiro & Ruriko Asaoka LP ” Ruriko Asaoka no rareshon de tsuduru” – Teichiku

Rare and probably a recent release from the 80/90’s, Aki Yujiro is a well know and popular voice for decades and has a lot of lovely partners for years…This one is with one of the most beautiful actress , singer and top model : Ruriko Asaoka who makes some narrations and sings on a couple of tracks.  Pretty rare because of Asaoka’s fetichists…And I’m one of them

NM/NM

$25

Ichiro Araki LP “Kimi ni sasageru horonigai burusu” – Trio

Very hard to describe this singer. Sounds like pop /kayo music with a melancholic voice, his style is a great mix of different styles of music, in a way it reminds me  Morio Agata. Some will find him superficial with a first listening but there’s a lot of personnal details to be heard here specifically in the folk/soft ballads. Deeply rooted in the mid 70’s, it’s just a well done album that sounds finer with time.

EX+/EX+

$40

Ruriko Asaoka – LP “Ruriko Asaoka no subete – kokoro no shasu” – Teichiku

Gatefold cover + facial obi + fold out booklet

Fantastic kayo album with Tanadori Yokoo cover, probably one of the best known album with Ruriko Asaoka from the early 70’s.  If you are into Kiyoko Itoh and Meiko Kaji, it’s probably for you.

EX (Cover and inside are  EX+, back has 2 scuffs, obi show some wears) / EX+

SOLD

    Ruriko Asaoka  EP  7 inch 33 rpm “Best song Deluxe” – Teichiku

Gatefold cover with obi

Nice EP with this early Ruriko Asaoka best, it has 4 lovely tracks that were recorded before her famous album with Yokoo’s cover.  Once again, open your ears, Meiko Kaji is a great singer but there amny more to discover.

EX+ / EX to EX+

$40

 Eri Chiemi  LP 10 inch “Mood in Chiemi’s Japanese folk songs 3”  – King 1964

My favorite with Chiemi’s minyo period and one of these 5 LPs which has probably the most stunning cover.

EX+ / EX (some visible scuffs but plays a solid EX to EX+)

$55

 Eri Chiemi LP “Deluxe” – King 1968

Gatefold cover with obi and attached pin up poster

Another piece in the minyo repertoire, this one sounds so fast with Chiemi singing like a cat. excellent collection with textured cover and nice pictures.

EX+ (a few stains) / EX+

SOLD

Eri Chiemi LP  “Deluxe” –  King 1969

Gatefold cover + obi + pin up poster

One more ! This is the first Chiemi taht hooked me to her music some years ago. Just perfect !

EX+ / EX+

SOLD

Eri Chiemi  7 inch 33rpm “chiemi no minyo” – King 1962

I love that stuff and this format, this one has 4 perfect songs and comes in a nice heavy and glossy cover, it’s always a miracle to find these EPs in a miraculous condition

EX+/ EX+ (near mint but has a few very minor static noise)

SOLD

Death Comes Along LP “Heavy psychedelic schizoid god” – Mangrove 1994

Inserts + obi

Leaded by CROW :

“Funeral March for Amebix, The Mob, Dirt, Antisect, Crude SS, May Blitz, Flower Travellin’ Band, Diamanda Galas, Ash Ra Tempel, Guru Guru, Amon Duul, Black Sabbath and German Oak.”

One great classic, jsut reading their dedication just before would give you a slight idea ! Very hard to describe, less caricatural than the pictures.

SOLD OUT

F.M.T.  LP  “You got a freedom” – ALM records 1979

Recorded on 27, 28 June 1978 at Tachikawa, Shakai-Kyoiku Kaikan. The group’s acronym was taken from the first letters of the members’ surnames (Fujikawa, Midorikawa, Toyozumi), but it also stood for Free Music Trio

EX (some stains) / EX+

SOLD

Ryohei Hirose “Kalavinka – the music of Hirose 1972-1973” – Columbia 1973

gatefold cover with attached booklet

Beautiful album by a still underrated composer, Hirose in the early 70’s has been attracted both by japanese and indian culture and explores her the woodwind instruments with a great elegance. Flutes, oboe, clarinet, bassoon with strings, percussions. If you are familiar with Makoto Moroi’s acoustic work, it will nicely complete your acoustic albums.

EX+/EX to EX+ (a few surface noise but still a very nice copy)

$75

Ryohei Hirose / Toshi Ichiyanagi / Maki Ishii LP “The concert of japanese contemporary music”

A recent but no easy to find release.

NM/NM

SOLD

Tomojiro Ikenouchi LP “Yuya” – King 1980

3 pieces from no drama “Yuya” pour soprano and orchestra + Quatuor à cordes

Excellent release, if you want a higher price with some more nice words, you can ask me.

New / Mint

$20

Carmen Maki LP “Poems in the midnight till the candle goes out” – Sony 1969

Gatefold cover with insert

One of the greatest album with Shuji Terayama lyrics and Carmen Maki icon. My love for the japanese stuff began with this album, it was one of the great classic you could afford for peanuts and now it just becomes hard to track a nice copy.

EX (minor wears and stains inside) / EX+

SOLD

Iuchi Kengo LP “Inagumi to Kachiku” Kubitsuri Tapes 1995

Gatefold cover with attached booklet and insert.

One of the  weirdest  record ever recorded. Known as performer and death-folk singer, Iuchi Kengo was regularly assisted by Chie Mukai, Makoto Kawabata, and noboday has surpassed him in the heart of madness.

Beating his guitar, with a howling and croaking voice, far from the usual noiser, he just doesn’t make a show, he brings you deeply in discomfort, endless nightmares.

If you want some extreme, darker than any Keiji Haino,

EX+/EX+

SOLD

Lily LP “Onion” – Express 1971

First pressing, comes in an outer cover and obi + insert

Very nice album with Lily’s husky styled voice that is reminiscent to a post-Carmen Maki folk and blues era style. The overall tone is folk-like with some psychedelic undertones, which get infused by some of her excellent backing musicians such as Foodbrain / Out Cast / Path Through Haze / People guitarist Kimio Mizutani and Jacks / Asakawa Maki drummer Tsunoda Hiro. Some tracks are embedded in a bluesy atmosphere, where her voice gets some effects that resemble singing through a telephone. Stunningly beautiful. Great acid folk-like bluesy and psychedelic album.

EX (some minor wears on the outside jacket and obi) / EX+

$65

Teizo Matsumura LP “Teizo Matsumura 1” – Victor – 1984

Symphony (1965) + Prelude pour orchestra (1968) with Hiroshi Wakasugi as conductor

M/New

$25

Teizo Matsumura LP “Teizo Matsumura II” – Victor 1984

Piano concerto N°1 (1973)  & Piano concerto N°2 (1978)

Mint / New

$25

Sally May LP ” Sally May – Kinpatsu Enka” – Victor 1969

gatefold cover

Excellent album by Sally May (half caucasian/half japanese) who’s better know as a Nikkatsu porn actress and concurrent to Kumi Taguchi in the early 70’s ,  music there is deeply rooted in enka songs with a gutural voice of her own. Very close to Yukiji Asaoka and Junko Fuji repertoire, but her voice is really a distinct one, these are really some great classics. Highly recommended, rare and reasonable price

EX+/  A FEW MARKS BUT PLAYS EX to EX+

$150

Kan Mikami LP  “live 1972” – URC

Mikami at his peak and cover’s too…Later reissue, that’s not the original pressing but this title doesn’t really turn anymore for a couple of years

EX- (Cover has a few stains and yellowed on the right corner +and a discreet 5 cm split seam on the superior spine) / obi and insert are EX+

 vinyl plays EX+

$60

Haruna Miyake + Yuji Takahashi  LP ” Ichimen Nanohana: On Two Pianos 1983″ – ALM records 2003

EX+/EX+

$40

Akira Miyoshi LP ” Contenporary music of Japan – 10″ – Victor 1979

Concerto for piano and orchestra + Concerto for violin and orchestra

Excellent release in an excellent collection, Akira Miyoshi is not well known in western countries, if you are in Takemitsu, you can open your door to some neglected composers such Miyoshi

M/NEW

$30

Akira Miyoshi / Akio Yashiro / Michio Mamiya 2LP  CBS / Sony 1979

Gatefold cover with attached booklet and obi

Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra

Akira Miyoshi : concerto pour violoncelle et orchestre

Akio Yashiro : concerto pour piano et orchestra

Michio Mamiya : violin concerto

EX+/NM

SOLD

Makoto Moroi LP “Music for shakuhachi” – Victor 1971

with insert & obi

Extremely rare and superb album, Moroi here is empolying traditional instruments with an avant-garde and experimental mindset. It leaves me breathless.

EX+/EX+

SOLD

Yuko Nagisa LP “Okinawa minyo o utau” – Toshiba

Gatefold cover

Nice kayo album from the 70’s with some minyo incursions, a nice mix of ballads/kayo with some shamisen inclusions, just perfect for the autumn.

EX+/EX+

SOLD

Yuji Takahashi LP “Contemporary music of  Japan -14” – Victor 1980

One of my favorite Yuji Takahashi’s album with “Chromamorphe II for piano” (1964) -” 6 elements” (with a great violin)  and “Tamaogi” with words by Mutsuro Takahashi & oboe, trumpet, percussions,…

EX+/EX+

$30

Teruyuki Noda LP ” Contemporary music of japan – 15″ – King 1979

Trio per violino, violoncello e piano (1971)

Live de Mort (1975)

mint/ new

$30

Toru Takemitsu LP “Contemporary music of Japan – 11” – Victor 1979

Maybe one of the most popular japanese release with Takemitsu, it’s just excellent with pieces such as Requiem for strings – ARC for piano and Orchestra

With Toshi Ichiyanagi on piano.

Mint /New

$45

Toru Takemitsu / Yoshinao Nakada LP  “November steps / Songs of praise to beauty” – King 1980

One famous piece with biwa and shakuhashi for Takemitsu’s “November steps” .

Cheap release but excellent music

New / Mint

$20

Akio Yashiro LP “Contemporary music of Japan – 5” –  Victor 1979

Quatuor à cordes (1968) + Sonate pour piano(1964) + sonate pour 2 flûtes et piano(1968)

M/NEW

SOLD

Yosuke Yamashita trio LP “Concert in new jazz” – Union records

Nice reissue of  a gig recorded live at “Sankei Hall”, Tokyo on 21st September, 1969 with Yosuke Yamashita,p /Seiichi Nakamura,ts,ss,cl /Takeo Moriyama,dr

EX+/EX+

$30

Morio Agata LP “Norimono Zukan” – Chop 1986

Nice limited reissue of an amzing album first released in 1980 on Vanity.  Morio Agata is an important name since the early 70’s but this album was something different. Some electronics from the 80’s with a new / cold wave touch added to the DIY spirit and Agata’s nasal voice. Phew and Chie Mukai are amongs the guests for this amazing album.

NM/ Near Mint

SOLD

Ruriko Asaoka  LP  “Ruri Chan no aishu kayo – Teichiku  1964

Very first album by this actress and model who became an icon in Japan now. This album is straight enka / kayo, Ruriko voice sounds young and high,  at that time she was known for some duets with Ishihara Yujiro and she became a star in the early 70’s for a couple of releases who were more in a kayo / soft pop styled vein. This album sounds definitively older, it’s a true classic album.  Ruriko voice was already so expressive and fragile…Absolutey a must, very rare in a such condition.

EX+ / LP plays EX / EX+

SOLD

Ché Shizu LP ” I can’t promise” – Zero Records 1984

First album by the folk psych band leaded by Chie Mukai with a cast of musicians such as Tori Kudo, Takuya Nishimura, Tsukasa Takahashi. Chie Mukai was a Takehisa Kosugi student and she’s mosty known as an improviser with her erhu / kyoku (chinese violin),  Che Shizu is probably one of the most accessible side of her work , songs are dreamy and  Mukai’s acid voice has a true singularity. She had later some CDS on P.S.F records but her 2 albums are among the best, maybe this one has also a more Tori Kudo touch.  Rare, comes 2 inserts

EX+ / EX to EX+

$70

Naomi Chiaki LP  “Besuto arubamu” – Columbia 1973 gatefold cover with insert

Nice release by one of the most famous voice, Naomi Chiaki and Sachiko Nishida are maybe the most well known voices, Chiaki has a more husky voice and music is deely rooted in kayo, soft ballad. This album has lot of hits such as ” X +Y = LOVE”  and more.

EX+/EX (some surface noise)

$50

Eri Chiemi LP 10″  – “Chiemi sings japanese folk songs vol. 4” – King 1962

My favorite Eri Chiemi period with her covering some minyo songs wit a cuban vibe. She’s got an inimitable style and musicians interaction is  incredibly spontaneous and fantastic. You can hear they had fun during the sessions, these are Eri Chiemi Golden years, sadly it hasn’t been really  re-released on CDS. I think  price is quite reasonable because these 10″ are hard to find in good shape, this one has some surface noise but I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy this album anyway…it was released 50 years ago !

EX+/VG++

SOLD

Eri Chiemi 2LP “Gozonji ! Chiemi no dodotsu – Double deluxe” – King 1970 – Gatefold cover with attached booklet

I’ve discovered this album by a matter of coincidence and honestly I was pretty sure this double album would have been a loosy compilation of her last years. Even if I can’t write any bad words with Chiemi, her last years weren’t honestly  the best because she was already gone : her singing was still good but you can feel something has definitively gone, her vitality wasn’t anymore here and her presence was like a ghost,  making  me depressed with each listening. These 2LPs are really nice in a enka/kayo repertoire from the early 70’s, sounds is really rooted in these years, this period with Chiemi is maybe not so very well known and it’s quite good. Among the surprises, there’s some minyo / folk songs she interpreted some years before but here the orchestration is absolutetly different, more updated. I think it works fine too with bass leading the rythm. Artwork is gorgeous with its attached booklet, this release is not very popular and quite hard to find in a such condition. So I’ll never enough recommend Eri Chiemi !

EX+ /EX+

$75

Eri Chiemi LP “Chiemi no minyo” – King 1969 Gatefold cover with pin up poster

One of my favorite Chiemi, it ‘s one of the very first album I’ve bought and I’m back to it very frequently. These songs are folk / minyo oriented ,  same similar stuff than her well know 10″ wich were released in the early 60’s. This album is more produced but stays very close to the initial versions and their cuban vibe. If you dig Chiemi this the heart of her folkloric side and the “Deluxe” collection on King is more than recommended.

EX- (No tear, no crease but some stains on the cover and poster) / Looks VG+ with a few visible scuffs but plays really a nice EX, surface noise is acceptable, you’ll forget it after a few rotations. I think price is fair for the pleasure it will bring you.

SOLD

Yuriko Futaba LP “Rokyoku fu keizu” LP King 1966

Yuriko Futaba is famous name for the lovers of the so-called  rokyuku / naniwa bushi style. A style wich combines semi narrative parts, enka,  kabuki and audio roman photo, a style wich was very popular on the radio 50 years ago and more. Sometimes some environment sounds are mixed with shamisen / minyo style and the  whole affair sounds melodramatic. Yuriko Futabe is intense, she had some hundreds of releases, she has her own voice, she’s absolutely the rokyoku’s queen. If you are curious I’ll never enough recommend you her music because there’s so much in one single album and you’d be surprised to hear some similitudes with Kan Mikami. Excepted the lyrics, the intensity and time control, breaks, whispers are really close. If you want to go deeper in the traditionnal side, don’t hesitate, there’s a lot of surprises here and it seems nobody has any interest now for this music. Many musical themes have been covered later by artists such has Yukiji Asaoka, Sono Mari and  many others…

EX+/EX to EX+, some static clicks

$50

Yuriko Futaba LP “Nippon Kyukaku den” – King 1973

Another piece in her volcanic discography…

EX+/ EX to EX+ some noise on B1 and at a few occasionnal moments

$20

LSD March LP “Totsuzen hono no gotoku” – White Elephant 2002

Rare white vynil version with insert. First release by a well known band with Ikuro Takahashi from Fushitsusha / Ché Shizu, for a fuzzy psych album.

EX+ (A few minor wrinkles) / Near Mint

$90

Carmen Maki “Goodbye my memories ’70” – Sony – Gatefold cover

I think Carmen Maki doesn’t any introduction, this album is just one of her 3 essentials albums. Linked to Shuji Terayama this album is more varied than “Poems in the Midnight…”, some prog and a psych touch are  mixed with some strings arrangements. That’s one of these albums you’ll cherish year after year,  balancing between melancholia and elegance. Most of time copies aren’t so good, this copy is in excellent shape.

EX+ / EX to mostly EX+

$185

Carmen Maki 7inch EP 33 rpm “Sea-Gull” – CBS

4 titles that comes is a lovely and heavy carboard cover from the early 70’s with the legendary “Tokiniwa hahano…” title. 4 eternal tracks , PHEW has recently covered it on her last album…Carmen Maki is a  legend and she merits it.

EX+/EX to EX+

$45

Carmen Maki EP 7inch 33 rpm “Tokiwa Hahano – Clover series” – CBS/SONY

Rare and superb EP that comes in a heavy gatefold cover, 4 tracks, 4 great classics with Shuji Terayama lyrics, very hard to find in this beautiful condition.

EX to EX+ (a few stains inside, front and back are perfect) / EX to EX+

$60

Akihiro Maruyama ( Akihiro Miwa ) LP “Deluxe” – King 1968

Gatefold cover with attached pin up poster

Last album under his name before turning it into his female alter ego name,  Akihiro Miwa is a famous figure whose name became for most people for her links with Terayama/ Tenjo Sajijki (“Baramon”), and now is a popular singer in Japan. This album from the early years is in post cabaret style of music, it covers some classical french classics such as “Non, je ne ne regrette rien” by Edith Piaf and some more songs by Gilbert Becaud and more…But Akihiro Miwa’s voice is quite stunning and ambivalent as her  own identity, between male and female.

Cover is EX to EX+ (some shelfwears) / LP plays VG++ to EX

$65

Meiko Kaji LP “Syuki no uta” – Polydor 1980

Cover, insert and obi are EX / EX+ (a few stains on the upper right front cover)

Vynil plays EX to mostly EX+

$60

Meiko Kaji  LP”Akane gumo” – Polydor 1978 white promo labels

Late album by the STAR

Cover is EX+ / LP plays EX+

$55

Toshiro Mayuzumi  LP “Nirvana Symphonie”  – Toshiba TA-8012 with booklet

One great classic and one of the first version that came out in the 60’s I know there’s also a red wax version but this version with this beautiful artwork is pretty rare now. This album is influenced by voices of the buddhist priests recinting sutras with structures advocated by Varese. Some bells effects and drifting voices mixtures for buddhistic cantata…Superb, and comes with a rare booklet in a miraculous condition

EX+ / EX to EX+ (a few static noises)

SOLD

Hibari Misora 10″ LP “Hibari Uta no Hanamoyo” Eagle 1960

Hibari is one of the most important historic singer and actress, almost considered like a half godness. The late 50’s and 60’s are considered as the peak of her career. This one is a nice addtion to the enka repertoire…Immortal enka…

Cover is top clean with a black adhesive band on the front  (Maybe it was originally here) / LP is top clean ,  it plays a solid EX

$70

Hibari Misora LP “Onna no hanomichi” – Denon 1971

Gatefold cover with attached illustrated booklet.

Nice soundtrack by a legend.

EX- (some wears and a few stains but nothing serious) /LP plays EX-, still a decent copy

$30

Non Band 10″ LP “Non Band” – Telegraph Rec. 1982

Nice first release by a quite forgotten band leaded by Non singer  who sounds with her childish voice as almost a Junko-Pocket. Music is quite simple, quite rythmic with a no-wave touch but what makes it singular is a violin or clarinet mixed a with drums and guitar. Production was very nice, it doesn’t sound outdated as many bands from this period. If you need a simple energetic cocktail, that’s for you. Becomes harder to harder to find.

Cover is EX- / has some stains / LP plays a solid EX to EX+

$50

Somei Satoh LP ” Emerald Tablet ” – ALM records 1981 Gatefold cover

Recorded in 1978 in the NHK electronic studio with Akai Takahashi, this is one of the rarest Somei Satoh album, from minimal piano à la Charlemagne Palestine to some electronic avalanches.

EX+ (a very few stains) / EX to mostly EX+, a very few occasional surface noise

SOLD

Watari Tetsuya / Izumi Chidori / Junko Fuji LP  “Gikei Imuto – Watari / Chidori / Fuji ” – Teichiku

Glossy gatefold cover, early 70’s.  Fantastic split album with 2 famous stars known for their Yakuza’s filmography,  and Izumi Chidori as an unbelievable singer from the 70’s.  Also it has a cover of  the fantastic song “Abashiri Bangashi” , if you are familiar with Wakamatsu’s films, I’m pretty sure you can remember Abarishi prison song. Junko Fuji was not an accomplished singer it adds to her charm because she sounds sincere. Izumi Chidori in her early years was a amazing singer, she was singing like a sword in the air, an incredible verbal acrobat, you just need to close your eyes and you’ll see the film. If you are in rock stuff  or even noise, you should give a try, for my ears Jojo  from Hijokaidan is not so far from this vibe when he’s more in songs. Music style is different of course but has definitively a “bad boy” stamped quality.

EX+ / LP plays  a solid EX, some occasionnal surface/crackling noise

SOLD

Kumi Taguchi LP “Ga Kataru ai no henreki” – Teichiku

Mega rarity by actress Kumi Taguchi – “Emmanuelle Fuji” known for her album re-released by Tiliqua. This one is in my opinion really far better , maybe less erotic on a first degree but sounds more musical advanced. Some interludes with laid back music, environmental sounds and highlights here are some true enka/kayo songs from the 70’s.

SOLD

Tako LP 45 rpm “Second- live”  –  Chaos 1983

Second and last album by the legendary Harumi Yamazaki / Gaseneta, this album come out after their first Lp released on Pinacotheka.

This band was maybe the most interesting project from the 80’s, mixing a lot of influences with a punk attitude. Comes with the always missing insert.

EX+/EX+

$55

Sawa Tamaki LP “Bed de Tabacco wo suwanaide” – Victor 1971

Gatefold cover. A classic album by  actress and singer Sawa Tamaki linked to “playgirl” and later to Imamura film maker, she’s has a smokey voice and this album sounds like a late night cocktail of jazzy and lounge vibe mix.

EX/EX+ / LP plays EX- to EX

$30

Noriko Tsuwa LP “Majushage” – Philips 1977

Nice  folk album by a forgotten artist who played with Kazuki Tomokawa in his “Sakura…” album. Nice ballads with a voice not so far from Maki Asakawa assisted my Monkey House band, with a slight prog and psych touch, not jaz related as Maki Asakawa.

EX+/EX+

SOLD

V/A Experimental Music of Japan LP  – Victor VX-52 – 1966 gatefold cover – textured cover

Mayuzumi + Moroi / Takemitsu / Yuasa / Mayuzumi / Ichiyanagi / Ishii

Historic album with pieces conceived and recorded in the NHK studio, this is the FIRST TRUE EDITION (The second one came out one year later with SJV 1515 number). Fantastic release with some famous well known composers but te whole souds very coherent, there’s no weakness.  If yo uare familiar with Takemitsu, there’s is a  stunning and quite unknown concrete piece.

This album came out in Contemporary Music of Japan on Victor label, all the VX references are hard to find in any condition and this one has raised a cult status for years because of it’s artwork too.

EX+/  EX+

SOLD

Experimental Music of Japan ’69  LP – Victor 1969 VX – 99 – Textured cover with insert

Mayuzumi / Ishii / Moroi / Shibata

Second great classic of the japanese eletronic pionneers and as good as the first compilation. Mayuzumi “Mandara” piece is famous but this electronic version is not the best known. Makoto Moroi composition is for traditionnal instruments and electronics and i have to admit is one of y favorite composer. Maybe the biggest surprise here is Shibata 1968 piece for only electronic sounds. Quite a noisy and wild piece, almost sounds like Ferial Confine early work, I mean when some noise projects could be quite good, not like the shitty material over production of these days.

EX+ / EX+

SOLD

V/A Contemporary Music of Japan Vol 22 LP – Victor 1973

Akio Yashiro / Toru Takemitsu / Akira Miyoshi

Another nice piece in this puzzle collection, VX serie, with “Masque pour  2 flutes” (1959) by Takemitsu and 2 sonates with flutes by Yashiro and Miyoshi

EX+/EX+

SOLD

V/A Underground Folk 2LP – Kan Mikami / Takashi Nishioka /  Nobuyasu Okabayashi / Wataru Takada – Victor 1979

Gatefold cover .Nice compilation with a side for each of these 4 singers know since the early 70’s. Kan Mikami doesn’t need any introduction, his live materials from the mid 70’s are fantastic, Nishioka is known as a member of Itsutsuno No Akai Fusen and became a famous producer, Okabayashi and Takadu are maybe the mess knows names for western ears. These last 2 were maybe more classic,  maybe as a japanese post Dylan equivalence.

EX+ / LPs play EX to EX+

$55

Kumiko Yokoi  LP “Akai Tsubaki To aoi gen bo shi” – Ongaku Center 1984

Kumiko Yokoi is a folk singer who started in 1974 with a first album and left Vietnam where she lived. Delicate compositions with a great cast of musicians and different instruments. Has an intimist psych touch for moments without falling into the excess.

EX+/EX+

$25

Yosuke Yamashita trio LP “Gugan” – Express

Nice reissue of a legendary album from 1971, Yamashita trio introducing Takeo Moriyama was recorded befor Yamashita became popular in Europe and many consider his best years were before 1975.  This album is considered as his finest masterpiece. The original LP is hard to find and you’re not willing to pay a few hundreds of euros, this copy could a be a nice substitution. Also it becomes harder and harder to find it these days.

EX+/ Near Mint

$40

Joji Yuasa LP “Triplicity for contrabass – Masahiko Tanaka electronic studio of the NHK” – RCA 1974

One of the rarest album of the early electronic japanese album,  despite its title most sounds are contrabass processed sounds and B side is the famous  “Voices coming”  electronic /tape piece. I’ve seen turning this album 4 times, I have one copy for my own collection, one was sold by Tiliqua for 700 euros and last copy has sold for more than $1000 in the japanese market. Wite noise, bleep sonar sounds, telephonic transmissions for a quite stunning universe. Yuasa doesn’t sound like everybody else, I like how his instinctive and wild approach and makes his stuff  harder to find than Kosugi, Taj Mahal travellers albums.

EX to EX+ (only some stains on the back) / EX to mostly EX+, a very few occasional surface noise

SOLD

 Joji Yuasa Box set 5LP “Projections” – Columbia 1975

Glossy box with obi and 20 pages booklet

Historic piece and the most complete Yuasa’s collector with pieces recorded in the legendary NHK studio known for his electronics equipment. Pieces have soe lectronic processed sounds and ring modulators, white noises.  Has “Voices coming” piece with snippets of telephone operators, a quite wild and non academic tape music piece. I know many are just ineterested with electronic but Yuasa’s compositions with orchestra are also fantastic for their recording,  details with strings and the whole stereo perception.

 EX+ / Near Mint

SOLD

Kan Mikami LP “Folk live Jamboree ’71” – SMS

A great addition to Mikami’s discography, I think it was released as a limited run in the 80’s, this live is pretty well recorded and has the same intensity than Live in Aomori or live 1972.  Mikami’s early years, one voice, one guitar, Mikami lyricism was so intense,  that makes a great and still unknown album…

EX+/EX+

$85

Kazuko Matsuo LP “Rhapsody” – 1975 Victor

Nice album from Matsuo Kazuko’s middle period, some more ballads, less jazz related and less night mood from the satin voice.

EX+/EX+

$30

Junko Fuji single”Onna no Inochi” – Teichiku

A nice addition to Junko Fuji’s discography from the early 70’s, honestly I love all her stuff, her singles are hard to find and even rarer in a decent condition. I’m pretty sure they’ll become hunted down in the next years.

Nice double face cover

EX (some stains, mostly visible on the back but still a clean cover) /EX, graded EX because a few scuffs are visible and there’s a discret pop on B side. Anyway the sound level is clear and strong, it plays mostly as EX+

$30

Kazuki Tomokawa single “Shinori San / Rancho Akita-Ondo” – Tokuma 1975

Superb single with 2 rare tracks, B-side is just fantastic, sound like a folkloric tune with percussions and some backing voices.

Promo  white labels, titles are stamped.

EX (some wears but mostly on the back cover but nothing too serious, still a nice cover)

plays EX-EX+

$65

Reiko Oshida single “No, no, no / I’m a bad girl” – CBS 1971

Reiko’s best single with 2 killer tracks taken from her first album, what a lovely bad girl !

EX+/ EX-EX+ (some scuffs but plays very nice)

SOLD

Meiko Kaji LP “Urami Bushi” – Teichiku  1973

Gatefold cover

I have to admit that’s not the most beautiful cover with Meiko Kaji  but this is one  is  my favorite for the songs.

Almost all her good repertoire is here…

EX- (some wears and stains, but no tear) / Plays EX-EX+

$50

Carmen Maki LP “Best of Carmen Maki” CBS

Early compilation with Carmen Maki  first 3 albums, that means the highlights. She’s one of my favorite singer of all time, I’ll ask to play her music  for my funeral. This compilation has no weakness and  I think it has 2 less popular songs that weren’t on the albums. Just essential and same picture used for “Poems in the midnight” album

Near mint (Cover has an original rounded sticker) /Near mint

SOLD 

Kumiko Akiyoshi LP with emponymous title – Elec 1975

Comes with in sert and poster rarely present

Nice actress backep up by Yonin Bayashi,  some psych songs and many strange,  dark sides with reading poetry through a telephone…

EX+ (obi has some wrinkles on the back) /Near mint

$45

Chinatsu Nakayama single “Tomara nai Kisha” Victor 1970

It’s a hit ! Masahiko Sato partner for a vital R&B  song, B side is a nice folk ballad

EX (a very few stains) / EX-mostly EX+

$30

Morio  Agata with Mako Midori single “昭和柔侠伝の唄” Bellwood 1974

Lovely single by Morio Agata augmented with her partner and actress Mako Midori, typical of Agata’s rythmic tune heard in “Les Misérables”. Rare and nice cover, Mako Midori is a so beautiful singer

EX (very slightly yellowing) / EX-EX+, some surface noise in the very first seconds

$50

Itoh Kiyoko single “Hoshi Kara no / Mishiranu  sekai” – CBS 1967

comes in a soft gatefold cover

Another single by the eternal lovely Itoh Kiyoko with a nice picture inside

EX+ / EX mostly EX+

$50

Eri Chiemi LP compilation – King -1976

Late compilation with the great Eri Chiemi. 1st side is the late kayo period, when energy had gone, B side is a nice addtion because it has some tracks of her fokloric period in more updated orchestration which is always a real pleasure.

Cover, obi and insert are NM/ LP plays EX/ mostly EX+

$40

Keiko Fuji – LP compilation 16 tracks – RCA – 1976

An excellent compilation with some rarer songs.

Near Mint  for cover and obi / EX-EX+

$40

Nagisa Yukiko 10″ –  Toshiba 1962 Red wax

Rare 10″, red wax, 1962 was a good period along withsome Yukiji Asaoka. This one sounds straight enka with high nasal voice, almost childish by moments. Very intense, she sings as it could be her last day,  straight enka, minyo, folkloric songs…

EX- (Some wears) / VG+ (some surface noise but good pressing)

$30

Les Rallizés Dénudés / Taj Mahal Travellers – LP OZ days 1973 BOOT

A classic boot with 2 legendary bands,  xeroxed pasted cover. archive copy…

EX+/EX (Has some marks but without incident on the playing)

The quality pressing was not too high, some there’s a little hiss and a few clicks, all my copies had some minor defautlts.

$70

Carmen Maki “Far away country / Just two alone” single CBS 1969

2 songs taken from Carmen Maki’s first album with lyrics by Terayama, 2 folk and melancholic ballads, all her songs were so perfect, one of my favorite album of all time.

Cover has some wrinkles, EX- / Plays VG++ in the beginning  to EX. Nice copy for a cheap price

$15

Junko Fuji single “Onna Tosei-Nin / Onna ippiki no blues” – Crown 1971

Superb single , one of the rarest released on Crown Label, most of them were released on Victor.

Similar stuff , passionate enka songs for this 5 stars actress, comes in a nice double face cover.

EX-EX+ (minor wrinkles) / EX-  to EX, some surface noise, a visible scuff but sounds very nice

$45

Itoh Kiyoko single “A man and a flower / a piece of love”- CBS 1967

Wonderful singel, just a piece of  love. Some alternative versions that came out later on her first album, sounds more acoustic.

EX (some slight wrinkles) / EX-EX+

$40

Junko Fuji / Meiko Kaji single “Urami Bushi” – Teichiku

Superb split singles by our 2 favorite Heroins : Lady Yakuza vs Sasori

EX+/EX+

$50

Jo Kondo “Sen No ongaku” LP Alm Records 1974

The first ALM – AL1 reference by the underrated Jo Kondo for a subtil acoustic spacialization.

EX+/EX-mostly EX+

SOLD

Les Rallizes Denudes – 2LP Fucked & Naked 2003

Cover is EX-EX+ has some minor shelf wear / LP are EX-EX+

$65

Mimi Hiyoshi LP Victor – 197?

Gatefold cover for this LP released in the early-mid 70’s.  A quite varied album, some kayo ballads with strings section, some more up beat songs, makes this album very pleasant, sometimes not so far from Ruriko Asaoka. Mimi Hiyoshi is best known for singing some Shuji Terayama lyrics and for a collaboration with Kan mikami.

Near Mint /Near Mint

$60

Shuji Terayama (Tenjo Sajiki) 33 1/3 RPM EP “Hitoribochi no Anata Ni / Poems- For your melancholy night” – CBS 1971

With Naito Yooko &  Ogiwara Sakumi

Hardcover gatefold cover and  overlapping booklet by Aquirax

Lovely EP close to Carmen Maki “Poems in the Midnight”  and Tenjo Sajiko “Hatsukoi Jigioku” album, the atmosphere is like the title suggests it…

Cover is EX-EX+ inside has a few stains / EP is EX- /EX, some surface noise but nothing unacceptable, still a nice copy

SOLD

Motohiko Adachi / Joji Yuasa / Yoshiro Irino

Ni Hon Gendai Sakkyoka Shiriezu – Modern Japanese Composers Series” (Toshiba – TA-9302)

1970

Red Wax

Mega rare and fantastic, I can’t find my words.

EX/EX+ (with avery few stains) / LP has  a few surface noise and 4 pops for a couple of rotations  but the whole LP generally plays  EX/EX+

$225

Keiko Mari “Folk Song O Utau” Victor- 1971

Rare LP by Keiko Mari aka Petite M’amie, in a rather different style because this album belongs to folk /kayo music and in my opinion is even more interesting. Keiko Mari covers some Carmen Maki songs, Takeshi Nishioka /Itsutsuno No Akai Fusen and also The Folk Crusaders. Her voice is clear, arrangements are nice with strings and sometimes some field recordings.

EX+ (a very few stains inside) / EX-EX+

SOLD

Momoyama Harue with Ryuichi Sakamoto “Hikiyomigusa” – Victor / Invitation 1979

Lovely album with one traditionnal side with shamisen and the second one with electronics by Sakamoto, colouring the rural music with dark and alienish landscapes

EX+  (Obi has one tiny tear) / EX+

$65

Miura Fumiko LP Crown 1968

Rare LP on the mythic Crow Label. Straight enka and folkloric songs with shamisen & percussions.

EX+ / EX-Mostly EX+, a few clicks

$30

Sachiko Nishida – LP + red flexi 7inch Polydor 1967

Gatefold embossed cover LP

Well, Almost all Sachiko Nishida are lovely and the Polydor orchestra and arrangements were among the best one during the 60’s.

EX+ / EX, a few surface noise but still a nice copy

$55

Hibari Misora “Hibari Hauta Zoshi” 10inch – Columbia 1958

A great classic by a legend…

EX/VG++ / EX-

Great condition for its age, a few marks but plays very fine without too much noise. Price is a gift.

$50

Tenjo Sajiki / Shuji Terayama “hatsukoi jigoku hen” LP CBS 1970

With Kei Ogura, Carmen Maki…

Gatefold cover

EX+/EX+

$75

Makoto Moroi “concertos” – Victor 1971

Gatefold cover – Quadraphonic LP

2 pieces with “3 concerto Movements for shakuhachi, percussion and strings” & “concerto for piano & orchestra”

Many spaces with these pieces, mixing some traditionnal instruments with a great sense of mystery…

Both Cover and LP are Near mint

$100

Satoshi Ishikawa Wave notation 2 – Still Way – Sound process 1982

Manufactured by Kojima

Delicate music with piano, harp,  definitively an autumn’s album, not sa far from some ALM acoustics albums

Near Mint for cover and LP

SOLD

Kazuki Tomokawa “Umi shizuka”  King – 1981

Cover (EX+ , afew stains if you turn it to the light) / insert + obi + LP are EX+

SOLD

Kazuki Tomokawa “Ore no Uchide Nariymanai Uta” LP  1978 Bellwood

Cover, insert and obi are EX+ / LP plays EX/EX+

SOLD

Kan Mikami “Kan” Victor 1975

Cover, obi and insert are EX+ / LP plays EX/EX+

$60

Akiko Nakamura “Nijiiro no Mizuumi”  1968 – Victor

Gatefold cover with pinup poster

No obi, Cover is EX/EX+  and LP plays EX

Beat girl backed up by The Jaguars, some Kayo influenced songs, sound is lovely, reverbs are cool….first edition

$85

Michi Aoyama “Naku Onna / Onna Nano” single Crown 1969

EX+/EX-EX+

Super rare single by Michi, she was a queen during the Crown label years, deep enka,

SOLD

Itoh Kiyoko “When the apples blossoms /Ho Paura” single Toshiba 1968

Great single by the lovely Itoh Kiyoko assisted by The Happenings Four / Kuni Kawachi

Alternative versions released later on her 1st album – 1969

EX+/EX-EX+

$30

Itoh Kiyoko “Hana no Madonna” single 1967 CBS

Same similar stuff than the one mentioned before. recommended

EX+/EX+

$45

Mari Atsumi single 45rpm “Kawai Akuma /Mayonaka no terasu” – Daiei records

Lovely single probably released in 1970, comes in a sexy double side cover

EX+/EX

SOLD

Itoh Kiyoko / Takahiko Ishikawa EP ” Peace & Love 7″ 33rpm – Sony

This was only a promo release in the early 70’s with 2 Titles for each singer. An amazing side with the lovely Itoh Kiyoko covering 2 Paul Simon’s song : “Scarborough Fair” and “el Condor Pasa” with an amazing multitracked voice effect

It seems nobody knows it but Itoh Kiyoko had a whole album with some Paul Simon’s cover, but forget about finding it.

B side are²2 covers wit ha nice singer : “Alice’s restaurant” & “Blowin’in the wind”, I guess everybody know these.

Hardbound cover with a nice insert.

EX+/EX+

SOLD

Nana Maki

single 7″ 45rpm  “Neon Machi burusu / Anchikisho no Burusu” – Columbia 1970

Mega rarity, this single was included in the Teichiku 6CD boxset “Oiroke-kayō wa Doko e Iku” released in 2000, a collection of rare artefact & erotic singles…Just imagine a kind of voice such as Michi Aoyama growling mixed with Hiromi Sairaiji weirdness, punctuated by a few ecstatic moanings…

EX-EX+ / EX-EX+

$70

Keiko Mari single 7”45rpm “Moonlight Rendez vous/Yasuharu Konishi” – Victor 1968

Very early single by Keiko Mari aka Petite Mamie (it was re-released by Tiliqua), one track with Rio Alma. The whole is more popish and really song oriented but you can hear Keiko trademark as  a young girl having fun..

Bargain price because of its state, makes anyway a good document…

VG+ (some stains and some wrinkles) / VG+ (some surface noise and crackling)

$50

Keiko Mari single 7″ 45rpm “Sign V” – Victor 1969 gatefold cover

Early single by Keiko Mari better known as Petit’ Mamie, this single was a song for a TV program on TBS.

Side A sounds like a generic song, B side is a lovely ballad and that’s the highlight of this rare piece. Comes in a gatefold cover.

I think for it’s price that’s an opportunity to get a rare document.

Vinyl plays EX/EX+ on side A / Side B is EX- with a “sh” entering for a fraction of second

$50

Kan Mikami single promo 7″ 45rpm “Noriko Wa ima” – Victor 1981

One unknown piece by the legendary Mikami Kan, this was written for a film, he’s on the picture on the back cover

EX (Has a small punch hole on the bottom left corner) / EX+

SOLD

Oh Ranfan single 7″ 45rpm ” Hiasoni no blues / Nagisa no ecstasy” -Victor 1968

The first Oh Ranfan single, she’s one of my favorite singer, what makes her so sexy is how the sound recording is so  detailed and closed from her mouth and throat, you can hear  her saliva and many mouth details… Super rare and still underrated

EX (minor wrinkles and a few stains if you hold it to the light) /  The single has a few scuffs but it plays like EX+

$70

Hiromi Sairaiji single 45 rpm “Tsushima Ryojou / Tsuchima Ondo”  Columbia 1978

Rare promo copy, alternative cover for this late Hiromi Sairaiji’s  collectible single.

Highlight is B side, like a minyo rythmic song with percussions and back up vocals. A side is a ballad with Sairaiji’s high pitch vocal trademark, this one sounds like she had some great days in Aloha.

EX-EX+ (minor wrinkles) / EX-mostly EX+

$50

Sawa Tomomi single 45rpm “Morning blues / Koi no Kagami” – Columbia 1969

If you are in the kayo-groovy styles like Mari Tsutsui, this one is a nice complement with its amateurish kind of voice, would make another nice addition in your erotic kayo collection…Quite rare and not very known ouside of the japanese market.

EX- (some wrinkles and minor wears) / EX

$25

Mari Tsutsui single 45rpm “Ningyo no koi / Warui na anata” RCA 1970

One of the famous erotic Kayokyoku single mostly known by its cover…Kayo rythmic songs with the sensual Mari Tsutsui…Very rare and listed at a low price because of the cover’s state.

VG+ (some wrinkles  & stains mostly around the top right corner and back) / Plays EX, sounds really nice

$25