78 78s - In Search Of Lost Time - is a streaming mix of beautiful 78s from around the world, collected and curated by Ian Nagoski. "I started sifting through boxes of junky old 78s that no one else wanted about 15 years ago, and almost right away, I made a rule: Anything that wasn't in English, buy it."
[more inside]
posted by carter
on Jan 29, 2012 -
15 comments
Although the ultra-mysterious and rumour-cloaked Les Rallizes Dénudés/Hadaka no Rallizes existed in various forms from November 1967 to their last gig in October 1996 they are practically unknown in - let alone out of - Japan. Their recorded output is incredibly rare and highly priced and interviews or articles in the music press virtually non-existent. Tie that in with links to radical left-wing politics, extreme sensory assault at live shows and a general revolutionary aura and you have what must be the ultimate cult group. [more inside]
posted by twirlip
on Dec 20, 2011 -
12 comments
"A ballet dancer needs a mirror to perfect her style, her technique. A singer needs the same -- an aural mirror."
In 1950 and '51, Japan’s first reel-to-reel tape recorders, the "
G-Type"
(for gov't use) and the "
H-1"
(for home use) were released by a company named Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo. Music student Norio Ohga was unimpressed by the wobbly sound of "
Talking Paper," so he wrote a note complaining to the firm's founders, who hired him. Mr. Ohga never achieved his original dream of becoming a baritone opera singer, but the future President of TTK, (later renamed Sony,) would still make an indelible, global impact on the world of music -- including the development and introduction of the compact disc. Mr. Ohga
died on April 24, 2011.
[more inside]
posted by zarq
on May 4, 2011 -
3 comments
"
Welcome to the Zion Archive. You have selected Historical File #12-1: The Second Renaissance."
So begins the short film of the same name by Mahiro Maeda
[Flash: 1 2 - QuickTime: 1 2] -- a devastating yet beautiful work of animation.
Originally produced to explain the backstory behind the
Matrix trilogy, Maeda's project ended up telling a story far darker and more affecting than any blockbuster.
Using a blend of
faux documentary footage and
visual metaphor, his serene Instructor relates in biblical tones the saga of Man and Machine, how age-old cruelty and hatred birthed a horrifying, apocalyptic struggle that consumed the world.
Packed with striking imagery and
historical allusions galore, this dark allegory easily transcends the films it was made for.
But while "The Second Renaissance" is arguably the best work to come from the
Matrix franchise, it's hardly alone -- it's just one of the projects made for
The Animatrix, a collection of
nine superb anime films in a
wide variety of styles designed to explore the universe and broaden its scope beyond the usual sci-fi action of the movies.
Click inside for a guide to these films with links to where they can be watched online, along with a look at
The Matrix Comics, a free series of comics, art, and short fiction created for the same purpose by
some of the best talent in the business.
[more inside]
posted by Rhaomi
on Feb 14, 2011 -
54 comments
Seba Jun, aka
Nujabes, was a quiet and rather reclusive Japanese hip-hop DJ/producer/label head, as far as hip-hop personalities go. He didn't do many interviews, and his
two albums and
15 or so vinyl singles which were released on his own
Hydeout Productions label, all of which were only released in Japan. Regardless of the limited push, he gained renown world-wide for his relaxed, jazzy hip-hop, due in part to his music being featured on the anime series
Samurai Champloo. The musician's life was
cut short in late February, following a car accident. He was 36 years old.
[more inside]
posted by filthy light thief
on Apr 3, 2010 -
27 comments
Lullatone are a half-Japanese, half-American duo based in Japan who make music that can probably best be described as twee folktronica; a recent EP of theirs is titled "Little Songs About Raindrops". And now, you can make your own with
their Raindrop Melody Maker Flash web toy, which looks a bit like a pastel-coloured
Tenori-On:
posted by acb
on Jun 4, 2009 -
9 comments
Vocalist
Sayuri Anpo is far from well known, even in her native Japan, despite
an extensive discography, the ability to cross multiple genres and an amazing voice. But you can listen to a number of her works online: she does rock both
here and
here, something gentler
here, and something closer to dance
here (video image slightly NSFW). She recently teamed up with other musicians to form a light jazz group, with demos available for free download
here (alternate link to demo files
here for those who can't open .lzh files).
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing
on Feb 23, 2009 -
5 comments
Enka is popular Japanese music which started to become popular in the Showa era after World War II. Until very recently, it's pretty much been popular only with the older crowd or in karaoke. Recently, though, a popular young star from Philadelphia has brought about a resurgence with the younger crowd. Look at
his videos and be
amazed.
Presenting Jero.
[more inside]
posted by greasepig
on Jun 2, 2008 -
18 comments
There is a small but very dedicated and enthusiastic group of people around the world making music with Nintendo Game Boys and other cheap electronic gadgetry. While many of them are consciously fitting their low-bit sonics into relatively straightforward and predictable dance-oriented forms, some others are taking a rather more whimsical and less predictable approach. One such favorite of mine is the utterly charming, Tokyo-based
henna dress. Then there's her alter ego,
beta dress. Then there's her 3rd alter ego,
CAMEBOY (of GGG) .
[more inside]
posted by flapjax at midnite
on Feb 4, 2008 -
21 comments
Shoukichi Kina, peace activist, club owner, environmentalist, sailor, critic of the US presence in Okinawa, proponent of Okinawan independence, and, since 2004, member of the Japanese House of Councillors has been playing
his highly influential hybrid of traditional Okinawan
min'yo,
reggae, and other island music styles since he formed the band
Champloose in 1968.
[more inside]
posted by billtron
on Feb 2, 2008 -
8 comments
...Japanese hip hop has become a significant national, cultural, and business genre since the late twentieth century, and this phenomenon has been applied and has succeeded by using almost the same ideology that was historically used by other Japanese industries like automobile manufacturing. The pioneers in the Japanese hip hop industry like Buddha Brand learned their skills in the U.S. and have successfully been influencing the contemporary Japanese music scene. As a result, the imported hip hop has become a ''Japanized'' products. Many hip hop industries in Japan have modified the American hip hop into Japanese ways, and their businesses, like the hip hop dance schools, have succeeded.
The Japanese Hip Hop Movement: Its Cultural and Economic Impact [more inside]
posted by y2karl
on Jan 19, 2008 -
39 comments
Tokyo-Ga: this excerpt from a Wim Wenders film offers an interesting little glimpse into the world of
pachinko, a gambling obsession for so many in Japan. But while most are gazing hypnotically into the noisy little machines in order to win prizes or money, others are
circuit bending them to make them even
noisier.
[more inside]
posted by flapjax at midnite
on Oct 21, 2007 -
31 comments
It's hard to think of any music that's any more
fun than
The Ventures, and here they are, live in Japan, 1965, at the top of their game. This footage is
really good:
Walk Don't Run.
Wipe Out.
Apache.
House of the Rising Sun.
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.
Flight of the Bumblebee.
The Cruel Sea . . . But WAIT!
Opening for the Ventures on that steamy summer night was homegrown Ventures
cover band
The M-Ventures! Straight outta Tokyo! Check out their versions of
The Pink Panther Theme,
Surf Rider and
Yellowjacket. And in case you were wondering if the Ventures' influence is
still being felt in Japan, well, check out 9-year-old guitarist Chicchi's versions of
The Cruel Sea,
Penetration,
Walk Don't Run and
Pipeline.
posted by flapjax at midnite
on Sep 19, 2007 -
36 comments
Time once again to pay a little visit to Japan's ever-engaging electro-mechanical music overachievers,
Maywa Denki. Here's some of their
latest and
greatest efforts.
posted by flapjax at midnite
on Aug 1, 2007 -
26 comments
On the cusp of DEVO's first tour of Europe since 1990 , it's become clear that, though largely cast aside after their 1980 hit "Whip It", DEVO's influence is finally being felt on modern audiences, around the world. DEVO has inspired tribute bands,
some traditional,
some not. They've also spawned new bands,
domestic [MySpace link], and Foreign like
Japan's POLYSICS [YouTube], and Germany's
Mutate Now [YouTube]. With musical inspiration like this, can't we forgive such missteps as
Devo 2.0?
posted by SansPoint
on Jun 15, 2007 -
55 comments
Anime Music Videos. Yet another
remixing web subculture, they're usually a source of amateurishly produced angst. From the
competitive perfectionists, though, come
well lipsynched,
action packed,
meta-mashuped, and occasionally just
filthy stuff for cartoon nerds. Besides the usual metal, ballads, and pop rock, there's some
Daft Punk,
club,
and downtempo accompaniment. Or you can just go to
hell. Wear headphones and no-one will know.
posted by anthill
on May 28, 2007 -
22 comments
Nihongo Bongo! - Latin music by Japanese artists from the 40s, 50s and 60s. "Mambo, rumba, cha cha cha, bossa nova, calypso, you name it... it was big in Japan. The exodus of Japanese migrants to Brazil ensured a lasting connection with South American culture as many Japanese artists toured Brazil."
posted by carter
on Oct 9, 2006 -
14 comments
John Coltrane. Thelonious Monk. Hank Mobley. Lennie Tristano. Blue Note. Impulse. Riverside... In other words: jazz. Now three fans in Japan -- a country that has always appreciated America's gift to music even more than the US itself -- have created
The Jazz Discography Project, a bare-bones, open-source, astonishingly exhaustive database of the hippest sounds on the planet. For aficionados, just reading an ASCII entry for long out-of-print stuff like
A Message from Garcia, featuring a young and then-unknown musician named Bill Evans who would later
reinvent his instrument, is thrilling.
posted by digaman
on Mar 1, 2006 -
28 comments
MeroMero Radio If you are interested in Japanese culture and especially that jolly Japanese pop music, then you might enjoy this podcast radio program made in Sweden. Nine one-hour-sessions has been made so far and each one focuses on a special artist or theme, and includes (at times) interviews with the artists themselves. The show's in English.
The podcasts (ep. 7-9) in MP3 are available
here.
The radio programs (ep. 1-7) are also available
here for RealAudio Streaming.
posted by iwanttobuild
on May 25, 2005 -
4 comments
The Sukiyaki Song [mp3] Depending on your age, you may have heard your parents humming this, or even hummed it yourself. Sung by
Kyu Sakamoto, the Sukiyaki Song was the only number 1 hit by a Japanese artist in the US, in 1963. It remains the biggest international hit by a Japanese popular singer. The song has nothing to do with the popular Japanese
beef dish; the Japanese title was "Ue o Muite Aruko" (I Look Up When I Walk), but was
changed because it was thought that
western DJs would be unable to pronounce it. The song spawned many covers, and
Maddmansrealm has
collected over 60 of these, including
French and
German versions,
bossa nova versions, a short accordion version by
Styx, and a live instrumental version by
Bob Dylan and Tom Petty [mp3s]. Kyu Sakamoto died in 1985 in the crash of JAL 123.
posted by carter
on Mar 3, 2005 -
20 comments
More Elvis Goodness from Japanese PM Junichiro Koizumi, who recently released a CD of his favorite Elvis tunes. What's next, a collection of Dubya's favorite Garth Brooks tracks?
posted by dogmatic
on Aug 23, 2001 -
3 comments
