Lets Enjoy Super Genki Go Go Happy Life! - 50 Japanese Albums

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Just some very favourite Japanese records that spring to mind, in no particular order.

No YMO, only solo records, and very little tangental to YMO, that would be another 50, easy.

Excludes Metal, Psychedelic, Math Rock, City Pop, Jazz, 70s singer-songwriter, Childisc, Beat Tapes (apart from an old DJ Krush Record & Nujabes), Loads of Boogie, Crazy Post-Modern Idol Bands, Rap, Newer 'Sophisticated' Pop, and so on.

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Boredoms - Super Ae 5
Fishmans - Long Season 3
Shiina Ringo - Karuki Zahmen Kuri no Hana 3
Hiroshi Yoshimura - Music For Nine Post Cards 3
Shiina Ringo - Shouso Strip 2
Midori Takada - Through The Looking Glass 2
Plus Tech Squeeze Box - CARTOOM! 2
Shugo Tokumaru - Port Entropy 2
Takako Minekawa - Roomic Cube 1
Yukihiro Takahashi - What, Me Worry? 1
Haruomi Hosono - Omni Sight Seeing 1
Ryuichi Sakamoto - The 100 Knives of... 1
Mariah - Utukata no Hibi 1
3776 - Saijiki 1
Jun Togawa - Togawa Fiction 1
Tujiko Noriko - Solo 1
Akiko Yano - Honto no Kimochi 0
b2 Unit - b2 Unit 0
P-Model - In A Model Room 0
Shoukichi Kina - Shoukichi Kina & Champloose 0
Outograph - Sounds in Motion 0
Croissant Chicago - PeOpLe 0
Maya Ongaku - Approach To Anima 0
Lizard - Babylon Rocker 0
Ippu Do - Radio Fantasy 0
Miharu Koshi - Parallelisme 0
Yukihiro Takahashi - Once A Fool 0
Chakra - Satekoso 0
Mori Wa Ikkiteru - グッド・ナイト 0
Haruomi Hosono - Philhamony 0
Buffalo Daughter - Captain Vapour Athletes 0
Cymbals - Mr. Noone Special 0
Yoshinori Sunahara - Take Off & Landing 0
Yukari Fresh - New Year's Fresh 0
Kahimi Karie - K.K.K.K.K. 0
Number Girl - School Girl Distortional Addict 0
Shione Yukawa - Haiiro to Watashi 0
Space Streakings - 7-Toku 0
Zazen Boys - II 0
Qypthone - Organic Sound Theatre 0
Clammbon - Imagination 0
Hazel Nuts Chocolate - Bewitched! 0
Fantastic Plastic Machine - Luxury 0
Tomoe Shinohara - Megaphone Speaks 0
Lisa Ono - Minha Saudade 0
Kirinji - 47'45" 0
DJ Krush - Strictly Turntabalized 0
Chiemi Manabe - Fushigi Shoujo 0
Nujabes - Hydeout Productions 1st Collection 0
Midori - Second 0


MaresNest, Thursday, 24 August 2023 23:21 (two years ago)

While you ponder (or not), treat yourself to this genius record.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiXBxqJUyfo

MaresNest, Thursday, 24 August 2023 23:26 (two years ago)

voted plus-tech squeezebox

Kate (rushomancy), Thursday, 24 August 2023 23:28 (two years ago)

hard to vote for anything but

Shiina Ringo - Karuki Zahmen Kuri no Hana

ivy., Thursday, 24 August 2023 23:37 (two years ago)

Omni Sight Seeing is one of my favorite records ever so, that one

frogbs, Thursday, 24 August 2023 23:48 (two years ago)

Omni Sight Seeing is one of my favorite records ever so, that one

frogbs, Thursday, 24 August 2023 23:48 (two years ago)

These are my main contenders.

Will probably go with What, Me Worry as that was one of the albums that helped me get through the pandemic.

Hiroshi Yoshimura - Music For Nine Post Cards
Haruomi Hosono - Philhamony
Fishmans - Long Season
Mariah - Utukata no Hibi
Ryuichi Sakamoto - The 100 Knives of...
Yukihiro Takahashi - What, Me Worry?
Miharu Koshi - Parallelisme

kitchen person, Friday, 25 August 2023 01:02 (two years ago)

I only really know one of these albums so I voted for that

Stomp Jomperson (dog latin), Friday, 25 August 2023 01:03 (two years ago)

I will shamefacedly admit to having only heard 4 of these, sorry MN

there's no such thing as a winnable volume war (Matt #2), Friday, 25 August 2023 01:09 (two years ago)

Suffice it to say this is not the Japanese music I listen to. Went with Tujiko Noriko; I have heard that one.

read-only (unperson), Friday, 25 August 2023 02:18 (two years ago)

Mares & I are probably the only people on here who both love Clammbon and have seen them live so voting for Imagination despite Number Girl, Plus-Tech Squeeze Box, Boredoms, et. al.

citation needed (Steve Shasta), Friday, 25 August 2023 03:50 (two years ago)

i'm way behind on my japanese music knowledge - all i know here is fishmans. but fishmans rules anyway, so i'm happy with my vote

tremolo, Friday, 25 August 2023 08:56 (two years ago)

holy fuck, listening to this shoukichi kina album - only 1 song in so far but god DAMN

tremolo, Friday, 25 August 2023 09:04 (two years ago)

XXP - Steve, that's so great, I love Clammbon so much. One of my favourite bands, and I admit to being a bit jealous that you have seen them live.

A friend of mine who saw them a few years back was perplexed at the amount of talking between songs, even though he doesn't speak Japanese. Apparently, it was a lot for a normal gig.

MaresNest, Friday, 25 August 2023 09:18 (two years ago)

I stumbled upon 'Croissant Chicago' whilst trying to find out if people ever used Vocaloid software to make any other kind of music than anime pop or dance music.

I eventually found this one brilliant guy who makes strange, busy, gazey indie guitar band music with occasional unexpected Celtic guitar figures (like he might be a Big Country fan) and with the Hatsune Miku Vocaloid software doing all the singing, it's an odd mixture for sure.

https://croissantchicago.bandcamp.com/track/--11

MaresNest, Friday, 25 August 2023 09:31 (two years ago)

before i reflex-vote for the teacup album like ivy, are there any of these you'd consider recommending me

imago, Friday, 25 August 2023 09:49 (two years ago)

Hey LJ,

Knowing your tastes (roughly) I'd say perhaps Zazen Boys, Plus Tech Squeeze Box, P-Model, Number Girl, Mariah, Shugo Tokumaru, and Croissant Chicago.

MaresNest, Friday, 25 August 2023 10:04 (two years ago)

...and as tremelo so rightly points out, that YT video upthread would probably improve your day greatly.

MaresNest, Friday, 25 August 2023 10:07 (two years ago)

ty, shall investigate...

imago, Friday, 25 August 2023 10:37 (two years ago)

And this mad band that would have been no 51 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY_Cszx6B2A

MaresNest, Friday, 25 August 2023 10:46 (two years ago)

never apologise, it's v appreciated!

tremolo, Friday, 25 August 2023 10:47 (two years ago)

impossible to go past shouso strip

ufo, Friday, 25 August 2023 11:17 (two years ago)

if you put Jun in a poll I'm gonna vote for her. I got one of the Guernica albums the other day and its gently doing my head in, in the nicest possible way.
completely forgot about Yukari Fresh! poll needed some Halmens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94LT0o_4OpI

( X '____' )/ (zappi), Friday, 25 August 2023 11:52 (two years ago)

if you put Jun in a poll I'm gonna vote for her

Hey, don't steal my post! But yeah, it has to be Jun. I think the Mariah album was the closest runner-up as I do listen to that loads, but there's a lot of brilliant stuff here (and I only know about half of the list, so still lots more to check out).

emil.y, Friday, 25 August 2023 13:34 (two years ago)

If Hosono's 'Cochin Moon' had been on there instead, that one, for me.

Lots of good ones here, though...

Soundslike, Friday, 25 August 2023 19:51 (two years ago)

lots to explore here, thanks for sharing. i didn't vote.

budo jeru, Wednesday, 30 August 2023 00:12 (two years ago)

Curious if you’ve ever heard the other P-Model or solo Hirasawa albums. The guy’s constant evolution and insanely consistently great output is comparable only to like, Autechre. But I know it’s a lot!

frogbs, Wednesday, 30 August 2023 00:33 (two years ago)

Absolutely, you've schooled me on your great ILM thread about Hirasawa, so thank you for that!

MaresNest, Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:13 (two years ago)

Shaking my head at doing poor Ryuichi out of 900 of his knives though, tut tut.

MaresNest, Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:15 (two years ago)

Not my yoshimuri pick at all, but it’s the first one I listened to by him so whatever lets go for it

H.P, Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:18 (two years ago)

that jun togawa album is not only a jun togawa album but also features the absolute god tatsuya yoshida (ruins, koenjihyakkei) on drums

but it’s still maybe my 3rd fave togawa or so?

guernica heads really should check the 2022 record with shinchi yamaguchi. she’s still got it!

voting 3776 <3

(⊙_⊙?) (original bgm), Wednesday, 6 September 2023 04:54 (two years ago)

_ A friend of mine who saw them a few years back was perplexed at the amount of talking between songs, even though he doesn't speak Japanese. Apparently, it was a lot for a normal gig._

fwiw i’ve noticed a _lot_ of this at various gigs in japan, i kinda like it

(⊙_⊙?) (original bgm), Wednesday, 6 September 2023 04:57 (two years ago)

Voted for Plus Tech Squeeze Box as that is one of my all time favorite albums.

MarkoP, Wednesday, 6 September 2023 11:15 (two years ago)

two weeks pass...

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Saturday, 23 September 2023 00:01 (two years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Sunday, 24 September 2023 00:01 (two years ago)

four months pass...

Maya Ongaku - Approach To Anima
Don't miss out on this unheralded gem - blissed out acoustic lounge music, almost like YMO in places

assert (matttkkkk), Thursday, 8 February 2024 06:08 (one year ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c00QIAA3CaE

assert (matttkkkk), Thursday, 8 February 2024 06:18 (one year ago)

Good rec! Lovely stuff

H.P, Thursday, 8 February 2024 06:25 (one year ago)

One for Butchie

assert (matttkkkk), Thursday, 8 February 2024 07:03 (one year ago)

Really nice, love how they sampled the birdsong from Pink Floyd's 'Cirrus Minor'

MaresNest, Thursday, 8 February 2024 11:35 (one year ago)

six months pass...

loving the new maya ongaku Electronic Phantoms
https://mayaongakuggb.bandcamp.com/track/anoyo-drive

assert (matttkkkk), Saturday, 7 September 2024 07:21 (one year ago)


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