|
|
|
In addition to significantly improved worldwide availability of domestically released Japanese music thanks to online retailers, the last few years have seen a steady rise in labels outside of Asia releasing Japanese repertoire, especially in the United States. Some of the records are easier to find than others, and your friendly neighborhood retailer may need some nudging to stock the more eclectic titles, but the following is a sample of wha'ts out there.
For alternative rock, a number of labels have been doing A&R in Japan. Emperor Norton has had a long and loving relationship with Japan, releasing music by Buffalo Daughter, Zoobombs, Takako Minekawa, and Fantastic Plastic Machine (for whom they helped place a track in the film “Austin Powers”) to warm reception in the United States. The label has also released the excellent Lost in Translation soundtrack, which while it contains only one Japanese track (“Kaze Wo Atsumete “ by the seminal band Happy End), many have applauded the record for successfully capturing the feel of Tokyo, thanks in part to original music written and performed by Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. In fact, it is arguable that Lost in Translation has done more for tourism to Japan than all the Japanese government’s related initiatives combined.
New York based Matador Records has also had their eyes on the Japanese market, and has had considerable success with Pizzicato Five, Guitar Wolf and Cornelius (it has been three years since his last album, and fans are hungry). While P5 have now broken up, by some calculations they have sold more CDs in America than any other Japanese pop artist. Guitar Wolf have in fact now been dropped, as it seems people enjoy seeing them live more than merely listening to their records. However, they continue to enjoy a high profile, having toured the US many times since their first trip in 1993, and most recently announcing dates for a 2005 tour including Austin's annual South by Southwest music event.
Sub Pop also has a fairly extensive involvement with Japanese pop. They included a cut by Shonen Knife on their very first LP Sub Pop 100, also releasing a single by the band. In 1993 they released the album Superstupid! by the female punk band Supersnazz, and have made split disc releases featuring the psychedelic oriented Ghost and Acid Mothers Temple. Chicago’s Drag City has released seven albums by Ghost, and Thrill Jockey has titles by innovative club music creator Nobukazu Takemura and OOIOO, the potent side project by Boredoms drummer/ trumpeter Yoshimi and friends. The good folks at the Bellingham, Washington based Estrus Records, who specialize in “surf, garage, trash” have found things of their liking to release by the 5,6,7,8's, Teengenerate, Supersnazz, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, and DMBQ. The recently hatched Happy label has kicked off their catalog with two young artists, Piana and Gutevolk, who are already getting attention overseas for their neo-folk/ambient sounds.
For those looking for something a bit more traditional, check out Domo Records, who have done very well with the new age leaning music of Kitaro, and with new traditionalist shamisen players the Yoshida Brothers. Or if you’re feeling retro, check out the music from Japan’s Group Sounds era on compilations lovingly put together by England’s Big Beat Records for their “GS I Love You” series, which also contains a “best of” by the Spiders, Let’s Go Spiders.
If you lean toward the extreme or exotic, take a tour through catalog of Public Bath, a label named after a Shonen Knife song and featuring a deep sampling of Kansai noise bands including Zeni Geva, Omoide Hatoba, Hanatrash, Sekiri, and UFO or Die (a Boredoms spin-off band). Ipecac, a label founded by Mike Patton of Faith No More and former Alternative Tentacles employee Greg Werckman, has some twisted tunes, by the likes of the Ruins, Yoshimi & Yuka (of the Boredoms & Cibo Matto respectively), and the interstellar frogginess of Ex-Girl. Still in the outer realms, but more arty and less assaulting, check out John Zorn’s Tzadik sub-label New Japan, which has an extensive catalog (nearly 50 titles so far) of Japanese underground artists including Friction, Mono, Ikue Mori, Michiyo Yagi, Rovo, Toshinori Kondo and Keiji Haino. They have also released CDs documenting collaborations between Japanese and foreign artists, such as Derek Bailey and the Ruins, and Zorn himself with the Boredoms singer Eye Yamataka.
If you’re more of a straight up fan of J-pop chart hits, the LA based Tofu Records may be to your liking. While run independently, the label exists basically to release material from Sony's roster, which is considered by many to be the strongest in the business. So far, releases include albums by TM Revolution, L’Arc-en-Ciel, Polysics, X Japan, and the soundtrack to the animation feature film Appleseed, which features music from Japanese artists Boom Boom Satellites and Ryuichi Sakamoto coupled with music by the likes of the Basement Jaxx and Paul Oakenfold. Tofu has also released an album by newcomer Nami Tamaki, who has made an impact internationally via songs used in the animation Mobile Suit Gundam Seed.
In fact, the recent trend seems to be more towards mainstream pop music than it has been in the past. Where ten to twenty years ago the few people outside of Japan who were into Japanese music might have heard a bit on college radio, these days it's more likely they will hear it on an animation soundtrack – arguably the most effective channel for spreading the word on Japanese music these days. Another place music and anime is effectively mixing is on Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi the popular new Cartoon Network TV show featuring a combination of the real and the animated versions of Puffy. And if you want the soundtrack, you won't have to look too hard. It's on Sony, and available everywhere.
Happy hunting!
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Send us a comment |
|
|
|
Print page |
|
 |
|
Get XML feeds |
|
 |
|
Get Javascript feeds |
|
|
