Re: [microsound] jpop: i think i contradicted myself

[Joshua Maremont <thermal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 12:30 AM -0400 9/10/03, graham miller wrote:
>so what's good? what is essential alternative jpop that needs to be
>listened to... it's something i know nothing about i'd be interested in
>checking something out...

I have been hooked on Sugar Plant for several years now, with its 
early records just reissued in Japan and its most recent licensed in 
Europe it is easier to hear this group's gorgeous music; the reigning 
favorite is the "Happy/Trance Mellow" pair now out of print here but 
perhaps still available separately in Japan.  One of the members also 
curated a rather unusual series of tribute albums - to New Order, 
Neil Young, and Manuel Gottsching's "E2-E4" - on Saldisc, and all 
three are worthy of exploration.  Another band in this area would be 
800 Cherries, and the fictional Lily Chou-Chou (from Shunji Iwai's 
film) has a quite lovely album out as well.  Nav Katze has been 
mentioned already, but I would urge listening not only to the 
European remixes of this group but also to its original albums.  And 
in earlier times YMO and Ippu-Do were extremely influential, with 
excellent solo records issuing from their various members:  Masami 
Tsuchiya "Rice Music," Haruomi Hosono's Monad records, Yukihiro 
Takahashi "Neuromantic," and Ryuichi Sakamoto's "B-2 Unit" are some 
favorites.  And between pop music and electronic music have come some 
interesting records of music I am tempted to name neo-exotica; 
Inoyamaland, World Standard, and Pacific 231 come to mind here.  And 
speaking of such things - but getting closer to the realm of this 
list - has anyone any comments on the So record from Oval?

np - "Meteosound"
-- 
Joshua Maremont / Thermal - mailto:thermal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Boxman Studies Label - http://www.boxmanstudies.com/

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