Show Date: Tue. December 7, 1999
Show #70
Japan - volume 11



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Playlist:
# Artist Song (click to play) Album Year CD label
1 Koenji Hyakkei Ioss Hundred Sights Of Koenji 1994 God Mountain
I understand that this is another Ruins off-shoot band. Which is weird - because I have about 3 off-shoot bands, but, I still do not have albums by the mother-ship Ruins! The main vision I get in my head when listening to this song is of Beavis and Butthead doing their grunge head-banging dance routine. There is some Zeuhl stuff going on here, but, most other Zeuhl bands are a little more serious than these guys. This group is totally whacked. It is going to take a while to get into this album, but, it's sounding better and better the more I play it.
 
2 Lacrymosa Balkanic Dance Joy Of A Wrecked Ship 1994 ?
I do not have this album - the track was contributed by Teh Hock Kim, with this comment - "The entire album has a whimsical English folk sound to it." I have also seen this compared to Art Zoyd, Univers Zero, and Nazca, and described as chamber progressive. Based on this one track, they sound pretty excellent. It is quirkier than the afore-mentioned groups, perhaps more like Etron Fou.
 
3 Deja-Vu Flash! Baroque in the Future 1991 Made in Japan Records
IMHO, this is fairly ordinary symphonic. Some people rate this album very highly, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt that I just haven't "gotten it", yet. It has a strong progressive-pop element to it, perhaps influenced by Asia and U.K. I played this CD a half dozen times, and every time it played all the way through without anything capturing my attention. It is decently played and there are no bad songs - it just does not excite me too much.
 
4 Flower Travellin' Band Satori Part 1 Satori 1971 Warner
This track is contributed by Daniel Elander. Since I do not have this album, I cannot too authoritatively. The guitar playing is outstanding, influenced perhaps by John Cippolina of Quicksilver. The music has a strong USA/UK late 60's/early 70's psych vibe. The vocalist almost sounds like Ronny James Dio at times. Satori seems to be generally regarded as their best album.
 
5 Il Berlione Electrostatic Hotel Il Berlione 1992 Belle Antique
Instrumental avant/fusion/prog with some Crimson influence. Another fine example of the great prog from Japan in the 1990's. This is the band's first of only 2 releases. This is a fascinating album with tons of interlocking ideas to make it an album of continual discovery.
 
6 Far East Family Band Nipponjin (excerpt) Nipponjin 1975 TRC?
Nipponjin is a Klaus Schulze remix of parts of the FEFB album _The Cave Down to the Earth_ and the pre-FEFB album by Far Out called _Nihojin_. This particular track is apparently from the Far Out album. It is very nice spacey psych with a dreamy Moody Blues vibe, and soaring lead guitar that sometimes reminds of Eric Clapton's 60's and early 70's style.
 
7 Bondage Fruit Mobile Bondage Fruit II 1996 Mabo
And another track from Daniel Elander of an album that I do not have :-) This song sounds quite different from Bondage Fruit's 3rd album, which I have. As Daniel pointed out, this sounds very much like early Zao, especially because of the female vocals. It also sounds more composed that the avant jamming excursions of the third album. Definately for fans of Zao and other heavy fusion Zeul bands like Weidorje.Anyone heard the Bondage Fruit off-shoot band Rinnesya ?
 
8 Ars Nova Fury Goddess of Darkness 1996 Made in Japan / Musea
Here is a track from Ars Nova's most well-known album, and their first that was released on the Musea label (in addition to Made in Japan Records). This is their third album of instrumental keyboard-heavy from with a strong ELP influence, with a strong undercurrent of dark Italian progressive music.
 


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