Susumu Yokota - A Flower White

01 A Flower White
02 A Flower White (Seeland Remix)
03 Love Tendrilises (Montag Remix)
04 A Ray Of Light (Oen Sujet Remix)
05 Love Tendrilises (Montag Instrumental Remix)

Perhaps the most striking song from Susumu Yokota’s most recent album; ‘A Flower White’ features the vocals of Nancy Elizabeth over an arresting mixture of swooning synths and almost military beats to create what Fact magazine called a ‘90’s goth metal ballad’. Others preferred to hear it as ‘moody new wave’ or ‘warped folk’. Whatever it is, it’s certainly unique and undoubtedly gorgeous.

Also on the EP is an amazing remix of ‘A Flower White’ by Seeland - A band featuring ex-members of Plone & Broadcast, who take the track in a more ‘shoegaze pop’ direction, all chiming guitars and soaring harmonies, to create a modern classic. As if that wasn’t enough there’s a string drenched remix of ‘Love Tendrilises’ by Canada’s Montag (fresh from their excellent M83 remix) and an intricate, heavily electronic re-work of ‘A Ray Of Light’ by fellow Canadians Oen Sujet.

We’ve also included Montag’s instrumental version of ‘Love Tendrilises’, reminiscent of the widescreen ambience of Low era Bowie and Eno, it’s just too good to miss.

Shugo Tokumaru - Rum Hee

01. Rum Hee
02. Alaska
03. Inatemessa
04. Vista (Alt Version)
05. Typewriter (Alt Version)
06. Parachute (Alt Version)
07. Rum Hee (Oorutaichi Remix)
08. Rum Hee (Deerhoof Remix)

Last year was a good one stateside for Japanese experimental folk-pop maestro Shugo Tokumaru. Exit, his latest full-length and one of my favorite albums of 2007, was officially issued in the U.S. on Almost Gold Recordings and he even put together a short tour here with support from members of Beirut (which included a performance at the CMJ Festival as well as a quick East Coast run with The Magnetic Fields). It was enough to make me forget that we could probably expect to hear some new music from him pretty soon… and lo and behold, today Shugo released a single with three brand new tracks, three alternate takes of previously recorded songs, and a couple remixes.
The A-side, “Rum Hee”, is rich, triumphant, and anthemic, awash in an abundance of bright hues and sunny textures. Opening with driving guitar strums, sleigh bell shakes, and a background of light bird chirps, the song plays out like the soundtrack for a frolic through a magical forest, its layers of smile-inducing sounds swelling and subsiding, cascading over the listener in exhilarating waves. “Rum Hee” is also given the remix treatment by noise-pop mainstays Deerhoof and Osakan electro-weirdo Oorutaichi. Both are really good, but I figured I’d post the one that I find the most interesting… and to my surprise, it isn’t Deerhoof’s subtle, percussive reworking. Oorutaichi manages to outdo them by reimagining “Rum Hee” as a piece of glitch-laden, beat-driven electronica, all the while maintaining the wide-eyed wonder of the original

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Out Of Noise

01. Hibari
02. Hwit
03. Still Life
04. In the Red
05. Tama
06. Nostalgia
07. Firewater
08. Disko
09. Ice
10. Glacier
11. To Stanford
12. Composition 0919

Ryuichi Sakamoto's new original album, Out of Noise, will be released April 3, 2009. Out of Noise will feature 12 new tracks, and will be Sakamoto's first new release in five years. This album will be followed by a series of 21 live performances throughout Japan, which will be recorded and distributed within 24 hours in Japan exclusively via iTunes. Worldwide distribution will follow shortly thereafter. This is the first time iTunes has embarked on a deal to deliver recordings so rapidly. Please follow the links for further information...www.regenmag.com

Hatakeyama Chihei - Dedication

1. white mountain 

2 .bird above the ocean 

3. chair and acoustic guitar 

4. light of the sun 

5. illusion of memory I 

6. illusion of memory II 

7. illusion of memory III 

8. quiet morning 

9. dedication

Continuing his tradition for his second album, Chihei Hatakeyama does not use any synthesizers in making his music. All tracks were created by real musical instruments. In addition to using a guitar, accordion, calimba, violin, Shamisen, and vibraphone, he also used abstract noises such as the sound of air filling a bicycle tire. This album flows at the pace of a glacier and is mean to relax and weave your soul through the fabrics of nature and beauty. Dedication is the perfect album for deep thought, meditation or atmospheric music for a new age location.

Susumu Yokota - Mother

1. Love Tendrillses - Susumu Yokota & Casper Clausen 

2. Breeze - Susumu Yokota & Nancy Elizabeth 

3. Ray Of Light - Susumu Yokota & Nancy Elizabeth 

4. Flower White - Susumu Yokota & Nancy Elizabeth 

5. Natural Process - Susumu Yokota & Caroline Ross 

6. Reflect Mind - Susumu Yokota & Nancy Elizabeth/Kaori 

7. Inside Foresighted - Susumu Yokota & Kaori 

8. Meltwater - Susumu Yokota & Caroline Ross/Kaori 

9. Tree Surgeon - Susumu Yokota & Kaori/Claire Hope/Panos Ghikas 

10. Sulture - Susumu Yokota & Casper Clausen/Anna Bronsted 

11. Bonda - Susumu Yokota & Kaori 

12. 12 Days 12 Nights - Susumu Yokota & Nancy Elizabeth