Various Artists - Musique Du Jouet

Label : Novel Cell Poem - NCP-010

Country : Japan

Year : 2001

Format : CD

I am still alive and I have seen the comments. Somehow I missed some Google security update wrt Google Drive download links, even had a deadline. Hopefully I can fix this without much trouble, but perhaps this early Christmas present can tide you over. Before yuletide sets in, that is.

This is one CD I've had my eyes on for awhile, never really finding the right Discogs seller or Japanese auction to snipe. Until now, that is. I've laid clear my huge interest in Toypop scene in the past, both through posts on this very blog and lists on another. This CD is a good showcase of the variety of sounds produced in this cross-continent yet seemingly tiny movement, and it makes for a good collected companion to the sort of "thrown-against-the-wall" nature of my playlist. 

As for now, "musique du jouet" still languishes in a sort of obscurity that I hope changes in the future. If only a little bit of exposure, it's a beautiful and rich assortment of sounds for anyone willing to lend an ear. At this point I oughtta write a book on it.

Click the CD

Harpy - Hot Drive

Label : Self-Released - HP-006

Country : Japan

Year : 1998

Format : CD

Before I start, let me recommend this live performance being offered on Bandcamp by the great itoken. With that giving me a good conscious to share this to you for free, here is a set of tracks recorded in the late 90s by one of my favorite toy/avant/prog groups, a mix of live and studio tracks. 

A zip of this has been floating about the internet for a long while, but only in measly 192 kbps mp3. Today I give to you, in fresh 4K quality, a 96 kbps opus rip!!!!

(FLAC version can be found on slsk if need be)

Here

Various Artists - Cruel Beasts

Label : Maboroshi no Sekai - B...018

Country : Japan

Year : 1994

Format : C45

Something special for your Sunday. I'd like to think this is rare, but for all I know this could be shelf fodder in its homeland. This is an early release on the very cool Maboroshi no Sekai label which produced similar albums of this sonic ilk throughout its continued existence. The sounds presented here are of a diverse type all deriving from that all encompassing "experimental" umbrella. Some tracks branch off from the textures sprouted forth from bands such as the Boredoms and the Ruins, the spectrum of noisy mayhem and technically proficient chaos.

One may recognize some of the names here, with Japanese underground luminaries like Otomo Yoshihide, Koichi Makigami, and Seiichi Yamamoto making an appearance and also one of my favorite groups from that very subterranean artspace, Harpy. In fact, Harpy's percussionist itoken is the one who chose these artists for this tape. You may recognize him from my Zuppa di Pesce posts awhile back, I really respect his work. Some bands included are avant-proggers Soh Band and psych-noisters Children Coup D'Etat, who turn in some impressive performances. A band I don't recognize is Piranezi, jazzy noise rock for busted eardrums. Lots of unheard tracks here, don't miss it.

Here

Lossless, so don't lose out!