Released in 1978 as the second release from Vanity Records—an indie label that epitomized the post-punk era in Osaka—*Crystallization* is a grand musical epic conceived by a 19-year-old musical genius known as SAB, “crystallized” onto magnetic tape using electronic music equipment. It is a classic of “pre-New Age” music that emerged before the term “New Age” and its associated culture became widespread in Japan. Although he was supported by two musicians during the recording sessions, the album is largely a so-called “home-recorded” work, produced through multitrack recordings by SAB himself. *Crystallization*, SAB’s only solo release, features arrangements and instrumentation that hint at influences from Brian Eno, the Obscure label artists, and Popol Vuh; however, he simultaneously sought to distance himself from these influences. As a result, it has earned the status of “a masterpiece that belongs to no particular lineage of synth music” (Note). It has become a new classic for audiences of the 2020s. Furthermore, amid recent trends such as the New Age revival and the rediscovery of Japanese ambient music, its musical value has grown even more brilliant with the passage of time. The illustration of agate on the album artwork was inspired by the writings of philosopher Roger Caillois and drawn by Marino Ruuni (wife of Seigo Matsuoka).

*Note) Review of *Crystallization* by Miki Tayama, published in the November 2023 issue of *Record Collectors* magazine in the special feature “Japan’s New Classic Albums 1970–89.”