It was 1995. A mysterious figure suddenly showed up at a privately owned recording studio, bringing his own karaoke track and saying, “I want to record a demo tape to send to a record label.” He just sang his part and left. The master tape had been discarded in the studio, as if to say, “I don’t need that.” I was stunned by that recording.

...Read moreIt might be “enka,” but the music—presumably created on a PC by playing along with preset sounds—is completely avant-garde. These bizarre tracks, driven solely by his “impression of enka,” are almost progressive rock, sometimes exploding and sometimes falling into silence.

This masterpiece of avant-garde enka, whose creator remains unknown, was released in a limited run on vinyl in the ’90s and on CD in the 2000s. However, both editions sold out, and it has since become a legendary item with a constant stream of requests for the vinyl from those who’ve discovered its unique content. Rumors upon rumors have surrounded this ultimate self-produced kayō album—one that even Ken Yokoyama of the Crazy Ken Band reportedly DJs heavily and sings passionately from (he sure can sing!)—and now this miraculous record is making a comeback with the best sound quality ever. (Disc)