Alfonso Soliano laid the foundations for broadcast and studio music in Malaysia, and it's often said that no one has shaped the sound of modern Malaysian music more than he did. This release unearths rare recordings pressed in editions of only a few dozen copies for radio broadcast, which essentially never circulated publicly. Drawing on the vocabu ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Adachi)lary of bebop and swing jazz as well as Latin music, and incorporating big band arrangements while tying them to elements of traditional Malay music, Soliano forged a uniquely Malaysian modern sound that is at once sophisticated and rooted in local tradition — his little-known work distilled into 11 tracks on this invaluable album. Every piece here is an original composition, with performances from leading Malaysian musicians of the era such as Johari Salleh and Ahmad Nawab. Includes liner notes documenting Soliano's life and achievements, plus previously unpublished archival photographs. Gatefold sleeve. (Original Japanese text by Adachi)

Johari Salleh was a composer, arranger, conductor, and trumpeter whose wide-ranging career spanned Malaysian state broadcasting, film scores, popular song, and national hits — a maestro often credited with shaping the orchestral sound of modern Malaysia. As with the simultaneously released Alfonso Soliano title, most of these recordings were made f ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Adachi)or radio broadcast or pressed locally in runs of only a few dozen copies and barely circulated; from those rare sources, nine tracks have been selected to showcase jazz, the music he was most passionate about throughout his life. Weaving a spiritual air together with Malaysian folk motifs, it's a gem of a collection featuring deep modal slow grooves, fiery jazz-funk, and vivid proof of his gifts as a trumpet soloist. Gatefold sleeve with liner notes, previously unpublished archival photos, and a 12-page booklet. (Original Japanese text by Adachi)

A new album from singer Enji, born in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, who grew up steeped from early childhood in the traditional Mongolian singing style "urtiin duu" (long song). This time she records with musicians active in the European improv scene, including Austrian pianist and composer Elias Stemeseder, known for his collaborations with John Zorn and ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Saito) Christian Lillinger; drummer Julian Sartorius, who has worked with Herbert, Rhys Chatham and Valentina Magaletti; and Fazer guitarist Paul Brändle. She also takes on "Eejiinhee Hairaar (With My Mother's Love)," a Mongolian song her father used to hum. The charm of its nostalgia and simplicity paired with the depth of the refined acoustic and mixing work is superb. (Original Japanese text by Saito)

With a production career spanning three decades, ELADO's new release is a dangerous one, a talent beloved by disco masters such as EDDIE C and GERD JANSON. From the Bollywood disco of "Disko Disko!" with its invasive cosmic synth rush, to "Yeah Yeah," which transforms 80s Thai obscure funk into a resilient and punchy acid sound. An addictive edit journey from the Middle East to Southeast Asia! (Original Japanese text by Akie)

ベトナム人の血も引く、フランス在住のビートメイカーとして20年以上にわたって活動してきた名手Onraのアルバム。2006年に初めてベトナムを訪れた際にディグした、ベトナムと、中国の古いレコードをもとに、作り上げたビートアルバムで、2007年にベトナムの人たちへの人道支援のドネーションCDとしてリリースされ。翌年にはFAVORITE Recordingsはからばなるバイナル・リリースされたアルバム。2023年にAll City Recordsからリイシューされています。 (サイトウ)

While the first installment focused on the so-called “Oriental” category and cultural memory, the second—a more conceptual installment narrowed down to female creators—has now arrived. COLA REN, based in Guangzhou, China, and exploring modern club sounds, presents the dreamy, left-field garage track “Message in a Tofu,” which makes full use of her ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie)signature colorful sound palette. XIAOLIN, a familiar name from Hong Kong-based labels 〈MIHN〉 and 〈BLESS YOU〉, presents the dark, edgy electro track “Pressure (ft. Eli),” among others. This is an outstanding compilation that goes beyond the label’s written concept—by savoring the tracks, you’ll gain insight into the relationship between these artists’ cultural backgrounds and their individual skills and sensibilities! (Original Japanese text by Akie)

Tengger, who have earned acclaim through appearances at festivals around the world including SXSW and Glastonbury, present a new work that renders in sound the connection to the vast sky and the cosmos beyond, and the boundless expanse without borders. Conceived not as a collection of songs but as one continuous sonic experience, the album unites l ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Adachi)uminous synths, field recordings gathered on the road, and Itta's voice into an open-minded ambient drone-to-kosmische sound, tied together by their own singular sensibility — music you can surrender to with complete ease.

■Recommendations
"Pillars of sound floating in an immense sky. The music reminded me that perception itself is precious."
Tsutomu Sonoda (maya ongaku)

"Please enjoy a pleasant flight" — words I'd like to offer not only to those boarding a plane, but to everyone who picks up this album.
Go Kurosawa (Guruguru Brain) (Original Japanese text by Adachi)

bié Records is a label that spans everything from YU SU’s debut album to artists from China and Singapore. A quick look at their Bandcamp page reveals a lineup of excellent experimental and ambient works from Asia that you may not have heard of yet. I’m impressed by the label’s taste in releasing solo works by female percussionist Valentina Magalet ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)ti, who not only collaborates with Asian artists but also with popular female artists released on Modern Love. King Gong’s name even appears on the roster (!).
This release is a collaboration between bié Records and SHIKA SHIKA, in which they remix each other’s tracks. Featuring El Buho and Barrio Lindo, of course, as well as DJ Raff and NUMAGAMA from Voodoohop. The occasional oriental melodies are soothing, and I’ve discovered that they pair surprisingly well with the melancholy of South American minor keys. The entire album is a collection of mid-tempo, organic dance tracks—and among them, EL BUHO really stands out (sample 2). I even sense the beginnings of a new trend in Asian electronic music!!!!
*Please note that there is a slight tear at the top of the jacket from the time of arrival. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)

A masterpiece mixtape by Kink Gong—aka Laurent Jeanneau—a collector with a vast archive of ethnic minority music. Focusing on the communities of the Lisu people—a mountain tribe whose population extends into Myanmar and Laos—in China and Thailand, this is not merely an archive but a unique work mixed through the artist’s sensibilities. Keeping his ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Adachi)role as an electronic musician in the background, he showcases his skills as a DJ and selector, fluidly collaging the diverse and magnificent brilliance of Li music. A double-sided, single-track release with a re-edited flow and structure. From jungle soundscapes to animistic rituals led by shamans, improvised call-and-response singing, circle dances at festivals, pop music performed on nighttime stages, mouth organs made from gourd, and the sound of the CHIBEU—a traditional string instrument locally adapted—emanating from street-corner speakers. The detailed track list has been released and is available for review. (Original Japanese text by Adachi)

The latest release from the Thai music discovery project jointly led by SOI48 and EM RECORDS is the second album by Ankanaan Kunchai, an indispensable diva of Isan and Morlam music. She was one of the first singers to incorporate the song styles of Luk Thung into Mor Lam—a form of dance music with strong narrative elements—and this album features s ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Saito)everal killer tracks that are currently gaining renewed appreciation among DJs. The songs capture the rustic roughness and earthiness of rural Isan, yet also possess an elegance and spirituality; the backing music is also worth noting, featuring minimalist, repetitive basslines and rhythms reminiscent of Jamaican reggae, a dance groove sensibility, and elements of Asian enka and theatrical dance music. It’s a charming and profound world. The liner notes—featuring passionate commentary by the two members of SOI48 and including bilingual lyrics—are a truly impressive piece of work by EM Records. I consider this to be “Golden Triangle Psychedelia.” (Original Japanese text by Saito)

From Belgium’s long-established avant-garde label, SUB ROSA. The field recording project “Massif And Archipelago”—which documents traditional gong music from various ethnic groups that the artist has spent years researching and recording, focusing on the gong, an instrument that has played an indispensable role in Asian mythological geography—is no ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie)w available on vinyl! Using techniques such as the rhythmic linear technique known as “hoquet,” which alternates between chords, the music features melodies that unfold over time, along with vocals and hypnotic repetitions. It is music that is simple yet mysterious and enveloping. (Original Japanese text by Akie)

"Mystery 秘神," recorded at a home studio in Taipei. It's the starting point for the duo's exploration of a shared fascination with art inspired by Taiwan's occult culture and with the superstitious imagery rooted there since ancient times, expressed through music. Growing up in 1990s Taiwan, the brothers say they listened to Chinese-flavored synth p ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Adachi)op, video game music, psychedelic music, doom metal, plus sound collage and library music. Layer onto those influences an affection for the dark humor and conspiracy theories found in Taiwanese folklore, and you get something wonderfully shady. Or was it just our imagination that we heard the sounds of the 3D Pinball that came bundled with old versions of Windows (surely many of you wasted plenty of time on it)? (Original Japanese text by Adachi)

ターキッシュ・サイケにもつうじる、ムーグもフィーチャリングしたユニークサウンドSifat Manusia。B-SIDEは、インドネシア70年代のグループ、One Dee Groupのスンダ・ポップのカバーだという「Mang Becak」。いなたくて、アホくさい。最高。 (サイトウ)

『「ケース・ウーがプロデュースし、2001年にCDのみでリリースされた "A Deeper Shade "が、間もなく12インチ2枚組レコードとして再発される。オリジナル・アートワークのフルカバー・プリントと、スタジオでの若きケースの写真、そしてこのアルバムのレコーディングに使用された機材のリストがインサートされる。 当時、このリリースは、シンガポールの小さな島から生まれた、地元のエレクトロニック・ミュージック業界のパイオニアの一人による、決定的かつ唯一のディープ・ハウス／テック・ハウスのフル・アルバムとして歓迎された。 ケース自身はこう語っている：「私は1999年にディープ・ハウスというジャンルに出会った！1999年にディープ・ハウスというジャンルに出会って、一聴して恋に落ちたんだ。純粋な ...Read more魔法だよ！」インスピレーションの閃きから始まったこの音楽は、やがて1ヶ月の自粛的なスタジオ隔離生活、つまり没頭、表現、そして新発見のサウンドへの献身の旅へとつながっていった。その創造的な飛び込みの成果が "A Deeper Shade "である。 ポリエステル・クッキー "と "サブリミナル "は、2000年／2001年にトランスポート・レコーディングがTSP008用にピックアップしたもので、最近ではレアで高価になっている。時の試練に耐えた65分の純粋なディープネス！ (インフォメーションより)』

Human Pitch — the excellent label helmed by Simisea (who also runs the label SLINK) and Tristan Arp (who has released work on the UK's Wisdom Teeth among others, and is a member of Asa Tone), both former resident DJs at The Lot Radio, presenting the cutting edge of ambient and experimental music with releases from Salamanda, Le Frit and more — has ...Read morenewly signed Guangzhou-based producer/DJ COLA REN.

COLA REN is a young musician who depicts the space between city and nature, memory and dream, through delicate soundscapes, and has drawn attention for poetic instrumental works making full use of field recordings and electronics.
Now, on her new record "Mekong Ballad," featuring her own voice for the very first time, she opens up a new horizon of expression.
The release contains five ambient tracks inspired by the breath of the river and the weight of tropical air.
The music drifts, dissolves, refracts and returns like light reflecting off flowing water. Fallen fruit, whispering currents, the haze of moonlight over an estuary — fragments of memory rise to the surface in a work that is at once a meditation on water and a weightless journey in search of a place to belong.

On the title track, COLA REN herself sings, with Chinese lyrics penned by J-Fever (Xiao Laohu). The addition of the human voice to her distinctive ambient sound gives rise to a deeper mode of expression.
Also joining are tga (saxophone), a star of the Chinese free jazz scene, and Thai improviser rrrrrm (trumpet), bringing a rich flow of breath and resonance to the music. Their playing lends an organic, human pulse to COLA REN's fluid sound world where rivers, memories and dreams intertwine.

Furthermore, the CD edition, released in Japan only, includes three remixes by Mong Tong, Guohan and Wu Zhuoling, making for a full-length physical release combining originals and remixes.

シンガポールで遊郭や賭博、不衛生な食堂、安宿が残る歓楽街、ゲイラン・ロードにある麻婆豆腐屋の屋上にあるスタジオをホームにしているクリボ・レコーズのプロデューサーでミュージシャンのマゴット。ヴィンテージ機材でっぱいの狂気じみたスタジオの魔術が、母国の文化のるつぼの中で、彼の世界のサウンドトラックとなる、蒸し暑く、汗ばむような、ファンキーでグルーヴィーな楽曲を生み出している。
グローバルに広がるレトロ・ファンク＆ソウル・ムーブメントと同調しながらこの地域ならではの色もある。マゴットと彼のコラボレーターたちによる作品で、タイのルーク・トゥン／モーラム、アフリカのアフロビート、70年代のアメリカン・ファンク、ディスコ、サイケ、ソウル、UKポップの雰囲気持つ。このクリボ・レコードのシングル・コレ ...Read more (サイトウ)クションは、マゴットの特異な音楽的姿勢を覗き見ることができ、ヌサンタラ群島のユニークな文化的景観を知るガイドである。推薦盤。 (サイトウ)

インドネシアのミュージシャンBambang PranotoによるソロプロジェクトBanjar Teratai Capungの3作目のアルバム『Tunggak Semi』がリマスター再発。電子工学と通信を学んでいたというBambangは、その後1990年代にコンピューターソフトを活用して作曲を始め、坂本龍一やピーター・ガブリエルからの影響を受けながら伝統とテクノロジーの融合を図った彼のスタイルを象徴するとされる一枚。アコーディオン、アコースティックギター、竹笛、パーカッションを繋ぎ合わせた、自然の諸相を夢みるノスタルジックで瞑想的なサウンド実践。スローダンス〜チルアウトなトラックもサンプルにピックしています。 (足立)

『フランスで生まれ香港/台湾/アメリカで育ったRomain FXはプロデューサーとしてのデビュー以降、自身が主宰するFauve Recordsや禁 JIN、Black Jukebox等で、イタロ・ディスコやプロト・ハウス、アジア産音源等を現代的に昇華したサウンドを展開。特に2024年にSound Metaphors Recordsの傘下から発表したイタロ・ディスコ金字塔"Spacer Woman"のカヴァーは、DJ HarveyやOrpheu the Wizardらのアーリープレイによってディガーたちに衝撃をもたらすと同時に、Romain FXの評価を確固たるものとした。

本作には、溌剌としたシンセの掛け合いにラテン・パーカッションが並走しドリーミーなクライマックスに向かうプロ ...Read moreト・ハウス"Musique De Maison"、アフロ/コズミック影響下の初期プログレッシヴ・ハウスが現代のピークタイムとシンクロした"Tonal Spices"、バイレファンキやエレクトロ・ファンクの化合物がバッドトリップ直前まで交錯する"Psych-O-Delic (Live Mix)"といった3つのオリジナル曲を収録。更に今回は、ユニットGǼGとしての怪作を経てPanorama BarをはじめとしたEUツアーを敢行した日本人デュオ、Monkey Timersによる"Musique De Maison"のリミックスも搭載。Droid作品を彷彿とさせるFX処理やグルーヴ脱構築の技法により、本EPにダークな一面を持たせた。

本作に収録されたいずれの楽曲も、Romain FXが辿ってきた陽性のエネルギー溢れる遍歴と練磨されたスタジオ・スキル、現代のダンスフロアのムードが交差しオリジナリティの獲得を目指す、インパクト溢れる仕上がりとなった。近頃はライヴアクトとしても成長を遂げるRomain FXが如何にクラウドを熱狂に陥れているか、想像に難くないであろう。(from information)』

Following Dao Bandon comes a very best compilation from Hontong Dao-udon, another artist every Thai music explorer is bound to encounter. A world of exotic molam song built from electrified band sounds, traditional instruments, and Asian rhythms. This is Asian psychedelia at its finest, warping time and space in the thick, humid air of the tropics. (Original Japanese text by Saito)