This release, from SA Recordings—a UK jazz label and long-time ally—features a completely improvised session with Gwilym Gold, a singer-songwriter known for his unique style, including field recordings by Chris Watson. It consists of 3 to 4 hours of edited audio recorded on two pianos, one of which is a grand piano equipped with the ✴︎ “Magnetic Re ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)sonator Piano”—a grand piano—and another piano, resulting in an edited recording of three to four hours of music.
How should I put it? It’s sort of “post-post-classical”—not as difficult as classical music, yet it retains the soothing, ambient quality that’s easy on the ears. It’s also close to the pleasure of dance music, and in this regard, you can definitely feel the influence of the UK chill-out scene. The title “still” can be translated quite literally as “silence.” This isn’t your typical home-recording artist; his solid soundscape is backed by a track record that includes touring with Herbert and Amy Winehouse. You’ve got to hear this on vinyl! I think this is the pinnacle of piano ambient music.

✴︎It’s an electronically enhanced acoustic piano capable of extracting new sounds from the piano strings without using speakers. Electromagnets, separate from the hammers, induce vibrations in the strings, producing infinite sustain, crescendos, harmonics, pitch changes, and new timbres—all of which can be controlled directly from the piano’s keyboard. (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)

Originally a duo, ARTEFAKT—which has released music on numerous prestigious techno labels such as 〈DELSIN〉, 〈SEMANTICA〉, and 〈PROLOGUE〉—has now transitioned to a solo project led by NICK LAPIEN. Following the fantastic MAAYAN NIDAM collaboration, here’s the latest installment in this series! KMRU—a prodigious talent whose track “Peel” on 〈EDITIONS ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie)MEGO〉 is legendary, and who has since released countless ambient and electronic masterpieces on labels like 〈TOUCH〉 and 〈WARP〉 through various collaborations—takes the stage. In addition to two versions of “Piano Movement”—which feature meticulously arranged and processed improvisations on classical piano—the album consists of recordings made in two distinct environments: an improvised session in a wooden cabin nestled among the pine forests of Brandenburg. The creation of textures that evoke a sense of immersion and the storytelling-like development—which defies belief that it was improvised—are simply breathtaking. It blurs the boundaries between genres such as ambient, acoustic, and electronic. (Original Japanese text by Akie)

This album, which many people voted as the best album of 2020, has arrived in stock following a reissue. It features contributions from Brooklyn’s Twin Shadow; grime artist Lil Silva, who releases on Night Slugs; the unique Black female guitarist Melanie Faye; and Mr. Mitch, known for his releases on Planet Mu. Perhaps because he’s someone whose ba ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)ckground extends beyond music to include a fashion brand, photography, and even children’s picture books, his sound design is uniquely solitary—truly ahead of its time. His sampling ideas, in particular, feel like they come from somewhere outside the mainstream. He’s apparently famous for being sampled by Solange, and whether it’s Kendrick Lamar or Solange, that sense of transcendence—being connected to the mainstream yet standing apart—reminds me of John Carroll Kirby. Personally, this unpredictability makes me nostalgic for the days of Shasol. His latest release, “Meeting with a Judas Tree,” featuring Yu Su—which I posted earlier—was well-received, but the more I listen to this one, the more I realize it’s an absolutely mind-blowing piece of work. It’s incredible. (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)

An African American author born in Tennessee in 1938. Ishmael Reed, a jazz lover who was friends with many avant-garde jazz musicians such as Sun Ra and Cecil Taylor, released a CD album in 2022 on New York’s “Reading Group”—and it has now been released as a long-awaited LP. It begins with a minimalist, meditative piece composed for a play about Je ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Adachi)an-Michel Basquiat, followed by blues and evocative tracks, and concludes with an answering machine message left by his late daughter, Timothy. It possesses a simple, lived-in quality and distinctive sound reminiscent of the score Carmen Moore composed for the TV movie Personal Problems (produced by Ishmael Reed). The raw atmosphere of the live recording allows you to hear the rhythm, the turning of pages, and even the musicians’ breathing. The album also includes piano solos and ensemble pieces by Reed himself—who reportedly began studying jazz piano after turning 60—featuring his wife, Carla Blank, on violin, as well as close friends on flute, guitar, and vocals. The performances are simply wonderful—full of charm, as if the distinctive narrative style of a writer—whose work is sometimes described as “jazz you can read”—has been directly translated onto the piano. (Original Japanese text by Adachi)

萌える緑、眩い清流、澄明な空、音もなく落ちる雪・・・。北海道が生んだ名ピアニスト、福居良が紡いだ美しき風景＝シーナリィ。ここに、永遠に。WE RELEASE JAZZからの輸入盤LPアナログ・リイシュー復刻。 (コンピューマ)

Not long after releasing their previous album, “#Tenorio,” 45trio has already unveiled a new work. This album was created as a tribute to Ahmad Jamal; while paying homage to the spatial pauses and rhythmic breathing of his music, it features 45trio’s signature minimalist yet richly resonant piano, tight, funk-infused grooves, and meticulous playing ...Read more—all hallmarks of 45trio. and Side-B “I Love Music” (sample 2), a meticulous cover of the 1970 classic track—a masterpiece that shines brilliantly in the history of hip-hop sampling—performed with 45trio’s signature approach.

Side B features an authentic modern jazz cover of The Police’s 1979 reggae-rock classic “Walking On The Moon” (sample 2), performed by a quartet of saxophone, bass, drums, and piano—a gem of a cover that also exudes a strong punk spirit. A red vinyl reissue of the 7-inch "TAKE VIBE E.P." by the highly anticipated jazz trio TAKE VIBE, featuring Lond ...Read more (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)on’s new-generation jazz saxophonist Laurence Mason, delivering an authentic, modern, and futuristic sound. Be sure to check out the music video as well. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)

He played keyboards on Solange's various works and Frank Ocean's classic "DHL," so he is a genius who can make this kind of work while being in the major hip-hop scene with a high sense of style. He also played keyboards on "DHL," a Frank Ocean classic, and is now a major player in the hip-hop scene, but he is also a genius.
The chords are some ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)what reminiscent of Japanese environmental music? We felt a strange sense of nostalgia, and the words Ryuichi Sakamoto and Nintendo came to mind. The title song My Garden (sample 1), Blueberry Beads (sample 2), and many other great songs are on repeat right now. (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)

PANORAM is the main project of RAFFAELE MARTIRANI, a synth-sound maverick who has been producing for over a decade under a range of aliases. This masterwork, which pushes the familiar composed timbre to its limits in an attempt to create an unknown kind of piano music, has arrived. Drawing on everything from musique concrète to modern minimalism an ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie)d loop technique, the focus stays on the uncanny. Ghostly overtones, resonances emerging one after another, and even the tempo and the way pieces end — despite structures and compositions that are never complex, it reaches territory no one has managed to express before. Absolutely superb. (Original Japanese text by Akie)

ECMからも作品をリリースするKetil Bjørnstadの初期作群。『Preludes Vols.1 & 2』『Pianology』をまとめたCD盤。ピアノという最小単位に立ち返り、メロディ、和声、構造、そして即興の余白を見つめ直した時期の記録との本人弁。流通困難でしたがこの度ごく少量入荷です。アンビエント好きにもぜひ。 (Shhhhh)

PROJECT PABLO主宰〈ASL SINGLES CLUB〉や〈YOUNG ADULTS〉、〈PLANET EUPHORIQUE〉などから作品を発表してきたカナダシーンにおけるキーアーティストUNKNOWN MOBILE、少しリリースが止まっていましたが新作アルバムで待望カムバック！2025年の冬から春にかけて録音されたフィールドレコーディングを中心に構成、世界各地と自宅近辺で拾い集めた音と繊細なエレクトロニクス、抒情的なピアノ演奏、時にクリックノイズがシームレスに融和。録音時の情景を浮かび上がらせるようなディープサウンドトリップ。アートディレクションにも自ら携わった一枚。トラックリストから全曲試聴できます！ (Akie)

Throughout his career spanning more than 30 years, pianist Tsuyoshi Hirano has been a unique figure in Japan’s extreme underground scene, quietly weaving a sonic world that captivates listeners. He rose to prominence in the 1990s and has released three albums on PSF Records—run by the legendary record store Modern Music—as well as several self-rele ...Read moreased works. What these works have in common is a focus not so much on technical perfection as on the spontaneity and poetry that arise in the moment. It is music that infuses the small moments of everyday life with a fleeting beauty.

The Habit is structured around a public recording session held on October 5, 2020, using Pianola Records’ upright piano, interwoven with a collection of short, sketch-like pieces featuring synthesizers that had been recorded on cassette MTRs since the late 1980s. With a minimalist instrumental arrangement—including piano, melodica, wind chimes, and percussion—and understated timbres, delicate melodies are quietly and slowly woven together. The expansive resonance of the piano drifts gently, blending with the surrounding sounds. Rather than presenting only the sounds of the instruments, the work carefully incorporates the atmosphere of the moment and even the subtle signs lurking in everyday life, transforming “imperfection” into a living form of expression.

Unadorned expression that captures the impulses arising naturally from the moment, combined with an approach that incorporates the environment through a unique sensibility, embodies Tsuyoshi Hirano’s unwavering aesthetic. In The Habit, an intimate and melodic resonance—nurtured by the passage of time and the accumulation of days filled with sound—quietly breathes.

Pianist Ryo Fukui has continued to captivate listeners not only in Japan but around the world. Alongside his debut album Scenery, released in 1976 on Trio Records, his second album Mellow Dream—which countless fans still seek out today—is finally being reissued. It would be easy to simply describe it as “lyrical” or “melodic” piano music, but this ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie)is a performance that conveys the richness of its melodic lines, a sense of tension and immediacy, and the subtle fluctuations of the piano. It is a continuous sequence of moments that well up within you and take your breath away. For that very reason, this is an album you’ll want to listen to on vinyl. With half-speed mastering and an 180g heavyweight vinyl, you’ll feel an even greater sense of sonic depth. (Original Japanese text by Akie)

Out on the essential label 〈HIVE MIND〉, home to genre-bending works from the likes of RICARDO DIAS GOMES and reissues such as MAALEM MAHMOUD GANIA! A new album from JESSE HACKETT, the multi-instrumentalist/songwriter who moves freely between the experimental scene and the mainstream. The guest lineup is stellar too, with AKIRA UMEDA on electronics ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie)and FINN PETERS (ex-ACCIDENTAL) on winds. Written during a difficult turning point in his life, and drawing inspiration from a bar tucked quietly away in London's bohemian underworld, the sound is beautiful yet shot through with darkness and shadow. Classical piano and wind-instrument chamber pieces such as "Rain Soaked Choker" (sample3) stand out, but with samples and cut-ups woven in, the result is a singular soundscape that feels like slipping into a scene from a film. (Original Japanese text by Akie)

Both this "Waltz For Debby" and "Sunday At The Village Vanguard" were made from the live recordings of June 25, 1961. The latter is a memorial album focusing on bassist Scott LaFaro, who passed away eleven days after the performance. This album gathers the remaining takes from the date and leans far more heavily toward Evans himself. Why is it that ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie), out of the many recordings he left behind both solo and with his trio, this is the one that has been handed down as an album representative of jazz itself? One reason, I feel, is that the conversational interplay among the three players presents the appeal of the "piano trio" — a rare format at the time — better than anything else. And the audience applause, laughter, and the clink of glasses that only a live take can offer are charming too. Because the Village Vanguard was located underground, there's even an audiophile legend that you can faintly hear the subway during the performance. Why not pick it up while you have the chance? (Original Japanese text by Akie)

Otoroku presents a solo LP bursting with the singular piano language of veteran pianist Sophie Agnel, who broke away completely from classical music and departed from jazz. In her typical performances, the inside of the piano is said to be strewn with tins of fish, ping-pong balls, and scraps of wood. Both sides are live recordings made at Cafe OTO ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Adachi), captured in the summer of 2023 and again a year later. The music unfolds through images of oncoming trains, blues harmonica, and feedback. Her mastery lies in pulling an overwhelming mass of sound back down to a single note — a gem of an ever-expanding, poetic approach to sound. (Original Japanese text by Adachi)

In classical Andalusian music, the piano—an instrument of Western origin—occupied a lowly position, and it is said that Skandrani’s performance style, which he essentially pioneered, led to his works being treated as heretical. The reason for this was that, prior to his time, solo piano performances were unheard of in Andalusian music concerts, and ...Read more the very idea of performing “Istiqbal” (a style of Andalusian court music) on the piano would never have occurred to anyone else; it is said to have caused quite a stir at the time.
Algerian classical music is characterized by the fusion of Andalusian court music—which originated with the Arab-Islamic dynasties of Spain—and Turkish classical music, and it has also been influenced by Western, indigenous African, and Jewish traditions, resulting in a distinctive blend of Eastern and Western cultures. “Istiqbal” is a prelude to the court music suite form known as “Nauba” (or “Nouba”), and it exists in several modes (forms). In this work, a single mode is first played and presented as the theme, followed by variations to form a set; the piece includes a total of nine sets of modes. The accessible charm of this work lies in the way Oriental, Western, and African elements elegantly intersect on the keyboard; the sounds woven from the piano move as if traveling back and forth between the East and West, forming a single delicate thread.

=CD Edition=
＋Standard jewel case, 8-page booklet, obi strip
＋English and Japanese liner notes

In his early career, F.S. Blumm earned acclaim in Germany's experimental scene for exploring extremely low volumes and minimalism, probing the blurry line between music and ambient sound; more recently his work has referenced "the memory of sound / the reverberation of afterglow" — hence this sense of stillness. The ambient-dub approach of their pr ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)evious record was wonderful too.
This texture is distinct from West Coast ambient, East Coast experimentalism, or environmental music approaches — personally, this duo also carries a psychedelic quality that reminds me of the silent sessions of Mickey Hart or the Grateful Dead. You melt into it and lose your way while listening.
Nils Frahm's keys, needless to say, are pure artistry. As ever, this is the impossibly tasteful "quiet" side of Berlin, still one of the epicenters of dance music. (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)

From the late 1990s to the present day, Sheffield-born talent Mark Fell has kept releasing one-of-a-kind works — under the SND moniker and through countless collaborations, on Mille Plateaux, Raster Noton, Editions Mego, Line, Snd and more — that sit between electronic dance music and experimental music, pursuing a structural abstraction driven by ...Read more (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)relentless curiosity. Here he meets Pat Thomas, a master improvising pianist deeply rooted in jazz and contemporary composition, for an intellectual yet sensuous sonic dialogue: algorithmic and improvised music for computer and piano that also reveals a real lyricism. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)

From the deepest reaches of Bratislava's MUSIC THAT SHAPES, the label that floored us with the "Parla" reissue! Here comes a solo album by RUBEY HU, keyboardist of HUALUN, the post-rock/instrumental rock band whose work also extends to film scoring. Fellow band members ZOOO and DINGMAO, who have long formed the core of the group's sound, also take ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie)part. Every stage of production was carried out at night, resulting in a piano work that quietly captures the still natural scenery of the East. RUBEY's lyrical playing, grown out of his daily improvisational practice, is a joy in itself, and the varied textures carefully added by ZOOO make the record all the richer. (Original Japanese text by Akie)