El Michels Affair—aka Leon Michels, the head of BIG CROWN—is extremely busy, having even won a Grammy Award for his work as a producer. His sound is meticulously crafted, drawing inspiration from ’80s and ’90s fashion, MF DOOM’s sampling sources, and T.L. Barrett’s gospel music.
Florence Adooni, hailed as the “Gospel Queen” of the Fula Fula tri ...Read more (Original Japanese text by AYAM)be in northern Ghana, has garnered attention for her collaborations on tracks by Jimi Tenor (she also released her first solo album, *A.O.E.I.U.*, earlier this year). “Say Goodbye” features cute vocals, bouncy basslines and drums, and a chorus that sticks in your head; “Mágica” is a jazz-funk track brimming with groove and saudade, featuring Rogê, one of the top singer-songwriters in contemporary Brazilian MPB; “Anticipate” (sample 1), featuring Clairo—the Atlanta singer-songwriter known for her soft vocals whose album *Charm*, produced by Leon Michels, became a global hit— the psychedelic and romantic mid-tempo track “Indifference” (sample 2), featuring Shintaro Sakamoto, which was the talk of the town even before the album’s release; a reunion with Norah Jones—whose collaborative album with Leon Michels, *Visions*, won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance; and the melancholic, poignant funk ballad “Carry Me Away” (sample 3)—every track is so wonderful that I’d love to provide a detailed commentary on each one, and since the track order tells a cohesive story, I highly recommend listening to the album from start to finish. Be sure to also listen closely to the fantastic backing musicians, featuring BIG CROWN artists such as Kevin Martin (Gt, Brainstory) and Homer Steinweiss (Dr). The album artwork, featuring a championship trophy you’ll want to display, is also top-notch. This is one of my top recommendations of the year. (Original Japanese text by AYAM)

Improvisation on the dance floor and spiritual introspection, the driving force of funk, Latin, and South Asian rhythms, and a meditative, percussive sound. The style—first showcased in the 1970s on various releases from Flying Dutchman by Lonnie Liston Smith and his band, The Cosmic Echoes—is fully on display in this recording as well. Loren Oden, ...Read more (Original Japanese text by AYAM) a singer known for her androgynous vocals and a member of Adrian Younge’s band Venice Dawn, is featured on three tracks, and her spiritual and dramatic vocal performances are simply breathtaking. With eight original tracks, this album is a flood of exquisite, mellow grooves. (Original Japanese text by AYAM)

Opening with the mellow groove “Synchronize Vibration” (sample_1)—which could be seen as a sequel to Roy Ayers’ anthem “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” (’76)—this album treats listeners to eight tracks of exquisite mellow jazz-funk that shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. All tracks are original compositions co-written by the three artists. Top-notch. (Original Japanese text by AYAM)

The only size available was a massive 2XL, but I stocked up on it because I absolutely had to wear it! The body is made of fairly thin GILDAN fabric (probably around 4.0 oz) with a soft, drapey texture. You can get creative by layering it or hemming it; girls might even want to try wearing it as a dress. The color is beige.

-size- Flat meas ...Read moreurement
Chest width: 65 cm
Length: 82 cm

(AYAM)

Takashi Kokubo — one of Japan's foremost environmental music composers and sound designers, known for creating the Emergency Earthquake Alert tone and the payment confirmation sound for iD — built this album from natural sounds he captured using Cyberphonic technology in the Ion Forest of Mukawa Village, Yamanashi Prefecture. Aiming for the sweet s ...Read morepot exactly between music composed by a musician for listening pleasure and the sounds of nature itself, he pursued a "soundscape" whose comfort goes on forever. Three tracks are included: 1. "Awakening of the Forest" (sample 1), 2. "Memories of Summer" (sample 2), and 3. "The Distant Blue Star" (sample 3).
Using headphones brings out even more of the immersive sound of the Cyberphonic (three-dimensional ultra-acoustic) system employed here. Composed according to the 1/f fluctuation theory of rhythms found in the natural world — gentle breezes, shifting sunlight — the record was made with the wish that listeners, worn down by the relentless pace of modern life, might occasionally set themselves down within a slowly flowing soundscape. It reigns as a masterpiece of Japanese environmental music, new age, and ambient: calm, gentle, richly sensitive, and offering a listening experience much like forest bathing.
What's more, this CD is said to be the world's first to capture "high-frequency noise" (the noise abundant in natural sounds that stimulates the cerebrum and relaxes the listener), making it a recording that conveys an analog-like warmth despite being a CD.

The album *Nihon Onsen Kikō*, released by *Oke MUSIC FACTORY* and expressing the “hot-and-cold bath groove” cultivated through 365 days of visiting public bathhouses, as well as the split 7-inch with BITOWA’s *Wind Noise Records*, sold out immediately to rave reviews. and now we’ve received a summer update from NICKELMAN, whose new work we’ve all b ...Read moreeen eagerly awaiting. NICKELMAN’s signature psychedelic undulations, lo-fi texture, tropical vibe, and mellow, tropical soundscapes—all blended with his signature use of samples—are on full display. Give it a listen in an ice-cold room, inside a car with hot air blowing in, or during those exhausted after-hours moments. Includes a download code!
(AYAM)

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The latest release from Osaka-based producer NICKELMAN, *Mangoes II*. Released on vinyl and cassette by the long-established Canadian label URBNET as the sequel to his 2021 release *Mangoes*.

Centered around a soulful, sweet groove, the sound expands into tropical and exotica territories. Layers of melting loops intertwine with hip-hop beats, creating a pleasantly swaying, mellow texture overlaid with psychedelic undulations that gently envelop the entire track.

Opening with a dubby intro and centered around a fresh, juicy beat, the album unfolds smoothly—like a movie soundtrack—ranging from dance tracks to melancholic, mellow soul.

The collages created under his own art name, “55555,” resonate with the sound, painting a deeper, more refined, and uniquely personal sensory world.

A sweet, atmospheric release that builds upon his previous work. A fruity instrumental album perfect for savoring in the leisurely flow of time, far from the sweltering heat.

Once again, I have to say it’s simply overwhelming—Carlos Niño’s work is so compelling that it feels like it’s not only leading the way but also encapsulating the entire evolution of West Coast hippie culture right up to today. This album features three musicians who served as the backing band for André 3000’s *New Blue Sun*—which, for me personall ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)y, was one of the best albums of last year. The fact that a major hip-hop artist released that New Age album was a continuation of Black Spiritualism, and Carlos Niño was, as expected, the mastermind behind it.
Surya Botfasina is a keyboardist (!!) who grew up listening to Alice Coltrane’s piano and synth playing. Nate Mercero is also a West Coast prodigy who works with Carlos while moving in and out of the mainstream; he samples the band’s sound live as he plays, for example, playing back a 30-second-old sample of Carlos’s percussion in a new key and tempo, or quickly slicing up Surya’s keyboard pads and pitch-shifting them to sub-bass frequencies—reconstructing moments of “sound within sound.” The three of them came together at the home recording studio of Jesse Peterson and Mia Doi Todd of Turn On The Sunlight in Glendale, California—a testament to the close-knit nature of the West Coast “leaving” community. It’s an album that transcends jazz and ambient music, feeling more like a natural phenomenon. It’s incredible. (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)

The other day, on my way to Compuma’s 7-hour set event held at the former Guggenheim Residence in Shioya, Kobe, I was so moved that I listened to this album the whole time. Listening to it while gazing out the car window at the sparkling Suma Beach under clear blue skies was an extraordinary experience. Give it a listen and experience the breath an ...Read mored warmth unique to live recordings, along with the handpan’s tones as they swirl, roll, and leap—it’ll make you feel as if you’ve become a fish gliding effortlessly through the water. Highly Recommended
(AYAM)

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Sawako Kano is a drummer and handpan player based primarily in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. She began playing drums in a school marching band as a child and later performed as a drummer in numerous bands. She began playing the handpan in 2020 and has since joined the “Tokimeki Trio” and “Sawachiko” as a handpan player. She has released the album “Kibako Tetsu,” recorded using the handpan and tang drum. She continues to perform as a drummer with “Kobune” and “kobukan” (Kobune + Kanji Nakao).

This album, “Spinning,” is a recording of a live performance held at cafe tohka on April 20, 2025.
It captures the open acoustics and peaceful atmosphere of the cafe, located in a quiet residential neighborhood. The sound, which he himself describes as having a “human-powered techno flavor,” is acoustic yet occasionally reveals moments reminiscent of natural sounds, much like those produced by analog synthesizers.
Although the handpan has a limited range, the noise components in the attack, the rich overtones, and the rhythmic sensibility unique to an exceptional drummer combine to construct a complex sonic world. Combined with the acoustics of the minimalist café space, the sound is reminiscent of a suikinkutsu.

Mastering was handled by Yousei Suzuki, and
the cover art was designed by ann ihsa.

If you look back through their catalog, you’ll find nothing but groundbreaking releases and key artists who creatively shape the current scene—here’s a mix from 〈ACCIDENTAL MEETINGS〉, the pivotal collective driving innovation in the Bristol scene! Spanning 99 minutes and crossing countless genres—truly embodying the label’s spirit—this mix features ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie) not only the genres mentioned above but also post-punk, dub, new wave pop, proto-new beat, and—as the icing on the cake—a cover of Curtis Mayfield, right down to pitch-controlled batucada. It unfolds like a kaleidoscope, leaving you with the distinct impression that it won’t let you get bored for even a single second. Limited edition. (Original Japanese text by Akie)

Once again, the content is incredibly entertaining and fascinating, brimming with the artist’s signature persuasiveness. Enveloped in a raw, gritty edge and a bizarre, otherworldly sci-fi sense of the future, this cassette tape mix features the unique, imperfect sound and audio quality that only a cassette can offer—making for a truly alluring tape ...Read more (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA) release.
Compiled from rare records and tracks from private collections, this release exquisitely blends Soviet-style modernity, local traditions unique to the region, and the cheap synthesizer sounds that were emerging at the time, evoking a sense of nostalgia while painting a vision of the future unique to Central Asia. From Uzbek disco and Tajik synth-pop to little-known, psychedelic oddities, the album is packed with tracks you can only hear here. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)

Around 1968, through a connection with James Seelight—who was working at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, which was providing support for music production at the time—Alwyn Nicolays met Dr. Robert Moog around 1968 through James Seelight, who was working at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, which was providing him with m ...Read more (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)usical production support at the time. Moog incorporated the advice he received from Nicolais, leading to the completion of the first Moog synthesizer, as well as the later Synclavier (a synthesizer and sampler), featuring 21 dance tracks created under the theme of exploring percussive rhythms and new sounds, making full use of sampled word attack sounds, interesting sound effects, and various experimental “musique concrète”-style effects created with a tape recorder. *Death Is Not The End* is a masterpiece. This is the limited-edition cassette version. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)

The music on Horse Lords’ *Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!* is incredibly intricate, yet at the same time possesses a deeply human warmth. The 12 tracks are intricately interwoven in multiple layers, unfolding with complexity in both timbre and rhythm. Moiré-like interactions and repetitive patterns engage both the mind and the body, creating a ...Read more labyrinth of countless sounds while maintaining an irresistible groove.
A groundbreaking work that further expands the band’s unique musical language cultivated over many years, *Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!* aims to transport listeners into a spiritual, ecstatic, and utopian sonic space. (From the press release)

M. Sage is a musician, intermedia artist and recording engineer (as well as a producer, publisher, teacher, partner and parent). He has been making experimental studio recordings since the early 2010s, with recent highlights including the four seasonal albums by Fuubutsushi, the improvisational ambient jazz quartet he formed with friends, and the 2 ...Read more (Original Japanese text by AYAM)021 release "The Wind of Things" — which drew comparisons to Tortoise's "TNT." Driven by a perfectionist sensibility in which a piece is only done when it's truly finished, he spent an unusual five years — unusual for such a prolific artist — patiently designing "Paradise Crick," resulting in a fascinating, singular and utterly convincing work that fuses the natural and man-made worlds into something like a fantasy. A masterpiece. (Original Japanese text by AYAM)

Tokiyo Ooto—a musician from Osaka who has performed with And Summer Club and the Michinori Toyota Band—and Orhythmo, another Osaka-based artist with a background in hardcore, Orhythmo, formed in 2023. The project began when Ooto’s creative spirit was sparked by listening to cassette tapes of old British nursery rhymes; he then approached Orhythmo a ...Read mores the key collaborator to bring his vision to life.
The combination of Ooto—who plays bedroom music utilizing electric guitar loop effects in his solo work—and Orhythmo, who excels at drone-style electric bass playing that seems to sink into infinity, held great potential from the start. This deliberate duo adopted the concept of “lullabies for adults” and and independently released their first album, *If All The World Were Paper* (2024), recorded in one take at LM Studio in Osaka. Their second album, *Play Nursery Rhymes and Children's Songs*, was created with the vision of publishing a picture book, further developing and refining the unique world they have crafted into a more intricate soundscape. Two of the four tracks are new recordings featuring the Shiga Prefecture lullaby “Nennen Mori no” and the masterpiece “Buranko” (lyrics by Masuyo Tsuzuki, music by Yasushi Akutagawa), while the other two tracks are reworked versions of the British folk songs “Hey Diddle Diddle” and “There Was an Old Woman.” Through *Play…*, Tokiyo Ooto and Orhythmo use highly contemporary methods to drag out the remnants of the mythical nature of songs—which must have been inherently contained within them but were lost over the course of history—from the depths where they have sunk beneath their symbols, transforming them into allegorical forms and presenting them to us. Recording, mixing, and mastering were handled by Ippei Suda of LM Studio, with artwork by Yoshikazu Ano.

＝Product Specifications＝
+ Insert (featuring Japanese and English lyrics)
+ Includes download code

それぞれがサウンドデザイナー、DJ、neco眠るなどで活動を展開している荒木優光、栗原ペダル、DISTESTの3者で構成される2009年に結成したNEW MANUKEの新作にして、これまで自主リリースのカセットテープや、日野浩志郎主宰の〈Birdfriend〉からKuknackeとのスプリットカセットなど僅かな音源リリースだった彼らの嬉しい初アルバムがリリース。未知の祝祭感とユーモアで到達する無二の逆(?)トランス。Eric Copelandのごときジャンク、トラッシュ感覚。サンプリング＆コラージュの妙味で豆鉄砲をくらうぐねるポップス。まずは触れてほしい新奇作。素敵なアートワークは〈Warp〉〈Born Bad〉〈Bongo Joe〉などのレーベルにも仕事を残すデザイナーFélicité L ...Read more (足立)andrivonが担当。各フォーマットに”慈愛”の主宰やDJユニット慈母子など多岐に渡り活動するoboco氏による5000字ライナーノーツが付属。爆音とは。 (足立)

Hi there! DJ HIKARU presents a fresh take on MPS jazz mixes that transcends conventional DJ mixing!
Based in Okinawa but traveling all over Japan, DJ HIKARU brings the profound soundscapes of Germany’s MPS to life with his unique sensibility in a live mix! Moved by the spirituality, the beauty of the recordings, and the quiet passion found in ...Read morethe masterful performances originating from the Black Forest, DJ HIKARU has transformed MPS into an entirely new work through his free-spirited mix.
Neither jazz nor club music—this transcendent DJ mix awakens listeners through “sound” itself!

“MPS? I’ve never heard of it—could you send me some tracks?”—It all started with this single line, and he went on to listen to every one of the roughly 100 CDs to select tracks and structure the mix. This live DJ mix was recorded while he boldly tackled a session using the SirenMachine he acquired last year. “An absolutely incredible recording of a human performance. It’s on a level worthy of being designated a World Heritage Site. Is this jazz—which even evokes a psychedelic awakening—the very essence of the universe? MPS! A wonderful experience,” says HIKARU himself. This album was born from that profound impact. It’s neither jazz nor club music—it’s a mind-blowing DJ mix that awakens listeners through “sound” itself.

Interspersed with DJ sets by Park Daham, this was an endurance live set from YPY featuring modular synths and more, plus a session with cellist Hiroki Nakagawa, his partner in KAKUHAN, and finally a return to YPY's roots with a set using a cassette MTR. This cassette was sold as a limited advance release at the sold-out Namba Bears show. The specia ...Read morel black-and-silver artwork is designed by Zodiak. (Saito)

Arthur Russell was a legendary musician who met Allen Ginsberg, lived in the world of NYC avant-garde music and underground disco, and passed away from AIDS. This CD compilation of previously unreleased material, released on Philip Glass' POINT MUSIC label in 1994 after his death, is being reissued for the first time on analog by BE WITH RECORDS. T ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Saito)he CD contains another take of one of his best-known songs, "In The Light Of The Miracle," a later remake of "This Is How We Walk On The Moon," the machine-beat "My Tiger, My Timing," and "A Little Lost," all vocal songs, his own cello, and a few other songs. All are vocal songs, performed mainly with Arthur Russell's own cello and guests, and all are full of Arthur Russell's charm as a singer. A 140g 2LP album with a synth sheet enclosed in a spread sleeve, this could be the album of a lifetime. (Original Japanese text by Saito)

A new album by Akusmi, led by French-born, London-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Pascal Bideau. The album draws on African polyrhythms, minimalist music, and spiritual jazz. Be sure to check it out. (Saito)

▫️information▫️
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Featuring Sarathy Korwar, Dudú Kouate, Marysia Osu and more

French-born, London-ba ...Read moresed composer and musician Pascal Bideau aka Akusmi announces his second full-length Terra Incognita, an album of intrepid sonic exploration that delights in the sensation of being somewhere you've never been before. The listener is invited to experience seven faraway sonic imaginariums, as global and spiritual jazz are fused with modern electronics and life affirming minimalism into a hypnotic, polyrhythmic odyssey.

The album's rich multilayered sound world features contributions from tabla virtuoso Sarathy Korwar, Senegalese musician Dudú Kouate adds an array of percussions, ngoni and flutes and Levitation Orchesta's Marysia Osu brings harp and flutes. Following Akusmi's widely acclaimed debut album Fleeting Future (2022) which was supported by The Guardian, The Quietus, MOJO , Gilles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs etc, this time, the sound palette for Terra Incognita is more vibrant, earthy and abundant, drawing inspiration from the radiating optimism and high-energy sources heard in Afrobeat, Highlife and Electronic Afro-pop music, sounding looser, free and primarily interested in raw sensations.

Full Press Release here: Click here

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Selected press

"Minimalism meets rave pentatonics"
4 Stars_- The Guardian, Album of the Month

"Meditation level music" - Benji B (BBC Radio 1)

"A fiercely focused electro-acoustic masterclass, full of life-affirming zeal."
4 Stars _- MOJO

"Akusmi crafts a forward-thinking sound from a vocabulary of past futures"
- The Quietus
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Formed in 2000 as a three-piece band led by Koji Shimura, featuring guitar, bass, and drums, playing a quirky style of rock. For this album, they welcomed Yuichi Shiota—a singer-songwriter active in various scenes—as the new guitarist and vocalist, forming a three-piece band alongside the rhythm section of Takuya Nishimura (bass) and Koji Shimura ( ...Read more (Original Japanese text by AYAM)drums). The album features somewhat melancholic, literary lyrics, smoky fuzz guitar, and dry drums. Japanese psychedelic rock—perfect for drinking alone. (Original Japanese text by AYAM)