A musician active in the experimental and alternative rock scene since the 1980s, he was a member of Berliner Ring, whose release marked Art Yard’s first contemporary artist. Known for synthwave, self-released cassette works, storytelling through electronics and his distinctive vocals, and experimental approaches to dance music on labels like Meaku ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Saito)sma and Compost Records, this album opens with a cover of “No Hoppers” by the Niyabingi legend RAS MICHEAL. The sound is rhythmic and obscure, reminiscent not so much of Niyabingi as of MOONDOG. Naiyabingi legend RAS MICHEAL’s “No Hoppers.” The sound is rhythmic and obscure, evoking MOONDOG more than Naiyabingi itself—a dub-infused, floating sound that illuminates the pitch-black dance floor. Featuring the original and instrumental versions of “No Hoppers,” along with a floating sound and a gothic vibe—while also offering glimpses of reggae and dub—this track delivers a groove born from abstract yet solid electronics. Be sure to check it out. (Original Japanese text by Saito)

LNS—aka LAURA SPARROW—has been active alongside JAYDA G as part of Vancouver’s underground collective GENERO, and since her debut on 1080P, she has been leading the scene as part of the “SEX TAGS” family. Her exploration of acid music during a period focused on acquiring new studio equipment and honing her technical skills is now presented in a two ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie)-part series! From “Sweet Acid” (sample 1)—featuring emotive, cinematic floating melodies and a mellow, rounded acid sound that smooths out the sharp edges—to “Acid Rated” (sample 3), which interweaves sci-fi samples with acid over an electro-breakbeat foundation. The drums shift between fragmented breakbeats and the familiar sounds of the Roland TR-606 and TR-808. Rooted in tradition yet distinctly her own, she delivers a strong and memorable melodic line carried by the acid. (Original Japanese text by Akie)

MARK SEVEN, who continues to release tracks that hit all the right notes for proto-house fans on labels like 〈WORLD BUILDING〉, 〈ROGUE CAT SOUNDS〉, and 〈ENDLESS FLIGHT〉, teams up with JAMMA-DEE for a dream collaboration on the popular offshoot label 〈PARKWEST〉! From “Dedication (Original Mix)” (sample 1), where an acid bass bounces between ethereal ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie)flute and beautiful Rhodes loops, to “Good Love” (sample 2), which shines with a gospel-inspired groove, to the deep New Jersey-style “Lost In The Maze” (sample 3)—these tracks revive the proto-house sound with intense appeal. (Original Japanese text by Akie)

A1 is “Butterfly (Swag’s Falling Further Dub),” a track he provided to a female singer named Kinobe in the early 2000s. It’s a deep house track with a floating feel, featuring ethereal vocals, emotional synthesizers, and a hard-hitting beat. B1 is an unreleased dub version of a remix provided for Shuffle Inc.’s “Remember Chicago”—a solid tech-house ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Saito) track with a groove that keeps the dance floor moving. B2 is reportedly a track released as “Drumprints Sampler One” on his own label, Primitive. SWAG, DUCKBEATS WORKS. (Original Japanese text by Saito)

Produced by Colin “Chapter” Thrpe, who worked on A Guy Called Gerald’s “Voodoo Ray.” A sensational masterpiece unique to Chapter & The Verse—a group that, even within the acid jazz scene at the time, was at the forefront of releases and remixes that actively embraced techno, house, downtempo floor sounds, and dance music!! A track that remains as f ...Read more (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)resh as ever, with a sharp, jazzy edge! An aggressively avant-garde UK acid jazz-hip-hop masterpiece. The precarious B-side “Stealth” (sample 2)—a track from the dawn of electronic hypnotic house and techno-jazz in the vein of “Voodoo Ray”—is also fantastic. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)

This is an ambitious work that explores house, psychedelic, and trippy sounds. Track A1, “Orizzonte” (sample 1), is a masterpiece of tribal, percussive modern house featuring Tuvan throat singing (khöömei); track B1, “Dadedaluz” (sample 2), is a mysterious, left-field beatdown track with vocal choruses, scat, and motifs drawn from traditional folk ...Read moresongs; and B2 “Rubimei” (sample 3), an imaginary Mongolian Khöömei ambient track. A limited-edition, hand-stamped 12-inch vinyl release.

Xtal’s signature shoegaze-inspired electronic sensibility and experimental electronica-ambient vibe, combined with complex arpeggios, minimalist rhythm patterns, and a melancholic, dreamy melodic sensibility, hypnotic atmospheres, and meticulous, delicate sound design, all come together to create a smooth, unhurried, dreamlike unfolding of tech house and deep house. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)

The intricate details of the melody, drifting like layers upon layers of mist, create a dreamlike, ambient, and elegant atmosphere, giving rise to a beautiful, delicate world of modern house infused with electronica and jazz in A1 “In Service” (sample 1); A deeper, more hypnotic approach: aesthetic, hypnotic house! The title track, A2 “In The Turpi ...Read more (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)d Heat Of The Afternoon” (sample 2), and B1 “Shutter Encoder” (sample 3), featuring classical ambient piano tones that evoke the tranquility of organic house, and the pastoral, ambient, introspective downtempo B2 “Folding & Unfolding,” where a sense of comfort gently spreads. I highly recommend this release. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)

This is Mike Kee’s second release on Ruf Kutz—he was said to be a figurehead of Sydney’s shady underground squat parties (his first release was the 2010 “Sydney Disco Mafia” EP).

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『Ruf Kutz reaches release twenty-two with something close to heart... Mike Kee is a face from the early days - red-lit rooms of the Bodega mushro ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Saito)om squat parties in Sydney. This is a second release for Mike Kee on Ruf Kutz since 'Seeing Crystals' on RK2 in 2010. Recorded in the rainforests of Bundjalung Country (northern NSW, Australia). Making good use of a Fender Rhodes and a JX-8P synthesiser. WHITE CLOUD PLACE is a destination that doesn't exist. Glimpsed once on a street sign, filed away in the imagination and allowed to bloom into an imagined geography of warmth and weightlessness. The music is lush dream house that elicits euphoria out of the speakers and into the body. Mike Kee has been chasing this feeling across his music and here it lands cleanly. Flip the record and the temperature ratchets up. BANANA MOON is one for the dancers - shuffling congas push the pace while Rhodes chords and those big analog synth strings hold the whole thing aloft. Where the A-side invites you to float, Banana Moon keeps it pitched up and jazzy.  』 (Original Japanese text by Saito)

“Label Information”
VAIN-do presents DJ MIX ARCHIVE, Volume 3: a DJ mix showcasing the sharp sensibility of Takeshi Kouzuki, who runs “Zipangu Records”—a record store in Shioya, Hyogo Prefecture that embodies a unique aesthetic—while continuing his musical activities.


Takeshi Kouzuki

A DJ and producer based in Kobe. He began ...Read moreDJing around 1994 while working as a hairstylist.
He cultivated a musical perspective that spans New Wave, Industrial, and Chicago House.
In 2008, he released *Japanese Rhythms* via MATHEMATATICS in Chicago. He develops a unique sound centered on warm grooves created by vintage synthesizers and drum machines, combined with minimalist structural beauty.
In 2024, he released the “Electric Language EP” via 〈Alley Version〉.

〈HEIST〉〈PHONICA〉 KASSIAN, a leading modern house duo that has made its mark at numerous prestigious venues such as 〈SHALL NOT FADE〉, revealed an introspective, listening-oriented approach on their debut album *Channels*, produced during the lockdown. Now, with their first full-scale live performance on the horizon, they’re shifting toward a hardwar ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie)e-driven production style. “Ritmo” (sample 1) features a bouncy bassline paired with a rapid-fire Portuguese vocal hook, while “Sweat” (sample 2) features smooth, whispered vocals and a soaring melody. They’ve broken into new territory—one that retains their signature rich, substantial sound while also capturing the unique, living textures that can only be achieved with actual analog equipment. (Original Japanese text by Akie)

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『Bisou returns to GAMM for round two, delivering a heavy blend of Caribbean disco and bumping Afro-Funk.

The A-side, 'Do It To The Disco', takes a raw steel band funk jam and gives it a stomping, peak-time disco twist.
| Flip it over for 'Not That Simple', a gritty, 4/4 Afro-Funk weapon loaded ...Read morewith big chanting vocals.

Enjoy the dance...
』

GEMINI, a new band formed around Shigeto Otake (cro-magnon), has released its first full-length album, *GEMINI:zed*, on limited-edition vinyl via Jazzy Sport.

Centered around cro-magnon drummer Shigeto Otake, the lineup features Inushiki bassist Shoji Ishiguro, Razoku guitarist Ryuta Koshino, keyboardist Shota Hishiyama (known for his work ...Read morewith urb and the Kyoto Jazz Massive Live Set), percussionist Yohei Takada, known for his work with Hotel New Tokyo and stim; and Taiga Tanimoto, saxophonist and flutist for SANABAGUN.—a super session band bringing together a lineup of talented musicians who have long been pillars of the Japanese music scene.

An instrumental jazz-funk sound that fuses 1970s jazz and soul with the beat and groove sensibilities of hip-hop and beyond, the dynamism of Latin American music, the essence of smoky reggae and dub, and the thrill of improvisation and jam sessions.

From the Latin-percussive, mellow jazz groove of “Kalavinka” to the jazz-funk track “Glowin’” that will appeal even to hip-hop fans, the warm and groovy “Shadow of the Tiger,” “Kind of Green,” which lets you savor reggae/dub grooves, and even a cover of “Recorda-Me” from Joe Henderson’s *Page One*, brimming with ’70s jazz-funk flavor—for a total of 9 tracks.

The vinyl mastering was handled by Taiji Okuda (Studio MSR), who has also worked with cro-magnon, Tabito Nanao, Tempalay, and cero.

Jazzy Sport London, Volume 1. “JAZZY SPORT PAST FORWARD: SILVER” is a compilation that passes on the sound and spirit of Jazzy Sport—nurtured across Japan—to a new generation.

DJ Mitsu the Beats, GAGLE, Cro-Magnon, grooveman Spot, Budamunk. For many years, the name Jazzy Sport has made its presence felt across various facets of Japanese hip ...Read more-hop, jazz, house, and crossover music.

However, at its core, it is more than just a label that brings together specific genres or artists. Since its launch in 2002, it has cultivated a unique cultural sphere—not only through records and parties, but also through shops, dance, sports, apparel, and even places where people naturally gather—fostering distinct communities in various locations, including Morioka and Tokyo. Club music and live performances, hip-hop and house, local activities and international exchanges—all are naturally intertwined within a single sensibility.

The “PAST FORWARD” series is an attempt to reexamine this vast archive and the sensibility that lives within it from the perspective of Jazzy Sport London, which launched in 2022. It is neither a mere “best of” compilation nor a reissue project designed merely to indulge in nostalgia for the past. Rather, it re-examines the music and sensibilities that Jazzy Sport has cultivated over the years through a contemporary lens, passing them on to the next generation.

Jazzy Sport’s connection to London dates back even before the label’s founding. The inspiration that founders Taro Kesen and Masaya Fantasista drew from London’s record culture in the 1990s had a profound influence on Jazzy Sport’s subsequent aesthetic. This included an attitude of freely crossing genre boundaries and a sense of community centered around record shops. In that sense, the launch of Jazzy Sport London can be seen not merely as an expansion overseas, but as an event in which a new generation has reconnected with London—one of the origins of Jazzy Sport.

The activities of Jazzy Sport London embody this spirit. In particular, Nina Yamada—whose father is one of Jazzy Sport’s core members—grew up within the community and has inherited its spirit as a visceral sensation. Currently based in London, she is gaining prominence as a selector active throughout the UK, Europe, Japan, and Asia. What is happening here is not merely the “export of Japanese local culture.” “PAST FORWARD” reflects her perspective—not one of reinterpreting the past from the outside, but of naturally renewing the sensibilities she has inherited from within as she adapts to a new environment.

That spirit is clearly evident in her track selection. DJ Mitsu the Beats’ remix of Cro-Magnon’s “Eclipse” is a quintessential Jazzy Sport track, combining soulful depth with sophistication. The Idjut Boys’ remix of Cro-Magnon’s “Riding The Storm” brings to the surface the sensibility that the Japanese and UK underground scenes have shared for many years. grooveman Spot’s “Do The Dance” is a track where acid swells, 808 grooves, and a warm soulful vibe intersect. Nubian Lady’s “In☆Flu☆Enza” embodies a sensibility that uniquely assimilates dance music from Detroit, Chicago, and beyond, while Physical Sound Sport’s “Magical Kalimba” conveys the liberating atmosphere of a live session. And “Rhyme Or Reason” by Morioka-based Bottom Fly evokes Jazzy Sport’s local roots with a unique warmth born from gritty beats and mellow samples.

What you hear here goes beyond the merits of individual tracks. The sensibility that Jazzy Sport has always cherished comes through naturally in the selection as a whole. That’s precisely why *PAST FORWARD* is more than just an introductory compilation. For listeners who have followed Jazzy Sport for years, it will be an album of rediscovery, while for the new generation, it will serve as a gateway to experiencing the breadth of their sound. For DJs, too, it will function as a context-rich, practical selection.

"YUKI KAWAMURA, who heads up 'Oiran' in Shibuya, releases this on her own label, 'OIRAN MUSIC.'
It opens with "RA," a tribute track to SUN RA, and features remixes by DJ SHIKISAI and XTAL on Side A.
Side B features a previously unreleased track showcasing Neko Saito on violin, along with a superb remix by CALM.
YUKI KAWAMURA premiered t ...Read morehis CALM remix during her performance at Cafe Del Mar in Ibiza.
From beautifully produced late-night house and texturally rich club jams to intricate soundscapes.
Proudly released with strikingly beautiful artwork by the twin sister art duo, HAMADARAKA.

SPACE GHOST—who has consistently delivered great releases not only on his own label, PEACE WORLD RECORDS, but also on APRON and PEOPLES POTENTIAL UNLIMITED—has finally dropped his long-awaited new album! He draws strong inspiration from the soundtracks of PS2-era games he actually played, such as Sega Genesis and Crash Bandicoot. (The track “System ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie) Reset” evokes an alternate version of that famous startup screen.) This nostalgic soundscape—which fuses the distinctive spatial effects characteristic of that era’s sound with his own exploration of beatdown ambient “machine house”—resonates with the chill-out vibe of Nishikigashi. (Original Japanese text by Akie)

From 〈RHYTHM SECTION INTL.〉—a label that has grown to become a leading force in the modern club scene—DAN KYE, whose 2016 EP remains a hit with repeated reissues, makes his long-awaited comeback with a full-length album! After instantly capturing the listener’s heart with the opener “Mogeri”—where arpeggios and bass sync up as if weaving through sp ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie)arse machine breakbeats—he sends you into ecstasy with the crossover/neo-soul track “Rainbow Road” (sample 1), where an electric piano luxuriously guides the way to the vocals. With a lo-fi setup combining a laptop (!!) and live instruments, the album showcases exceptional sound design that seamlessly blends jazz, funk, and electronica. You can preview every track from the tracklist! (Original Japanese text by Akie)

JOSH LUDLOW—who’s been on a roll with releases under the labels 〈PUBLIC POSSESSION〉 and 〈TOY TONICS〉, as well as his solo work—brings us this highly anticipated new release! It starts off strong with the opener “Brain Music” (sample 1), featuring Detroit-inspired, wormhole-like interlocking vocal and bass loops. The following tribal dub track “Time ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Akie) Upside Down” (sample 2) also features a heavy, low-end dub bassline and has outstanding floor-filling power. (Original Japanese text by Akie)

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『Phwoar! TD go four for the floor on Volume 9, letting loose with a set of sure-shot hits from all corners of their sonic spectrum. A tag team match up, this action spectacular trades peak-time pump, Balearic cool, Italo thrust and dance-punk theatrics on its way to snatch the championship. Obviously TD ooze subtlety and taste, s ...Read moreo as we sat sipping Schnapps from our Stanley cups, we couldn't help but take a little inspo from our kitchen decor. 'Live Love Pump' - what a mantra. In musical form, this philosophy takes the shape of a capital D-isco delight, equal Pats Cowley & Adams, EQ-freaked and filtered into something dafter than a pair of chrome clad millionaires. Big room mirrorball magic if ever we've heard it. The A2 sees the drunk AOR funk of 'Sure Line' take a leisurely stroll down the coast, a Gauloises in the gob and tattered Baldwin in the back pocket, flipping and flopping along the prom to buoyant bass, melting brass and more than a little melancholy. Booting off the B-side, 'Un America' is a massive mid-tempo chugger replete with laser fire, synth scree and nipple high guitar. Powering along on a serious bass sequence armed with hooks-a-plenty, mostly incomprehensible lyrics and a groove which won't quit, this has all the ingredients required for an Italo all-timer. The finale finds us in the company of some punk pioneers at their absolute silliest, bringing the kind of whacky vocal vibe, surf-centric style and off kilter groove the B-52s made a career of. Add in animal chatter and scratchy guitars and you've got the sort of secret weapon the Idjuts unleash waaaay post peak. Limited Press - Numbered Insert - Drum Fun Guaranteed  』

This release, featuring a compilation of CONOMARK’s DJ set from Aizen’s birthday party held at Shibuya ASIA on October 4, 2025, showcases the essence of CONOMARK’s DJ style—blending elements of hip-hop, soul, jazz, reggae, dub, Latin, psychedelic, and rock—all delivered through dynamic, contemporary floor sounds and grooves. It offers a glimpse int ...Read moreo CONOMARK’s eclectic musical world, brimming with “blackness,” and represents the very essence of his DJ style.

From warm, bouncy breakbeats and house to electric piano riffs that will captivate fans of ’90s hip-hop, Afro-percussive jazz that shakes the floor with thick bass and tribal energy, dynamic, swinging jazz-dancer-style tracks, and lustrous Latin sounds driven by electric piano—the first half alone is electrifying, unfolding a floor-filling sound and groove brimming with “blackness.”
From there, the album features Black-funk-infused Chicago soul vibes, jazz rap that incorporates Jamaican influences, dance grooves woven with psychedelic guitar, dub-infused rock classics, mellow and groovy soul from Atlanta… and much more—an unpredictable and enchanting sonic journey unfolds.