Japanese Rock...Prog or Not...

[Mstove]

I've never heard Circle in the Forest. Doesn't sound like it is up to their other releases from what you write.

[mnprogger]

it may just be a compilation of older (unreleased?) tunes, but I am really loving a lot of Shiina Ringo's 2014 record Sunny

SheenaHiizuru.jpg

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

Most of my faves have yet to be mentioned:
Dada
Kennedy
Pale Acute Moon

[dropforge]

Most of my faves have yet to be mentioned:
Dada
Kennedy
Pale Acute Moon

Twinkling NASA

[iguana]

legendary pop deconstructionists PiZZiCATO FIVE:



epic post-rockers MONO:



vintage glamprogrockers VOW WOW

[TheH]

Twinkling NASA

Kennedy (aka DADA) have a new Album out "Triangle Motion"

[Kai]

I have Fractals and really like it. Does Electric Asturias have other albums? It's hard to distinguish the electric albums from the other ones. Anyone know more?

I have not hear the new one yet, but I finally got Fractals the other week, and I agree that it's a good one.

The older Electric albums are Circle in the Forest, Brilliant Streams, Cryptogram Illusion and In Search of the Soul Trees. Soul Trees is closest in style to Fractals, though not as good, IMO, even though it has a bit more instrumentation than Fractals which relies more on violin/keyboards/guitar. It is also perhaps a more "rock oriented".

Circle in the Forest and Brilliant Streams (i've seen this listed also "Brilliant Screams", but I take that as a misprint ) are at times gorgeously melodic, synth-heavy, a bit Oldfield-like in their use of repeating sequences, and yes, they can sound a bit too New Agey and digital for some (you can hear the bits being crunched in some of the highly processed guitar sounds, similar to, say, Midas' II). I like them, but I would say Brilliant Streams is more solid, Circle has a couple of hits, such as the title track and "Ryu-Hyo". Pretty but not edgy.

Cryptogram Illusion is probably the most interesting of the lot. It is still very synthy, but also begins to incorporate more acoustic instruments and stylistically explores more adventurous avenues. Rhythms, harmonies and instrumental lines are more varied and complex. There is even a vocal track.

I'll just mention that the rather short Acoustic Asturias release Bird Eyes View interpretes a track from the first and third album without electronics, in a way that may be more palatable if you don't like the sound of the originals.

[Sputnik]

Thanks all for your responses on Electric Asturias. I think I'll try the new one and if I really dig that may go back and get Soul Trees. My sense is I sampled the others at some point in the past and didn't get them for a reason, but Fractals drew me in. I may try to sample the older ones again.

Thanks again!

Bill

[Wah3]

Vermilion Sands is a pretty good symph band. They've been called the Japanese Renaissance as their vocalist Yoko Royama (who has now left us) had a voice kinda similar to Annie Haslam albeit not quite the range. They had one album in 1989 and just released another in 2013. Yoko and the keyboardist from Vermilion Sands were also in a band called Theta that had a similar style.

[dropforge]

Vermilion Sands is a pretty good symph band. They've been called the Japanese Renaissance as their vocalist Yoko Royama (who has now left us) had a voice kinda similar to Annie Haslam albeit not quite the range. They had one album in 1989 and just released another in 2013. Yoko and the keyboardist from Vermilion Sands were also in a band called Theta that had a similar style.

Yes, they were good. RIP Yoko.

[interbellum]

Vermilion Sands is a pretty good symph band. They've been called the Japanese Renaissance as their vocalist Yoko Royama (who has now left us) had a voice kinda similar to Annie Haslam albeit not quite the range. They had one album in 1989 and just released another in 2013. Yoko and the keyboardist from Vermilion Sands were also in a band called Theta that had a similar style.

Yoko also released the solo-album "Sunny Days" in 1990. A kind of electronic folk, but I liked it then.

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

Kennedy (aka DADA) have a new Album out "Triangle Motion"

where is this available?

[dropforge]

I'm sure Walker, Utah Ranger has it!

[TheH]

where is this available?

have not seen it ouside of Japan, but it is a King Records release so it will appear
on Amazon etc.



Kennedy's guitarist has also reformed his pre DADA band Charisma (they will have a new album in March)

[Progbear]

Kennedy's guitarist has also reformed his pre DADA band Charisma (they will have a new album in March)

I had no idea he was in Charisma, too! I’ve only ever heard the track on the 70s West Japanese Rock Scene CD, but it was promising enough that I’d be interested to hear an entire album by them. As I recall, Charisma were jazz fusion with two guitars (presumably, both of the guys from DADA) and no keyboards.

UPDATE: I’ve now heard one track off of Asturias’ In Search of the Soul Trees. If it’s anything to go by, these guys have improved a lot since Circle in the Forest!

[Mstove]

I had no idea he was in Charisma, too! I’ve only ever heard the track on the 70s West Japanese Rock Scene CD, but it was promising enough that I’d be interested to hear an entire album by them. As I recall, Charisma were jazz fusion with two guitars (presumably, both of the guys from DADA) and no keyboards.

UPDATE: I’ve now heard one track off of Asturias’ In Search of the Soul Trees. If it’s anything to go by, these guys have improved a lot since Circle in the Forest!

I only started listening to them in the last year after seeing them live. One of the best live experiences in years and I really like all of their more rec nt works. Not heard Circle in the Forest but it sounds like I stumbled into the right stuff. They are regulars in the rotation over the last 10 months or so.

[JAMOOL]

Check out Susumu Hirasawa, whose work blends prog, electronica, and orchestral film music into a seamless whole.

[TheH]

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

Sounds like a sampler of their previous stuff.

[Zalmoxe]

Taika has released their third album called "Aware" in November of last year.

[TheH]

One of my favourite Japanese bands with some unreleased tracks:

Providence

[proggosaurus]

Baraka - I like VI (2005) thru Trinity (2012) heavy prog
Bellaphon - Firefly (1987) kinda melodic symph prog/instrumental to these ears
Amygdala - Complex Combat (2008) instrumental, dark and complex (zeul/avant) reminescent of Univers Zero or Present
Bible Black - Bible Black (2012) heavy prog
The Black Mages - The Black Mages (2004) instrumental Final Fantasy power/prog metal
The Brown - Mellow (2013) heavy prog
East Wind Pot - East Wind Pot (2006) jazz rock/fusion
Flat 122 - The Waves (2005) Kagerou (2009) jazz rock/fusion
Mouse on the Keys - An Anxious Object (2009) jazz rock/fusion
Opabinia - Opabinia (2003) Jazzy RIO/Avant
Show Yen - Show Yen (2003) heavy prog
Unbeltipo - Uncle Bunny Tongue (2011) RIO/Avant-Prog
Zonk Monk - Disorder•Out Of The Cosmos• (2011/EP) Neo-Symph/Prog

[Progbear]

N.P.: Like a Message From the Stars by Chronicle, a band made up of some ex-Far Out members. Not a classic, but I’ve always enjoyed it.

[TheH]

TEE started working on a new Album (the 3rd), looking forward to this one...

[TheH]

Bombastic (Kitsch) in every Dimension: Sound Horizon