Needle Time

 David Sylvian & Ryuichi Sakamoto - Forbidden Colours [VS601-12 UK 1983 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Sadly we lost Ryuichi last weekend, so in  tribute, here is one his most famous compositions and its instantly recognisable gorgeous & simple melody. A1 Forbidden Colours (Vocal Version) B1 The Seed And The Sower B2 Last Regrets

  Ryuichi Sakamoto - Left Handed Dream (Japanese Edition) [WWSLP33 FRA 2020 24-Bit FLAC] French label WeWantSounds secured the worldwide rights to Sakamoto's Japanese language album, Left Handed Dream recently. Featuring all the usual suspects; Hosono, Takahashi, Ano and Matsutake, this album also features original Sakomoto collaborators Adrian Belew and Robin Scott. Epic Records originally held the worldwide release rights outside Japan and the French label have done sterling work in rereleasing one of Ryuichi's least accessible synthpop recordings.  A1  Boku No Kakera A2  Saru To Yuki To Gomi No Kodo A3  Kacha Kucha Nee A4  The Garden Of Poppies A5  Relâché B1  Tell 'em To Me B2  Living In The Dark B3  Slat Dance B4  Venezia B5  Saru No Ie

  Kazumi Watanabe - Kylyn [COJY-9237 JPN 2007 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released on the Better Days label in Japan in 1979, Kylyn was the eighth solo album by Japanese jazz guitarist Kazumi Watanabe. At the time Watanabe was the tour guitarist with Yellow Magic Orchestra, so he roped a few friends along, so this record is anything but a solo album. Production duties, keyboards and composition (everything except for a cover of Miles Davis' Milestones ) was dealt with by a certain Lyuichi Sakamoto (sic), Sakamoto's wife and fellow YMO'er Akiko Yano helped out on piano and vocals, the amazing Ray Ohara offered up the bass (Harry must have been busy), Jap-reggae guru Pecker played percussion ...oh, and Yukihiro Takahashi plays drums on four of the nine tracks. A1 199X A2 Sonic Boom A3 Water Ways Flow Backward Again A4 Milestones B1 E-Day Project B2 Akasaka Moon B3 Kylyn B4 I'll Be There B5 Mother Terra

  Ryuichi Sakamoto & Kazumi Watanabe - Tokyo Joe [TWJP-104 JPN 2019 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released in 1982, Tokyo Joe was a collaboration compilation of the work of Ryuichi Sakamoto & guitarist Kazumi Watanabe. Nippon Columbia briefly resurrected the Better Days label to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Tower Records in Japan and sold this repress exclusively in the Tokyo store. This compilation mixes disco, city-pop and electronica, forming an essential assemblage of the duo's collaboration. Watanabe is an exceptional guitarist who has released several (mostly Jazz) albums in his own right - see the video below for evidence of his excellence. The guitarist famously fell out with Alfa Records over royalties for YMO's live album, Public Pressure in 1980, leading to his parts being removed and reworked by Sakamoto A1 Tokyo Joe A2 The End Of Asia A3 Zai Guang Dong Shoo Nian (Live) A4 I'll Be There B1 E-Day Project B2 Thousand Knives B3 The River ...

  Ryuichi Sakamoto ‎- Thousand Knives Of [WWSLP 24 FRA 2019 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released on the Better Days label in Japan during 1978. A1 Thousand Knives A2 Island Of Woods A3 Grasshoppers B1 Das Neue Japanische Elektronische Volkslied B2 Plastic Bamboo B3 The End Of Asia

  Ryuichi Sakamoto - B-2 Unit [MHJL 101 JPN 2019 24-Bit FLAC] Sakamoto's second solo album preceded the better known Left Handed Dream by about a year when it was released by Alfa Records in Japan during 1980 and then on Island Records in the UK in 1981. This album of experimental dub-electronica has been much over-looked in the years since, and we have had to wait 26 years for a repress. This is the 2019 Great Tracks rerelease, mastered in Japan and then plated up by Bernie Grundman. Perhaps if it was more widely known that Dennis Bovell, Steve Nye and Andy Partridge were among the collaborators, then it would likely have been better appreciated. The album was recorded in London and Tokyo and when you consider that this was 1980, it becomes easier to appreciate how important the Japanese keyboard maestro genuinely is.  File under significant. A1 Differencia A2 Thatness And Thereness A3 Participation Mystique A4 E-3A B1 Iconic Storage B2 Riot In Lagos B3 Not Th...

  坂本龍一 (Ryuichi Sakamoto) ‎– 音楽図鑑 ( Ongaku Zukan)  [MHJL 137 JPN 2020 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released on the School Records label in Japan (MIL-1001) in 1984 and then recompiled for Virgin Records', 10 Records label as  Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia by Ryuichi Sakamoto for the UK market in 1986 (DIX 34). Another recut of classic Japanese chill/lounge/AOR/electronica on the Great Tracks label, once again mastered by Bernie Grundman. There are a few differences between the original Japanese release and it's European cousin, however I would doubt either ever sounded as good as this. Sakamoto explores his full musical repertoire on 音楽図鑑, which translates as Musical Encyclopedia . This was his fifth solo album, aided and abetted by the usual technically skilled musicians, his creative talents come to the fore, especially on masterpieces like Self Portrait and Tibetan Dance. A1 Tibetan Dance A2 Etude A3 Paradise Lost A4 Self Portrait B1 旅の極北 B2 M.A.Y...

  Ryuichi Sakamoto & The Kakutougi Session - Summer Nerves [MHJL 155 JPN 2020 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released on Sony Japan's Master Sound 76 imprint (25AH 507) in 1979, and never released outside of Japan. I've been saving this one up for a few weeks ....this is not Sakamoto as we know him, this he in full jap-pop-lounge-disco-reggae mode ....seriously! Gathering up a band of other Japanese talent, including Yukihiro Takahashi, Akiko Yano and Pecker, Sakamoto delivers his most mainstream work. The weakest track is unfortunately the title track, however just wait until you hear his fabulous vocoder version of Sister Sledge's  You're A Friend To Me . I'm sure Niles said it was okay to do this and royalties were paid.  I know it is not summer in the northern hemisphere - let alone Japan, but what the hell, it must be summer somewhere. Let's talk about the pressing and mastering - the quality restores my faith in modern vinyl mastering and it should be no sur...