Sony Japan Schallplatten & CDs

Review: "Born & Raised", the title of her current album, not only stands for Joy's development as a woman and an artist, but also for a step she has made towards new horizons. Joy has been dubbed the "queen of German soul" by MTV.

Review: It's 1999 and Haruomi Hosono and pal Makoto Kubota - the latter arguably best known for their part in Les Rallies Denudes - decide to take on a daring project for the era. The Japanese artists opt to put out an album inspired by one of the world's foremost musical cities, New Orleans, which on paper couldn't be much further removed from the soundtrack of their homeland at that time.

Dig deeper, though, and while the Mississippi blues feels resolutely Deep South, an experience at odds with the Far East, Japan's incredibly fertile music scene back then actually shared more in common with Louisiana's aural calling cards than you might think. A hotbed of ideas, an understanding of what funk and soul mean, mastery of jazz's loose structures. Exceptional stuff, finally on re-issue

Review: This 1989 album by Haruomi Hosono is a pivotal one from the emergent world music scene of the late 80s. It incorporates sounds and scenes from all over the planet including Arab and Latin American music, folk, Japanese ambient and plenty more. A masterpiece of electronic pop, it takes you on a world adventure all from the safety of your own home and now it is finally pressed to vinyl outside of Japan for the first time with cutting by Bernie Grundman, on a clearly slab of wax, and with a full insert booklet.

Review: Haruomi Hosono was a key player int he 80s music scene, often fusing myriad sounds and styles from all over the world into his music. Another of his key album has been reissued by Light In The Attic this month, while this one comes on Sony and is a truly playful electronic pop gem. He may be one of the most revered figures in the Japanese music industry but his record with its playful melodies and shuffling beats, vocal ad libs and pirouetting grooves all prove Hosono doesnt take himself too seriously.

Review: It's hard to fully comprehend the impact Haruomi Hosono has had on Japanese music culture, but an album like this is a great place to start in mapping out the arc of his staggering career. Originally recorded in 1977, Hosono invited Ryuichi Sakomoto and Yukihiro Takahashi to work on this exotica-flavoured opus, where elements of luxurious funk and a full spectrum of global cultures poured into a heady brew with adventurous synthesis foreshadowing the seminal which was to come with Yellow Magic Orchestra. The Yamaha CS80 and ARP Odyssey were amongst the tools which richened the sound Hosono was reaching for at this vital juncture for Japanese music - just listen to 'Shambhala Signal' and you'll understand.

Review: Here comes the latest reissue of this enduring classic. The beautiful South Pacific sea is the overriding theme for what is a hard to find album from Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki and Tatsuro Yamashita. It is a perfect fusion of early electronics and exotic sounds that instantly transport you to the ocean in question. Standout cut 'Cosmic Surfing', which was later included on the debut album from YMO, Yellow Magic Orchestra, appears for the first time on this album. This is a long-awaited reissue from Light in the Attic and as ever with this are, it has been mastered beautifully, presented perfectly on a fitting clear blue vinyl and even includes a poster.

Review: Second album from the Japanese r&b/hip-hop singer/songwriter.

Review: Taeko Onuki's Mignonne album was her third and it came back in 1978, a year after her much loved masterpiece 'Sun Shower' in 1977. It saw he work once more with long time collaborators from Tin Pan Alley while the whole thing was arranged by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Juzo Seo. Guest musicians like Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki and Yukihiro Takahashi all featured and made for an album that followed on musically form the last one. These soulful rhythmic sounds have come back into popularity in recent years and have even been covered by contemporary Japanese artists.

Review: If you were going to trust anyone with producing a 'musical encyclopedia', why ever not Ryuichi Sakamoto? The Japanese master originally released "Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia" in 1986, using the album as a chance to display his considerable range and skill in a wide number of musical fields. Track to track things vary wildly, from the funky synth delights of "Tibetan Dance" to the jazzy diversions of "Etude" and on to the balmy exotica of "Paradise Lost". It's rich in the production values of the era, but also wildly imaginative and utterly easy on the ears. This reissue brings together some tracks that weren't originally included on the UK pressing of the record, making it a must-grab for all Sakamoto collectors.

Review: When it was initially released in 1983, Seaside Lovers - Memories in Beach House was the third volume in a series of atmospheric and evocative collaborations between Japanese musicians Haroumi Hosono, Takahiko Ishikawa and Masataka Motsutohya, all of which were designed to capture the mood of a specific or imaginary place. While the whole series has long been popular with Balearic DJs, Seaside Lovers is undoubtedly the most sought-after of the sets. Listening back to this reissue, it's easy to see why. Combining sun-kissed synths with suitably tropical rhythms and instrumentation, a dash of jazz-fusion and occasional Latin style percussion, you can almost feel the sand between your toes as you listen.

Review: "Remasters are common, but what about entire ground-up remixings from original artists? That's exactly what's gone down with Yoshinori Sunahara's Love Beat, reissued 20 years on from its first release on the label Ki/oon - from its source gear, through to the final mixes, and even the characteristic green, latticed artwork. A seminal cornerstone of the cross section between Japanese downtempo and ambient, we've always been taken by the ever-bitcrushed robot voices, filtered chords and laser zaps sprinkled across each mix, from our favourite tracks 'Earth Beat' to 'Spiral Never Before'.
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Review: Akiko Yano's 'Japanese Girl' epitomised the wispy, throaty-voiced ghost voice endemic to much early J-pop, preceding Faye Wong's dream pop proper by a good several decade. Lesser known on her discography, however, is the ballad-centric 'Super Folk Song', which was released via Epic Records several decades past her debut LP's heyday. Filled with romance and sentiment, featuring just Yano's lonesome duet of piano and voice, and with much chromatic lilting and swaying.