Murakami Dance

Readers of contemporary fiction will immediately realise that Czech pianist Emil Viklicky's release is inspired by a novel by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, himself connected with Prague courtesy of his having received the Kafka Award there in 2006. The album contains seven Viklicky originals with suitably Murakami-connected titles ('The Boy Named Crow', 'Miss Saeki Theme' etc.) and six non-originals from the worlds of jazz (Herbie Hancock's 'Dolphin Dance', Duke Ellington's 'Solitude', Jimmy Rowles's 'Peacocks') and popular music (Paul McCartney's 'Eleanor Rigby', Michel Legrand's 'Windmills of Your Mind') so tellingly referenced in Murakami's works. It's not strictly necessary, however, to be familiar with the Japanese writer's oeuvre (though it helps) to appreciate the sheer intensity and virtuosity of Viklicky's playing throughout this powerful and affecting album…

Music From Memory are excited to announce a special compilation that they’ve been working on for some time now; MFM053 – VA – Heisei No Oto – Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age (1989-1996). Compiled by long-time friends of the label, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, Heisei No Oto delves into a world of music released almost exclusively on CD and brings together a fascinating selection of discoveries from a little known and overlooked part of Japan’s musical history.

BBE Music presents J Jazz volume 3, the latest in its definitive compilation series exploring the finest modern jazz from Japan.

Japan's response to the jazz-funk modes of Miles' Bitches [Brew] and Herbie's Headhunters… and it is damn good. The eight-member Japanese super group features on keys such as Yuji Ohno, Masao Yagi, and Hiromasa Suzuki - who are all playing on the Korg (analog) Synthesizer - with the backing of a tight, funky rhythm section that includes Ken Yajima on guitar, Akira Okazawa on bass and Shuichi Murakami on drums. Spacey-intergalactic covers of Norman Connors' "Mother Of The Future" and Quincy Jones' "The Iron Side" with groovy killah originals including - The Fire Dance, Mayflower, The Heated Point, The Soaring Sea Gull, Farewell, Onoda and The African Dawn.