Sakamoto b2

音楽図鑑 = Ongaku Zukan [Music Encyclopedia]. Slightly different to later international release "Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia".

The second volume in Virgin's priceless Ambient series is a bit of a retread from the first, alternating classics from Virgin's rich back catalog with the new school of ambient electronica (of which, the label's store is much harder to come by). The result is an Orb remix (of the Grid) instead of a normal Orb track; the only other contemporary acts are the Future Sound of London project Amorphous Androgynous, William Orbit's Bass-O-Matic, Tony Thorpe's Voyager, and such intriguing but obviously label-centric acts as Verve and U2's The Edge. As far as classic ambient tracks go, Virgin is tops – Eno, Sakamoto, Robert Fripp, David Sylvian, Phil Manzanera, Klaus Schulze – though the lack of more up-to-date acts can be frustrating.

Recorded in late 1983 at Hansa tone Studios in Berlin with producer Steve Nye. A recording of considerable significance in David's output instigating as it does new working methods and a level of inquiry that radically broadened the emotional range and scope of his work. The cast of collaborators includes Ryuichi Sakamoto, Holger Czukay, Jon Hassell and Kenny Wheeler. Critically celebrated on its release Brilliant Trees went straight into the UK chart at number 4.

Technodon is the eighth and final studio album to date by Yellow Magic Orchestra and released in 1993, a decade after the band's original breakup. Because the name Yellow Magic Orchestra was owned by former record label Alfa Records, the band were forced to release the album under the name YMO (typically stylized as the "YMO" initialism crossed out by a large "X"). For the tour that followed, they were billed as Not YMO. Future releases by the band would be made under the names Human Audio Sponge and HASYMO. At the time of recording, Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto were incorporating many world music elements into their sound, which is still evident on Technodon, though slightly pared down and featuring simpler technopop arrangements. Yukihiro Takahashi mainly used drum machines for the record as opposed to a drum kit.

David Sylvian‘s 1999 LP Dead Bees On A Cake is set to be released on vinyl for the first time this month.
A special expanded version of the album is being issued for Record Store Day 2018 that includes four additional tracks: ‘The Scent of Magnolia’, ‘Albuquerque’, ‘Cover me with Flowers’ and ‘Aparna and Nimisha’. The 2xLP will be available on limited edition white vinyl and is accompanied by photographs from Anton Corbijn and a redesign from Chris Bigg.