Osaka Recording - Two Limited Edition Vinyl LPs Celebrating the Music of Osaka, Japan

 

The city of Osaka is the most populous in the Kansai region of Japan and is sometimes referred to as the Chicago or Toronto of the Orient. In the aftermath of World War II Osaka’s industrious people made rapid economic progress and today it is one of the most modern, cosmopolitan cities in Asia.

The Osaka Recording is a unique project that celebrates the great musical legacy of this vibrant city. The project features over 200 musicians from various genres and regions across Japan who have recorded and released their original songs on a series of limited edition vinyl LPs. The goal of this project is to introduce the many styles and sounds of Osaka’s music scene to a wider audience, as well as to highlight the rich heritage of Japanese popular culture in general.

All the vinyl LPs have been pressed at Hijokaidan, a legendary Tokyo label known for its quality production and reissues of classic rock, jazz, and blues recordings. The LPs are housed in a special box with an embossed cover and include a 24-page booklet featuring photographs and essays on each of the participating artists.

The first LP in the series is the 大阪　レコーディング debut album by Osaka Popstar, a punk rock music and multimedia project led by guitarist/producer John Cafiero. A long time collaborator of the Misfits and Ramones (he produced their visionary Project 1950 record which was their highest charting album) Cafiero tapped into his extensive network to assemble a stellar pedigree of punk rock icons to serve as his backing band for this critically acclaimed release. Future albums will feature a rotating lineup of guest musicians.

Recordings for the LPs were made with a pair of Sennheiser ME-70 binaural microphones mounted on a Zoom H2 flash recorder, using a Core Sound mic preamp and an ATI ML200 analog recording signal path. The recordings were then digitally processed and mastered by the excellent Optimal Audio in Tokyo.

The second LP in the series is from Synth Sisters, a duo comprised of MAYUKo from the electronic group Rie Lambdoll and drummer YOKOYA. This release is a side project of the duo’s more beats-oriented Crossbred project, and is a sparkling cyber-ambient-Mandarin pop hidden gem that should appeal to listeners who like their electronic music with a lot of melody. YOKOYA’s sound is highly influenced by the US West Coast electronic music scene of the 1970s and 80s, with a particular affinity to the work of Steve Reich. Their album’s title track is a perfect example of their blend of funk and electronic music with traditional Japanese folk melodies. The album is available from EM Records in Osaka.