Bishop Others
EXJP025

Musik Kugel​ / BEAUTE PARFAITE
[EXJP026] US$24.00

Shin-Ichiro KANDA (piano, compose)
Ruli (koto, voice)

The 13 stringed koto, which has created Japan's unique music, and the 25 stringed koto, which is both new and a throwback to an ancient instrument, are imbued with the eternal flow of time of a wide range of regions from Asia to the Middle East. By encountering these instruments with Western keyboard instruments, you may hear new sounds that you are not used to hearing in classical musical works, or you may feel nostalgic in new music.
Musik Kugel is a unit consisting of Ruli (25 stringed koto, 13 stringed koto) and Shin-ichiro Kanda (piano/composition). In addition to Musik Kugel's original music, they will perform Japanese classical music, Western music, contemporary music, improvisation, etc.



EXJP025

Jun Kawasaki feat. Marya Korneva / STRANGELANDS -Eurasian Poetic Drama-
[EXJP025] US$24.00

Marya Korneva (vocal)
Jun Kawasaki (compose, arrange)
and other musicians

 



EXJP024

Jun Kawasaki feat. Min-a Ji / HOMELANDS -Eurasian Poetic Drama-
[EXJP024] US$24.00

Min-a Ji (vocal)
Jun Kawasaki (compose, arrange)
and other musicians

 



EXJP023

YAMAGUCHI Schoken & WATANABE Shouji / sunayama
[EXJP023] US$20.00

YAMAGUCHI Schoken (tenor sax, clarinet, bass clarinet)
WATANABE Shouji (drums, percussions)

1. Sunayama (tenor sax version)
2. Danny boy
3. Grandfather's clock
4. Tanigawa
5. Aka tonbo
6. Onsa
7. You don't know what love is
8. Summertime
9. Sunayama (bass clarinet version)

YAMAGUCHI and WATANABE have been playing together for a long time at the famous free jazz house in Tokyo. Their music is mixed with old Eastern/ Western songs and free jazz.

https://youtu.be/CtitY1qs6hU


EXJP021

TERUUCHI Hisaharu & MATSUMOTO Chihaya / Anything ascends into the firmament. Even sorrow...
[EXJP021] US$20.00

TERUUCHI Hisaharu (piano)
MATSUMOTO Chihaya (percussions)

TERUUCHI is a pianist who is well known in the live scene of improvised music in Japan. MATSUMOTO is a percussionist who has played a variety of music as a professional musician. Both are influenced by various music such as classical music, and arriving at improvisation. Their sound is sometimes intelligent and sometimes ferocious. And it is not materially instantaneous, well structured. Recorded live in 2016.

https://youtu.be/y6tnBfPuEUM



EXJP020

KARIMATA Michio / no umbrella, no tonguing, if not for the room
[EXJP020] US$20.00

KARIMATA Michio (flute)

KARIMATA studied modern composition at the American music university, and he began to play improvisation with flute and sax after returning Japan. His playing includes the essence of flute and Japanese wind instruments like sho and shakuhachi.

https://youtu.be/72aaYTgp3Vk


PSFD-210

KONDO Hideaki / ASYL
[PSFD-210] US$20.00

KONDO Hideaki (gut guitar, 10strings guitar, biwa)
NAKAMIZO Toshiya (oboe), KANDA Shin-Ichiro (piano) , KAWASAKI Jun (contrabass), HIGUCHI Keiko (poetry reading)

1. Points (H.Kondo)
2. Repetition (H.Kondo)
3. A Rover (Sakutaro Hagiwara / H.Kondo)
4. Night Club 190 (Astor Piazzolla)
5. Red (H.Kondo)
6. Rain (H.Kondo)
7. Hier ist Friede (Alban Berg)
8. Blue in Green (Miles Davis)

Hideaki Kondo's second album. Valueable improvisational music mixed with free jazz, contemporary music, Biwa and others. A great challenge as extremely free and unique guitar music to modernize Biwa music using Miles Davis's "Blue in Green," Piazzolla's "Night Club 1960" and Sakutaro Hagiwara's "Hyouhakusha(wanderer)."

https://youtu.be/m-KLJm7HkT0


EXJP019

MOCHIZUKI Harutaka - KONDO Hideaki / el idioma infinito
[EXJP019] US$20.00

MOCHIZUKI Harutaka (alto sax)
KONDO Hideaki (gut guitar, biwa)

1. to the. fly me moon (Bart Howard)
2. fireflies (H.Kondo)
3. bwv1012 "sarabande" (J.S.Bach)
4. el idioma infinito (H.Kondo)
5. left alone (Mal Waldron)

https://youtu.be/pHU9bbcCuE8



EXJP018

YOSHIZAWA Motoharu / The Cracking Mirror and/or The Fossil Bird
[EXJP018] US$20.00

YOSHIZAWA Motoharu (contrabass)

 Reissue of masterpiece in 1975, Moto's solo improvisations by wooden bass. Dedicated to Aquirax Aida, Steve Lacy, B.Phillips, Robert Ryan and more.



mori-shige / fukashigi

mori-shige / fukashigi
[EXJP017] US$20.00

mori-shige (cello, piano)

 mori-shige was born in 1963. His improvisation is played mainly thorugh the cello but ocationally used also piano and some others. He self-educated the playing of the cello and it results to be free from the fixed academic playing method. The most importance is the sonic which he wants and not how he plays. His sounds reminds us some japanese traditional instruments like BIWA. In the past, BIWA players were not formal musicians to be educated, but mostly they were bonzes.

 There are 2 directions of the japanese improvised music scene. One is absorbing the several music styles of the world academically, and another is seeking the sound projected his mind or his existence by people who are not belongs to the commercial or academic musicians like the past BIWA players. mori-shige is the latter obviously. He puts an edge on his own sound and its basic depends on his sensitivity and spirituality. Although he is completely free from the music history by his nature, it would venture to say he is a part of the element of the music history in the future.

 His activity is actually not only music but also photograph and other arts as a part of his daily life. This attitude forms a knot of japanese improvisation scene and it exists far from the commercialism and the politics. This is the real live activity of most japanese artists. The recording was done from 1998 to 1999 and these tracks are a part of his art activities.



ONNYK / in a trice...

ONNYK / in a trice...
[EXJP016] US$20.00

ONNYK (soprano sax, makladapted alto sax, bariton sax, flux flute)
KAWASAKI Jun (contrabass)
NAKATANI Tatsuya (percussions)



SABU TOYOZUMI & EXIAS-J / Son's Scapegoat
SOLD OUT

SABU TOYOZUMI & EXIAS-J / Son's Scapegoat
[EXJP015] US$20.00

SABU Toyozumi (drums, percussions)
KONDO Hideaki(guitar)
TANIKAWA Takuo (guitar, pc)
MIYAZAKI Tetsuya (electronics)
KANDA Shin-Ichiro (piano)
KAWASAKI Jun (contrabass)
with guest:
IRUMAGAWA Masami (cello)
KARIMATA Michio (flute, soprano sax)
ASAI Yuichi (tromborn)

 original released by SIWA Records



MOCHIZUKI Harutaka / Solo Document 2004

MOCHIZUKI Harutaka / Solo Document 2004
[EXJP014] US$20.00

MOCHIZUKI Harutaka (alto sax)

 MOCHIZUKI Harutaka is a saxphonist who has experience under MUTO Ken-ichiro. He keep the heat on lives of the solo improvisation around Tokyo since 1999.Tracks are selected from his several best solo performances at the live house of "Goodman" in Japan 2004. His style is as sort of the brutal power of the breath which are rebuilt of segmentalized fragments by the dynamics, embouchure and the tempo control like ABE Kaoru or URABE Masahiko who has been building the originality of the Japanese sax improvisation in the world. He is exactly the incomer of them and his talent is already given proof by the invitatuon to "Le Weekend 2005" in Scotland 2005.



KANDA Shin-Ichiro's Ongaku- BIGAKU / Hifu no Topology

KANDA Shin-Ichiro's Ongaku- BIGAKU / Hifu no Topology
[EXJP013] US$20.00

KANDA Shin-Ichiro (piano, composition)
KAWASAKI Jun (contrabass)
NORIKANE Sakura (percussions)

 The second album of pianist KANDA's Ongaku-BIGAKU. He has proceeded his concept that the improvisation controled by the composition. His sound involves several method any kind of music like classical, jazz, contemporary, sonic, etc. It is the borderless acoustica. In some ways, his atitude commons to Jhon Cage who pursued own music-language differs from scense of tradition. His play is intermissive and delicate sounds which is the sound-aspect of philosophical pointillism.



"SABU" TOYOZUMI / SUBLIMATION

"SABU" TOYOZUMI / SUBLIMATION
[EXJP012] US$20.00

"SABU" TOYOZUMI (drums, percussions)
IIZUKA Satoshi (sax)
KAWASAKI Jun (contrabass)

 The newest album of worldwide famous drummer TOYOZUMI Yoshisaburo well known as SABU. Although his drumming tastes Chicago-free, the sounds are european flavor with other characteristic coplayers of sax, gut-guitar and contrabass. There are much space with difference from classic free jazz, but their tension is dense and huge dynamic range. It is brillianat breathtaking play of each passing moment. This album is honored highest award on major-jazzmagazine "Swing Journal 04/Nov" in Japan.



TANIKAWA Takuo / Transfigured Night

TANIKAWA Takuo / Transfigured Night
[EXJP011] US$20.00

TANIKAWA Takuo (guitar)
KAWASAKI Jun (contrabass #1~3)
KANDA Shin-Ichiro (piano #4)
KOYAMA Shota (drums #3)
Tim Barnes (percussions)
ENDO Kazumoto (think pad)

 The first leader album of TANIKAWA Takuo who is a guitarist of EXIAS-J. He studied classical guitar in Germany and its experience appears as the precision architecture and virtuosic technique on music. The sounds are technological and primitive by using a gut and an electric guitar with PC and also prepared. This album is multicolored by several costars like KOYAMA Shota of a world famous drummer of YAMASHITA Yosuke Trio, Tim Barnes of avant-garde percussionist in New York, ENDO Kazumoto of electronica and KAWASAKI Jun of a contrabass player who is the last disciple of YOSHIZAWA Motoharu and SAITO Tetsu.



KINNO Yoshiaki / the unsaid

KINNO Yoshiaki / the unsaid
[EXJP010] US$20.00

KINNO Yoshiaki (sax)
IRUMAGAWA Masami (cello #2)
KANDA Shin-Ichiro (piano #1 & 6)
KAWASAKI Jun (contrabass #1 & 6)
SHIMIZU Hiroshi (guitar #4)
ICHIMURA Satoru (guitar #4)
TANIKAWA Takuo (guitar #1)
TANIKAWA Teruaki (sax #1)
NISHIZAWA Naoto (drums #1)

 KINNO Yoshiaki is a famous saxophonist in Japan and well-knowned to play with many talented players like Jhon Zorn, Evan Parker, Fred Frith, Peter Brotsmann, HAINO Keiji and etc. His music career is enough long and fulfilling. This album is released after the time is ripe and his first leader album made with several improvisers included IRUMAGAWA Masami of M's NEXUS and members of EXIAS-J. His play is filled with intelligence in free jazz.



KAWASAKI Jun / Left bank, Right bank

KAWASAKI Jun / Left bank, Right bank
[EXJP009] US$20.00

KAWASAKI Jun (contrabass)
KUNIHIRO Kazuki (poetry reading #12)
KANDA Shin-Ichiro (piano #1)
NAKAMIZO Toshiya (oboe #4 & 7)
KONDO Hideaki (guitar #8)

 The first leader's album of young genius basisit who is the mosttalented pupil of Tetsu Saito. He is also music director and composer of japanese traditional dancerNishikawa Senrei. His sound express lament, anxiety and furious with his unbelievabletechnic crossing over between composing and improvisation. Very sensitive and like seeking after truth.



KANDA Shin-Ichiro, NORIKANE Sakura / Ongaku-BIGAKU

KANDA Shin-Ichiro, NORIKANE Sakura / Ongaku-BIGAKU
[EXJP008] US$20.00

KANDA Shin-Ichiro (piano)
NORIKANE Sakura (percussions)

 A duo album by KANDA Shin-Ichiro on piano and NORIKANE Sakura on original percussions. These two players, who make classical music a root, progress a peculiar aesthetic in improvised music. They stand at the point of middle between composing and improvising and come and go freely. It sounds like fragile aesthetics as if stepping on a thin ice of the time by a modern romantic phrasing and sensitive percussions.



Angels in twilight

Angels in twilight -A compilation dedicated to the cinema of NISHI Shusei
[EXJP007] US$20.00

Caprice (Russian project)
EXIAS-J (Japanese project)
etc.

 This is a music collection of a russian film "Angels in Twilight"drawing interstice of dream and reality by a japanese director "NISHI Shusei". To interesting, it is configured by original sound tracks in the film by Caprice which is a russian groupe and also tracks composed after watching film by EXIAS-J which is a japanese groupe of improvisers. It flows russian traditional taste and japanese feeling there with centering on the film.



EXIAS-J / Phenotypes in a polygon

EXIAS-J / Phenotypes in a polygon
[EXJP006] US$20.00

KONDO Hideaki (guitar)
NAKAMIZO Toshiya (piano)
NISHIZAWA Naoto (drums, percussions)
TANIKAWA Teruaki (sax)
IKEGAMI Hideo (contrabass, berimbau)

 They are improvisers primitively and easy for them to make so-called "free music". But in this album, they dare to force it on oneself to play under several rules or restriction to keep the tension and enhance new performance skill. It makes success to avoid the cliche of free music as a result. The performance with a superior micro distance sense and careful control is filled with cold geometrical beauty.



EXIAS-J / SPATIAL...IN DEPTH

EXIAS-J / SPATIAL...IN DEPTH
[EXJP005] US$20.00

TANIKAWA Teruaki (alto sax, sopranino)
NISHIZAWA Naoto (drums, percussions)

 Not intervals or phrasing. The focus of the performance is narrowed to one point of which the breath struggles as vibration/resonance of musical instruments here. It forms lines by these many dangerous balances over this point, and draws the compressed scenery by changes of the breath. It seems that he resonants his soul with the vibration of sax and works to untie his soul into the space together with sounds.



EXIAS-J / VENOM
SOLD OUT

EXIAS-J / VENOM
[EXJP004] US$20.00

KONDO Hideaki (guitar)
NISHIZAWA Naoto (drums, percussions)

 New Jap improv duo of two complete unknowns - Naoto Nishizawa (percussion) and - both completely unaffiliated to PSF, Alchemy, Org, or Creativeman Disc, and neither of whom have ever played with Keiji Haino, Asahito Nanjo, Kawabata Makoto, Taku Sugimoto or Otomo fucking Yoshihide. Which seems to serve to mean that they've directed their gaze away from home for inspiration. Although the booklet wears a weighty endorsement from Eddie Prevost praising their lack of idiommaticity, to my rather humble ears this is a very western-sounding Japanese improv record. 'Bishop' sits needling tracers of feedback guitar lines atop free jazz drumming in Ascension-esque fashion for 20-odd screechingly intense minutes, and the remaining two tracks see Kondo employing a slowed down/more melodic/less harsh remedial Baileyist style for 'Schrodinger's Cat''s busy bantering, and a quieter, more spacious 'Constancy Phenomenon'. The playing is, it must be said, technically excellent and very impressive (percussion especially) if a little derivative. Nonetheless, both participants display more than enough ability and promise to imply that they could likely come up with something a lot more ear-pricking that this before too long... -Nick Cain (opprobrium)



EXIAS-J / VENOM

YOSHIZAWA Motoharu / FROM THE FARAWAY NEARBY
[EXJP003] US$20.00

YOSHIZAWA Motoharu (handmade 5 strings upright bass)

 Reissue of masterpiece in 1991, Moto's solo improvisations by handmade 5strings upright bass.



EXIAS-J / Critical Blank

EXIAS-J / Critical Blank
[EXJP002] US$20.00

KONDO Hideaki (guitar)
TANIKAWA Teruaki (alto sax, sopranino)
IKEGAMI Hideo (contrabass)
NISHIZAWA Naoto (drums)

 ...and though, strictly speaking, this isn't it, it's excellent nonetheless. Enlarged to a quartet with the addition of Teruaki Tanikawa (alto, sopranino) and Hideo Ikegami (double bass), the group thoughtfully work their way through six "sets" - one sax/drums duo, one bass/drums duo, four quartets - of unhurried and contemplative improvisations, all taken from one October '99 day's recordings. The pace and level of activity is negotiated delicately but rationally, making for a languid, spacious and un-dissonant dynamic, with all members at various points sitting out for up to minutes at a time. The sets are not presented in the order they were recorded, but melt seamlessly into one another regardless. In a group as carefully poised as this one the sax is the inevitable point of focus, and it's perhaps overly dominant - Tanikawa is from time to time guilty of playing over the top of his collaborators, and indulging in inappropriate levels of volume and activity. When he checks himself, however, stretching and modulating his notes, eking out of them maximum melodic potential, and allowing them to soak the air, the quartet fall in around him to produce clean, understated and astutely judged improvisations which sound very fresh indeed. -Nick Cain (opprobrium)



ANTINOMY 4.7.1 / Obsessive Indication

ANTINOMY 4.7.1 / Obsessive Indication
[EXJP001]

KONDO Hideaki (guitar)
NISHIZAWA Naoto (drums, Perc)
**** (synthesizer)

 UNPUBLISHED