Alchemy Japan 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Crimson Voyage is a collaboration between Yoshiko Sai and noise legend Jojo Hiroshige that marked Sai's first album in almost a quarter of a century. The whole thing was improvised and though on paper this is a coming together of two very different artists that you might think might not work, it does. The album landed in 2001 originally and is a beautifully dark, swirling ambient voyage that sees the underrated Japanese vocalists in top form. Her performance is exhilarating throughout and sits atop bursts of dark synth and fuzzy guitar distortions with wordless vocalisations conveying real feeling.

Review: Taken from a live performance at an event titled Answer 81 at the Kyoto venue Taku Taku in 1981, this bootleg from Japanese hardcore punk heroes The Stalin was recorded half a year before the release of their seminal debut Trash LP. Featuring a frenetic, unhinged performance from one of the earliest line-ups of the group, while boasting alternative versions of tracks from tangentially linked projects (with differing titles pulled from the original masters tapes). For example, 'Kiga Kiga Kikyou', a popular solo track from frontman and primary Stalinist Michiro Endo, appears here as 'Want You', marking the first time The Stalin's version has ever been released or committed to record. 'Buta No Ketsu' also serves as a reworking of a cut from the band's earlier incarnation Jiheitai, with this also making its first official appearance on wax.