Anonymoss are four artists,Tomohiko Gondo (eufonium), Tetsuya Yamamoto (keyboards), Seigen Tokuzawa (cello) and Tomoko Kanda (vocals). They were one of the artists featured on the excellent Penguin Cafe Orchestra tribute album last year, and this time they cover YMO tunes on acoustic instruments and electronics with some guest musicians such as Masato Suzuki, Ren Takada, Hiroshi Takano, Asa-Chang and Soichiro Suzuki. 1. Behind 2. See-Through 3. Focus 4. Happy End 5. Wild Ambitions 6. Mass &. Kimi ni Mune Kyun 8. Nice Age 9. Cue 10. Gegou 11. Insomnia 12. Castalia 13. Epilogue

Collaboration album of Ryuichi Sakamoto together with San Francsico based guitarist and multimedia artist Christopher Willits. Willits uses a guitar with custom-made signal processing creating a mix of acoustic and electronic sounds, improvisation, rhythm and sound texture. Fascinating album of 7 tracks. 1. Toward Water 2. Umi 3. Sea Plains 4. Sentience 5. Chi-yu 6. Cold Heat 7. Ocean Sky Remains.


Price:   £15.99

Ryuichi Sakamoto, Makoto Kubota, Cornelius, Kahimi Karie and others are the unlikely artists to cover some of the best know Japanese 'shoka' songs. Shoka are songs devised for musical education in Japanese elementary schools, many of which were derived from western folk songs. Following a flirtation with militaristic meaning in pre-war days, now shoka are thought of as being the symbol of what is good about Japanese values and customs. 10 tracks. 1.Haruo Minami + Cornelius - Aka-tombo 2.Kirinji - Hanyu no Yado 3.Ryuichi Sakamoto + Miki Nakatani - Chiisai Aki Mitsuketra 4.Sayuri Kume - Ryoshu 5.Morio Agata - Mori no Kobito 6.Taeko Onuki - Kono Michi 7.Kiseru - Kanariya 8.Aki Yashiro - Shojoji no Tanuki-bayashi 9.Ren Takada - Aka-tombo 10.Yan Tomita (Doopees) - Yagisan Yubin 11.Kahimi Kahri + Yoshihide Otomo - Karatachi no Hana

Volume 2 of the excellent 'Japanese Songs' series- famous lyrical songs and childrens songs performed by some of Japan's coolest electronic artists. 10 tracks including Yukihiro Takahashi / Shabon-dama, Kenji Endo / Koganemushi, Tomoyo Harada + Keiichi Suzuki / Amefuri Kumanoko, Mitsuko Koike + Tomoki Kanda / Yashi no Mi and Yuichi Ohata / Oborozukiyo.


Price:   £18.99

A tribute to the Penguin Cafe Orchestra by Japanese artists who were influenced by this unclassifiable British group. These include Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yukihiro Takahashi, Masakatsu Takagi, Kama Aina, Moose Hill, Takako Minekawa, plus The Other 4, Steve Jansen, and others.

Melancholic electro meets imaginative drum (it says on the press release). Drummer Jimanica combines with 'track maker' Ametsub in a kind of electronic impro jazz experimental workout. Both artists have a track record working with Rovo, and other similar artists. 8 tracks. 1. Zebec 2. Attaca pt. 1 3. Aloft 4. Stn pt 1. 5. Ellipse 6. Attaca pt 2. 7. Mirage 8. STN pt. 2


Price:   £11.99

Aurora is the guitar duo of Kaoru Inoue (Chari Chari) and DSK (Port of Notes). This is their first live album with guest tabla player UKO, recorded in a traditional Japanese house to a small audience. Relaxing, ambient club music. 1. Theme from Aurora 2. The Gate 3. Mon-Syu-In 4. Northern Lights 5. Mountain Trail 6. Sun & Wave 7. Aqua Dance 8. Kagerou 9. Plank Bridge 10. Subtle 11. Thought of Day.

After trips to Vietnam and Bangkok, Makoto Kubota and Blue Asia stop over in Morocco. In June 2005 Kubota went to the Festival D'Essaouria Gnaoua. There he met musicians who would record this album in November the same year; Maghrebs from Essaouria, Berbers from Agadir and Arabic musicians from Casablanca. These include a young maalem (master musician) Youssef Gnawa and one of the founders of the festival and musician Abdeslam Alikkane who both sing and play the gemburi (3 stringed percussive long necked lute). They are joined by musicians on qarqab (large metal castanets) and rubab (bowed lute). One of Kubota's main interests in recent years has been the music of Nordeste, Recife, Brazil, and in typical Kubota fashion, he combines the sounds of Morocco and Northeast Brazil in a completely new mix. The Brazilian guests include vocalist Erasto Vasconcelos on the opening track Mil Tambores while the dub version of the song features pandeiro and other Brazilian percussion by players featured on an album by Belgium's Think of One. Elsewhere are hypnotic sounding Moroccan trance tunes with atmospheric layers of keyboards, beats and samples from Makoto and the other Blue Asians.

Price:   £18.99

Makoto Kubota and Blue Asia have produced another extraordinary album, this time centering on the music of Thailand. Many of the tracks have some morlam (northeasten) roots, with the chuggish, almost reggae like rhythms. There's plenty of phin (lute) khaen (mouth organ) and both male and female morlam singing. Blue Asia add keyboards and rhythm programming, but unlike the glossy or cheesy synths that blight some Thai albums, this backing is always sophicticated, cool, original and tasteful. Elsewhere some of the tracks have a more pan-Asian feel, with echoes of past recording locations of Vietnam or Bali. There are some great female singers; the fairly pop but definitely Thai, Apple. Lady Nan is more of a lukthung (Thai country) singer, while Chawiwan Damhuen is one of the greatest tradiitional morlam singers.Kubota has great fun with Dub Kornkaen, his dub production of morlam making perfect sense.Serves as a great album in its own right but also as a good introduction to the wonderful roots music of Thailand.

The latest project by the Japanese/Malay project is probably their best yet. Under the inspiring producer Makoto Kubota, Blue Asia went to Vietnam to record with local muisicians. They made some real discoveries, especially among the vocalists, who add new colour to well known Vietnamese tunes, and create some new mixtures, rooted in Vietnam but with the added brilliance of Kubota and co. Click Read About for the full story.


Price:   £18.99

Blue Asia is the brain child of Japanese producer Makoto Kubota. He toured the world in the 1980s with his group the Sunset Gang, and the later the Sunsetz. He introduced Okinawan and Asian elements into his music, eventually becoming a full time producer, working with a variety of artists from Indonesia (Elvy Sukaesih, Detty Kurnia) to Madagascar (Njava). His co-conspiritors in Blue Asia are long time assistant Yoichi Ikeda and Malaysians Mac Chew and Jenny Chin, both Berklee graduates and top arrangers. Hotel Ibah is their first album featured around the gamelan music of Bali. As always with Kubota's projects, the is of the highest quality. Original, inspiring, a cool ambience of jegog bamboo gamelan, kecak chants, suling flutes, bells, chimes and more blended together with stylized electronic backing.

DVD with music by four Asian musicians produced and mixed by Makoto Kubota. Balinese and Sundanese gamelan expertly melded together by a master producer with some Turkish and Middle Eastern influences broadening the soundscape. More mellow than most things Kubota's done but this makes great late night listening and on headphones.The visuals are of scenes, images, festivals, and people of Bali, beatifully put together.


Price:   £20.99

One of Kubota's long time dreams has been to work and record with Turkish musicians which he finally achieves here. A kind of jazzy Arabic groove, as always with Kubota, cleverly produced. Features on one track the equally clever Sabah Habas Mustapha.

Third album in Kubota's fascinating 'hotel' series, and after Bali and Turkey, this time focused on Hawaii. Featuring Yuki Yamauchi and Martin Pahinui, Kubota leaves his trademark sound and innovation as always.


Price:   £17.99

Compilation of Blue Asia/Makoto Kubota's three superb 'Hotel' albums: Ibah (Bali) Istanbul (Turkey) and Waimea (Hawaii).

CD to accompany book release from Asian music pioneer Makoto Kubota. Blue Asia tracks from Hotel Vietnam and Bangkok. His Blue Asia partner Jenny Chin from Malaysia contributes three tunes used for the Nike 2005 Asia campaign, plus a Kubota track (Chill Out) and contributions from Chinese artists Wu Fang and Weiwei.


Price:   £16.99

Makoto Kubota has arranged the takes from Sandii's album into a relaxing, ambient sound.

The sound of crickets, a pounding bass gong, the occasional bird call, the sound of thunder. You can't tap your foot to it, or sing along to it, just wonder how it is that 40 minutes of this makes not just pretty good background noise, but an inspiring listen.


Price:   £18.99

Solo album from Sachiko Kojima, the ex-Zelda and current Amana member. Kojima sings, plays various zithers and is accompanied by Indian and African instruments in a kind of swirling blanket of traditional sounds. All very hypnotic. Includes the song Nami, written by Donto.

New Age waffle? sort of. Bach pieces played on Japanese koto (harp) with dreamy synthesizers in the background.


Price:   £18.99

Chopin nocturnes, preludes, waltzes, etudes, played on the koto (harp) with synthesizers in the background. Pleasant if you are in an elevator; as long as it doesn't get stuck.

More loungy, jazzy, worldy weirdness from trumpet player Jun Miyake. This one was produced by Hal Willner, and recorded in Tokyo and New York and features a variety of sounds with a French flavour, and a Caribbean island twist. Excellent.


Price:   £17.99

1988 release of mostly trumpet and keyboards by Miyake, with synthesized sounds, bass, guitar, and occasional sax and drums. Currently enjoying some success in France, this is an accessible and original album that has stood the test of time. Some reggae, soul and Hawaiian influences make for a diverse album.

Progressive jazz from trumpet player. Too many guitars that sound they came from a Yes album, sub standard vocals and general self indulgence dominate the better bits.


Price:   £18.99

A kind of world percussion album. All the usual over used ones (African)some under used ones, (Thai) in a house, techno, tribal crossover album. 10 tracks, really very nice.

At thirty four minutes and sub-titled , New Age Solo Guitar, this doesn't sound too promising. Nearest reference point is probably Michael Hedges or William Ackerman's albums for Windham Hill, but clearly this wasn't made as pure BGM but to be listened to. Just 19 years old, Tanimoto shows some great technique, plays some interesting material, and even tells you what tunings he played in if you're a guitar aficionado.


Price:   £16.99