"This transcendental debut inhabits its own space like no other..should be compared to a highly extended Doors-influenced theatre piece, incorporating elements of Dr John during his Night Tripper phase, Carl Orff's ecstatic chorale Carmina Burana and Japan's own chanting oddities Karuna Khyal and Brast Burn".
There are two versions of the soundtrack to the animated classic science fiction film 'Akira'. The original contains the dialogue, whereas the Symphonic Suite contains the complete and original unremixed versions. Given an unlimited budget, this was Geinoh Yamashirogumi's most ambitious and intense project taking six months to record. All the complex and diverse Yamashiro hallmarks are here in spades; heavy percussion, driving gamelan rhythms, church organ and gothic choral passges. Included is some truly wonderul shomyo (Buddhist Chants) and noh (traditional theatre) singing. 10 tracks, 70 mins. 1.Kaneda 2.Battle Against Crown 3.Winds Over The Neo-Tokyo 4.Tetsuo 5.Doll's Polyphony 6.Shohmyoh 7.Mutation 8.Exodus From The Underground Fortress 9.Illusion 10.Requiem Price: £21.99
The original version to the soundtrack of Akira.4 tracks.
1.Kaneda 2.Tetsuo 1 3.Tetsuo 2 4.Akira
Fascinating nineteen track 'guide' to Geinoh Yamashirogumi takes us through the group's uncanny knack for performing near perfect versions of music from around the world- from Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa and finally Japan. Last two tracks represent the mixed contemporary sound of Geinoh Yamashirogumi. Price: £22.99
From 1986, Ecophony Rinne, (Reincarnated Orchestra) is a concept album in four movements based on the eternal cycles of birth, death and rebirth. This landmark recording saw the group fuse the traditional music of different cultures into a hi-tech wall of sound. Created by over 200 performers the music has a distincly East Asian flavour- Japanese shomyo type buddhist chants, Japanese drums, Balinese gamelan, Noh music, Tibetan percussion, together with synthesizers adding dynamic and dramatic effects.
Originally released in 1982, various African vocal styles performed by the Japanese performers. Morocco, Tanzania, Gabon, Ethiopia, Congo, Botswana, Senegal are just some of the countries covered. Without the hi-tech synthesizer fusion that the group became later known for. More of a study of tribal voices from Africa. Price: £23.99
Vocal styles recreated by Japanese performers including from Taiwan, India, Corsica, Georgia, Pakistan, Syria, and Turkey. Mostly vocals, without the hi-tech accompaniment of later albums. 20 tracks.
Way before Mystere des Voix Bulgares, in 1975 a group of 50 or so Japanese singers had studied and mastered Bulgarian and other eastern European singing styles. Extraordinary at the time, and even though we can hear the real thing easily enough today, still a remarkable pioneering project. Price: £21.99
On Yamato Genjoh, Geinoh Yamashirogumi (the art group who most famously did the music for the anime classic Akira) explore the music of Japan. Shamisen and other traditional instruments and styles such as kyogen and shomyo combine with choral vocals, plus a variety of western instruments in a pretty bizarre mix. Originally released in 1977.
