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 | VARIOUS Myahk
Price: £18.99 (Reference #FSD5081)Traditional songs from Miyako and Tarama island. Featured singers; Hrneys Sarahama, Hiroshi Molishima & his group, Haruko Hamakawa, Hide Miyakuni. 1. Gudinpuu 2. Jurihouka 3. Matsugama Odori 4. Nakayamaabu 5. Amagui nu Uta 6. Maigumui Mauya 7. Myahk-Zutsu Aag 8. Kuichaa Odoi nu Aag 9. Niiima nu Shu 10. Agaizatu n-naka 11. Hidagawa no Mizu 12. Nakayatsu no Kaniku 13. Hounen no Aag 14. Weenma nu Eeg 15. Bakagamu nu Eeg 16. Nakayamabunari 17. Bangamuri | |
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 | BLUE ASIA Sketches of Myahk
Price: £15.99 (Reference #FSD4976)Latest album from Makoto Kubota's Blue Asia project. This album focuses on the music of Miyako island, Okinawa. Kubota became fascinated with the ancient prayer music that he found, sung by 80 something year old grandmothers. These singers and musicians are combined with the ever tasteful electonic sounds and effects of Kubota and his Blue Asia pals. 1. Myahk 2. Ikema Kuduchi 3. Myahk-zutsu 1 4. Gudinpuu 5. Weenma nu Eeg 6. Kun-nu-Shu 7. Nakadati no Migagama 8. Nisu ga Tou 9. Myahk-zutsu 2. 10. Nakayamaabu 11. Tabihae no Aagu 12. Bangamuli 13. Nakadati no Migagama Remix 14. Myahk 2 

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MAKOTO KUBOTA Bali Dream (Reference #FSD4181)Laid back, cool recordings of Balinese gamelan and singers set to Makoto Kubota's trademark soundscape and production of gentle beats, ambient and natural sounds. A mix of Balinese and Javanese music. Deeply relaxing. 1. Legian Road Morning 2. Ujuang - Banondari 3. First Snow in Bali 4. Ubud Walk 5. Bandung 6. Prayer 7. Funky Gendel 8. Dukun 9. Neleng 10. Bali Dream 
Price: £21.99
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 | MORIO AGATA Taruphology
Price: £23.99 (Reference #FSD3748)Produced by Makoto Kubota. Morio Agata has been making records since the early 70s. He became known as one of the 'gentle generation' of singer/songwriters, influenced by American folk but with more than a nod to post and pre-war Japanese pop. Since the 1980s he became influenced by world music and has been a long time collaborator of Makoto Kubota and in the early 90s formed the excellent group Raizo. Kubota, in case you don't know, is one of Japan's most innovative and brilliant producers, whose most recent project, Blue Asia has gained international acclaim. This album celebrates 35 years since Agata's first record, is a mix of old and new material, some inspired by the author Taruho Inagaki. Tracks include a version of Tokyo Bushi, with Japanese lyrics set to Marching Through Georgia, that has become a standard folk tune in Japan, complete with a Northeastern Brazilian rhythm session and guest vocals from Haruomi Hosono, an Arabic/dub version of Submarine, a Gypsy meets Bellydance mix on the song Sexi Sexi, and other world influences. Strong songs, great production, highly recommended. 12 tracks plus one bonus mix of Tokyo Bushi.  | |
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 | BLUE ASIA Hotel Morocco
Price: £23.99 (Reference #FSD2989c)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.

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BLUE ASIA Hotel Bangkok (Reference #FSD2723c)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.
Price: £23.99 |  | |
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BLUE ASIA Hotel Ibah (Reference #FSD2852a)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. 
Price: £23.99 |  | |
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 | MAKOTO KUBOTA Spirit of Healing - India
Price: £19.99 (Reference #FSD3155)Makoto Kubota's first Indian excursion features various musicians recorded in Chennai on bamboo flute, violin, sitar, veena, dilruba, steel guitar, mandolin, tabla, dholak, udu and some superb vocalists to which Kubota has addded his trademark programmed beats, keyboards plus guitar and bass. His Blue Asia pals, Jenny Chin, Mac Chew and Yoichi Ikeda all help out at various points too. All tunes are Kubota or Blue Asia originals except for a wonderful version of Ever So Lonely. Quality Indian chill out music but not quite like anything you've heard before.  | |
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