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

This album from 1977 is considered to be a Sunset Gang masterpiece on which they are joined by a stellar cast of collaborators. These include Haruomi Hosono (vocals), Ronnie Barron, Amos Garett and Geof Muldaur. 9 tracks. 1. Hi no Ataru Tokotoe 2. Oh Susanna 3. Mata Hoehajimetayo 4. Lucky Old Sun 5. Funky Walking Boy 6. Paradise eno Michi 7. Smokey Joe no Cafe 9. Koi no Slow Boat 9. Maboroshi


Price:   £14.99

From 1979, Makoto Kubota & The Sunset Gang's New Orleans influenced classic album, another masterpiece of Japanese rock. This album features Haruomi Hosono (korg), Sandii (vocals), Levon Helm (drums), Ronnie Barron (piano), Hiroshi Sato (piano). 10 tracks. 1. Raphsody 2. Mama Liza's Cafe 3. Hey! Pocky A-Way 4. Dixie Chicken 5. Roochoo Gumbo 6. Kouga Funauta 7. Lover Please 8. Iko Iko 9. Issho ni Aruite!! 10. Walking to New Orleans

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.


Price:   £18.99

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.

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:   £18.99

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

Accompanying CD to Blue Asia's Hotel Morocco. Compiled by Makoto Kubota, includes new recordings of some of featured artists on Hotel Morocco, such as Youssef Gnawa, other new recordings of some deeply rootsy, hypnotic gnawa and other Moroccan music many performed live and solo. 13 fantastic tracks.


Price:   £16.99

Compiled by Makoto Kubota to go with the Blue Asia Hotel Bangkok CD. Eight tracks are taken from the excellent tradtional recordings of Thai music from various King Records series. These include phin (guitar) solo, traditional morlam singing with khaen accompaniment, jahke (zither) pong laang (xylophone) and pee (reed oboe). The other five tracks are superb new recordings by Makoto Kubota in Thailand of a small combo playing some sublime traditional tunes. Wonderful.

An album of Vietnamese and 'Indo-Chinese' music from the King catalogue compiled by Makoto Kubota, who recorded his 'Hotel Vietnam' for the same label. An excellent selection that takes you on a discovery of local traditions.


Price:   £17.99

Tracks from the King World Music library, compiled and mastered by Makoto Kubota. Not much more than old tracks reissued into a hip package, but Kubota has chosen well with music from Burma, Timor, Madagascar, Mongolia, Greece, Nepal, Vietnam and elsewhere. Hugely enjoyable CD that is full of discoveries.

Compiled by Makoto Kubota from the King World Music catalogue of various world music. Part 2 of the equally excellent World Cafe.


Price:   £16.99

Remixes of classic material from Makoto and the Sunset Gang, includes Hasai Ojisan.

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


Price:   £18.99

Project featuring several top Asian singers.

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.


Price:   £14.99

Makoto Kubota has created a superb album of Balinese (and Javanese) soundscapes, from gamelan jegog to suling overlaid with cool beats and some natural sounds of the forest. Quite similar to Blue Asia's first album Hotel Ibah, but more laid back. As ever with Makoto Kubota this is a high quality album, great to chill out to, but equally great as a pure listening experience.

Compiled by Makoto Kubota, second volume of Nordeste Atomico. More killer tracks from the Brazilian northeast and includes the unreleased Mio Mazda meets DJ Dolores on the deep samba mix of Cha De Camara and a field recording by Makoto Kubota. 17 pulsating tracks.


Price:   £17.99

Mio Matsuda is a Japanese singer who sings (very well) in Portuguese. What makes this album really worth checking out is the producer, Makoto Kubota, the man behind some great music for past 30 years and in recent years, the acclaimed Blue Asia. It definitely has that Kubota trademark sound and even has a Blue Asia mix of Lambada. Kubota has been obsessed recently with the Brazlian nordeste music and this album was recorded in Recife with some superb musicians. There are various other Kubota mixes - the intriguing Forrobada- another two versions of the Lambada and overall about 42 minutes of Brazilian bliss.

Fantastic Makoto Kubota compilation of music from Recife, northern Brazil. Brazilian, rock and club music mixture. Chegada / Abissal E Os Caboclos Envenenados Vento Corredor (Tin E Cacapa) / Tin Gaiola De Saudade / Maciel Salu E O Terno Do Terreiro Maracatu Indiano / Maracatu Nacao Pernanbuco Mucun / Renata Rosa Evolucao de Bateria / Maracatu Nacao Estrela Brilhante O Samba Chegou / Bonsucesso SambaClube Container / Mombojo Caburera "Magistrado Ladrao" Parari / Biu Roque Asa Branca / Zabe da Loca Forro Do Camarao (trad.) Olha O Mateus / Orquestra Popular do Recife Atomico / Makoto Kubota Fuloresta Do Samba / Siba.


Price:   £17.99

Makoto Kubota and his Yuyake Gakudan (Sunset Orchestra) made some seminal albums back in the 70s and 80s with rock, folk, blues and world mixtures. This best of double album features original recordings(disc 1) and his island mixes(disc 2).

'Harry' Hosono and 'Mac' Kubota's unique take on New Orleans music plus Hawaiian / Asian influences. Includes Jim Keltner / Garth Hudson.


Price:   £18.99

Recorded in Cajun country, New Orleans and Woodstock, Kubota's first solo album mixes cajun, blues, rock and country with covers of 'I Can See Clearly Now', 'Me & Bobby McGee' and the Hawaiian blues, 'Waimanalo Blues'. Includes guests Garth Hudson and Levon Helm of the Band. The best tracks are where Kubota's own style is most in evidence, particularly on the Cajun and blues tracks. Overall, excellent.