TATSURO YAMASHITA - 土曜日の恋人 / MERMAID 7" (MOON RECORDS [MOON-721], 1985) [JP]

Tatsuro Yamashita - 土曜日の恋人 / Mermaid 7"

(Moon Records – [MOON-721], 1985) [JP]

A mid80s single release from Japanese artist Tatsuro Yamashita [山下達郎], city pop artist. Released in 1985 on Moon Records, also a Japanese label which released a lot of interesting stuff.

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YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA - 君に、胸キュン。7" (YEN RECORDS [YLR-704], 1983) [JP]

Yellow Magic Orchestra - 君に、胸キュン。7"

(Yen Records – [YLR-704], 1983) [JP]

A relatively early single of Yellow Magic Orchestra (Y.M.O.), released in 1983 on Yen Records (run by members of the band). 君に、胸キュン。= Kimi Ni Mune Kyun. The title track single of their 1983 album 'Naughty Boys'.

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CHOCOLAT - BLUE MINT BLUE 7" (GREAT TRACKS [MHKL 68], 2022) [JP]

Chocolat - Blue Mint Blue 7"

(Great Tracks – [MHKL 68], 2022) [JP]

A 7" single released in 2022, but with tracks originally recorded in 1997, by Japanese indie pop / shibuya-kei artist Chocolat.

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TOWA TEI - HAPPY (REMIX) 12" (ELEKTRA [MFJP-1009], 1997) [JP]

Towa Tei - Happy (Remix) 12"

(Elektra ‎– [MFJP-1009], 1997) [JP]

Towa Tei has had an interesting career. Born in Japan to a Korean family, he later relocated to NYC and began work with the house/dance group Deee-Lite before having a very prosperous solo career as well split between the two cities: Tokyo and NYC. This is a 12" remix single of his song 'Happy' featuring two remixes by Frankie Knuckles on the B-Side.

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OH! PENELOPE - LET'S FLY THE AD-BALLOON 7" (GREAT TRACKS [MHKL 10], 2017) [JP]

Oh! Penelope - Let's Fly The Ad-Balloon 7"

(Great Tracks – [MHKL 10], 2017) [JP]

A 7" single from Japanese indie pop / shibuya-kei group Oh! Penelope -- released in 2017 -- despite featuring two earlier tracks recorded and previously released in the 90s.

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BUDGIE JACKET - WORLD'S FAMOUS 7" (PARASOL RECORDS [PAR-019], 1993) [JP]

Budgie Jacket - World's Famous 7"

(Parasol Records – [PAR-019], 1993) [JP]

A 7" single release from Japanese indie pop group, Budgie Jacket, released on American label Parasol Records.

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SUNNYCHAR - YOU'RE MY BATTERY 7" (SHREDDER [SHRED-25], 1994) [JP]

Sunnychar - You're My Battery 7"

(Shredder – [SHRED-25], 1994) [JP]

A 7" single from Japanese indie pop group Sunnychar. Released on USA label Shredder in 1994.

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THE AUTOMATICS - I WISH 7" (AMERICAN POP PROJECT [AMPOP 2], 1997) [JP]

The Automatics - I Wish 7"

(American Pop Project – [AmPOP 2], 1997) [JP]

A 7" single from Japanese indie pop / pop punk group The Automatics, with a lovely cover on the B-Side of a song originally by The Primitives, "Secrets".

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KARIA NOMOTO & YASUHARU KONISHI - WORLD IS WAITING FOR US 4 7" (READYMADE INTERNATIONAL [RMEP-0001], 2002) [JP]

Karia Nomoto & Yasuharu Konishi - World Is Waiting For Us 4 7"

(Readymade International – [RMEP-0001], 2002) [JP]

Another, and the fourth in the series, of Japanese lounge downtempo artists in a sampler series. This time it's a 7" split between two Japanese artists and not a 12" sampler. The two artists are Karia Nomoto and Yasuharu Konishi. Released yet again on Readymade International Records in 2002.

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VA - WORLD IS WAITING FOR US 3 12" (READYMADE INTERNATIONAL [RMLP-0003], 2002) [JP]

VA - World Is Waiting For Us 3 12"

(Readymade International – [RMLP-0003], 2002) [JP]

The third  (and not yet final) 12" sampler from the 'World Is Waiting For Us' series from Readymade International records, yet again released in 2002 in Japan.

01. Konishi Yasuharu - The Spellbinder

02. Konishi Yasuharu - Floral Street Scene

03. Sunaga T Experience - Istonichcoff-Variation

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VA - WORLD IS WAITING FOR US 2 12" (READYMADE INTERNATIONAL [RMLP-0002], 2002) [JP]

VA - World Is Waiting For Us 2 12"

(Readymade International – [RMLP-0002], 2002) [JP]

The second 12" sampler from the 'World Is Waiting For Us' series from Readymade International records, also released in 2002 and featuring Mansfield (again) with Sunaga T Experience.

01. Sunaga T Experience - Theme From "THE RECORD BUNCH"

02. Mansfield - Style Pt. 1

03. Mansfield - Style Pt. 2

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VA - WORLD IS WAITING FOR US 1 12" (READYMADE INTERNATIONAL [RMLP-0001], 2002) [JP]

VA - World Is Waiting For Us 1 12"

(Readymade International – [RMLP-0001], 2002) [JP]

The first release in a multi-part compilation series from Readymade International records. Released in 2002 and featuring kind of jazzy or lounge sounding groups. Most of the groups are from Japan, but The Gentle People, is made up of members from the UK, USA, and FRA.

01. Mansfield - Take On Me [a-ha cover]

02. Mansfield - Portobello Samba

03. The Gentle People - I Love The Gentle People

04. Konishi Yasuharu - A Tribute To Simon Harris

LINK

FANTASTIC PLASTIC MACHINE - LOVE IS PSYCHEDELIC 12" (PURPLE TRACKS [PT 015], 2001) [JP]

Fantastic Plastic Machine - Love Is Psychedelic 12"

(Purple Tracks – [PT 015], 2001) [JP]

A rare 12" single from Japanese group/artist Fantastic Plastic Machine [FPM], released in 2001 on Swiss label Purple Tracks. The "Full Spoken Mix" remix by Christopher "Bob Sinclar" LeFriant is inspired by Tender Aggression ’s “Blackjack” from “Fly Disco Fly” LP on Morningstar Records released in 1976.

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URUSEI YATSURA & THE DELGADOS - STOLEN ECTASY 45 CHAPTER THREE - SPLIT 7" (100 GUITAR MANIA RECORDS [100GM-18], 1995) [SCOT]

Urusei Yatsura & The Delgados

Stolen Ecstasy 45 Chapter Three - Split 7"

(100 Guitar Mania Records [100GM-18], 1995) [SCOT]

Split 7" on red vinyl from the Japanese label 100 Guitar Mania Records between two Scottish bands; Urusei Yatsura & The Delgados. The third chapter as part of the label's Stolen Ecstasy 45 Series, that always features international groups paired together. Happy valentine's day!!

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VA - LEMONED SINCE 1996～ 12" (LEMONED [MVJD-1], 1996) [JP]

VA - Lemoned Since 1996～ 12"

(Lemoned – [MVJD-1], 1996) [JP]

A Japanese compilation from 1996 with some mostly unknown [in the USA] artists from Japan. The group that really sticks out for me on this release is Zeppet Store, who play a brand of Japanese shoegaze that I really enjoy. Pretty much all of Zeppet Store's releases are only on CD, this is the only? instance of their tracks appearing on vinyl. There's a wide variety of genre on this compilation between the groups, Zeppet Store and hide each have two tracks each. Hide, who appears on this compilation, is also the founder of the label 'Lemoned" which was very short-lived due to hide's passing in 1998.

01. Zeppet Store - Flake

02. hide - Bacteria

03. Vinyl - Be

04. Trees of Life - Oneday For Maria

05. hide - 限界破裂

06. Zeppet Store - Angel Will Come

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TRICYCLE POPSTAR - I LIKE CURRY RICE. FLEXI (BEHAVIOR SAVIOUR [BS 005], 1993) [JP]

Tricycle Popstar - I Like Curry Rice. FLEXI

(Behavior Saviour – [BS 005], 1993) [JP]

A 7" Flexi-Disc single release from Japanese indie pop artists, Tricycle Popstar [a.k.a. Masahiro Kodama]. Released in 1993. Two little lo-fi fast-paced tracks!

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KEIICHI SOKABE - GUITAR 7" (READYMADE INTERNATIONAL [RMEP-0003], 2001) [JP]

Keiichi Sokabe - Guitar 7"

(Readymade International – [RMEP-0003], 2001) [JP]

The first single release from Japanese indie artist Keiichi Sokabe released in 2001 on Readymade International (the label of Pizzicato Five). Also, the first release from the label -- well actually the CD version of this was first. 

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PIZZICATO FIVE - VOYAGE A TOKYO CDEP (READYMADE RECORDS [COCA-50384], 2000) [JP]

Pizzicato Five - Voyage À Tokyo CDEP

(Readymade Records – [COCA-50384], 2000) [JP]

A CDEP from seminal Japanese shibuyak-kei group Pizzicato Five from the year 2000 on their own Readymade Records. This is well into their career by '00, but I love this title track. The hip-hop influence and the record scratching.

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MANSFIELD - 4 COMPLEXIONS OF MANSFIELD 12" (READYMADE RECORDS [HTJA - 50264], 2000) [JP]

Mansfield - 4 Complexions Of Mansfield 12"

(Readymade Records – [HTJA - 50264], 2000) [JP]

A four-song 12" single from Japanese electronica / breakbeat group Mansfield -- three of the tracks featuring Yukari Fresh -- who is just the coolest! Released in the year 2000 on Readymade Records.

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BRIDGE - POUPÉE DE CIRE, POUPÉE DE SON CDEP (POLYSTAR [PSDR-5037], TRATTORIA [MENU.26], 1993) [JP]

Bridge - Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son CDEP

(Polystar – [PSDR-5037], Trattoria – [Menu.26], 1993) [JP]

A CDEP from Japanese indie pop group Bridge featuring a cover of the popular France Gall ye-ye song! The third track states (Stereolab Mix), but from all that I have read it's just the title -- no involvement from the group Stereolab in the making of the mix.

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