Logic System - Venus

Hideaki Matsutake, also known under the moniker Logic System, is a synth musician/programer who is responsible for this superb synth masterpiece. Beginning his career working as an assistant under Isao Tomita (Asia's pioneering voice in electronic music IMHO) and then moving onto technical work as an unoffical 4th member throughout YMO's early career, Matsutake not only has talent but the credentials to assure any skeptic of his accomplishments in the genre. Logic System is a somewhat of a solo project for Matsutake, however much of his work is collaborated upon with other musicians, programmers and producers.

Venus, Logic's System's second LP, was released only a few short months after his debut album and is miles ahead in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, while I love the self titled debut, his distinct style mixed with an r&b/ital disco flair trumps the prog/spacey/kraftwerk-esque he began with. If you're interested in hearing not only his debut but 3rd release as well, head over to JJ's DOWN TO DA BONE!

I found this one on a now defunct blog about 3 years ago and I am really appreciative that I stumbled upon it! I'm pretty sure it's a vinyl rip but it definitely sounds great. I'm a big fan of early electro/dance music and if you're a fan of YMO, I think you'll dig this one too! Enjoy!





Venus (1981)

1. Venus
2. Morpheus
3. I Love You
4. Plan
5. Take A Chance
6. Automatic Collect, Automatic Correct
7. Be Yourself
8. Prophet
9. Metamorphism
10. Equivalent

Sing Like Talking Studio Albums 1988-1998

Hope this makes up for my neglect takuma. I plan to do a discography for Susmu Hirasawa next. To save space, I put youtube links in the song titles for a highlight track from each album. Enjoy!



TRY AND TRY AGAIN (1988)

1. TRY AND TRY AGAIN
2. DANCIN' WITH YOUR LIES
3. 君がいなければ
4. PLATED PLANNER
5. DANCIN' WITH YOUR LIES (I'M HOT VERSION) 
6. FAIR ～JUST TWO OF US～
7. EVENING IN BYZANTIUM
8. 11月の記憶 ～RAINING BLUES～
9. WHAT TIME IS IT NOW?
10. 眠りに就くまで

City On My Mind (1989)

1. City On My Mind

2. Lovers

3. Go Along

4. On The Crazy Street

5. 長い道距(みちのり)の果てに

6. Don't Let Go

7. If You Are Kind To Us

8. 陽だまりの下で

9. Friend

10. Hope II

III (1990)

1. Interlude: Beats

2. Livin' For The Beat

3. Find It (In Your Heart) ～初夏の印象～

4. 未来のために

5. Hey, Dreamer

6. Time Of Love

7. Interlude: Working

8. Show Time

9. Is It You

10. さよならが云える時

11. Dreamin' About You

12. Interlude: Talking 0:39

13. So Fine ～A Guy's Life Style～

14. Interlude: Street

15. 雨が上がれば

16. 泡沫

0 [ラブ] (1991)

1. Steps of love

2. Do what U want 2 do 4 luv

3. La La La

4. Interlude: I long for you

5. 迷いの要塞 ～Heart to Heart～

6. 嵐の最中 ～Reintroduction～ ***

7. Interlude: P.P

8. Gigolette

9. 愛といえるまで

10. 此の手は離せない

11. Interlude: You are love

12. Your Smile

13. 願いを込めて

14. Missin' you

Humanity (1992)

1. 飛べない翼

2. Hold On

3. 遥かな航海へ

4. Pray

5. With You

6. Rise

7. Sunday Afternoon

8. Slow Love Down

9. 感じるまま ～Humanity～

10. 追憶 ～窓辺の風景～

11. I'm In Love

12. It's City Life

13. きっと何時の日か

togetherness (1994)

1. Together

2. Joy

3. 風に抱かれて

4. My Eye's On You

5. Between Us

6. 幻に恋する日々

7. Night Rhythm

8. Will

9. Your Love

10. Standing

11. 点し火のように

DISCOVERY (1995)

1. 素晴らしい夢の中で

2. Keeps Me Runnin'

3. 見つめる愛で

4. そんな時は

5. Burnin' Love

6. 心の扉

7. Today

8. 夏の彼方

9. 瞬く星に

10. Perfect Love

Welcome To Another World (1997)

1. Seasons Of Change

2. Real Life

3. Starting Over ～ありあまる想いで～

4. Skylark

5. Forever

6. 君の風

7. Rendezvous

8. Spirit Of Love (Sanctified Version)

9. Frame (Remix)

10. Speed

11. The Light Is You

BONUS

Firecracker [1998 SINGLE] ***

Yasushi Nakanishi: WARMIN'

I don't have to much knowledge about Nakanishi (no relation to Keizo) but I thought I'd give one of his  albums a chance when I came by it. I was pleasantly surprised with his smooth 90's R&B style. While this album doesn't included his biggest hit, I think it's a good introduction. Nakanishi maintained a steady career throughout the 90's but seems to be still performing today. I hope you take a chance and check this album. Enjoy! If anyone happens to have any of his other albums, I am interested^^

WARMIN' (1993)

1. 想い出を閉じこめて
2. Just feel it!
3. 君はせつない残酷
4. 言葉でいえる愛
5. 千年前から見つめていた
6. ガールフレンド
7. 一日の終わりに
8. 2nd TIME
9. 遠くわずかなDISTANCE
10. LAST CALL

Toshinobu Kubota: BUMPIN' VOYAGE

After a long delay here is BUMPIN' VOYAGE! This time it should work!!! Enjoy!



BUMPIN' VOYAGE (1990)

1. PaLaLeYa ～さよなら～
2. SUNshine, MOONlight
3. 君は なにを 見てる
4. ZA-KU-ZA-KU Digame
5. 女 D.J.“FONK”
6. Too Lite 2 Do
7. NOT YET!
8. 6 TO 8
9. DIVE INTO THE BASE
10.さがしてた 忘れもの
11. 夜に抱かれて～A Night in Afro Blue～

Keizo Nakanishi: Steps, STARTING OVER & graffiti

Here are the last three Nakanishi albums I currently own. Great stuff for fans of Toshinobu Kubota and Kenjiro Sakiya. Enjoy!

Steps (1993)

1. 素敵なことは変わらない
2. Glory Days
3. You And I
4. あの空を忘れない
5. みあげてごらん
6. 青い影
7. Ticket To Paradise (remix)
8. 手のひら
9. 夜に火をつけて
10. 君のいる星
11. Shake!(album version)
12. Precious Love
BONUS
Ticket To Paradise



Live with extended intro!!!

STARTING OVER (1994)

1. STARTING OVER
2. RAINSCAPE
3. 明日はきっといい日
4. 早春
5. 眠れぬ想い (orchestral style)
6. 永遠の名前
7. A.C.E
8, 非情階段
9. 2a.m.
10. 夢の果てまで
11. たったひとつの愛を
12. まわりみち(mirage mix)

BONUS

眠れぬ想い

非情階段 (Radio Mix)

たったひとつの愛を (Original Karaoke)

graffiti (1995)

1. SO BAD
2. はじまりの虹
3. LIBERTY
4. 焦がれて
5. Why Goodbye (Duet with Wendy Moten)
6. 'Round Midnight
7. Violet in your lonely heart
8. J
9. 新しい僕になろう
10. BLUEWATER
11. 月の上に腰かけて

Sing Like Talking: TRY AND TRY AGAIN [REUP]

Switched this one over to 4shared! Enjoy!


TRY AND TRY AGAIN (1988)

1. TRY AND TRY AGAIN
2. DANCIN' WITH YOUR LIES
3. 君がいなければ
4. PLATED PLANNER
5. DANCIN' WITH YOUR LIES (I'M HOT VERSION) 
6. FAIR ～JUST TWO OF US～
7. EVENING IN BYZANTIUM
8. 11月の記憶 ～RAINING BLUES～
9. WHAT TIME IS IT NOW?
10. 眠りに就くまで

Keizo Nakanishi: KEIZO～かなわない夢もあった～ & Yell

It always seems as things start to clear up, more things arise. Here are the first two albums from a fantastic artist Keizo Nakanishi. I came upon Nakanishi only a few months ago and his style fits right in with the other great singer/song-writer/producer greats of the late 80s and 90s in Japan. I would say he is a mix of Kenjiro Sakiya and Toshinobu Kubota with a touch of Kadomatsu. Of course, he brings in his own flare, complementing his R&B/Pop stylings with great instrumentation, diverse sounds and orchestral layers to many of the tracks. 

Hopefully these links will work! I know people have mentioned some problems with mediafire links. Each time I try them from other computers though, they work. Perhaps it because I am in Korea, I don't know. Alas, if nothing works, I will hunt for a new site. The pesky internet police are definitely the biggest killjoys. Anywho, please check these out and three more from him will be on the way. Enjoy!  



KEIZO～かなわない夢もあった～ (1991)

1. タンジェリン・アイズ
2. Brother Sun Sister Moon
3. 遠い夜明け
4. Love again
5. 彼方へ
6. 探偵
7. ミッドナイトコール
8. 夏の終わりのデッキシューズ
9. 空を泳ぐ想い
10. Daisy









Yell (1992)

1. 恋はハート・オブ・ファイアー
2. ダイヤモンド・レイン
3. ウーマン
4. 君が瞳にしみる
5. 一番君がしたかった事
6. 片想いのバースデイ
7. ミステリー・ナイト
8. 永遠のすれちがい
9. ラヴ・ソング
10. 君は君の誇り

Nakanishi's biggest hit...fantastic song

RA MU: THANKS GIVING+5 [REQUEST]

This is one of my all time favorite albums ever! This "super group" of sorts with members of fusion group PRISM and idol singer, Momoko Kikuchi, proved to be a fantastic experiment in introducing fusion and R&B to the mainstream. Although only lasting a year, the group recorded 15 amazing tracks that are on par with all the greats of the time. I discovered this album on the OLDIES BUT GOODIES site but I am reposting it with 5 extra tracks that were only available as singles. Enjoy, you won't regret!

THANKS GIVING (1988)

1. Rainy Night Lady

2. Carnaval

3. 夏と秋のGood-Luck

4. Two Years After

5. 少年は天使を殺す

6. One And Only

7. Tokyo野蛮人

8. 片思い同盟

9. Late Night Heartache

10. Love Talk

BONUS

1. Silent Summer Sea

2. 愛は心の仕事です

3. 水のシルクロード

4. 青山Killer物語

5. オリエンタル・プレイボーイ

Toshinobu Kubota: PARALLEL WORLD I"KUBOJAH", Neptune & BUMPIN' VOYAGE [LINK UPDATE]

Well after a long delay, I've decided to do a mass post of albums. Included are 3 albums from Toshinobu Kubota, 2 from Yumi Tanimura and Anzen Chitai's XII & XIII (requested). I hope to get around to more posting as I have a few more albums stored up and some new finds to post as well. Enjoy!

PARALLEL WORLD I"KUBOJAH" (1991)

1. Keep On JAMMIN'
2. 雨音
3. Honey B
4. Love Like a Rastaman
5. 男たちの詩～My Yout～
6. TELEPHOTO
7. Just the 2 of Us (DUET WITH CARON WHEELER) (***)
8. You were mine (KUBOJAH VERSION)
9. 神なるものと薔薇の刺
10. 北風と太陽 (Bro. HUSSEIN & Bro.BUSH)
11. JAMAICA～この魂のやすらぎ～




Neptune (1992)

1. 真夜中の太陽
2. To the Limit
3. Adeus Meu Amor
4.トランペット吹きながら
5. 夏の子午線
6. Sweet Dreams ～そっとおやすみ～
7. Let's Get A Groove ～Yo! Hips～
8. Our Masterpiece
9. Pump Up Your Gold
10. GET SIX
11. 誓い




BUMPIN' VOYAGE (1990)

1. PaLaLeYa ～さよなら～
2. SUNshine, MOONlight
3. 君は なにを 見てる
4. ZA-KU-ZA-KU Digame
5. 女 D.J.“FONK”
6. Too Lite 2 Do
7. NOT YET!
8. 6 TO 8
9. DIVE INTO THE BASE
10.さがしてた 忘れもの
11. 夜に抱かれて～A Night in Afro Blue～

ZOO: Gorgeous & JUNGLE

ZOO is a group I've been searching for ever since I discovered them last year. Forming in 1989 as a dance/musical group, they hit the charts in 1991 with the song "Choo Choo TRAIN" and went on to have a moderately successful career until their break up in late '95. You can still hear some of the members work in the very successful group "EXILE" who just released another album this year. Thanks to a cover version of "Gorgeous" from Sandy Lam, I became interested in finding out more about this dance/pop group. Much to my dismay, I was not able to find much on the internet about them or from them. Rest assured though I was determined and made sure to search for some of their tunes upon my return to Japan. Luckily enough I was able to find the one album I was looking for and one other and I've found both to great listens. While I know the "Choo Choo TRAIN" was their break out single, I prefer "Gorgeous" and the track alone makes the album worth a listen. Don't worry, the whole album great and many of the tracks of JUNGLE are fantastic as well. Check it out and watch out for more soon! Enjoy!

Gorgeous (1992)

1. Gorgeous

2. Party

3. Kiss of

4. One Night Lover

5. H・I・R・O・C・A・P

6. Is it love

7. Gorgeous (Remix lab. Version)

JUNGLE (1992)

1. JUNGLE

2. HAWAII

3. YA-YA-YA [LAB. Mix Album Version]

4. Never forget you

5. Free style

6. PINCH!!

7. Kiss Me [LAB. Mix Album Version]

8. JAMMING

9. ONLY YOU

Coma Chi- Red Naked

A solid sophomore effort from one of the best female rappers to come out of Japan. This was her last truly all hip-hop album before she moved to more of a R&B/Pop sound. Hopefully those who requested "DAY BEFORE BLUE" will dig this one too. Enjoy!

RED NAKED (2009)

1. Intro

2. 秘密

3. Name Tag ~ C-O-M-A-C-H-I ~

4. Girls! Girls!

5. Me & My Kicks

6. Material World

7. Illterlude

8. 自傷症ガール don’t cry

9. Perfect Angel

10. Beautiful Day

11. Doowutchyalike

12. 東京非行少女

13. 感謝

14. B-GIRLイズム

Khaled: Sahra

Khaled, the unofficially dubbed "King of Raï" is an influential Algerian pop singer-songwriter and instrumentalist who specializes in raï music. Raï originated in Algeria and holds its roots in folk music but incorporates many other genres. Its comparable to the Enka or Trot music of Asia, except with an Arab vibe. Also due to Algeria's history and its proximity to many varying nations, raï singers typically incorporate different languages into their songs and many songs are politically charged. However, what I find remarkable is how upbeat and danceable the music typically is, contrasting with most other protest songs. This album was named after Khaled's daughter and the album is dedicated to her. The track "Aïcha" was a popular international pop hit, particularly because it was sung in both Arabic and French. Funny enough I first found out Khaled through the infamous internet video, Gellieman, back in the early 2000's. While I'm assuming this isn't for everyone, I always like posting varying music options. With around 40,000 songs currently in my computer, I'm hardly covering the large variance of genres I listen to. Check it out, enjoy and "Pfffffffffffffff..."!

Sahra (1996)

1. Sahra

2. Oran Marseille (Oran Mix)

3. Aïcha

4. Lillah

5. Ouelli El Darek (with the I Threes)

6. Detni Essekra

7. Wallou Wallou

8. Ki Kounti (with Saúl Hernández)

9. Wahrane Wahrane

10. Haya Haya

11. Mektoubi

12. Hey Ouedi

13. Oran Marseille (with Akhenaton and Shurik'n of IAM)

14. Sratli

15. Le jour viendra

Yoo Young-Jin (유영진): 지애(之愛)

His last album before becoming a full time producer/arranger/songwriter. His voice is definitely at its best here and his productions are top notch. Great early 2000's pop album. Enjoy!

지애(之愛) (2001)

1. Dear My Family (feat. 문희준, 강타, S.E.S., 신화, Fly To The Sky, Boa)

2. ...之愛 (지애)

3. Unconditional Kismet

4. 그녀를 일으켜라 (Get Her Up) (feat. Shawn 'Rize' Kook)

5. Someday

6. 수호천사 (Guardian Angel)

7. 혼자 있으면 (Alone)

8. That'S The Way (feat. Coolio)

9. Crazy Love

10. Growing Up (feat. Justin Robinson Daniel Ie Blanc(logic) Shawn 'rize' Kook)

11. Mo` Jazzy

12. Obsession

13. One Moment (feat. Justin Robinson Daniel Ie Blanc(logic))

14. That`S The Way (Korean Version) (feat. Coolio)

15. 혼자있으면... 내영혼의 친구와 함께

EXTRA

Sorry Sorry (R&B Remix)

Beautiful Girls (Feat.유영진)

Dream: Perfect Girls / To The Top

Wish I would have discovered this one a few years ago but thats the beauty of the internet. Hard to come by on the web now, this fantastic dance single reminds me of the dance songs I grew up with but with a little more edge. Check out the new group E-Girls if you like want you hear, it features the current members of Dream. I'll be posting more randomness as much as I can and I'm also making judgements based off of download numbers. Enjoy!

Perfect Girls / To The Top (2009)

1. Perfect Girls

2. To The Top

3. Perfect Girls(Instrumental)

4. To The Top(Instrumental)

Chikuzen Satou: Cornerstones

Sing Like Talking frontman solo effort. Great listen, great cover tracks, highly recommended! Thanks to the seemingly defunct ongaku-poland blog! Enjoy!

Cornerstones (1995)

1. No One There

2. Whatcha' Gonna Do For Me

3. What You Won't Do For Love

4. I. O. U. Me

5. Promises Promises

6. Something Sad

7. You Need A Hero

8. O. C. O. E. (Official Cat Of The Eighties)

9. Desperado

10. Stardust

11. Something Sad (Japanese Version)

Great Version of a Chaka Khan classic

Yoo Young-Jin (유영진): Blues In Rhythm & Blue Rhythm

Yoo Young-Jin has arguably been the most dominant presence in K-pop over the last decade and a half but ironically, most are completely unaware of that fact. This singer/songwriter/composer, is responsible for some of K-pops biggest hits over the last few years but many do not know his name nor can recall his string of solo efforts under his current employer, the juggernaut that is SM Entertainment. Originally beginning as a performer for SM, Yoo Young-Jin shifted his interests to composing and arranging after he fulfilled his mandatory military service. While his signature style is still felt and his powerhouse vocals can be heard in accompaniment, Young-Jin has taken a backseat to the public eye and instead help solidified the careers and success of some of K-Pop's most well known groups. H.O.T, DBSK(TVXQ), Super Junior, and now the freshly debuted EXO, all owe their continued success to this man behind the scenes and while his at times "off-beat" artistic pursuits have been questioned, no one can deny his impact. While I enjoy the whole array of his works, I wish that he was still a performer. His vocals and arrangements and soulful, powerful and damn catchy. These are his first two solo albums and they make for great listens. Check out the covers of Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" and "Easy" on his 2nd album, they are great renditions. Enjoy!

1집 - Blues In Rhythm (1993)


1. 그대 가슴에 나를 가두어
2. 그대의 향기
3. 매일꾸는 꿈
4. 내곁에 머물수없니
5. 마음에 내리는 비
6. 시간
7. 사랑을 배우는 인생
8. 비오는 오후에
9. 내곁에 머물수없니 (instrumental)
10. 그대의 향기 (instrumental)

2집 - Blues Rhythm (1995)

1. Interlude
2. 너의 착각
3. 지난 날
4. 습관적인 눈물
5. 영원한 친구
6. 내곁에서 멀리
7. 두번째 이별
8. Wonderful Tonight
9. 마지막 여행
10. 나머지 사랑을 내게
11. 사랑이 끝난후
12. Easy
13. 혼자되어도
14. Outro Amazing Grace