Tokyo's Coolest Sound

Vanilla Beans' recent download-only single "Afternoon a Go-Go" is now available in a remixed version, again for download only via iTunes and others.

Vanilla Beans "Afternoon a Go-Go -We Love You Mix-" (Download)

Tokuma TWEB-149
Out now (9/24), ¥200
Sample/buy:

How to buy from iTunes Japan from overseas

Finally, Osaka label Orange Records brings us a new compilation! This is the label's 2nd CD compilation, following the excellent "Variété" (2002).

Featured are 19 artists, including new recordings by Misswonda (Saint Classics is a new moniker of Suzuki Akira (Sonic Coaster Pop, Usagi-chang Records)), Groove Unchant with Urbangarde's Hamasaki Yōko, and of course all of the label's current artists. A few covers are also thrown in such as Royksopp's "Eple", Koike Tamao's "Yellow Magic Carnival" and Flipper's Guitar's "Slide".

A limited number comes in a special lace packaging by brand Sakula Closet. Jet Set also offers exclusively a bonus mix CD-R by Tanaka Tomonao (Orange Records boss) while supplies last.

Audio samples at Jet Set

Various Artists "incense"

1. Luxembourg kōen / Les nuages de crepuscule
2. Saint Classics feat. Misswonda / floating in an imperfect world (Re-edit)
3. mon murmure meets Bid / Bid loves teenage witch
4. One Four One / All Four One
5. Hiroshi & Eve / Call Me
6. Cream Cheese of Son / Summer of Son
7. Argyle / Yellow Magic Carnival
8. Orientaro / Orientaro No.1
9. Yabemilk / Windchime
10. Groove Unchant feat. yōko hamasaki (urbangarde) / kagami no naka no 10gatsu
11. Klapp&Memild feat. Yuri (Argyle) / ame
12. Toshiyuki Yasuda / alcoolico
13. Funnyboy / Eple
14. Metonmilk / A Peaceful End Of The Day
15. Noriko Okazaki / Slide
16. D.O.K.I / Waltz For Debby
17. tempo fresco / Valsa de Amor
18. Morry Taylor / 43
19. momorange / kajitsu no sasayaki

Orange Records ORGR-032
Out now (9/24), ¥2000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set, Amazon, HMV

Nakata Yasutaka (capsule) has produced Suzuki Ami's latest single, titled "can't stop the DISCO". This comes in two editions, the limited one containing a bonus DVD of the title song's video clip.

Audio samples at Tower Records and HMV

A full-length album is coming on November 12, and the next week will see a new capsule album!

Suzuki Ami "can't stop the DISCO"
鈴木亜美 「can't stop the DISCO」

1. can't stop the DISCO
2. climb up to the top
3. SUPER MUSIC MAKER (SA'08S/A mix)

Limited edition (CD+DVD)
avex trax AVCD-31483
Out now (9/24), ¥1800 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon (7% off *), HMV, YesAsia, Amazon U.S.
* Discount at time of writing

Regular edition (CD only)
avex trax AVCD-31483
Out now (9/24), ¥1000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, YesAsia, , Amazon U.S.

DJ Miura Makoto made a jazzy mix tape in 2003 that quickly became a classic within the scene, and here it is released for the first time on CD!

Miura Makoto "dada volume 1"

1. overture (that is jazz)
2. The Gals & Pals / My Little Red Book
3. Michel Legrand / Quand ça balance
4. Frank Ifeld / Blue Skies
5. Pierre Barouh / Le Roman
6. Morgan James Duo / Bye Bye
7. Rita Pavone / La Comessa
8. interlude (chante avec takt)
9. Steve Lawrence / Bluesette
10. Lois Walden / There Is A Time
11. Caterina Valente / La Bikina
12. Horst Jankowski Qurtet / Delilah
13. Roy Budd / My Favourite Things
14. Robert Goulet / In The Name Of Love
15. Paul Nash / Passing Glance
16. overture (in other word)
17. Les Pariseiennes / Qu'est-c'qu'on attend
18. Gimmicks / For Sent
19. Laurie Holloway / Child Of Sunner
20. Sandy Nelson / Work Song
21. Roger Nichols / Don't Take Your Time
22. Anthony And The Imperials / A Man And A Woman
23. interlude (la seine)
24. Horace Silver / The St.Vitus Dance
25. Kenny Clarke & Francy Boland / You'd Be So Nice
26. Sheila Landis / I Want To Join Their Song
27. Roslyn Burrough / Youngfolks
28. Gloria Steward / Fly Me To The Moon

Comedy Tonight CTMT-004
Out now (9/6), ¥1500 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set

This is an album of J-pop covers featuring singer Tsuji Kaori. Hase Yasuhiro of solange et delphine contributed arrangements for several of the songs. The package includes a book.

fragrance feat. Tsuji Kaori "The Book of Love No.1 ~ Variété"
fragrance feat. 辻香織 「The Book of Love No.1 ~ Variété」

1. na mo naki shi
2. zenryoku shōnen
3. tsumetai hoho
4. ashita hareru kana
5. bara no hana
6. tashika na koto
7. 1 / 2
8. Best Friend
9. fuyu ga hajimaru yo
10. Tokyo ni mo attanda

Softly! SRVC-1007
Out now (9/17), ¥2381 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon, HMV

Ikeda Masanori (aka Mansfield) (MySpace) has selected tracks from house label Flower Records for this non-stop compilation mixed by himself. Several of the tracks are presented in a special edit just for this release.

Audio samples at Flower Records

Various Artists "Silent Dream 2 - mixed by Masanori Ikeda"

(Title / Artist)
1. Sazanami / Kentaro Takizawa
2. megane no uta / eico
3. Delux (Little Big Bee Remix) / romantic couch
4. Blue Flamingo (Little Big Bee Remix / Silent Dream Version) / Reggae Disco Rockers
5. Palaver Tree (Cosmo Dance Remix / Silent Dream Version) / DJ Nori
6. Nomad / DJ Nori
7. tooi michinori (M.O.K Body Music Beatless Dub) / Accomplice
8. Waterman (Silent Dream Version) / Little Big Bee
9. Muzika (Silent Dream Version) / Su-Paka-Pooh
10. You Got It All (Silent Dream Version) / Super Soul System
11. Reminiscence (Leftbrown a walk in a dream/Silent Dream Version) / Okuyama Minako

Flower Records FLRC-063
Out now (9/3), ¥2286 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon, HMV,

Just a month after a new album, here come two "greatest hits" albums from Yukari Fresh! The first, "Flammable Tapes", is a real greatest hits of tracks previously released on her albums from 1997 to 2008 going rarer everyday. The other, "Instrumentally Flammable", consists of demos, rare edits, instrumentals and a cappella's.

Yukari Fresh "Flammable Tapes"

1. Trefoils Hat
2. Radio Active Man
3. Triplicate Quackery
4. Cat
5. Ykr Plys Th Gtr & Drms
6. C.L.I.J.S.T.E.R.S. (te killed...)
7. Yukari'n'bass
8. If You Love Something Set It Free
9. Baby Amphetamine
10. Paul Scholes
11. Yukarimpic 3
12. Waaaaaah
13. Yukarin' Disco
14. Fat
15. Raymond
16. En Voiture-Lit
17. Interstellar Kiss And Ride
18. Very Sexy Like A Jazz Musician
19. Haricot Beans
20. Break
21. Trefoils Hat (vs miniflex)
22. Dead

Escalator ESCD-083 / XQAV-1083
Out 9/26 10/8, ¥2625
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower, YesAsia

Yukari Fresh "Instrumentally Flammable"

1. Baby Amphetamine (just music)
2. Is This Disco? (short edit)
3. Radio Active Man (just music)
4. Whoopee Cat (just music) (short version)
5. Calling At Old Wembley 1999 (demo)
6. Yippee To Kate (just music)
7. Ykr Plys Th Gtr & Drms (just music)
8. Cat Again
9. Paris Symphony (just music)
10. Triplicate Quackery (just music)
11. If You Love Something Set It Free (just music)
12. Vig Dorian
13. Short Sabotage
14. Three-Quarter
15. Green (just music)
16. Tropical Cancer (demo)
17. Trefoils Hat (Miniflex) (just music)
18. Haricot Beans (just music)
19. New Jersey
20. Seditionaries (just music) (short edit)
21. Rockin' Off
22. Summer Cape Kid
23. En Voiture-Lit (just music)
24. Fat (just music)
25. Say When (just music)
26. C.L.I.J.S.T.E.R.S. (just music)
27. David's Back (kathy - just music) (short edit)
28. Trefoils Se
29. Dead (just music)
30. C.L.I.J.S.T.E.R.S. (vocal only)

Escalator ESCD-084 / XQAV-1084
Out 9/26 10/8, ¥2625
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower, YesAsia

Gotta keep things quiet, but this is big... Someone is back into club music mode and brings us a brand new track under the new moniker The 5243's. Produced by 5243, programming by Yoshida Tetsuto. A must!

Not negligible are the other brilliant jazz breakbeat tracks by Joke party regulars Fujimoto Yō, Horibe Yūmin, Boot Beat, and newcomer (?) DJ SUaMA. All are sure to keep dancefloors moving.

Grab this one while you can!

Various Artists "Joke Collection 02"

A1. the 5243's / itsumo Soft Rock no koto bakari kangaeteiru hito no tame ni.
A2. Fujimoto Yō / musical a.
A3. Yumin Horibe / Love
B1. Boot Beat / Swing 121
B2. DJ SUaMA / Ultra Fine

Beat Records BR-0002
Out 9/12, ¥1380 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set

Designer/VJ Ukawa Naohiro has a new music solo project. Here he is joined by Ishino Takkyū (Denki Groove) who made the music for the title track, of which the title means "A planet's portrait, 500 megapixels". De De Mouse also joins for the B-side.

A follow-up titled "Zoundtrack" is already planned for October 29.

Ukawanimation! "wakusei no Portrait 5okumangaso"
Ukawanimation! 「惑星のポートレイト　５億万画素」

1. wakusei no Portrait 5okuman gaso
2. kūhaku no omae o nomikonde shimau made

avex trax AVCD-31395
Out 9/24, ¥1000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, YesAsia, Amazon U.S.

Here comes a new single from Meg, once again produced by Nakata Yasutaka (capsule, Perfume)!

This comes in two editions, each with different artwork, and quite strange one at that! The DVD contains a video clip of the title track plus a "dance clip" of the same song.

Meg "Precious"

1. Precious
2. Candy
3. Precious (end of summer mix)

Limited edition (CD+DVD)
Universal UPCH-9437
Out 9/17, ¥1429 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, YesAsia, Amazon U.S.

Regular edition (CD only)
Universal UPCH-5555
Out 9/17, ¥1143 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, YesAsia, Amazon U.S.

Second Royal artist Rufus (MySpace) is back with this new mini-album of 6 songs.

Tower Records offers a bonus CD containing a previously unreleased track, and HMV a promo sticker. While supplies last!

Audio samples now up at MySpace

Rufus "Pocket Full of Nothing"

1. Hell Yeah
2. I Want You Back
3. The Gift
4. Back In Town Waltz
5. The Amicable Split (Band session)
6. It's Funny Things In Love

Second Royal SRCD-017
Out 10/16, ¥1700 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon, HMV

Her first full-length album "Copy" is just out, and Aira Mitsuki has already a new single on the way! This CD will contain 4 brand new songs and 2 remixes. This is her 2nd major single, follow-up to "China Discotica".

Aira Mitsuki "Robot Honey"
Aira Mitsuki 「ロボットハニー」

1. Robot Honey
2. Knee High Girl
3. Every night heartfull music song
4. SAZAE FUNKADELiC
5. Robot Honey (Sound Around rmx)
6. SAZAE FUNKADELiC (TOKYO IKEJIRI PLASTIC BABE rmx)
7. Robot Honey (digital mp-3 mastering ver.)
8. Knee High Girl (digital mp-3 mastering ver.)
9. Every night heartfull music song (digital mp-3 mastering ver.)
10. SAZAE FUNKADELiC (digital mp-3 mastering ver.)

D-topia VUCD-35003
Out 10/29, ¥1000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, YesAsia, Amazon U.S.

See also:
Various Artists "Beautiful Techno"

DJ Hico is a female DJ gaining popularity recently in the Tokyo house scene. Having been spinning at receptions for brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Miu Miu and Armani, now Towa Tei brings us her first mix CD on his label hug (MySpace).

Various Artists "House of Jewels mixed by DJ Hico"

(Track / Artist)
1. Beleza / Federico Baltimore
2. Alibi (Rasmus Faber Remix) / Reel People
3. No Llores Mas / Malena
4. Living My Life (The Realm Vocal remix) / DJ Spinna
5. Jungo / Hanna Hais
6. Snake / Alex Finkin & Reverend P
7. Let Me Be (Migel Migs Petalpusher Dub) / Miguel Migs
8. One Step (Vocal Mix) / The Realm Presents Darien
9. It's A Feeling / Deemah
10. Freedom (Christian Hornbostel remix) / D3 feat. Ivana B
11. Summer In September (main mix instrumental) / Illusive feat. Keely

hug Columbia COCP-34895
Out 9/3, ¥2400 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, Amazon U.S.