Tokyo's Coolest Sound

This year again, Record Day has been held. Previously coinciding with the public holiday Culture Day (November 3), this year it came a few days early on November 1st to start the long weekend on a good foot.

Below are some picks from the many releases. The full list, which has many more new releases and re-issues, can be found here. There will also be a 2nd Record Day on December 3, so stay tuned!

Freedom Suite "Stompin'" (7")

New recordings by the band led by Hiroshi Yamashita (Wack Wack Rhythm Band). The A-side is a re-recording of the song "Stompin'" that was previously featured on compilation "Do The Bowling ~ For Modern Bowlers", and the B-side is a cover of John Lennon.

A. STOMPIN'
B. Whatever Gets You Thru The Night

Octave/Ultra-Vybe OTS-390
Out now (11/1), ¥2200 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Shino Kobayashi "Winter Letters" (7")
小林しの 「Winter Letters」

New EP of 4 songs, out on blue-very label. Also available digitally on Bandcamp.

1. blue mint christmas
2. Reindeer Night / TantanRudolph
3. Stollen in the Afternoon
4. wheat and rice

blue-very label Blvd-055
Out now (11/1), ¥2200 (excl. tax)
Order: Bandcamp, Tower, disques blue-very, Jet Set

Frenesi "Cupra" (12")
フレネシ 「キュプラ」

First LP release of Frenesi's album "Cupra". Frenesi is back this year and has just released new song "jorei si nai de"!

A1. Acetate
A2. Nero
A3. Kaso Kako
A4. FukumenChousain
A5. Sky Bus Tokyo
A6. Sprawl
B1. LowitsArc
B2. Watashino Yes Man
B3. Suna to Garasu
B4. Marginal
B5. Savarin
B6. Cupra
B7. Chou Rinkairyutai

Otomesha OTMSH102
Out now (11/1), ¥4000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set, HMV, Tower Records (Japan only) ^†, Disk Union
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

bice "Slow dive" (7")

A 7" of two songs. The A-side is from the album "Let Love Be Your Destiny (2002) and the B-side is a non-album track that previously appeared on CD EP "An apple a day" (2001).

A. Slow dive
B. hikari no naka e

Tokuma Japan TKKA-10103
Out now (11/1), ¥2200 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set, CDJapan, Play-Asia, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

hitomitoi "Weather Report" (7")
一十三十一 「ウェザーリポート」

7" of two favorite songs from 2006.

A. Weather Report
B. konayuki no Spur

Tokuma Japan TKKA-10101
Out now (11/1), ¥2200 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Tiny Griffi "Flowery Breaks" (12")

The 2nd album of the unit of DÉ DÉ MOUSE and Shin-Ski, released earlier year digitally.

A1. Migratory Birds
A2. Lovely Flowery
A3. Floral Melody
A4. Dreamer
A5. Saturday Friday
A6. Everything (feat. AzMattic)
B1. Stars, Shadows
B2. Children Humming
B3. Flower Breeze
B4. When I Leave You
B5. Night Birds

not records LEXAL082
Out now (11/1), ¥4000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

RYUSENKEI "MELLOW RYUSENKEI - Time Machine Love 2003-25 -" (12")

Selection of "mellow" songs from the whole catalog of Ryusenkei.

A1. Route No.3 / Ryusenkei
A2. Tricot / RYUSENKEI
A3. Two Silhouette / Ryusenkei feat. Yasuyuki Horigome
A4. Tokyo Coaster / Ryusenkei feat. Miki Taoka
B1. Summer Ray / RYUSENKEI
B2. hanabira (2025 Re-Edit) / Ryusenkei
B3. Natural Woman (2025 Re-Edit) / Ryusenkei & Atsuko Hiyajō
B4. tōi suiheisen / Ryusenkei feat. Nao Kodama

Sony Music MHJL-467
Out now (11/1), ¥4500 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set, CDJapan, Play-Asia, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

RYUSENKEI "GROOVY RYUSENKEI - Time Machine Love 2003-25 -" (12")

Selection of "groovy" songs from the whole catalog of Ryusenkei.

A1. Timemachine Love (2025 Re-Edit) / Ryusenkei
A2. Time Traveller (2025 Re-Edit) / RYUSENKEI
A3. Friday Night / Ryusenkei
A4. Spring Rain (2025 Re-Edit) / Ryusenkei
B1. Super Generation / RYUSENKEI
B2. Koi No Cider / Ryusenkei
B3. Maybe I Can Love My Neighbor Too / RYUSENKEI
B4. Moonlight Evening (2025 Re-Edit) / Ryusenkei & Atsuko Hiyajō

Sony Music MHJL-468
Out now (11/1), ¥4500 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set, CDJapan, Play-Asia, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Small Circle of Friends "SLOW" (12")

New 13th album, follow-up to "cell" released 3½ years ago.

A1. Madder
A2. Emptiness
A3. Through the night
A4. Right
A5. Your Name Here
A6. You made my day
B1. Feet in sand
B2. colors
B3. Sea of words
B4. Magic train
B5. Baumkuchen

75records/HMV record shop HRLP370
Out now (11/1), ¥3800 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set, CDJapan, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Hoshikuzu Scat "eki / Tattoo" (7")
星屑スキャット 「駅 / TATTOO」

7" release of a single from 2022. Both songs are covers of Akina Nakamori. "eki" was arranged by Takeshi Nakatsuka.

A. eki
B. TATTOO

Kuchibiru Records KCBR-0011
Out now (11/1), ¥2000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Skirt & PUNPEE "ODDTAXI" (7")
スカートとPUNPEE 「ODDTAXI」

A. ODDTAXI
B. ODDTAXI (TBS Radio "After 6 Junction" 2021/5/25)

IRORI Records/Pony Canyon PCKA-00030
Out now (11/1), ¥2000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Ayumi Ishida & Tin Pan Alley Family "Our Connection" (12")
いしだあゆみ＆ティン・パン・アレイ・ファミリー 「アワー・コネクション」

Album first released in 1977, featuring Tin Pan Alley (Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki & Tatsuo Hayashi) and also Akiko Yano, Tatsuro Yamashita, Minako Yoshida, Tohru Okada (Moonriders), and many more, Ayumi Ishida passed away in March 2025.

A1. Watashi Jishin
A2. Hitori Tabi
A3. Roppongi Lullaby
A4. Dancing
A5. Valentine Day
A6. Tasogaredoki
B1. Mayonaka No Amant
B2. Aishuu No Heya
B3. Winter Concert
B4. Soshite Bell Ga Naru
B5. Moonlight
B6. Bye Bye Jet

Nipponophone/Columbia COJA-9564
Out now (11/1), ¥4500 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set, CDJapan, Play-Asia, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.