Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins, Koenjihyakkei, Korekyojin, and a dozen other things)

[JAMOOL]

There was some discussion of this guy on the old board but I think we could use a catch-all thread since he's been involved with so much. I recently grabbed a copy of "Devil from the East" which is seventeen tracks from seventeen different bands that he's played with. Many of it quite good. So obviously there is a lot of obscure Yoshida material out there.

Right now I'm very much into Ruins though I haven't ventured beyond Burning Stone yet. Their material gives off the double impression of being completely improvised and tightly written at the same time. I haven't heard anything like it outside of early Boredoms. The Koenjihyakkei track from that comp was excellent as well.

Below is a track from his other-other band, Korekyojin. Should sound very familiar to everyone here

[zravkapt]

Love the guy and most of what he has done. Gonna attempt to embed vids...

[Kavus Torabi]

One of the very few 'big boys' for sure. An extraordinary performer, unique composer and is absurdly prolific.

Regardless of whatever varied combo I have watched him perform in, he never fails to amaze me.

[adewolf]

Nice. I have most of the Ruins releases. Nice to see his diversity there.

[Bake 1]

Was lucky enough to have caught the show where that last clip was shot, (had to be one of the most brain melting gigs to hit the Rio Theatre). Yoshida seems to have a ravenous appetite for playing... I'm on the hunt for the stuff he's done w/ Tsuneo Imahori (Tipographica guitarist)... anyone know if he's on any of the Unbeltipo recordings???

[Scrotum Scissor]

IMHO, there was never anyone like him in rock music - ever.

This guy is spectacularly gifted, both creatively and technically, and he's NOT an educated, trained or at least "scholared" musician. The fact that he still performs with high profiles that indeed ARE (such as Satoko Fuji, the genius female pianist/composer/improvisor), various "serious" art ensembles and orchestras who deal in extremely demanding musical terrain, should tell more than sufficient.

Of course, most of his own music is much too "eccentric" and overtly progressive to ever warrant any recognition with the usual "prog-crowd", but all the better for it. Most prog-metal drummers would go into hiding if they heard Yoshida.

The Ruins Alone clips on YT usually brings every "who's the best"-discussion to a sudden halt.

[walt]

I have (and dig) some of Yoshida's duo improv cds with guitarist extraordinaire Kazuhisa Uchihashi.Truly, a musical meeting of giants.

[Udi Koomran]

One of my favorite musicians
Here is a track from an album I did with him
http://soundcloud.com/udi-koomran/tatsuya-yoshida

Here are a few favorite Yoshida releases

Ruins - Live At Mandala
Koenjihayakkei - Live at Doors DVD
Koenjihayakkei - Angherr Shisspa
Koenjihayakkei - Viva Koenji
Yoshida - Magaibutsu
Yoshida with Sakoto Fuji - Toh-Kichi
YOSHIDA & Eiko Ishibashi -Slip Beneath The Distant Tree

[marinaorgan]

I've stuck a bunch of early Ruins vids on here: http://otherrockshow.wordpress.com/c...omposer/ruins/

Will never forget the day Burning Stone dropped through the door for review...

Update - I'm shoving a load of direct links to the Skin Graft Records Ruins/Koenji/Ruins Alone free sample mp3 collection right now!

[Steve F.]

I am particularly fond of Korekyojinn, but everything Yoshida-san does is worth a careful listen.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I am particularly fond of Korekyojinn, but everything Yoshida-san does is worth a careful listen.

I would agree; even his coops with enigmatic post-apocalyptic troubadour Keiji Haino actually succeeds in making some sense of that dude's alleged genius. I got rid of all my Musica Transonic-releases except for Incubation (the only one with Keiji on it) due to the blistering spontaneous chemistry between the two.

I'd even go as far as recommending Zubi-Zuva, Yoshida's beyond-total-oddball acapella-trio, and especially their release on Tzadik some 13 years back.

[Zeuhlmate]

Recently I was lucky enough to experience half a Korekyojinn koncert - I was completely blown away by those 3 wizards!

It was only half a concert because I had a free ticket to The (Beefheart) Magic Band who started one hour earlier another place in town.
I got my priorities wrong there, should have skipped the magic band, allthough they werent bad.

[JAMOOL]

I may have to check out some of the Korekyojinn albums. Exactly what kind of music is it??

[Scrotum Scissor]

I may have to check out some of the Korekyojinn albums. Exactly what kind of music is it??

Korekyojin is essentially a form of instrumental, quirky and at times extremely energetic avant-rock; partly very composed or arranged, but also veering into completely free improvisation. Although highly powerful and sometimes quite dissonant, it never really gets too inaccessible either; most definitely challenging (as with everything Yoshida is involved in), but not that difficult a listen. Initially it was a power trio, with Yoshida and ace guitarist Kido Natsuki (from heavy zeuhl/worldmusic band Bondage Fruit and Piazzolla-disciples Salle Gaveau etc.) and bassist Nasuno Mitsuru (from Altered States, Ground Zero and numerous other seminal 80s/90s/00s nippon acts) - but they were later augmented by the virtuoso violinist from fusionmasters KBB. However, Korekyojin are neither "fusion" nor your "average" instrmental progressive group (in regard to those "prog" medleys); think rather '74-era Crimson rhythm section merged with Last Exit and a snippet of "weirdo" experimental rock (Mayo Thompson, Eugene Chadbourne or whatever). I'd start with their very first album, Korekyojin from 1999 - released on John Zorn's label Tzadik (on the subseries of 'New Japan'). Though others will probably recommend some other title.

But, to be quite honest, if you want to check out Yoshida first hand, I'd recommend you start with Koenjihyakkei's Viva Koenji. And be prepared for a serious blowoff.

[Udi Koomran]

I may have to check out some of the Korekyojinn albums. Exactly what kind of music is it??

http://soundcloud.com/gingers-studio...ojin-arabesque

[NogbadTheBad]

I have Koenjihyakkei's Viva Koenji and Angherr Shisspa, and Bondage Fruit I, so I think I'll be exploring Korekyojin next.

[Kavus Torabi]

Jackson on Tundra are very good starting points for Korekyojin, although as I said before, you generally can't go wrong with Yoshida. He's such an auteur.

[Lino]

I have Koenjihyakkei's Viva Koenji and Angherr Shisspa, and Bondage Fruit

Funny, I think that's all i have too. LOL But have seen him twice with Koenjihyakkei, and once with Samla Mammas...he's the real deal baby.

[NogbadTheBad]

I saw him at RIO, just him and a saxaphone player, I really liked the stuff he did with the Sax player (which was about half the set) but was a bit nonplussed with his drum solo stuff. It consisted of about 20 pieces all no longer than 30 to 40 seconds, all played at blistering speed with a "thank you" then jumpimg into the next track. Bizarre.

[Scrotum Scissor]

It consisted of about 20 pieces all no longer than 30 to 40 seconds, all played at blistering speed with a "thank you" then jumpimg into the next track. Bizarre.

It's his Ruins Alone "signature piece", mainly a medley on outtakes from a dozen-or-so songs (!) from the old Ruins roster. There's a 10-minute clip of this on YT which has had some near 200,000 viewings, I believe. Quite breathtaking, both artistically and physically, especially the sense in which he manages to keep in conjunction with the MIDI synth tracks. This is probably where most "casual" or accidental listeners leave the ferry, though. You have to know Yoshida's music and concept to fully appreciate this far-out approach, but if and/or when you do, there are some profound rewards to be had.

[AndyB]

I was lucky enough to catch him at this year's Supersonic festival in Birmingham (UK) playing with Zeni Geva (in a two-piece alongside KK. Null) and as Ruins Alone and rarely have I been more mesmerised by a musician. I've long been a fan of Ruins and Koenjihyakkei, and recently discovered the album Tundra from Korekyojinn (which, fact fans, literally translates as "This Giant" in honour of his two favourite bands, This Heat and Gentle Giant!), but seeing him live, playing just feet from my face, goes down on my list of "favourite musical moments" ever, which I keep in my head.

[JAMOOL]

What's the relation to Bondage Fruit?

[NogbadTheBad]

What's the relation to Bondage Fruit?

Korekyojin initially it was a power trio, with Yoshida and ace guitarist Kido Natsuki (from heavy zeuhl/worldmusic band Bondage Fruit and Piazzolla-disciples Salle Gaveau etc.) and bassist Nasuno Mitsuru (from Altered States, Ground Zero and numerous other seminal 80s/90s/00s nippon acts)

The guitarist Kido Natsuki from Bondage Fruit is also in the band Korekyojin with Yoshida.

[JAMOOL]

Alright. I'll have to give them a shot then too. My Yoshida wishlist is about a dozen albums long at this point!

I picked up the Ruins comp 1986-1992 which is easy to get now and has a lot of real early stuff and everything's remastered to some extent. Everything I've heard from that period outside of Burning Stone has had kinda lo-fi production which suits the music but does obscure how great a drummer he really is. For all the Vander comparisons I think he really plays a lot more like Carl Palmer; so many times I didn't notice he's playing the same "melody" as the bass, similar to how Palmer would mimic Emerson.

[Udi Koomran]

Alright. I'll have to give them a shot then too. My Yoshida wishlist is about a dozen albums long at this point!
For all the Vander comparisons I think he really plays a lot more like Carl Palmer; so many times I didn't notice he's playing the same "melody" as the bass, similar to how Palmer would mimic Emerson.

Yoshida told me he can't undetstand why people compare his drumming to Vander Charles Heyward is his main insspiration