New Koenji Hyakkei album

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ Ah, but that's Kido Natsuki (of Bondage Fruit, Salle Gaveau and P.O.N.) on guitars, so that's perfectly OK!! Masahiro Uemura, the badass-bass from Ground Zero and Altered States, is also here. Sans problem for these zanies to race through Yes material, though - they've played some of the most dense rock music imaginable already. Whereas Portnoy according to himself was only barely able to handle a cover on "The Revealing Science of God".

Yawn, it's all good folx! Can't win 'em all, of course.

[Zeuhlmate]

^^^ Nice relaxing music ! But Portnoy on triangle would have added the last missing flavour.

I saw Korekyojinn live with Kidu and Yoshida a couple of years ago in Copenhagen. Fabulous and fun. Great people !

[Zappathustra]

YES-medley with Yoshida, but the rest of your team is regrettably missing

This is just awesome, thanks.

[miamiscot]

Portnoy makes everything better.
Kinda like beer.

[thedunno]

I never heared any Koenji Hyakkei. That is BAD, right?

I saw Nivraym and Anghher Shisspa are available on bandcamp. Anyone know where to find Viva?

[markinottawa]

Saw them a few years ago at FIMAV. Heard these happy noises of joy behind me during the show and turned around to see Daevid Allen bopping away (he was there for Acid Mother's Gong w. Yoshida).

Looking foward to hearing new music.

>Ah, but that's Kido Natsuki (of Bondage Fruit, Salle Gaveau and P.O.N.)

and Kazutoki Umezu KIKI Band who I had the pleasure of seeing a few years ago. Stunning stuff.

[aith01]

That's my dream Yes line-up:

Vocals: Stephen Wilson
Drums: Yoshida and Portnoy
Guitars: Stephen "Wowie" Howe
Bass: Chris Squire (he's dead but we can use his hologram)
Keys: Peter Gabriel

[Scrotum Scissor]

I saw Nivraym and Anghher Shisspa are available on bandcamp. Anyone know where to find Viva?

Viva hasn't been officially available for years now, and neither have the first editions of Nivraym or Shisspa. Which is sad, as they're basically -all- fantastic records. Nivraym initially suffered some from poor sound, but was restored for its second issue. IMO this contains some of Yoshida's best ever material, although Shisspa is an overall more even release. Viva is their heaviest and most frantic, while the debut is highly melodic and arguably the closest Yoshida has ever come anything mildly 'accessible'. The latter album was actually reissued on vinyl by a label in Finland only a few years back.


Please be aware of the Muppet-drumming and -composer tendency, which stems from the fact that Yoshida at this stage wasn't yet properly informed as to how his approach didn't comply with the right path towards 'true prog' enlightenement:

[Zappathustra]

In all honesty, I don't understand shite of what Yoshida is doing with the kit. That is - to my untrained ears - a completely different approach to the instrument that reminds me of nothing or no one. Maybe slightly Vander, maybe. This is not jazz, rock or anything.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I don't understand shite of what Yoshida is doing with the kit. That is - to my untrained ears - a completely different approach to the instrument that reminds me of nothing or no one. Maybe slightly Vander, maybe. This is not jazz, rock or anything.

Yoshida's approach not only to drumming but to music in general (composing, improvising, performing) bears all the hallmarks of a singular, genre-defying stance against the very concept of 'style'. This isn't all that unique in Japan, where taxonomies are traditionally patterned on institutionalized formalities as opposed to purely artistic such, and thus seen as creatively limiting. This is one of the reasons why Japanese interpretations (or adaptations) of Western art usually comes out as somewhat bizarre and/or outrageous either way.

His drumming heroes were those of pioneering free jazz (like Andrew Cyrille and Rashied Ali), progressive/avant-rock (Vander, Charles Hayward, Guigou Chenevier), hardcore punk and metal musicians as well as classical Butoh percussion from his own country. Yoshida's playing is typically extremely energetic yet at times still apparently light in touch. He can let loose spontaneously (as heard with Painkiller or Satoko Fujii, for instance) or amazingly tight (as on Hoppy Kamiyama's Meaningful Meaningnessless [sic]), but his particular charge is always recognizable.

[Zeuhlmate]

Scin Graft also reissued Viva

Available through Steve
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...G83-prd-2.aspx

[chalkpie]

Portnoy makes everything better.
Kinda like beer.

He plays a mean corndog too, especially the ones with four skins (or even five).

[Zappathustra]

Yoshida's approach not only to drumming but to music in general (composing, improvising, performing) bears all the hallmarks of a singular, genre-defying stance against the very concept of 'style'. This isn't all that unique in Japan, where taxonomies are traditionally patterned on institutionalized formalities as opposed to purely artistic such, and thus seen as creatively limiting. This is one of the reasons why Japanese interpretations (or adaptations) of Western art usually comes out as somewhat bizarre and/or outrageous either way.

His drumming heroes were those of pioneering free jazz (like Andrew Cyrille and Rashied Ali), progressive/avant-rock (Vander, Charles Hayward, Guigou Chenevier), hardcore punk and metal musicians as well as classical Butoh percussion from his own country. Yoshida's playing is typically extremely energetic yet at times still apparently light in touch. He can let loose spontaneously (as heard with Painkiller or Satoko Fujii, for instance) or amazingly tight (as on Hoppy Kamiyama's Meaningful Meaningnessless [sic]), but his particular charge is always recognizable.

Cheers. That was as instructive as it gets.

[Udi Koomran]

He has often stated his inspiration came from Charles Hayward not Vander
Honestly I don't hear much Vander influence in his playing

[Scrotum Scissor]

Honestly I don't hear much Vander influence in his playing

I would have to agree; Vander's overt impression on Yoshida was through modes of composition and arrangement, not primarily the drumming at all. A thing which surprised me on that live recording Yoshida did with Samla (Dear Mamma in 2002), was how well he adapted to the original techniques as laid by Hasse Bruniusson. On going back to listening to something like "Musmjölkningsmaskinen" ("the Mouse-Milking Machine") from Klossa Knapitatet, there's already a similarity of thought in how to cope with extensively challenging start/stop dynamics in rhythm and metre.

There's also that proto-Yoshida take by Chris Cutler on "Half Asleep, Half Awake" (from Unrest in 1974), where that same attention to finesse and detail appears as seemingly impulsive and 'easy' as in much of Yoshida's.

[chalkpie]

Yoshida's approach not only to drumming but to music in general (composing, improvising, performing) bears all the hallmarks of a singular, genre-defying stance against the very concept of 'style'. This isn't all that unique in Japan, where taxonomies are traditionally patterned on institutionalized formalities as opposed to purely artistic such, and thus seen as creatively limiting. This is one of the reasons why Japanese interpretations (or adaptations) of Western art usually comes out as somewhat bizarre and/or outrageous either way.

His drumming heroes were those of pioneering free jazz (like Andrew Cyrille and Rashied Ali), progressive/avant-rock (Vander, Charles Hayward, Guigou Chenevier), hardcore punk and metal musicians as well as classical Butoh percussion from his own country. Yoshida's playing is typically extremely energetic yet at times still apparently light in touch. He can let loose spontaneously (as heard with Painkiller or Satoko Fujii, for instance) or amazingly tight (as on Hoppy Kamiyama's Meaningful Meaningnessless [sic]), but his particular charge is always recognizable.

I like this.

[Zeuhlmate]

He has often stated his inspiration came from Charles Hayward not Vander
Honestly I don't hear much Vander influence in his playing

Agreed, the music is influenced by Magma, but not his drumming.

[fiberman]

This is just awesome, thanks.

I've gotta stop opening this thread, every time i do i gotta watch the Yes medley, same as when I see the one with Circa (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM8enJLMUTI). I'm so easily led.

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ Just wait until you hear Yes' own Yoshida-medley. All the Jons go crazy at once, and White pulls it off slight'n'coughs lite.

[Zappathustra]

^ Just wait until you hear Yes' own Yoshida-medley. All the Jons go crazy at once, and White pulls it off slight'n'coughs lite.

I posted this on Facebook and a friend of mine commented: "I thought Steve Howe was a unique phenomenon in the history of rock music. These guys make it look so easy. Maybe I need to rethink certain things."

[Zappathustra]

I've gotta stop opening this thread, every time i do i gotta watch the Yes medley, same as when I see the one with Circa (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM8enJLMUTI). I'm so easily led.

It is highly addictive...

[JAMOOL]

I posted this on Facebook and a friend of mine commented: "I thought Steve Howe was a unique phenomenon in the history of rock music. These guys make it look so easy. Maybe I need to rethink certain things."

remember the paranoid fear in the 90s that the Japanese coming going to take everyone's jobs, because they were so much more focused and efficient than us lazy Americans?

I agree with the sentiment on this thread - Yoshida is unreal, it's tempting to compare him to Vander or peak Bruford or whatever but he's really his own thing. The way he puts drums right in the driver's seat is unlike anything I can think of off hand. Even Magma isn't often like that. As a result you can identify him anywhere, and man does he pop up a lot (if you're into the whole Japanese avant-noise scene). I recently heard a record called "Improg" by a group called "Daimonji" which consists of 4 entirely improvised prog epics. You'd think there's no way the music is improv but I you really break it down you can hear how they do it. Just incredible musicians all around.

[wideopenears]

The Yes medley reminded me of the Ruins Sabbath medley...but the Yes medley is soooo much better. Insane, actually.

[Zappathustra]

The Yes medley reminded me of the Ruins Sabbath medley...but the Yes medley is soooo much better. Insane, actually.

It is insane, and it underlines Yes magic in the most explicit way. All these fantastic themes and melodies.

Unsurprisingly the tribute finishes with Awaken. Someone must inform this ignorant Yoshida fellow that Yes thrived for another 40years after that. And they still have a bright future ahead according to PE impeccable analysts.

[Zappathustra]

remember the paranoid fear in the 90s that the Japanese coming going to take everyone's jobs, because they were so much more focused and efficient than us lazy Americans?

I agree with the sentiment on this thread - Yoshida is unreal, it's tempting to compare him to Vander or peak Bruford or whatever but he's really his own thing. The way he puts drums right in the driver's seat is unlike anything I can think of off hand. Even Magma isn't often like that. As a result you can identify him anywhere, and man does he pop up a lot (if you're into the whole Japanese avant-noise scene). I recently heard a record called "Improg" by a group called "Daimonji" which consists of 4 entirely improvised prog epics. You'd think there's no way the music is improv but I you really break it down you can hear how they do it. Just incredible musicians all around.

I have consciously kept the Japan door closed, intimidated by the amount and density of the music there. Plus extra obligations with the Quebec and Mexico cuties. It's time this changes.