New Koenji Hyakkei album

**Kavus Torabi** · 05-13-2018

Well, it looks like Koenji Hyakkei are finally putting out a new album next month.
I think Yoshida Tatsuya is a singularly gifted composer and musician and Koenji's 2005 album, Angherr Shisspa was to my mind, the zenith of this visionary auter's canon.
I've seen him perform many times, as solo artist and in a number of bands.
His performances are never anything short of incendiary but witnessesing the joyful, life-affirming triumph of Koenji at Rock In Opposition in 2009 expanded my idea of the capabilities of a live performance. One of my favourite ever gigs.

Anyway. Here's a tune from the forthcoming album.
This bodes extremely well.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=9L358RmKgN0

**NogbadTheBad** · 05-13-2018

Great news, I first saw him at RIO in 11 as Sax Ruins. Blistering stuff, had no idea what to make of him having heard nothing previously. While he was great I much prefer him in a band format. His 20 prog classics in two and a half minutes was stunning.

**aith01** · 05-13-2018

This is the best music news I've heard all year maybe. I love these guys, especially Yoshida Tatsuya who is one of my favorite drummers. I can only imagine what it's like to see him/them perform live.

One day in 2009 I rode to lunch with some coworkers. The guy driving (Mark) had a bunch of CD jewel cases in his back seat, and the friend I was sitting with back there noticed the Hundred Sights of Koenji artwork and asked what the music was like. So the driver told us a little about them, and put that CD in. I was immediately blown away by it. First thing I thought was "This sounds like Magma cranked up to 11!" Incidentally, Mark is also a Magma fan. Go figure.

That coworker was kind enough to lend me his three Koenji Hyakkei CDs for a little while, and eventually I ended up buying copies for myself after I returned his.

I am so excited for this.

**philsunset** · 05-13-2018

Nice! The Live at Doors DVD was tremendous!

**chalkpie** · 05-13-2018

It's no modern country and western, but it'll do.

**Zeuhlmate** · 05-13-2018

Autobuy !
Its in the best of 2018 pile allready.

**zravkapt** · 05-13-2018

Long overdue

**fiberman** · 05-13-2018

Originally Posted by zravkapt

Long overdue

I just love these Yes melodies!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBrgCUBAHcg

**chalkpie** · 05-13-2018

How would you guys place the albums in order of preference? I think I place Angherr Shisppa at the top, followed by the order the others were released. At least from memory that's how I have them.

**NogbadTheBad** · 05-13-2018

I prefer Viva just ahead of Angherr Shisppa, followed by Nivraym.All 3 are great, don't have the debut.

**fiberman** · 05-13-2018

Originally Posted by zravkapt

Long overdue

I just love these Yes melodies!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBrgCUBAHcg

**aith01** · 05-14-2018

Originally Posted by chalkpie

How would you guys place the albums in order of preference? I think I place Angherr Shisppa at the top, followed by the order the others were released. At least from memory that's how I have them.

For me, it's probably Hundred Sights... followed by Nivraym, Angherr Shisppa, and then Viva. But they're all great, so it's just varying degrees of greatness.

Originally Posted by NogbadTheBad

I prefer Viva just ahead of Angherr Shisppa, followed by Nivraym.All 3 are great, don't have the debut.

You owe it to yourself to hear/own their first CD too. I prefer the later-reissued one where Tatsuya re-recorded all the drums -- they sound much better, IMO.

**eadric** · 05-14-2018

Probably Nivraym, then Angherr followed by Viva for me. Very hard to decide between Angherr and Nivraym though. I still haven't heard Hundred Sights!

Excited there's a new album and it sounds good, I thought I'd read Yoshida saying they were done and I'm glad I'm wrong.

**TheH** · 05-14-2018

Angherr Shisppa for me with Viva a Close second. My copy Nivraym has a very murky badly produced Sound but otherwhise it's great.
Haven't heard the debut for ages, I think I wasn't to wild about it back then, will have to relisten.

**Zeuhlmate** · 05-14-2018

Originally Posted by TheH

Angherr Shisppa for me with Viva a Close second. My copy Nivraym has a very murky badly produced Sound but otherwhise it's great.
Haven't heard the debut for ages, I think I wasn't to wild about it back then, will have to relisten.

Yoshida didn't have the money for a top-sound production of Nivraym (2001), but it is relased (2009), and the second version is remixed & mastered.
https://skingraftrecords.bandcamp.co...pecial-edition

I have both.

**TheH** · 05-14-2018

Originally Posted by Zeuhlmate

Yoshida didn't have the money for a top-sound production of Nivraym (2001), but it is relased (2009), and the second version is remixed & mastered.
https://skingraftrecords.bandcamp.co...pecial-edition

I have both.

Thanx I will compare those, have to see if I rebuy it then.

**JAMOOL** · 05-14-2018

yea you absolutely want to get the remixed Nivraym. there's a remaster of 1000 Sights which is also quite a bit different, though it's not night and day like Nivraym is.

this is great news btw, feel like Koenjihyakkei are one of the few bands out there that actually live up to the hyperbole. my first thought upon hearing 1000 Sights was "this is like a fever dream, I can't believe this band is for real"

**Udi Koomran** · 05-14-2018

Best news

**miamiscot** · 05-14-2018

I don't know anything about this band. But it sounds like I should...

**Conti** · 05-14-2018

I'm a big fan of the band and color me very, very excited with this new release.

Autobuy for me.

**moecurlythanu** · 05-14-2018

I don't own any of their albums, but I did see them at Nearfest. Absolutely loved the music. The woman screaming at the audience? Not so much. It was a deal breaker for me, and I never sought out any releases as a result.

**chalkpie** · 05-14-2018

Originally Posted by moecurlythanu

The woman screaming at the audience? Not so much. It was a deal breaker for me, and I never sought out any releases as a result.

I missed that year - what happened?

**moecurlythanu** · 05-14-2018

Originally Posted by chalkpie

I missed that year - what happened?

They put on a musically scintillating performance, but the vocals consisted mostly of a woman shouting at the audience. Many were thrilled with the performance in it's entirety. Others, like me, (and I overheard it numerous times,) thought the vocals ruined an otherwise outstanding performance.