FEATURED ALBUM: Shingetsu - s/t

[Poisoned Youth]

Review from ProgArchives (DamoXT7942)

SHINGETSU is, at least in my humble opinion, one of the most greatest Japanese symphonic rock bands, with featuring melodic keyboard player Akira Hanamoto and lyrical vocalist Makoto Kitayama. And here what I want to say strongly is that all songs in this historic album should need the musical sense of all SHINGETSU's players. Personally I love Haruhiko Tsuda's dragging and drowsy guitar...without the unusual guitar sound SHINGETSU's music style won't go well. Of course, strict but flexible rhythm section by Shizuo Suzuki's bass and Naoya Takahashi's drums is absolutely important. This Japanese pride was constructed by these talented player.

Their masterpiece, Oni is the greatest! A plaintive melody by Akira can go with clear and transparent voice and a little languid guitar. Oni, a Japanese terrible monster, seems (hears?) to be even kind and gentle, and be dancing slowly and elegantly. Pop and catchy (even in this work) is the song Asa No Muko Gawa (The Other Side Of Morning). So fresh and like we enjoy morning salad. They are attractive on pop world, too. :-) Hatsunetsu No Machikado (Influential Street) can let us amazed with its reverse play and eccentric plus fantastic tune. This song includes some styles of a march, a ballad, and a rock. Like a lunchbox with various materials LOL. I suggest this song playing be their real pleasure. On the contrary, Reito (Freeze) is a more classic piece, and extremely big Kagaku No Yoru (Night Collector) is like a theme-song of some Japanese hero TV programs... :-) Exactly, this song has a theme of a boy with some extrasensory perceptions and it's natural the song has such an atmosphere.

All the songs are written in Japanese, not English. They might have a patriotic spirit. But I'm sure this work of theirs should be accepted all over the progressive rock world.

[Duncan Glenday]

Sounds like something worth looking up.

Interesting cover art!

[Zalmoxe]

Wow, I haven't played this in ages. I should probably bring it back in rotation on my iPhone.

[simon moon]

This is a GREAT Japanese album!

That first track is amazing, and alone, is well worth the price of admission. Prog doesn't get too much better than the instrumental section.

When I worked at Moby Disc in LA, I used to put signs describing the music of obscure bands on the rack where records were displayed. For this one my sign read, "Selling Japan by the Yen", which was a little unfair because, despite their Genesis influences, they are far from a Genesis clone.

[Rarebird]

Sounds nice. Alas it looks like the only thing available is a 5 CD and 1 DVD box for 132.99 euro, which is a bit expensive for my taste.

[Progbear]

I’m a big fan of this, a real gem of Japanese symphonic rock. A lot of folks dismiss this one as a Genesis knockoff but this is so much more, I hear Italian influence here as well (Banco, for one). Much talk of the Mellotron on this, but what I really like is how they integrate the early polyphonic synthesizer (Korg PS-3300) into their sound; it’s right there up-front right at the start of “Oni.” Haven’t heard any of their other stuff, which all appears to be live and archival releases anyway, so I’m not terribly worried about missing much.

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MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"The world of the heterosexual is a sick and boring life." --Edith Massey

N.P.:“Red”-Niacin/Time Crunch

[TheH]

Very important Album for the japanese prog scene, and a very good one too.

[Scrotum Scissor]

In a sense, 70s Jap "symph" progressive remains somewhat of a mystery, as there really wasn't that much to speak of until the latest part of the decade with acts such as Mahoujin, Ring, Cosmo's, Datetenryu, FEFB and Shingetsu. One of the reasons why there didn't really develop a parallel to the "neo" of 80s Britain was probably that in Japan the original thing didn't truly take off before the early-to-mid 80s in the first place.

I personally think the early-to-mid 70s Jap "freak prog" scene was a tad more interesting, but each to his own.

[Progbear]

I personally think the early-to-mid 70s Jap "freak prog" scene was a tad more interesting, but each to his own.

I really like the taste the Japanese added to the sympho-prog sound. Some of it, like Mugen, is awfully sugary and derivative, but they had some class-A stuff like Providence, Mr. Sirius and the too-often underrated Outer Limits. I definitely need to get Stromatolite (the new OL album), the little I have heard has been quite strong indeed.

I find the Japanese “freak”/psych scene to be pretty overrated. Certainly bands like Flower Travellin’ Band weren’t anywhere close to the imagination and inventiveness of the Krautrock bands, and some (Les Rallizes Dénudés spring immediately to mind; if they weren’t championed by hipsters like Julian Cope, no one would care about their crappy garage-rock) were totally amateurish and unlistenable. From that period, the only bands I really have any time for are Far Out and Sadistic Mika Band. The latter actually did arrive at a uniquely Japanese melding of Eastern and Western sensibilities, but they were never consistently “prog,” just a highly quirky and eclectic rock band with an ironic, “post-modern” sensibility decades before it was fashionable.

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MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"It is not an obscenity to be free. It is a divine right." --Annette Peacock

N.P.:nothing

[Scrotum Scissor]

I really like the taste the Japanese added to the sympho-prog sound. Some of it, like Mugen, is awfully sugary and derivative, but they had some class-A stuff like Providence, Mr. Sirius and the too-often underrated Outer Limits. [...] I find the Japanese “freak”/psych scene to be pretty overrated.

With Mugen, Deja Vu, Cinema, Gerard, Novela, Bi Kyo Ran, Midas, Social Tension (hilarious!), Teru's Symphonia etc. we're talking partly seriously overblown and uninspired takes on the very cliche of 70s "symphonic rock" - although some of it is fairly well done for what it is. The first Providence release was good, the second weaker (IMO), and with Outer Limits it was often a question of who was doing the vocal job. But yes, both of Mr. Sirius' studio records are nothing short of excellent. Still, I was always the kind if guy who preferred the contemporary fringe/avant/"out" section of Nippon progressive, and for the mid-to-late 80s (and on) era, this meant K.K. Null, Friction, Ruins, Optical 8, Tipograpphica, Ground Zero and perhaps some of the stuff in-between, like Il Berlione, Zypressen, Masque, Lacrymosa etc.

As for the "freak prog", I partly agree that it's somewhat overrated overall, although there were some truly amazing things done by Carmen Maki, FTB, Flied Egg, LoveLiveLife, Food Brain and others.

[TheH]

You gotta love a country with bands like this:



I like some bands of all the mentioned styles above, so apart from the RIO Avant Zeuhl bands there doesn't seem to be much left.

Gerard, Midas (just released a new Album) Ars Nova, Chronoship or Netherland Dwarf are the only (straight) Prog bands I could come up with.

[TheH]

Because it wasn't mentioned I also like Japanese Nu Jazz:

[Kai]

I’m a big fan of this, a real gem of Japanese symphonic rock. A lot of folks dismiss this one as a Genesis knockoff but this is so much more, I hear Italian influence here as well (Banco, for one). Much talk of the Mellotron on this, but what I really like is how they integrate the early polyphonic synthesizer (Korg PS-3300) into their sound; it’s right there up-front right at the start of “Oni.”

Well, the Genesis influence is obvious, but no, Shingetsu is certainly more than a knock-off. The Mellotron/polysynths dynamic is one of its more charming and original facets. Funny how this and the first U.K. album got slammed for "thin digital synths".

I really like the taste the Japanese added to the sympho-prog sound. Some of it, like Mugen, is awfully sugary and derivative, but they had some class-A stuff like Providence, Mr. Sirius and the too-often underrated Outer Limits. I definitely need to get Stromatolite (the new OL album), the little I have heard has been quite strong indeed.

With Mugen, Deja Vu, Cinema, Gerard, Novela, Bi Kyo Ran, Midas, Social Tension (hilarious!), Teru's Symphonia etc. we're talking partly seriously overblown and uninspired takes on the very cliche of 70s "symphonic rock" - although some of it is fairly well done for what it is. The first Providence release was good, the second weaker (IMO), and with Outer Limits it was often a question of who was doing the vocal job. But yes, both of Mr. Sirius' studio records are nothing short of excellent. Still, I was always the kind if guy who preferred the contemporary fringe/avant/"out" section of Nippon progressive, and for the mid-to-late 80s (and on) era, this meant K.K. Null, Friction, Ruins, Optical 8, Tipograpphica, Ground Zero and perhaps some of the stuff in-between, like Il Berlione, Zypressen, Masque, Lacrymosa etc.

Count me as those who really like the 1980s - 1990s Japanese take on the symphonic progressive rock. Certainly a lot of it is "seriously overblown", but that to me is exactly its charm. The quality is all over the map, but many releases are excellent to my ears. I will even make a stab at defending Mugen often malingned Sinfonia della Luna. Yes, the vocalist is frequently flat and doesn't project and the music quotes Genesis riffs left and right. Still it draws from a deeper pool than just Genesis and I love its spirit and atmosphere - while the same doesn't apply to most of post-70s Genesis knock-offs (perhaps it's the lack of bad Gabriel clone that helps). I'd still like to hear their third album Princess of Kingdom Gone. It and that much lauded first Providence album (I only have the second, and I don't find terribly memorable). Wasn't there some talk about of some of this albums getting reissued about year ago?

The Mr. Sirius albums are great, and so are Outer Limits albums (despite the occasional weak vocals and rhythm section - the latter perhaps an obvious parallel to UK Neo scene). Stromalite isn't as good as The Scene of Pale Blue, but a very good comeback album all the same. I'm surprised it slipped by with as little fuzz as it did. I only heard about it years after the fact.

While I prefer the symphonic sound of Japan (which to me includes early Kenso, despite their fusion leanings), I do like some of those "fifth generation" bands too, particularly Zypressen and their only album. I'm hoping that Lacrymosa would get a reissue.

[spacefreak]

I personally think the early-to-mid 70s Jap "freak prog" scene was a tad more interesting, but each to his own.

I agree... the biggest problem I have with the mid to late 80s japan symph is the slick, sugary sound on most of it... Mr. Sirius and Shingetsu are to my ears the best bands of that scene.

I think that the avant scene that emerged on the second half of the 80s was the best music that Japan has offered overall.

[moecurlythanu]

I'd still like to hear their third album Princess of Kingdom Gone.

For my tastes, it's one of the very best Japanese Symph-Prog albums, maybe the best. But I never got all the dislike for Mugen anyway. Maybe I'm just into derivative and sugary.

[Scrotum Scissor]

problem I have with the mid to late 80s japan symph is the slick, sugary sound on most of it... Mr. Sirius and Shingetsu are to my ears the best bands of that scene. [...] I think that the avant scene that emerged on the second half of the 80s was the best music that Japan has offered overall.

Absolutely. Even when Zorn picked up upon the contemporary Jap scene there were numerous pretty fantstic things still going on. Ground Zero's Null & Void remains oone of the paradigmatic Tzadik releases and still comes through as profoundly expressive.

Besides the Mr. Sirius releases, one of the finest 90s Jap "symph" releases was the now very rare Ie Rai Shan album by the Mugen keyboardist. I'm listening to it tonight (while drinking Scotch ) and it still sounds very good - much better than any of the Mugen titles.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Christ, Aphrodite's 666 is coming out of the living room and I'm a bit weary now.

[Kai]

A
Besides the Mr. Sirius releases, one of the finest 90s Jap "symph" releases was the now very rare Ie Rai Shan album by the Mugen keyboardist. I'm listening to it tonight (while drinking Scotch ) and it still sounds very good - much better than any of the Mugen titles.

My experience has always been pretty much the opposite. Though Ie Rai Shan is a pretty good and listenable album, I'm always struck by how an album with Mugen's Hayashi and Pageant's Nakajima could sound so much more subdued and, well, ordinary compared to the best of those two bands. But that's just my opinion. I don't care for Scotch either.

[Progbear]

With Mugen, Deja Vu, Cinema, Gerard, Novela, Bi Kyo Ran, Midas, Social Tension (hilarious!), Teru's Symphonia etc. we're talking partly seriously overblown and uninspired takes on the very cliche of 70s "symphonic rock" - although some of it is fairly well done for what it is.

Of the bands you mention, Midas are the only one I really like, and then only their first; the only other one I have heard is Third Operation, and it’s nowhere near in the same league. Gerard were incredible when I saw them in ’99, but I never connected with any of their studio output. Bi Kyo Ran’s KC carbon-copy was something I never needed. I thought they were on the right track with Go-Un, even if I didn’t like it much, I thought the concept was valid and had promise. Unfortunately, it totally tanked with their fan base, who just wanted them to be B-grade Crimso with no originality. Mugen...well, read on... The rest I don’t know, though I have heard a couple of tracks by Novela’s precursor band, Scheherazade. Meh!

Well, the Genesis influence is obvious, but no, Shingetsu is certainly more than a knock-off. The Mellotron/polysynths dynamic is one of its more charming and original facets. Funny how this and the first U.K. album got slammed for "thin digital synths".

Pet peeve of mine: people complaining about “thin, digital synths” on albums made before 1983. I hope I don’t have to explain why.

I will even make a stab at defending Mugen often malingned Sinfonia della Luna. Yes, the vocalist is frequently flat and doesn't project and the music quotes Genesis riffs left and right. Still it draws from a deeper pool than just Genesis and I love its spirit and atmosphere - while the same doesn't apply to most of post-70s Genesis knock-offs (perhaps it's the lack of bad Gabriel clone that helps). I'd still like to hear their third album Princess of Kingdom Gone.

I have a bit of a soft-spot for the latter two Mugen albums but they’re always a band where I liked the concept of their sound (think Genesis meets the Enid with a stronger link to classical music than rock) better than their actual sound. Any time the singer (think “out-of-tune, untrained boy alto”) opens his mouth, I cringe. And while the latter two albums are less embarrassingly derivative than the first, they still make big gaffes, like the clunky hip-hop drum machine on “Edmond’s Old Mirror” (WTF, Mugen?).

The Mr. Sirius albums are great, and so are Outer Limits albums (despite the occasional weak vocals and rhythm section - the latter perhaps an obvious parallel to UK Neo scene). Stromalite isn't as good as The Scene of Pale Blue, but a very good comeback album all the same. I'm surprised it slipped by with as little fuzz as it did. I only heard about it years after the fact.

I hadn’t even seen reviews for Stromatolite until fairly recently, when it suddenly got a lot of love. I really liked them early on, at least their first and third releases. Misty Moon was a cool Japanese take on the UK sound, but with more big symphonics typical of Japanese prog of the time. The Scene of Pale Blue is my favourite of theirs, taking a slight experimental turn with some Crimsonic influence without descending into “let’s just rewrite songs from Red over and over” à la Bi Kyo Ran. The one I don’t much care for is A Boy Playing the Magical Bugle Horn, which is just a morass of bombast and misguided attempts at “bel canto” singing. But they’re all tied together by Takashi Kawaguchi’s exquisite violin playing:

Besides the Mr. Sirius releases, one of the finest 90s Jap "symph" releases was the now very rare Ie Rai Shan album by the Mugen keyboardist. I'm listening to it tonight (while drinking Scotch ) and it still sounds very good - much better than any of the Mugen titles.

I agree, the Ie Rai Shan album is very good and I think comparable to Pageant and Providence, not quite on the level of those wonderful Mr. Sirius albums but I’m glad I picked it up when I had the chance.

A later band operating in that style worth checking out: Wappa Gappa. I didn’t care much for A Myth (Shinwa) when I first heard it, but I’m a big fan of it now. Yamataikoku (their first album) is likewise worth your time.

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MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"Parece cosa de maligno. Los pianos no estallan por casualidad." --Gabriel Garcia Marquez

N.P.:“Skin Diver”-Nona Hendryx

[Kai]

Of the bands you mention, Midas are the only one I really like, and then only their first; the only other one I have heard is Third Operation, and it’s nowhere near in the same league. Gerard were incredible when I saw them in ’99, but I never connected with any of their studio output. Bi Kyo Ran’s KC carbon-copy was something I never needed. I thought they were on the right track with Go-Un, even if I didn’t like it much, I thought the concept was valid and had promise. Unfortunately, it totally tanked with their fan base, who just wanted them to be B-grade Crimso with no originality. Mugen...well, read on... The rest I don’t know, though I have heard a couple of tracks by Novela’s precursor band, Scheherazade. Meh!

Midas' II is pretty good, though not quite as good as Beyond the Clear Air and perhaps too heavily into the digitally processed sounds for your tastes. Still worth it for a couple of good tracks and the chuckling "Flying Denture", a brief English song about a flying tooth burning down Japanese cities. Either it is a euphenism for the XX Bomber Command, or someone came up with a monster even more far-fetched than Johnny Sokko's killer eyeball.

Midas also have a pretty good live album In Concert, which has material from all their four studio albums.

Novela were more of a cross between glammy hard rock and symphonic progressive. They have a few good progressive tracks, and decent albums like Harmagedon Story (Part I) and the live album From the Mystic World, but they stand more as inspiration for some of the 80s symphonic bands and as a launching pad for Teru's Symphonia and Gerard than a progressive band in their own right.

I've only heard the re-formed Scheherazade's Songs for Scheherazade, and that isn't very inspiring. Many of the songs are actually re-recordings of later Novela tracks.

Pet peeve of mine: people complaining about “thin, digital synths” on albums made before 1983. I hope I don’t have to explain why.

My pet peeve is simply using the word "digital" for any synthesizer sound that the reviewer doesn't like. I can understand why people don't care for digital synths, but it is tiresome to see it used as a generic and misplaced insult against analog equipment that just doesn't make the same sounds as Emerson et al were getting back in the day.

I have a bit of a soft-spot for the latter two Mugen albums but they’re always a band where I liked the concept of their sound (think Genesis meets the Enid with a stronger link to classical music than rock) better than their actual sound. Any time the singer (think “out-of-tune, untrained boy alto”) opens his mouth, I cringe. And while the latter two albums are less embarrassingly derivative than the first, they still make big gaffes, like the clunky hip-hop drum machine on “Edmond’s Old Mirror” (WTF, Mugen?).

I actually like Leda et le Cygne less than the more bombastic debut. Leda is a bit more adventurous, though. The drum machine does come as a bit of a shock between all the faux Baroque and Romantic mood-building!

I hadn’t even seen reviews for Stromatolite until fairly recently, when it suddenly got a lot of love. I really liked them early on, at least their first and third releases. Misty Moon was a cool Japanese take on the UK sound, but with more big symphonics typical of Japanese prog of the time. The Scene of Pale Blue is my favourite of theirs, taking a slight experimental turn with some Crimsonic influence without descending into “let’s just rewrite songs from Red over and over” à la Bi Kyo Ran. The one I don’t much care for is A Boy Playing the Magical Bugle Horn, which is just a morass of bombast and misguided attempts at “bel canto” singing. But they’re all tied together by Takashi Kawaguchi’s exquisite violin playing:

The Scene of Pale Blue is indeed their best one. The title track is particularly sublime. I agree that A Boy Playing the Magical Bugle Horn is uneven, but I think it's much better than its reputation. And agree about Kawaguchi's violin. The closing, and perhaps the albums best track "Beyond Good and Evil" soars on its lift. That track is also on their decent "studio live" album The Silver Apples on the Moon.

A later band operating in that style worth checking out: Wappa Gappa. I didn’t care much for A Myth (Shinwa) when I first heard it, but I’m a big fan of it now. Yamataikoku (their first album) is likewise worth your time.

I've find A Myth a good album right from the beginning, but, unlike you, have not become a great fan of it. Hence I didn't search out for the group's debut. How does it compare with A Myth?

[TheH]

Of the bands you mention, Midas are the only one I really like,

Bought their live Album in Kyoto and really like it. Just know a early version of the debut's titel track otherwise (it's on a Progressive Battles LP).

I hadn’t even seen reviews for Stromatolite until fairly recently, when it suddenly got a lot of love. I really liked them early on, at least their first and third releases. Misty Moon was a cool Japanese take on the UK sound, but with more big symphonics typical of Japanese prog of the time. The Scene of Pale Blue is my favourite of theirs, taking a slight experimental turn with some Crimsonic influence without descending into “let’s just rewrite songs from Red over and over” à la Bi Kyo Ran. The one I don’t much care for is A Boy Playing the Magical Bugle Horn, which is just a morass of bombast and misguided attempts at “bel canto” singing. But they’re all tied together by Takashi Kawaguchi’s exquisite violin playing:

I agree withn your ranking of the albums. Get Stromalite it is a really good album.

Bi Kyo Ran’s KC carbon-copy was something I never needed.

I really love this album of early live recording. Also very KC but a different Approach.

I agree, the Ie Rai Shan album is very good and I think comparable to Pageant and Providence, not quite on the level of those wonderful Mr. Sirius albums but I’m glad I picked it up when I had the chance.

A later band operating in that style worth checking out: Wappa Gappa. I didn’t care much for A Myth (Shinwa) when I first heard it, but I’m a big fan of it now. Yamataikoku (their first album) is likewise worth your time.

Funny, I had the same experience with the Wappa Gappa Album. It didn't much of an impression on me first, now I really like it.

If you are into bands like Providence (for me one of the best japanese bands) you might like "Interpose+".

A band I also like a lot is Kennedy (heavy synpho take on MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA)

[Progbear]

If you are into bands like Providence (for me one of the best japanese bands) you might like "Interpose+".

Forgot about them, what I’ve heard had great promise indeed. People seem to like the first much more than the second. I understand people from this band went on to TEE, both of whose albums are fantastic, some of the best to come out of Japan from the past five years. And I’ve spotted their singer on stage with Ars Nova (though she was just a special guest, not an official member).

There’s also Mizukagami, who don’t seem to be very well-liked.

A band I also like a lot is Kennedy (heavy synpho take on MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA)

Don’t have any of theirs, just the self-titled release by Dada, which is more of a Fripp/Eno type of album. Absolutely stunning cover art, I’d love to own the vinyl and hang the cover in a frame on the wall:



The Dada guys also turned up as guests at a Tenchi-sozo (Ain Soph) concert, adding extra synths to an early live rendition of “A Story of Mysterious Forest,” which later turned up on the Ride on a Camel CD.

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MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"You can take the war out of the soldier, but you can't raise that soldier from the dead."
--Shona Laing

N.P.:“Lutz”-Iris

[TheH]

Forgot about them, what I’ve heard had great promise indeed. People seem to like the first much more than the second. I understand people from this band went on to TEE, both of whose albums are fantastic, some of the best to come out of Japan from the past five years. And I’ve spotted their singer on stage with Ars Nova (though she was just a special guest, not an official member).

Yes, I think the Keyboarder from Interpos+ first album is with TEE. Still have to check this band out

Don’t have any of theirs, just the self-titled release by Dada, which is more of a Fripp/Eno type of album. Absolutely stunning cover art, I’d love to own the vinyl and hang the cover in a frame on the wall:
The Dada guys also turned up as guests at a Tenchi-sozo (Ain Soph) concert, adding extra synths to an early live rendition of “A Story of Mysterious Forest,” which later turned up on the Ride on a Camel CD.

The Kennedy! live Album is still easy to get and still afordable, never seen their studio album even listed anywhere. I think it was only released as an LP in Japan.

Love the cover of that DADA album. Theses kind of covers makes me want to buy the album even if don't know the band at all.

The guitarist of Kennedy! later played with After Dinner (weird RIO Avant). Their was a some talk of a reunion one or two years ago, but never heard of that again
(and their keyboarder was killed in a car crash)

There’s also Mizukagami, who don’t seem to be very well-liked.

I kinda like the first album. They are rather good, but their vocal lady seems to change between very good and god damm awfull.
They also seem to have lost "it" on the second album, which appears to be a step back in every way to the first.

[TheH]

By the way there's a new Album by Vermillion Sands

[Progbear]

By the way there's a new Album by Vermillion Sands

Who’s singing with them now that Youko has passed? And can anyone comment on the Theta album that Youko also sang on?

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MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"Parece cosa de maligno. Los pianos no estallan por casualidad." --Gabriel Garcia Marquez

N.P.:“Structural Damage”-Terraced Garden/Braille