Towa Tei - Stupid Fresh (1997)

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How could I forget Towa Tei, the prototype of crazy japanese deejay who was behind Dee-Lite's Groove Is In The Heart, a monster of a song that was to the 90s what Pump Up The Volume was to the 80s. But as I considered his 90s solo albums too FM-friendly for this blog, I had to dig deeper for some real gems.
Stupid Fresh was 7-track collection of fine house and d'n'b remixes accompanying the release of Towa's second album Sound Museum. It was released separately in Japan, however this rip comes from the 1998 German reissue so that Towa's remix for EnVogue got chopped out due to licensing problems.

mp3 I 320kbps I 41 minutes I 94mb I link in comments

Yokota - Cat, Mouse And Me (1996 Eye Q)

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The first album I've heard from Susumu Yokota and I still love those sensitive bleeps and tiny breakbeats and printed jewel case.

mp3 I 320kbps I 62 minutes I 165mb I link in comments

United Future Organization - Jazzin' '91-'92 (1992 Zero Corporation)

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Beat poetry, smart sampling and brazillified rhythms on this early compilation of Shibuya's coolest jazz cats United Future Organization. Includes I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Jazz) remixed by Ashley Slater & Norman Cook AKA Freak Power.

mp3 I 320kbps I 43 minutes I 101mb I link in comments

Silent Poets - Potential Meeting (1994 Toy's Factory)

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A fragile collection of chilled-out minimalistic post-acid jazz from back in the daze when Silent Poets were more live band that just a duo of studio headz. Includes the notorious Moment Scale (Remix).

mp3 I 320kbps I 56 minutes I 129mb I link in comments

Skylab - #2 Large As Life And Twice As Natural (1999 Eye Q)

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Ever since I posted #1, I've received tons of demands to share #2 as well. I'm afraid it's going to be a large disappointment because this album resembles the first one only slightly a for me it belongs to "burn-after-listening" category. See I love those japanese Elvis impersonators but japanese impersonators of Can? That's just... sad.

mp3 I 320kbps I 63 minutes I 145mb I link in comments

Osamu Sato - Equal (1995 S3)

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I have no idea who Osamu Sato is or whatever happenned to him lately but his website (last updated 2001) suggests he might not be a musician at all. All that's left is this post-YMO proto-IDM album produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto and then remixed beyond recognition by such experts as Wagon Christ (typical mix for cash though) and The Future Sound Of London (a must-hear with rich ISDN-esque sound). By any means the ugliest cover in my collection.

mp3 I 320kbps I 59 minutes I 139mb I link in comments

Reflection - The Errornormous World (1997 Lollop/Clear)

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So here comes the original masterpiece of japanese electronica. Released without applause on local Lollop label in 1996, then licensed to prestigious (but sooo shortlived) Clear label in London, probably the best home to such a monolith of ice-cold electrojazz back then. I remember some review that said something like "the best jazz session ever played by robots", which I guess sez it all for those who still try to convince me to add genre tags to my posts. Can't believe that this, one As One album and Jedi Knights 12'' (you know which one, don't you) is all that's left of my Clear collection, so if you have any Jake Slazenger, Gregory Fleckner Quintet or Metamatics, you are welcome to share with us.

 mp3 I 320kbps I 65 minutes I 151mb I link in comments