Archive for the ‘Imitation’ Category

Bootlegs, 90s hip hop, 80s synth-pop, 2020s depression

Sunday, August 2nd, 2020

Sigh. World sucks and I wanna cry all day but instead here’s a hodgepodge of music to listen to with no rhyme or reason as to why I selected any of it.

Rick Wakeman
Space Oddity/Life On Mars (Live in 1997)
As cases began to spike again in Tokyo, the news kept saying that young people were the primary spreaders of the virus this time around. They were also saying that it was best to avoid crowded spaces as much as possible. So, I went to the one place that I knew wouldn’t be crowded, and would have zero young people: the progressive rock record store.

There are actually a few of these in the greatest Tokyo area, but my favorite is World Disque. The Disk Union Progressive store is great, but World Disque has mountains and mountains of oddball shit. Yo, wanna get Renaissance’s Japan-only EP? How about two live EPs by Gong’s current vocalist? Care for multiple Klaus Schulze box sets? This is the store for you.

I was right, no crowds and I (being 40 years old) was, without question the youngest person there. I correctly (sigh) assumed that cases were going to spike further in the following weeks, and treated myself to several records since I knew I wouldn’t be going out again shopping anytime in the near future. I picked up some of Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come (great), Birth Control (also great), Robert Wyatt (uneven but good) and an album by Darryl Way’s Wolf (surprisingly good).

I also bought a Rick Wakeman 6 CD “official bootleg” boxset for a steal that ended up being exceptionally great. Not only were the performances (which ranged from the mid-70s to the early 90s) all utterly fantastic, but most of it sounded very good too. Sure, they’re bootlegs so they’re a little more bassy and muffled than official recordings, but as I got into the groove I didn’t notice it all that much, especially since Wakeman’s amazing keyboard always seems to shine through any mix and sound crystal clear.

So, there I was, at home getting drunk on absinthe, listening to Rick Wakeman bootlegs, and browsing Discogs when…okay look, long story short I just got another five CD box set of Rick Wakeman bootlegs in the mail and I’m expecting another 16 CD box set of more bootlegs any day now.

Shut up. We all cope with stress in different ways. I apparently cope with copious keyboard solos and absinthe. I can think of more dangerous combinations.

The above is from an exceptionally good sounding bootleg (I think it’s a soundboard or radio recording) from a show in 1997. This medley of Bowie tunes isn’t like the one that he released on piano after Bowie’s death, it’s a full band recording complete with vocals. It’s a good version, even without Bowie. I wish I could pick up who the singer is, but Rick rattles off his name so quickly at the end that I can never make it out. If anyone knows, fill me in!

 

P.M. Dawn
Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine (Club Mix)
Mostly sharing for the title. 100% relatable. Although, let’s be real, I don’t think that’s been true since 1999.

Is there a lot of low-key chill hip-hop these days? Excluding Juice WRLD, his lyrics were dogshit and his samples atrocious. I’ve heard a bit of Travis Scott and dig that sometimes. I especially love “Sick Mode” because I can get down on any track that gets you hype about napping. I’ve also listened a bit to Swae Lee. I really dig his delivery and can tell he has a ton of talent, but he’s almost too chill. Not enough melody sometimes. Also, that’s totally music for taking benzos to, let’s be real.

Anyways, this song is cool and probably also good for taking benzos to. Man, I wish I still had some benzos. Yeah, they’re horribly addictive and the comedown is rough, but sleeping for 10 hours straight is AWESOME.

 

Imitation
Thermo Limbo
Exotic Dance
I wrote about Imitation a while back after I happened upon their fantastic first album Original. Since then, I was able to track down their third album, which wasn’t as good as their stellar debut, but still pretty good. I’m still on the hunt for their second one, Muscle And Heat. I suspect that it might be the rarest of the bunch, since the only copy online I can find right now goes for $60. I’m not paying that much for a used LP from the 80s without getting a chance to hear it first, so I’m going to wait until I actually see it in person (if I can ever go to a record store again, sigh).

Anyways, while I haven’t been able to track down that album, I was able to score this 12″ single, which features two songs from the record. “Thermo Limbo” is the better one of the bunch, which a dope beat and good groove, but the out-there spacey “Exotic Dance” is also good. These tracks feature fellow 80s j-pop idol Sandii on back-up vocals, and I bet that they share a bit more with her as well. These sound a lot like Sandii songs, with a slight Hawaiian bent and a cool mixture of traditional and electronic elements. I love this stuff. It’s always my jam.

Posted in Imitation, live, P.M. Dawn, Rick Wakeman | 3 Comments »

Original Music by Imitation

Thursday, February 28th, 2019

Imitation – Original
Complete Album Download

Sometimes buying an album strictly because the cover pays off, as was the case with this one, Original, the hilariously-named debut album from Japanese synth act Imitation, which came out in 1980.

Imitation’s name is quite a misnomer, as they’re one of the most original and striking Japanese synthpop acts that I’ve come across. While most of the 80s pop scene in Japan was content to release polished radio-friendly AOR with a synth overlay, Imitation seemed to be way more out-there. To me, they’re akin to The Plastics, another avant-garde experimental synthpop group from the same time, as both groups seem to draw heavily from Talking Heads and Public Image Ltd., thanks to their willingness to mix synthpop with other genres and styles like funk and reggae. Imitation actually remind me the most of Polyrock, due to their tendency to use simple, repetitive rhythms akin to Philip Glass (who produced Polyrock’s records). However, since no one in any country bought Polyrock’s records, I can only guess that this must be a coincidence.

In addition to their musical style, another thing that Imitation has in common with Polyrock is that nobody bought their records either. At least, that’s what I’m assuming since I never come across them used and have never heard them mentioned in articles discussing 80s Japanese synthpop (including the ones I’ve written). It looks like they had some famous fans though, or perhaps the right connections. Their first record includes lyrics written by Chris Mosdell, who was the regular English songwriter for YMO and was produced by Kazuhiko Katoh, another longtime YMO associate. Their second LP, Muscle and Heat, includes a contribution from Sandii of Sandii and the Sunsets, while Hideki Matsutake, AKA Logic System, AKA the dude who programmed all of YMO’s sequencers drops in on their third and final album, Happy Hunting.

I haven’t been able to come across those records yet, as they’re even rare than this one. So all I’m sharing tonight is my copy of Original. It’s a vinyl rip, but I think it sounds pretty damn good. And since CDs of this sucker go for over $100 I doubt that I’ll be buying one those anytime soon. I hope that I can dig up their other two albums someday, along with the singer Cheebo’s sole solo album, as I really want to dive in more into their out-there sound.

Posted in Imitation | 3 Comments »