Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

Happy birthday -- sorry I missed noticing.

Logan wrote: Happy birthday -- sorry I missed noticing.

Wow, thanks Greg!

Tsevir Leirbag wrote: Yeah, happy birthday indeed! Do you know Lune Park Ensemble? I'm wondering because I suggested them for inclusion.

Not listened to them yet, but I'm very curious.

Maybe ... no, surely honganji-san will appear here and snap at me hahaha.
Today let me recommend a very obscure Japanese-symphonic project PAIKAPPU to you all.

(Sorry no artist picture available)

PAIKAPPU were formed in the early 1970s around Tsutsui Brothers - Takashi (guitar, koto) and Tetsushi (drums, wadaiko, fue). They might appear on stage under the name of AIRS but currently we cannot get no more information. After changing their band name from AIRS to PAIKAPPU, they released one and only eponymous cassette album in 1984 and disappeared unnoticed.

Mauro Moroni, the owner of an Italian independent label Mellow Records, was very amazed at this unknown cassette album and made a reissue of it as a CD one via Mellow Records ... with his comment "We really think that it deserves to be heard by a wider audience".



Please let me say as this; this is exactly Japanese Symphonic, with purely Japanese instruments fue (Japanese flute), wadaiko (Japanese drums), biwa (Japanese lute) and koto (Japanese harp).

No more heavy or deep sounds than we want, but beautiful, graceful and solemn ones they could shoot on this album. They said in the inner sleeve that they were an original music group which would pursue the tradition and the spirit of Japan ... I've got it. Not aggressive or conspicuous but absolutely attractive and heart-warming - this phrase can be fit for their musical style I consider. Furthermore, they could play just the Japanese kokoro (essence) without pushing the Japanese instruments (fue, wadaiko, biwa and koto) to the front of all. Guess these Japanese stuffs should be not heroes / heroines but wonderful supporters with Japanese spice for PAIKAPPU.

Shower of symphonic and spacey (and sometimes pop and catchy) sounds is in the whole album. Each song is very soft and warm, safe and sound, beautiful and graceful. Suppose they would be influenced by Symphonic Yes or Symphonic Floyd? But yes, they could carry their style out with their originality - influenced by some of Japanese cultures, religions or rituals.

For all symphonic progressive rock freaks, I would like to recommend them strongly.


Thank you for reading this blog.

Do the traditional instruments play a big part in the Paikappu album?  If so, I definitely need to check it out at some point.  Thanks for the heads up!

盃勝浮かぁ～ （￣▽￣）/

これは、長い間通販リストに載っていましたが、ずーっと手にしてなくて、割と最近手にしたものです。 しかし、評価今ひとつ。

Hi, oliverstoned ... Parallel World by FEFB is absolutely a Japanese pride! 

DamoXt7942 wrote: Hi, oliverstoned ... Parallel World by FEFB is absolutely a Japanese pride!

Hi Damo! Indeed, it's my favourite japanese 70's prog album.
An excellent bland of Klaus Shultze and of the most spacey PF with
gongian touch...

I enjoy some AMT too, great imitators!

Edited by oliverstoned - May 04 2010 at 08:44

Guys, this thread is really fantastic, so much specific information, personal opinions etc.

But I have a question before I'll begin to explore this brave new world: What should be let's say 5 albums I should start with ? And what should be the very first one ? :-)