MAGICAL POWER MAKO

Thankfully this 1975 effort is something else entirely. And by "something else" I mean an almost uncanny funhouse-mirror reflection of his Western role models: something not uncommon in post- war Japan but elevated here to its creative zenith, where simple translation becomes original mutation. A blind headphone test would leave me convinced I was hearing a long-lost, early '70s Krautrock LP, instead of a home recording by a reclusive Japanese teenager with a tacky fringe haircut and a near-visionary understanding of his own interior cosmos.

The album was recorded over a period of several years, and the music is (literally) all over the map, from backwoods Azerbaijan to rural Switzerland to beyond the Andromeda Galaxy...everywhere, apparently, except his native Japan. But Mako's controls were set mainly for the heart of counterculture Germany. The album opener "Andromeda" reveals a kinship with Manuel Göttsching and ASH RA TEMPEL; the musical caravan of "Silk Road" carries echoes of Michael Karoli and CAN (in its strummed baglama and laser-beam electric guitars); and in "Pink Butch (LaLaLa)" the subtitle conveniently spells out the song's entire lyrical content, breathlessly sung in the style of a narcoleptic Klaus Dinger.

The latter half of the album alternates even more eclectic detours - medieval Normandy in "Majorica Resistance Song"; a child's nursery in "Rock Baby in Meadow" - with pieces of a split interlude titled "Sound 3", divided into five parts but totaling under four-minutes in combined length. Separating the tracks this way only increases the album's overall sense of stylistic dislocation, appropriate for an artist described by psychedelic fanboy and "Japrocksampler" author Julian Cope as a "musical hermit".

After first hearing the skewed tinker-toy electropop of "Lo Pop Diamonds" (worth at least one spin, for the unexpected novelty) I was relieved, and more than a little thrilled, to be reminded that there are still magicians among us, weaving their powerful spells.

"HELLO WORLD, HOW ARE YOU? Now we present '80s Mako's very private collections. There are good POP tunes featuring two girl singers...two Japanese traditional tunes...Woh - it's coming very deep. Enjoy precious time. Magical Power Mako, March 1995"

This was my first exposure to the eclectic world of MPM, and my knee-jerk instinct was to dismiss the album as Lo Pop Cubic Zirconium: a worthless ersatz gemstone with more cosmetic flash than actual value. Mako's vision is certainly unique, perhaps more so than the music itself on this effort: shiny antiseptic techno-pop employing rinky-dink Casio rhythms and synthetic dance beats, distantly related but far removed from anything resembling Progressive Electronics.

But repeated plays and a little research have taught me two valuable facts. Firstly, Mako is both a single person and a singular artist, emerging from his home studio every so often with a new collection of songs, self-produced and performed almost entirely alone. Next, and more importantly, I've learned it's never fair to judge a musician from an initial spin of just one album.

Mako was always a musical chameleon, and in the 1980's he merely changed his colors accordingly. Two decades later the Lo Pop part of the equation is obvious. The Diamonds are harder to find, but fossils of his earlier Far East Krautrock sound can still be unearthed if you dig really deep: a hint of Holger Czukay's guitar in the song "I Love You So I Want You"; a touch of Dieter Moebius grunge in the quasi-Kraftwerk instrumental "Techno '80".

And the two "Japanese traditional tunes" are nothing more than raw field recordings, of a Buddhist temple ceremony and of crowds celebrating the summer festival in the city of Aomori. These two documentary sound samples together last a numbing 17-minutes, long enough to test the patience of any headphone anthropologist, and are totally mismatched against all the bright '80s synth-pop elsewhere on the album.

But that same, weird juxtaposition is what prompted my second thoughts. Was the songwriting really so naïve, or is "Today's Fashion" (in the opening song of the same name) something more clever: an ethnological pop music forgery worthy of Can? And is counterfeit kitsch somehow less offensive than the real thing?

Woh - it's coming very deep, as Mako himself said, and I'm beginning to see his point. But I still can't imagine this album holding much interest for anyone except the most open-eared collector of Asian pop esoterica. It may not be the most representative MPM effort, but then again: neither is anything else in his wide discography.

The music here was first heard in 1993, but was recorded twenty years earlier, during the sporadic sessions for MPM's highly-regarded (and aptly-titled) 'Super Record', the two albums sharing a similar mood of homemade nonconformity. Comparisons have also been made to the Krautrockers of FAUST, and with good reason: the disc is an exotic Far Eastern cousin to the cut-and-paste mayhem of 'The Faust Tapes', produced more or less at the same time, and with the same uninhibited freedom of expression.

How to describe such elusive (non-) music to newcomers? A minute-by-minute breakdown of the almost three-quarter hour composite would be a fool's errand, so naturally I feel obligated to try...

The album opens with an ominous 13-minute, acid-fried rite of passage, played on ancient zithers over a hypnotic chanted mantra...then moves toward a groovier acoustic guitar passage, devolving after a few minutes into another one-chord space-out...followed by a very Faustian freak-out, anchored (barely) to some atonal singing, reminiscent of Damo Suzuki's wilder digressions alongside CAN...which in turn blossoms at the 22-minute mark into something not unlike early HAWKWIND or classic PINK FLOYD, but with even more demented vocalizing and some distinctly Krautrock guitar embellishments...

And by the end of the album the music has collapsed into a formless yet fascinating chaos. The noise continues until the final, unexpected space-ballad, crooned romantically over a gorgeous synth-and-piano melody before drifting away once again into the uncharted cosmos.

Eclectic stuff to be sure, as outtakes often are. And maybe needing a pair of ears conditioned by the amateur Outsider Music of the early RESIDENTS to hear it in the right context, where creativity doesn't require textbook proficiency, only an exploratory spirit and a blissful ignorance of your own limitations.

Three-plus stars, rounded down in recognition of its very narrow appeal. But the complete, multi-volume package might qualify as a masterpiece of arcane musical self-indulgence.

Over the past couple of years I have completely fallen for the Japanese music scene. Starting out with the big names such as Flower Travellin' Band and Far East Family Band (much due to the connection with my much beloved Klaus Schulze), it then progressed into something more fickle and investigative. I had now begun my big Sherlock Holmes hunt for things far beyond the norm - things that make elderly ladies go WIIH and OHH - and have ever since collected albums from acts with names that sound like liquor for kids - or some strange new metallic fruit.

Magical Power Mako are, or perhaps more befitting, is one of the early artists that I stumbled upon, back when I was mostly into psychedelic music. This album presented itself to me as the second coming of something I knew like the back of my hand. In fact it still does. To me it genuinely sounds like a Japanese take on the old sandwich album/movie soundtrack from Floyd: More.

Sure you encounter some of those same orangy colours in the art work, but hiding underneath is an expressive, intimate and charming little bugger of an album, that on more than one occasion points a finger in the general direction of the Floyd boys circa 1969. There is a prevailing eclectic shadow hanging over these tunes, that apart from generating a haphazard feel to things, actually works like a strange mythical binding agent. Together but apart... Just like More, you get treated to all kinds of differentiating tempers, that vary on the individual tracks and how they flow, weave and stack up against each other. I'll be bold and say that Super Record feels connected and well-orchestrated, even if the proof in the pudding suggests otherwise...

The opening cuts cement the Japanese adoration for the occult psychedelic - the larvalling oozing presence of lethargic slow moving guitars, that push through your speakers like a pair of somersaulting black birds immersing from a wall of black currant marmalade. Had this music been put out in Germany from around the same time, it surely would have received recognition as being part of the Krautrock scene(remember, Krautrock was largely a label we modern folks have conjured up in order to alphabetise our music collections to better ask for directions in the lands of sonic experimentation).

Jumping almost casually from the big soupy psychedelic start, the listener is guided into a dream-like state of far East ragadelicious vibes with sitars and folk laden atmospheres with heaps of acoustic instruments, to the more western influenced parts of this album, where you get your rocks off while still feeling that oriental tinged feel of it all hovering above you like a see-through veil of sound.

Much like More, Super Record also has its fair share of interludes/epilogues, whatever you want to call them, and they are of a surprisingly high quality. They are extremely necessary to these ears. The Sound 3 track for instance coming on every once in a while, actually 5 times in all, acts as short moments of unadulterated simplistic beauty wherever you encounter it. It's merely a wobbly electric wah wahing guitar talking slowly and echoing to you, but it is just so infectious and riveting. Come to think of it, most of this record uses that same sort of musical laissez faire template. Apart from the obvious well- written ditties, you sense a wonderful open approach to music making that soaks everything in small glistening ornamentations. Whether it's done with a psychedelic electric guitar, sitar, sparse squeaking synthesizer or a relentless tapping flow of natural sounding clay drums, there's always a tremendous emphasis on the simplistic and natural within this album.

Now when I say 'natural', and have mentioned time and again the electric guitar - as well as a synthesiser, you can probably guess, that I mean something of the sort that pushes through in other areas than the factual ingredients of the album. I am of course speaking about the general vibe - the flow of things - how you feel transported out in the breathtaking natural wilderness of the far East - mountains, cherry blossoms, misty morning fogs flying overhead and all that you can possibly imagine transcribing in the natural environment around above and beneath you.... Just add a gazillion sonic fuelled rainbow colours swirling peacefully about in a constantly moving mosaic.

When I read DamoxT7492, was surprised with his opinion about "Jump" not being Prog, because even when I agree their first two releases are far more attractive for Avant or Electronic Prog fans, we can't deny the complexity and excellent musicianship of is third release

The album starts with "Jump to Me", a song that for the casual listener may seem mainstream "Rock & Roll", when listening carefully the dissonance between guitar, keys and bass it's obvious that this guys are really experimenting with incredibly complex arrangements.

I normally avoid the pure or almost pure percussion tracks, but in he case of "The story of our Master" I have made an exception, being that from the first instant, that almost military combination of voices and Japanese percussion is fascinating, many rappers could learn a couple of lessons about how you can almost talk during a song, but still make it interesting, and when about the third minute "Kid" joins with the distorted bass is simply delightful, specially when without advice the song links with "Give me Present" a track with a very simple lyric hat consists in the phrase "Give me Present"

I believe there's some sort of sarcasm directed towards "Revolution 9", being that the melody starts with a BEATLES reminiscence, but that's all we got in common, a nice keyboard and a wonderful and almost chaotic dissonance invade the atmosphere, simply brilliant.

What impresses me more about MGICAL POWER MAKO, is their capacity to move from one genre, style and/or mood to another, "Rest Light Down" is a soft melodic and jazzy interlude that prepares us for the almost martial "So", in which the excellent work with distorted guitar is simply impressive.

"Blue Wind" is the most melodic song, with an amazing guitar work, the are thrown one over the other, adding the Avant touch, again a short track preparing for"Elephant's Jungle", a longer but disappointing song in which each instrument resembles a different jungle animal, really tedious, only the final sitar sitar section saves the song partially.

Now, MAGICAL POWER MAKO are able to rock, and "Jump" leaves no doubt about this, as usual the apparently simple music is made more interesting with a weird choice of instruments and excellent arrangements.

The album is closed with the beautiful but short "21th Ocean", IMO the most beautiful song of the album with a strong Japanese side and a killer but trippy organ finale, excellent closer.

If it wasn't for "Elephant's Jungle", the rating job would had been harder, being that could had take me hours to decide between 4 or 5 stars, but being after this weird song , I have to go with solid stars that should be 4.5.

MAKO is one of the pioneers of Japanese Prog and I believe among the most original.

In 1974, his first interactive communication with the outer space 'Magical Power' was released. Since then he's always been a postman to another world (and even now everyone cannot understand his attitude toward there...and here too!). This Cosmo Grosso has full of his sounds and styles gathered from his 30 year works. The content is exactly spacey - a toy box with various sounds, noises, voices and minds and musical culture all over the world. Let me emphasise the point: he can make good use of many many stuffs as his transmitters (instruments). From his early days he can play over hundreds of instruments effectively for the atmosphere around him. In this album the main soundmaker is a synthesizer controlled by his computer and programming and this synthesizer as his right hand can incarnate his vision, passion, and telepathy from the space. Here are plethora of scenes - a danceable one with electronic rhythm section, a rock and rolling part with heavy riffs, an Oriental telegraph featuring shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo pipe) or wabue (Japanese flute), and a hypnotic lullaby with female voices and chorus. Forgive me I feel such a long communication about 60 minutes might be boring not only for us but even for an alien in the outer space. However, even so, this work has various faces of Mako and we can eat his mixed salad only with the album. In my humble opinion, the previous album 'Magic' was so disappointing that I've expected this work. And I can say it's a good stuff.

Exactly STRANGE album. It's no wrong because Mako has called this album so. First Welcome To The Earth(Intro) what's the noise? Radio's interference? Interesting I feel. After the solemn opening (till that we can have some expectation), light techno-pop samba (Happy Birthday Samba) starts...'happy birthday Leila, I love you'...sorry, no progressive, no more. Next East World...I Love You has light sound too, but I think this song has lots of materials and essences, with rhythm, sound, kecak-like voice...so can evaluate this shot. The problem for me is from Fresh Vegetable to the last song Welcome To The Earth. On this piece Mako should predict the current technology world, comparing a vegetable garden to a robot factory. This is a great conception, but the pop-electro-sound is no good for me... After this, all are the same pop'n'tech. I suggest Mako might try to play tech-style once. Sorry but next album is great for me so it's a pity...

On this second shot by Magical Power Mako (not with his bandmates but with his family), his experimental trial as the previous work is suppressed but gets to be more sensitive and theoretical for music. That is, in my humble opinion, Mako might accept that everything eccentric is not alright but consistency of music should be needed. With featuring many kinds of instruments, he might consider the important thing is musical integration. Well, please listen to the first half named as 'Butch Side'. The stream-like starting of the first track Andromeda is the proof as above mentioned. Oh, I see, the integration could be constructed because he was the one and only player in this work. Tundra, with quiet and cold psychedelia, next Oriental chandelier Silk Road, and wonderfully hot and juicy Woman in South Island...all are made so compact, not scattered. Could they be easy for us to listen? Leaving Butch's voice behind (sorry), Pink Butch (Lalala) is a beautiful piece of cake. Very sweet, very melancholic, and very feminine. Maybe because Mako liked to show his feminine appearance on media...? :-) Long and a little boring refrain is, I suggest, as flowing to the 5th 'Music From Heaven'. The latter half, named as Rock side, is like a sandwich with Sound 3 and each track. Especially I should push Rock Baby In Meadow as Mako showing consideration for his baby Rock. Yes, therefore this is a familial album. Of course, with full of exotic flavour and Mako's humming (!) Majorica Resistance Song goes floating, and Cosmos Sandglass is his laidback heart... Feel that Mako play with relaxed style.

So far from experimental rock but this album can prove that his family was (is still now?) so spacey and psychedelic. :-)

This title as looking down on us or as looking up toward the outer zone... First I said 'Huh?' in spite of myself (not kidding!), but at once I heard the album I was absorbed deeply into it. Hahhaha, how crazy, how funny & funky, and how clever Mako is!

I consider this album was the first Mako produced as a story or a conceptual one. (At the beginning starts the 'SUPER RECORD' interlude and lets us chuckle surely.) Each part has a title but it's almost impossible for us to realize the interval between one part from another. We may think this work as one song or track and the names of whole parts as a stream of the work. Mako could make this work by himself only, and could play over a hundred instruments wonderfully. Exactly this can be called as music salad... extremely plenty of instruments(an electric guitar, drums and percussions, a keyboard, a sitar, and various wind and string sections), a sound effector & controller, and Mako's noisy voice sometimes inserted...all are natural and appropriate for the song. And surprisingly each sound gem is not scattered chaotically but set systematically by him. Into the 50 minute song Mako could push completely his attitude and intention at this moment...except some messages for the outer space... :-)

This is one of the raw materials for us to understand Mako's spacey mind SLIGHTLY. Now this stuff has got to be a rare with a premium and difficult to get...sadly.

If you have already listened to his first and second albums, I suggest you'll wonder why. You bet...as strictly mentioned, this album is not as experimental as the previous ones. Consider we can explain this project as Magical Rocker Mako and his friends. How do you think? :-)

Without any complaints listen to it, believe me. From the first track Jump To You you will be driven rollin'. This type of sound is what Mako has not shot previously and in my humble opinion he might want to play seriously rock-oriented music. His support members, especially Shoji Watanabe and Keiichi Nishina, could get so massively active and let Mako's identity be exploded positively. Even an experimentally percussive stuff The Story Of Our Master is not only percussive but has heavy bass and rigid drum sounds in its latter half. And exactly Give Me Present! Pleasant and funky rhythm and sound thanks for your present, Mako! :-) A streamingly quiet song Rest Light Down, and So with wonderful linger...A-side of this work is chill!

Elephant's Jungle is the only experimental and avantgarde song in this album I think. Each instrument play a cry of an animal and the whole sound can hear as the atmosphere in the jungle. The masterpiece is Jump, the real rock and roll. 'Tsuki Wa Oboro Ni Kasokeki Yo'...how can I explain the paragraph? It's very difficult for me to show a Japanese mind. Fuzzy moon has got to be dimmer and dimmer...sorry. Anyway, loud guitar, funky voice and fantastic percussions can make us crazy. Dance and sing! Mako showed this style only here. Interesting one.

I'm sure this is a great rock album by Mako's project. Highly recommended.