Saturday, January 13, 2007

Geinoh Yamashirogumi - Osorezan-dounokenbai (1976)[japan]


Geinoh Yamashirogumi is known for both their faithful re-creations of folk music from around the world, as well as their fusion of various traditional musical styles with modern instrumentation and synthesizers. For example, in the 1980s, MIDI digital synthesizers could not handle the tuning systems of traditional gamelan music, so the group had to teach themselves how to program in order to modify their equipment. The album that followed, Ecophony Rinne (1986) was a new direction for the group : they had not previously incorporated computer-generated sounds into their work. The success of this album brought them to the attention of Katsuhiro Otomo, who commissioned them to create the soundtrack of Akira. The soundtrack is built on the concept of recurrent themes or "modules". Texturally, the soundtrack is a mix of digital synthesizers (Roland D-50, etc), Indonesian chromatic percussion (jegog, etc.), traditional Japanese theatrical and spiritual music (Noh), European classical, and progressive rock.
Geinoh Yamashirogumi has reproduced over eighty different styles of traditional music and performances from around the world, but despite having performed internationally to a high degree of critical acclaim, they remain relatively unknown.
It has been written that Yamashiro took his inspiration from a postwar 1950s group of similar characters that lived as a commune, but this could be apocryphal.
Discography
Studio albums
Chi-No-Hibiki Higashi Yu-roppu Wo Utau (Echoes Of The Earth Sing Eastern Europe) (1976)
Osore-zan / Doo No Kenbai (1976)
Yamato Gensho (1977)
Shonentachi Eno Chikyu Sanka (In Praise Of Earth‚ To Boys) (1979)
Ecophony Rinne (1986)
Ecophony Gaia (1990)
Ougonrin Sanyo (2000)
Soundtracks
Symphonic Suite AKIRA (1988)
Akira: Original Soundtrack (1990)
Live albums
Geinoh Yamashirogumi Live (1978)
Compilations
Nyumon (1994)

10 comments:

Glenn Baskin said...

Thanks for this-big fan of the sound track

john said...

What an album! Just when you think it's starting to relatively calm down it gets even more trippy. Do you have anything else by them? Besides more Geinoh Yamashirogu, I'd also like to hear some Tenjo Sajiki,or any other Japanese theatrical stuff, if you have it. By the way, this album is a great way to start your blog! I've actually been looking for this album for quite a while, so it's a real treat to be able to finally hear it! Thanks

john said...

What an album! Just when it starts to relatively calm down it gets even more trippy. Side one is classic, side two is pretty cool too! Do you have anything else by them? Besides more geinoh yamashirogu, it would also be cool to hear tenjo sajiki or any other Japanese theatrical stuff you might have. Thanks a lot for posting this, I've been looking for it for a while.

Anonymous said...

Truly fascinating music... I know them from the Akira OST, which I found perfect to match the images displayed on the movie 'cos of that "traditional-futuristic" feel.

But this is wonderful too, very weird and spooky, with those strange voices, they give me chills, they really do...

Julian Cope has included this record in his Top 50 Japrock albums.

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I have all the studio albums and the Akira soundtracks. But im missing the live album and the compilation. If you have them, please share.

zushiomaru said...

finally found my rare Geinoh Yamashirogumi cd: Shonentachi e no chikyusanka. (victor Entertainment,1994,cat.no:VICL-23088).
Title translates to something like: Nature Boy holds the Earth's admiration..

not that good translator i guess(http://www.freedict.com/onldict/jap.html)
anyway,can someone direct me to Flac or best Mpthree ripper?

zushiomaru said...

damn,didnt see it in yr list as from 79!
this is a re-issue,
Shonentachi Eno Chikyu Sanka (In Praise Of Earth‚ To Boys) (1979)
still think my interpretation is more close, coz the coverart shows the (black)boy actually holding on to a rainbow,the E in Japanese means holding(on to..)/grasping & No is 'of' so would be more like this.

coverart:http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/8563df5b906136423d7914b0a072b369/371451.jpg

zushiomaru said...

so here's the album.
sorry, MutantSounds, i don't know how to pm you.

If u want to upload the album with proper artwork,be my guest.

http://rapidshare.com/files/328547585/GY-SENC.rar

cheers,
zush

Ylgvicq said...

Thank you so very much Zushiomaru!

I've been looking for Geinoh Yamashirogumi music since ten years and practically have the complete collection. Do you happen to have translated (or find a translation) for the names of the songs too?

Thx

Ylgvicq

gungrave said...

Thanks for this awesome album.
Does anuone have Geinoh Yamashirogumi - Nyumon (Compilation)?