Listen: Japanese Psych Rock Mix by Vogon Laundromat

Featured image credit: Global Psychedelia

Read my reviews / listen to Head Clearing Noise mix

I’m a bit hazy on who the first band from Japan I heard was but it was sometime in mid 90’s, probably on a PSF’s Tokyo Flashback compilation. I remember feeling like the cat who got the cream when I picked up a PSF CD in Rough Trade though (a 200 mile music shopping round trip). It cost a fortune, we didn’t have minimum wage in the UK then but if we did I would definitely received a pay rise if it was introduced! Despite the costs I was hooked right from the off and throughout the last 25 years Japanese Psych has been a constant source of joy.

The Japanese scene is large and varied, there are so many collaborations and projects on the go it’s constantly regenerating, morphing and remains fresh. A Japanese Psych family tree would be absolutely monstrous. If you like anything from acid folk or free improvised heavy psych you can have it all. I can’t offer apologies for bands that aren’t included, AMT don’t make an appearance for instance but main man Kawabata features on 3 of the bands that are included and produced another as well. Plenty more where this lot came…

Tracklist

Ruins – Burning Stone (Shimmy Disc)

Boredoms – Pow Wow Now (Shimmy Disc)

Musica Transonic – Δοξολογια (PSF – Defunct, as yet not reissued by Black Editions Group)

Ghost – Lama Rabi Rabi (Drag City)

Nishinihon – Ah Dinnae Wan Tae Do Owt, Ba Ah Still Wan Money (Static Caravan / Resonant)

Atsushi Tsuyama – 瀬戸内海の印象 (FMN Sound Factory)

Mady Gula Blue Heaven – フローティング (Gyuune Cassette)

Aihiyo – いとしのマックス (Tokuma Japan Communications)

Hibushibire – Overdose, Pussy Cat, More! More! (Riot Season)

High Rise – Wipe Out (Black Editions Group)

Majutso No Niwa – Frontera (Pataphysique Records)

Overhang Party – La Fievre (Pataphysique Records)

White Heaven – Mandrax Town (Black Editions Group)

Kawabata Makoto’s Mainliner – Revelation Space (Riot Season)