Arguably the most-flattening volume in this legendary series to date, Tokyo Flashback 2 features exclusive tracks from White Heaven (“Silver Current”), High Rise with Keiji Haino, Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Marble Sheep, Overhang Party, Yura Yura Kingdom, Yuragi, Kousokuya, Ghost (“Sun Is Tangging”), Ohkami No Jikan (featuring Maki Miura ex-Fushitsusha/Shiuzka) and Fushitsusha, who cover The Jacks' legendary “Marianne”. Yow.

Another necessary volume in this on-going series documenting current activity on Tokyo’s psychedelic underground and a long-time personal favourite, the line-up and track choice here is unbeatable, with exclusives from Overhang Party, White Heaven, Fushitsusha (a fabulously unrelenting noise guitar blow-out), Cobalt, Kumo To Hae, Sweet & Honey, Ghost, Daiichi-Kakkensha, Uchu Engine, Maher Shalal Hash Baz and Shizuka, the latter of whom raise the roof with guitarist Maki Miura roaring his way through heavens of feedback and blues. Love that fake ringwear on the cover too, a real touch of class. Highest recommendation.

Third volume in this on-going series that documents various stages of evolution of the Japanese underground: following the 70s and 80s the 90s set is the real gravy and represents the decade that was the most creatively accelerated in terms of underground activity. Cream of the crop here is an amazing studio recording from the classic trio Fushitsusha line-up, “Magic V”, with Haino on electric guitar and vocals, Yasushi Ozawa on electric bass and Jun Kosugi on drums recorded during the sessions for their 1993 album for John Zorn’s Avant label, Allegorical Misunderstanding. Haino’s vocal are particularly potent, moving from a high lamenting style to aggressive epiglottal action while the group work the kind of complex rock rhythm equations that would come to define their current incarnation. But that’s not all. There’s a classic “Moungod” live ritual from Masaki Batoh’s Ghost, from their classic self-titled 1997 debut, “Moungod Te Deum” and Hoppy Kamiyama’s legendary God Mountain label is represented by Demi Semi Quaver’s “A*merika”. We also get a great goof of a track from ‘noise’ legends The Gerogerigegege and tracks from Phew, composer/trumpeter Jun Miyake, Ryuichi Sakamoto, E*trance, weirdo J-pop from Takako Minekawa and of course no 90s overview would be complete without a track from legendary guitarist/songwriter and Org recording artist Idiot O’Clock. A great and wide-ranging overview of the creative tumult of underground music in Japan in the 1990s. Recommended.

Nanjo Asahito’s High Rise were the original Psychedelic Speed Freaks that gave the PSF label their name and their aesthetic, with Ikeezumi founding the imprint with the specific intent of documenting their insane take on extended psychedelic punk. Their glory years were the mid-80s, specifically 1986 where they recorded their classic album, High Rise 2. This fantastic archival (region free) DVD catches the band at the peak of their hyper-exaggerated powers, with the line-up that cut the second album powering their way through a 1986 set that combines outrageous explosions of wah-wah guitar with everything-in-the-red aesthetics and a look that combines freak-out Detrotisms with Velvets cool. Still one of the all-time great psychedelic punk groups, this DVD is a timely reminder of why they blew so many minds when they first turned up via bootleg LPs in the west. Recommended.

Another necessary volume in this on-going series documenting current activity on Tokyo's psychedelic underground, this one features exclusive tracks by Keiji Haino, Broom Dusters (featuring members of Miminokoto/LSD-March), Musica Transonic, Puka-Puka Brians (members of Maher Shalal Hash Baz/Aihiyo), On-Na Kodomo, Shizuka, Akiyama-Sugimoto, High Rise, Kakashi, Construction, Psychedelic Crazy Horse and Hikyo String Quintet.

Out-of-nowhere return for legendary Tokyo underground psychedelic speed freak guitarist Munehiro Narita with a group that to all intents and purposes is a re-fitted High Rise: Munehiro co-formed High Rise along with bassist Nanjo Asahito (Mainliner/Musica Transonic/Toho Sara et al) and helped launch PSF Records, which was founded to bring the works of High Rise and Fushitsusha to more prominence, with the label taking its name from the High Rise motto, Psychedelic Speed Freaks. Munehiro was one of the key guitarists of the era, perfecting a squealing fast-soloing style that pushed wah-wah excess into new realms of total sonic refusal. Here he is joined by original High Rise drummer Yuro Ujiie with Nanjo Asahito replaced by bassist/vocalist Tabata Mitsuru of Zeni Geva/Loud Machine 5000/Acid Mothers Temple et al.
The basic High Rise formula remains intact, thug-punk riffs hammered to infinity cut with whirlwind wah-wah solos but Tabata’s vocals give the whole deal a weird/sneering under-the-counter-culture appeal that sounds like it comes straight outta Ohio. Indeed, the rhythm section sound fantastic, playing doomy sludge-punk one minute and breaking out swampy Diddley-beats the next, with plenty of room for Narita to bleed in his insane excessive trademark style all over the top. High Rise vinyl is now hideously rare so this is a unique opportunity to grip some heavy duty speed freak wax from one of the defining guitarists of the era. Very highly recommended!

Debut Japan-only release for this group led by guitarist/vocalist Rinji Fukuoka and born from the ashes of his legendary Tokyo psych group Overhang Party. The form here is more akin to early Overhang Party than the later, John Cale/Paris 1919-influenced material, with the trio getting back to crushing riffs, wasted solos and doomy, PSF-style death-decadent ballads. Majutsu No Niwa translates as Magical Garden and the first track bears the same title, exploding a riff lifted from The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and extrapolating it into feedback-heavy post-Velvets environs. Fukuoka is a great lead guitar player in the tradition of Maki Miura/Suishou No Fune/Okhami No Jikan et al and his more extended flights are a joy for anyone who worships PSF. And who doesn’t? Comes in a slim, fold-out stylish black sleeve with lyric sheet and English translations. Recommended.

Massive new live LP from Majutsu No Niwa, Rinji Fukuoka’s post-Overhang Party outfit, in a hand-numbered edition of only 250 copies. Four tracks that explode the group’s previous form, with instrumentals that combine Jimi at Woodstock/early Fushitsusha style guitar-smashing iconoclasm with loose free jazz rhythms and doomy mile high chord progressions alongside a buncha beautiful acid/folk ballads. The opening instrumental has gotta be their most scorched side of post-metal/psych since, uh, Magical Garden? The more punked tracks feel as loose and as lubed as classic Gasaneta but with a crude progressive edge that gives the nod to the Spectator label (Terje, Jesper & Joachim/Blues Addicts/Moses et al) while the ballads are spectacular, with that classic lonesome, reverb dosed feel of your favourite Flashback (w/an especially poignant Shizuka-esque feel) married to aching single note solos that just keep coming on. A spectacular side from these guys housed in a classic basement psych sleeve. What more do you want?!

Stunning, deluxe vinyl upgrade for this Japanese psychedelic monster in an edition of 500 copies with a different track listing to the CD edition and a bonus track: massive studio set from guitarist/vocalist Rinji Fukuoka’s post Overhang Party project, with bassist Hiroyuki Kageyama and drummer Shigeki Morohashi joined by guest player Sachiko (Kousokuya et al) on electronics. Frontera sees Fukuoka taking it back to the roots, with a series of atmospheric post-Sweet Sister Ray amplifier meltdowns bookended by the kind of psychedelic speed freak punkers that launched the PSF label, three chords and amphetamine rhythms blow apart by lucid fuzz guitar solos. If your tastes run to mountains of free-singing amplifiers threaded with occult electronics, ethereal angel vox and the kinda fuzz/wah explosions that’d shame The Savage Resurrection then your name might just be me, but either way this is a necessary purchase and sounds amazing on heavy duty vinyl. Massive gatefold sleeve too, highly recommended!