Label: Yen Records – YLR-35001~2 Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM Vinyl, LP, Album, Compilation, Gatefold Sleeve Country: Japan Released: 25 May 1985 Genre: Electronic Style: Synth-pop, Experimental
Mega mixed bag who's-who of 80s Japanese experimental synth-pop stuff - the final release that put the nail in the coffin for Hosono's incredibly influential Yen Records imprint. The exponential surge in interest in 80's Japanese music has rendered most of this lot household names and their output additionally fetishized, all the usuals are in attendance here, YMO and all their produced derivatives (Guernica, Inoyama Land ++) yet the most notable mention goes to the frustratingly illusive Testpattern whose highly infectious masterpiece Apres-Midi continues to be desperately out of reach for all. However, thankfully a version of 'Modern Living' finds its way onto this comp - a playful ode to the endless, excruciating MONOTONY of life - 'Life is work, work is life', lyrics to live by whilst grinding it out every-fucking-day for no clearly apparent reason. The sound of 10 million resolutely stoic salary men trudging their way to whatever pointless / homogeneous admin role they were sleeping at in Tokyo mid-80s. Elsewhere, dark horse Hajime Tachibana lets off a new version of 'Rock' - a vocoder heavy, synth-bomb that whips up some classic Kraftwork material into a proper bout of robotic electro fizz. Killer compilation.. if you only bought one Japanese record ever kinda thing.. (NM/NM - Japanese press with OBI + Insert etc).
