Label: Ylem – YDL-0000 Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Limited Edition Country: Japan Released: 1981 Genre: Electronic, Rock Style: Noise, Art Rock, Industrial, Minimal, Synth-pop, Experimental
Holy, wallet-obliterating, comprehensive snapshot of emergentearly 80’s minimal / post-punk / noise / DIY - THE definitive compilation of the Japanese underground?
The nonstop reissue carousel has made the visionary Vanity Records close to a household name, but there isn’t a better record that condenses the influential Japanese DIY underground at the peak of it’s creative fertility than Ylem’s Awa 沫 Foam compilation.The Tokyo-based Ylem label was an interdisciplinary art collective that worked across media - music, images, film, dance, collage - which is reflected in the ornate intricacies of design within the compilation.It must have been a laborious process.Hand-folded / screen printed sleeves with delicately attached leaf, die-cut inner-sleeves and one stick of chewing gum (?), apparently assembled in a run of 1000.
Some of the more obscure Vanity artists contribute.A daydreaming encounter from the female fronted Mad Tea Party, scorched improv via Salariedman Club and almost catchy lofi from Perfect Mother.Ephemeral names such as The Dildo’s, A.T.Rhythm Bushman-19 appear only here and vanish, appearing to never get off the starting block.But what ties the whole thing together is the unbridled sense of creativity across a very diverse range of artists, scenes and cities.The hotchpotch of noise, electronics, synth and punk, driven by easier access to recording technology, informs much of what continues to inspire us to this day. Very hard to find.(VG+/VG+ - clear vinyl clean, plastic outer a little tatty due to age but with rare stickers, with chewing gum and tracklist correction insert)
Tracklist A1 A.T.Rhythm– Silence 3:35 A2 Shinobu (3)– Hello, Little One! 4:27 A3 Amerikakorps– Pao/Pao 3:24 A4 The Dildos (2)– We Went Sightseeing, But..... 3:13 A5 Bushman-19– Dread Step 3:55 A6 Mongoose No Migiashi– Neckless 3:15 B1 Sutamina– Hadashi No Inu 3:48 B2 R.N.A. Organism– Murderous Act 4:41 B3 Perfect Mother– Mani.Mani.Mani 5:05 B4 Salariedman Club*– Blank Account 4:56 B5 Interon– Take To The Frugment 2:56 C1 Noizunzuri– AI (Love) 2:54 C2 A.T.Rhythm– Darling 3:57 C3 Minimal Lethal Dose– Melting Point 4:26 C4 Mad Tea Party– Win-D-Oor 3:02 C5 Noizunzuri– Theme 4:28 C6 Personal Effects Only– Moodlenghts 3 1:38 D1 Merzbow– Envois 216 3:27 D2 Mono Sexion– My Only Language 4:00 D3 Base (9)– Wet 4:55 D4 Interon– Kaelf El 2:42 D5 Airyfarm– Parodia 5 Love Will Never Us Apart! 2:42 D6 Hyperspace (3)– Karappo No Iremono 3:47
