Ain Soph - Studio Live Tracks ’80s and ’05 ($15.99)
Titles are arranged alphabetically with the latest additions highlighted in yellow.
Ain Soph - Studio Live Tracks ’80s and ’05 ($15.99) 
The Japanese band Ain Soph released their first album in 1980. They had originally been a Camel and Canterbury-influenced band, but by the time of their 1992 album 5 or 9: Five Evolved from Nine, they had become a progressive fusion band, playing sophisticated, melodic instrumental jazz-rock close to Kenso, if a tad mellower. No one does this style better than the Japanese. Marine Menagerie (1991) features studio versions of some of their late-1970’s material, when their style was closer to Camel’s, along with some new tracks. These are the 2005 re-editions.
Studio Live Tracks ’80s and ’05 was recorded live in the studio between 1985-1988, plus one new track recorded in 2005. Including the 2005 track, there are three tracks appearing for the first time as studio recordings, plus new versions of three songs appearing on the1986 Hat and Field album and one from 1980’s A Story of Mysterious Forest. These are among Ain Soph’s best compositions.
Ars Nova - Chrysalis: Force for the Fourth ($14.99) 
This Japanese female trio (keyboards/drums/vocals) has certainly been influenced by ELP, but their progressive keyboard rock is darker and more orchestral, probably closer to Italian bands such as Goblin and Il Balletto di Bronzo. Ars Nova feature loads of bombastic keyboards and an aggressive energy that frankly could stand to get toned down a bit. On Ars Nova’s fifth studio album Android Domina (2001), composer Keiko Kumagai, a keyboard virtuoso, chose to concentrate more on atmospheres and structures rather than high-speed solos and frantic rhythms. Android Domina is more ambitious than their previous albums, with more contrasts, subtle atmospheres and dialogues between keyboards. Read the Progressive World review.
With their 2003 concept album Biogenesis Project, Ars Nova added a new dimension by employing numerous guests: Alex Brunori (ex-Leviathan) on vocals, Arjen A. Lucassen (Ayreon) on guitars, Lucio Fabbri (PFM) on violin, A. Hasegawa (Gerard) on bass, M. Goto (Gerard) on drums and guitar, Gianni Leone (Il Balletto di Bronzo) on synths and vocals, Claudio Simonetti (Daemonia, Goblin) on synths, Robert Allen as the storyteller, plus other guests. Ars Nova’s music on Biogenesis Project is more powerful than ever, with more sophisticated arrangements and sci-fi effects, and a lot more variety. Read the Sea of Tranquility and Ground and Sky reviews.
Chrysalis (2005) is not a new Ars Nova studio CD. Rather, it contains six of the best pieces from their previous albums re-recorded live in the studio (without audience), with the addition of a (male) guitarist who must be the “fourth” referred to in the title. These six pieces have more power in this setting. (As if Ars Nova needed more power.)
Ashada - Circulation ($15.99) 
A short (36:26) but great debut by a Japanese female duo of Tae (vocals, mandolin, piano) and Midori (piano, accordion, vocals) with the assistance of KBB members Akihisa Tsuboy (violin) and Dani (bass), plus a guitarist and a drummer. Circulation (2006) opens with driving symphonic rock in 7/4 time with accordion and violin in the lead, setting the stage for this out-of-the-ordinary album. The female vocals are an important feature of Ashada’s music. Sung in Japanese, they fall melodically and harmonically between the Renaissance or October Project style and the unique Hatfield and the North (Northettes) style. Circulation is an exquisite and romantic progressive rock album, with the male musicians ensuring it is not lightweight and the women doing all the writing and providing refinement and delicacy.
Acoustic Asturias - Bird Eyes View ($11.99) Asturias is a band from the first generation of the Japanese progressive rock scene, and their earlier studio albums are superb, in a style close to Mike Oldfield and Camel, with beautiful melodies and atmospheres. Bird Eyes View (2004) offers five acoustic pieces with a line-up of piano, guitar, glockenspiel, violin, and clarinet, plus female voice on one track. It’s absolutely exquisite, delicate and refined music with joyful atmospheres. The musicians are skilled classical players, and their brand of chamber music sometimes recalls Debussy’s or Satie’s most melodious pieces, with a more modern rhythmic approach. The disc is only 25-minutes long, hence the lower price, but there is not one boring minute among the 25.
Baraka - Shade of Evolution ($15.99) Baraka is a Japanese guitar/bass/drums trio who have released seven previous albums dating to 1997 and who have performed live many times. Baraka play fusion-flavored progressive hard rock, generally melodic, with the primary influences seemingly Rush, Allan Holdsworth (circa Metal Fatigue), and King Crimson. The musicians are technically skilled and constantly vary things to keep it more interesting than your average power trio. Shade of Evolution (2008, 56-minutes) is their latest. There are lush synth pads used here to broaden the sound palette.
Cinema - Mindscape ($11.99) SALE!Cinema was formed by ex-members of Fromage, a famous Japanese band of the 1980’s who released two albums before disbanding. Cinema are an excellent example of Japanese symphonic progressive rock, a survivor of a style prevalent in Japan in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s but less so now. They feature female vocals in an operatic style and a violin/viola player in addition to keys, guitar, bass, and drums. Mindscape (2005) is their third album and shows the greatest maturity. With an additional violin player and cellist as guests, this album is their most classical sounding. Sometimes it sounds as if Cinema are about to launch into Pachelbel’s Canon, but most of the material features lyrical electric guitar over mid-tempo symphonic chord progressions from the keyboards. Cinema’s neo-classical slant here is fairly unique among progressive rock bands. Lyrics are in Japanese, though the album is heavily instrumental.
Discus - ...Tot Licht! ($15.99)The second album by this Indonesian band mixes so many disparate styles that everyone is guaranteed to find something incredible, and everyone is guaranteed to find something that annoys them. Discus’ music combines jazz, rock, progressive and symphonic rock, ethnic Indonesian music, and hard rock in a musical fusion never heard before. In the same song, you’ll think of Zappa, Dream Theater, Kansas, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Indonesian music, King Crimson, and Debussy, all skillfully structured and played. Sax, violin, flute, and ethnic instruments are mixed with traditional rock instruments. Tot Licht! features more heavy passages than their first album. Complex polyphonic female and male vocal parts complete this unique album.
East Wind Pot - same ($13.99) East Wind Pot is a Japanese band led by the keyboardist from the band Theta and also including woodwinds, bass and drums. Their 2006 debut is instrumental progressive jazz-rock, no doubt influenced by Weather Report. The music is melodic, intricate, and further evidence that the Japanese are currently producing the best jazz-rock bands in the world.
Free Love - Apocalypse ($14.99)Free Love is a primarily instrumental Japanese quartet (keys, guitar, bass, drums) playing heavy psychedelic progressive rock, influenced by Led Zeppelin (the album includes what is supposedly a cover of Kashmir), Deep Purple, and Uriah Heep. Except for the final track (which degenerates into noise), it's all more progressive and spacey than that though, with keyboards playing a prominent role. It’s fortunate the album is mostly instrumental as singer would not be our first choice of career for Hiroaki Shibata. 61-minutes.
Gerard - Power of Infinity ($15.99) 
This trio (keyboards/bass/drums), formed in the early 1980’s, is the oldest Japanese prog band still active (unless they aren’t still active). Gerard have often sounded like ELP playing hard rock, combining bombastic keyboards (sometimes employing an electric guitar sound), powerful bass occasionally used for lead lines, and a high-energy drummer. Power of Infinity (2005) features guest vocalist Alex Brunori, formerly of the Italian prog band Leviathan. It’s a mix of instrumental and vocal passages, and while there is still some of their frantic style present, this is the most sensitive and lyrical they’ve sounded in ages, maybe ever. Keyboardist Toshio Egawa favors organ for the energetic bits and Mellotron for the calmer bits. This is a good one.
On The Ruins of a Glass Fortress (2000), Gerard sound very much like Danger Money-era UK. They even allow themselves a few peaceful moments that contrast nicely with the power-sympho rock going on most of the time. Well-balanced and structured, these five instrumental pieces plus two songs with a new singer (lyrics in English) are the most mature the band has composed to date. Sighs of the Water (2002) uses guest vocalists and continues in a similar vein.
Tadashi Goto - Innervisions ($12.99) Tadashi Goto’s two CDs are both instrumental progressive rock but quite different from each other. The short description of Soundscape (2005) would be ‘a one-man Kenso’. Tadashi Goto is a Japanese musician (keyboards & guitar) with the great technical skills we’ve come to expect from Japan, and this album is in the symphonic jazz-rock style the Japanese excel at. It might be best to forget all your preconceptions about one-man projects, except for one. The drums here are programmed. However, the programming is so detailed that, if anything, Goto needs to scale back the busy drum parts in places. So it isn’t the programming that gives it away but rather the sterile-sounding drum samples. They sound like the stock sounds of a drum machine, a shame when there are better-sounding drum sample libraries available today. Aside from that, the music is sophisticated and highly-arranged. And it gets heavy and aggressive, with distorted guitar at times on top of all the keyboards.
Innervisions (2008, 60-minutes) on the other hand is more in the Derek Sherinian style. Here Goto has Chris Poland, Brett Garsed, Ty Tabor, Tony Levin, Tony Franklin, Matt Bissonette, Joseph Patrick Moore, Randy George, Sean Conklin, Jose Bernardo and Marco Ahrens playing guitar or bass on various tracks. The drum programming and samples on this one are often good enough to fool listeners into believing a human drummer was employed, or at least not to distract. Most of this music is in the half-metal, heavy, fusion-tinged, play-as-fast-as-you-can style, though Goto does ease up often enough to allow some melodies and breathing space.
Group Therapy - Nightmare in the College ($13.99) Group Therapy is a six-man Japanese progressive fusion band. They use soprano sax and trombone in addition to a dual electric guitar, bass and drums lineup. One guitarist adds guitar synth. It pretty much adheres to the unwritten rules of jazz-rock, emphasizing groove and taking turns at soloing, though the sax and trombone introduce an RIO element and the guitarists seem influenced by Frank Zappa. Melatomania is their 2002 studio album. Nightmare in the College (2006) is a live album recorded in 2004, with excellent sound. If not for the applause between songs, you might not know it was live. Here they add a seventh musician on electric violin.
Hal & Ring - Alchemy ($15.99)Hal and Ring were two Tokyo-based bands operating around 1975-76. Two members of Hal later created Shingetsu, while others played in Asturias and East Wind Pot. This new band is a combination of five musicians from both bands: two keyboardists, guitar, bass and drums. They recorded Alchemy in 2006, some of the material dating to 30 years earlier. The CD contains seven instrumental tracks, an excellent set of golden-age progressive rock influenced by just about everyone. Hal & Ring never sound too close to any other prog band for too long. This is one of the most enjoyable instrumental symphonic prog albums of recent years. Check below for the Ring album The Empire of Necromancers.
Interface - Interface III ($15.99) Interface is a Japanese band heavily influenced by King Crimson, but they cover nearly the entire range of King Crimson styles from 1969 to 2000 (the album was recorded between 1996-2000) and still manage to add some of their own elements. It isn’t all intense instrumentals either, as there are peaceful songs and lots of Mellotron too. Their weakness is in the vocals, which wouldn’t be great in any language, plus they’re in Japanese. They are sometimes more chanted than sung. There is one song which is an exception to everything, as it sounds like a tribute to Le Orme; it features a melodic vocal line in that style. It’s not difficult to listen past the vocals on the rest of it though, especially given the wealth of instrumental content, and so this is still a very good album for the Crimson fan.
Interpose - Indifferent ($15.99) Interpose are one of the best Japanese progressive bands to appear since the 1980’s (the peak years for progressive rock in Japan). These musicians have played together at regular intervals since the 1980’s, but they didn’t release their self-titled debut CD until 2005. Interpose present a very symphonic progressive jazz-rock, blending the symphonic rock of Outer Limits and Pageant with the jazz-rock of Six-North and KBB. The music is highlighted by the virtuosity of guitarist Kenji Tanaka and the beautiful female vocals (in Japanese) of Sayuri Aruga. Dani from KBB is the bassist. Indifferent (2007) is their 2nd CD. In addition to their symphonic influences (Genesis, ELP, Italian prog), Interpose show a strong Canterbury influence here, particularly Hatfield and the North. As has come to be expected of the Japanese bands, the level of musicianship is very high.
Kalo - Spiral Dream ($15.99) Spiral Dream (2004) is the debut by Kalo, a relative newcomer on the Japanese progressive rock scene. Like Wappa Gappa or Mizukagami, the band of guitarist/keyboardist Masahiro Uemura faithfully carries on the tradition and spirit of earlier Japanese progressive rock bands such as Novela, Outer Limits, or Magdalena. Female vocalist Miori Naritomi’s crystal-clear voice (lyrics in Japanese) beautifully enlivens three of the twelve tracks; the album is more instrumental than vocal. Unlike earlier Japanese symphonic bands such as Teru’s Symphonia or Marge Litch, Kalo is not over-the-top bombastic. This is much more tasteful and relaxed, full of romantic, classically-influenced keyboard parts, like a cross between Camel and Vangelis. 58-minutes.
KBB - Proof of Concept ($15.99)
KBB - Lost and Found ($15.99) out-of-stock KBB, a Japanese band formed in 1992, released their first album Lost and Found in 2000. Seven instrumental pieces, ranging from 6 to 13 minutes, reveal a major band and an exceptional violin virtuoso. Think of Jean-Luc Ponty, UK, and Darryl Way’s Wolf, as KBB mix progressive rock, some jazz-rock, and even a bit of traditional Japanese inspiration in some of the melodies. Four Corner’s Sky (2003) takes a big step in the direction of instrumental progressive jazz-rock. Think of Jean-Luc Ponty teaming with King Crimson and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Some of this is reminiscent of violin-led instrumental Caravan, while the first track includes some of the most powerful Celtic folk-rock ever recorded. Powerful, dynamic, and enthusiastic, violin-led instrumental progressive rock and fusion doesn’t get much better than this.
The 72-minute Live 2004 CD captures KBB live at the Silver Elephant club in Tokyo, with excellent sound. Two tracks are from Lost and Found, four from Four Corner’s Sky, plus the unreleased track Inner Flames. Proof of Concept (2007) sees the band further expanding their repertoire and demonstrating that, in the realm of symphonic progressive jazz-rock, KBB have few peers.
Kehell - Galileo ($11.99) SALE!1999 Japanese fusion-oriented progressive in the Kenso and Brand X veins, led by the former guitarist of Mr. Sirius.
Kennedy! - same ($15.99)Reissue of a 1987 album by a Japanese quartet (guitars, keys, sax, drums) playing instrumental symphonic progressive and a very rock-based fusion. This is allegedly recorded live, though you’d never know it as there is absolutely no crowd noise. Kennedy liked to play loud, fast, and energetic, and were not shy about going completely over-the-top during the solos. (At one point, as the sax spirals out of control, Godzilla apparently attacks the band on stage.) The pieces are generally quite structured though, with keyboards dominating; this is more accessible than it might sound. A cover of The Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Birds of Fire is included.
Kenso - Fabulis Mirabilibus de Bombycosi Scriptis ($17.99)Kenso, an instrumental band, are for many the best band Japan has produced, their chops matched only by their compositional talents. Their early 1980’s albums blended progressive rock with fusion and still stand as the best examples of this style in the world. Following those albums, their output consisted primarily of about a half-dozen live albums all covering the same material. They returned in 1999 with a studio album Esoptron, which was slightly disappointing in that they opted in part for a more basic (for them, at least) heavy guitar/bass/drums rock fusion sound. Fabulis Mirabilibus de Bombycosi Scriptis (catchy album name) is Kenso’s 2002 studio CD. This edition comes in a heavyweight gatefold mini-LP sleeve with an 8-page booklet. While the opening minute of Fabulis... raises fears that they’re continuing in the Esoptron direction, that turns out not to be the case. This album is close to their prime period albums, with loads of keyboards and highly-arranged, complex compositions that never lose sight of melody. And musicianship second to none.
AYR is the band’s second DVD (NTSC/all regions/stereo) which, though pricey, is still a lot cheaper than their first DVD. AYR combines 2003 live footage with some interviews with English subtitles.
Makoto Kitayama with Shingetsu Project - Hikaru Sazanami ($11.99) SALE!The full name of this artist won’t mean much unless you know that Shingetsu was a band that made one of the best Japanese progressive albums ever in 1979, very early-Genesis influenced. Makoto Kitayama, their former singer, recorded Hiraku Sazanami in 1998, though the compositions date back to as early as 1972. He performs an intelligent and refined symphonic rock that shows the influence of (among others) early King Crimson, with majestic Mellotron parts and Fripp-like guitar solos. In addition to other musicians on keys, guitar, bass, and drums, there is a string quartet.
Linnko - Go Places! ($23.99) Tetra@Party (2008) and Go Places! (2009) are the third and fourth CDs for female violinist Linnko Kishi and her band of keyboards, guitars, bass and drums. This is mostly-instrumental, violin-led progressive rock and symphonic jazz-rock, similar to KBB and Fantasmagoria. The music is full of soaring melodies and is up to the usual high Japanese standard -- no one does violin prog better.
Lu7 - Efflorescence ($15.99) Lu7 are a Japanese instrumental progressive jazz-rock band whose first album Efflorescence (2002) had previously been released only on the old mp3.com. Now it is available on CD with a 2006 bonus track. This is symphonic jazz-rock, on average lighter than their 2nd CD L’esprit de l’exil, with sophisticated and unconventional programmed drums/percussion. For the most part, the programmed percussion is not intended to mimic a drummer, and it gives the music a different feel than could be achieved with a drummer. The guitarist plays electric guitar in the Allan Holdsworth style but also jazz-tone guitar in the Pat Metheny style. This is what soft jazz-rock should be, and as the album progresses, it gets more energetic and more symphonic.
Magadalena - same ($11.99) SALE!This is the reissue of the 1986 sole album from a Japanese symphonic progressive band sporting quality female vocals from Megumi Tokuhisa, who can sound a bit like Kate Bush; she went on to join Teru’s Symphonia after Magdalena disbanded in 1988. This is one of the best examples of the 1980’s Japanese symphonic rock style, simultaneously complex and accessible, blending powerful playing with beautiful melodies.
Midas - International Popular Album ($11.99) SALE!Midas is a Japanese symphonic progressive band centered around keyboards and violin. They released their first album in 1988. Their fourth album International Popular Album (2000) is a bit different from the others though, as it focuses on 4-5 minute keyboard-based songs with male vocals in Japanese, lighter and easier going than usual. It seems to be more of a solo album of the band leader with the other band members acting as session musicians.
Mizukagami - Yugake ($15.99) Though Mizukagami’s self-titled debut album is from 2003 and their second Yugake is from 2007, they operate in the same territory as the female-vocal Japanese symphonic bands of the 1980’s and early 1990’s such as Pageant and Providence. Influenced by the major British 1970’s prog bands, Mizukagami’s symphonic rock balances tension and serenity and features female vocals in Japanese, vintage keyboards, excellent guitar work and flute. The female vocalist is more capable during the mellower passages where her voice can be beautiful, but is less suited to singing with power.
Naikaku - Shell ($15.99) Shell (2006) is the second CD for Japanese instrumental band Naikaku. On this album, they are primarily a quartet of electric guitar, flute, bass and drums. They often sound like Rush jamming with a flute player, with elements of jazz-rock, King Crimson, and prog-metal included. A guest musician adds some synths and Mellotron. If nothing else, this album is notable for having the longest song title known to man. (You can see it by clicking the mp3 icon above.) 61-minutes.
Outer Limits - Stromatolite ($15.99)Misty Moon (1985) is the CD reissue of the best album from one of the top Japanese symphonic progressive bands of all time. Outer Limits are probably the most famous and influential of the 1980s Japanese progressive trend, as they succeeded in developing an original style while many others were just imitating the British and Italian 1970’s bands. Outer Limits’ style is dominated by soaring violin parts and symphonic keyboards. They aren’t directly comparable to anyone, but if you crossbred UK (the tracks with Eddie Jobson on violin) and Renaissance (minus the female vocals), tossed in some King Crimson and PFM, you’d be in the ballpark. Their male vocals are respectable -- one can easily understand the English. They sometimes sound a bit John Wetton-ish.
Stromatolite should be the progressive musical event of 2007: the return of Outer Limits. The lineup is the original one except for a new bass player. After nearly two decades, it’s really exciting to once again hear the incredible violinist Takashi Kawaguchi, seemingly able to play anything: soft, wild, lyrical, quiet, tortured or enthusiastic. It’s not a typical comeback album, as these compositions are among their best ever, inspired and faithful to Outer Limits’ style. Yes, this album is on the same level as Misty Moon, but it doesn’t simply retread the same ground -- there is a definite progression. An album to get excited about!
Pageant - La Mosaique de la Reverie ($15.99)La Mosaique de la Reverie is the 1986 debut by an excellent Japanese symphonic progressive band in the Genesis and Yes veins, with elements of early-1980’s Rush, featuring a classically-trained female vocalist with a great voice. Of the many 1980’s Japanese sympho-prog bands with female vocals, Pageant was probably the best.
Pale Acute Moon - Newtopia ($11.99) SALE!This is the CD reissue of a Japanese symphonic progressive rock album from 1985. Pale Acute Moon have female vocals and are comparable to Teru’s Symphonia, Marge Litch, Starless, and similar 1980’s Japanese bands. They’re more tasteful and closer to Renaissance than the others in that bunch. Eight bonus tracks are included which are in the style of David Sylvian.
Presence of Soul - Blinds ($15.99) Blinds (2008, 58-minutes) is the second album by a Japanese band led by a female singer/composer/multi-instrumentalist. The music is in a progressive post-rock vein similar to Godspeed You Black Emperor, Sigur Ros, Mogwai, and Anekdoten, deliberately contrasting grungy, over-distorted guitar with delicate elements such as Mellotron and ethereal female vocals (in both Japanese and English). The music slowly evolves from mournful, quieter atmospheres into an intense, violent musical maelstrom.
Qui - Qui ($15.99) Qui are a Japanese progressive fusion quintet of guitar, flute, bass, drums and percussion. This self-titled 2008 CD is actually their second, another joint release of the Poseidon and Musea labels. The music is of course instrumental, beginning in a mellow jazzy vein and becoming more frenetic later on, with the lead work shared between flute and guitar.
Ring - The Empire of Necromancers ($15.99)Ring is one of the oldest Japanese progressive bands. This 2006 release contains a 1975 live-in-the-studio recording by Ring, followed by two tracks by the related band Kokubo Synthesizer Works recorded in 1977-78 with drum tracks added in 2006. Both bands are primarily instrumental, using a standard keys, guitars, bass & drums lineup. There are some male vocals in Japanese, though the reverb Ring used on the vocals was probably never intended to be used on vocals. Ring strikes us as being very close to certain spacey French progressive bands of the same period, especially Pulsar, as Ring was also influenced by the earlier, psychedelic Pink Floyd. Kokubo Synthesizer Works moves the style forward a few years, bursting out into energetic passages that remind us of the French band Tiemko, who KSW predates by many years. This is probably not for those who were born too late for the first generation of progressive rock bands, but for those who grew up with unusual sounds being coaxed out of organs, this is a valuable find.
Round House - 3-D ($15.99) The Japanese progressive band Round House has existed since 1975, though they released only two studio albums and one live album prior to 3-D (2006). Here Round House is a trio (guitars/bass/keyboards) whose instrumental music is somewhat similar to Kenso or Side Steps, a blend of progressive rock and fusion. Round House is more on the progressive rock side though, with many songs suggestive of Camel. It’s a lively, flowing, very melodic music, and as is the case with Japanese progressive bands, you’re almost guaranteed a high level of musicianship. The drums on 3-D are programmed, but done so well that it detracts very little. You don’t make music this complex by just setting and forgetting a drum machine. 57-minutes.
Shingetsu/Serenade - Night Collector ($14.99)The greatest activity in progressive rock in Japan occurred during the 1980’s, represented by bands such as Gerard, Outer Limits, Pageant, etc. Just prior to that, there were a few lesser-known Japanese prog bands, and the best of them was Shingetsu. They released an early-Genesis influenced album (self-titled) in 1979 that still stands as one of the very best Japanese prog records ever. Night Collector (aka Kagaku no Yoru) is an archive CD released in 1995 containing unreleased studio and live tracks from Shingetsu plus unreleased studio tracks from the pre-Shingetsu band Serenade.
Show-Yen - same ($11.99) SALE!This is the 2003 debut by a Japanese instrumental guitar/bass/drums trio. As you might expect, this is guitar-oriented progressive rock and progressive hard rock. Very competent, just nothing you haven’t heard before. Many, many times. Only you can decide whether you need another guitar/bass/drums album. 56-minutes.
Side Steps - Alive II ($15.99) SALE!
Side Steps - Out and Out ($15.99) This Japanese instrumental progressive jazz-rock band was formed in 1990 by its four current members (guitars/bass/keys/drums) and has released nine albums. We’ve said it elsewhere but it bears repeating: Japan is producing the best fusion bands in the world. Comparable to Kenso and Brand X, Side Steps play adrenaline-pumping melodic fusion with symphonic keyboards, blazing keyboard solos, soaring electric guitar lines with great tone, a top-notch rhythm section, and great production. They’re not quite as progressive as Kenso but they come close. These long, complex instrumental pieces are not demonstrative but rather make use of refined melodies and frequent rhythm and mood changes.
Steps on Edge is their fourth, initially released in 1994 and re-released in 2003. The musicians look so young in the 1993 photos in the booklet, you would never expect this level of compositional ability, let alone technical skill. Points of View is their 2001 release, while Out and Out is from 1997. Verge of Reality (2005) is another great one, very melodic and high-energy, blurring the distinction between progressive rock and jazz-rock. Often Side Steps sound like a cross between Kenso and early Camel on this one.
Alive II (2007, 69-minutes) features eight tracks recorded live on three separate dates in 2006 and 2007. This is the best way to hear Side Steps. Their energy level live is incredible and the sound is studio quality. There are only about eight people in the audience and they’re kept from going near any microphones, so audience noise never intrudes. Kenso better start looking over their shoulders. (After clicking the mp3 icon above, you may need to click on “discography”. Stay on the Japanese site; at the time of this writing, the mp3 clips do not appear on the English site.)
Social Tension - It Reminds Me of Macbethia ($15.99)Social Tension is a Japanese ELP and UK-style trio that released two great albums: Macbethia in 1989 and It Reminds Me of Those Days in 1990. This CD comprises all of Macbethia and a large portion of It Reminds Me of Those Days. The music is mostly instrumental, with some decent vocals in Japanese. If you like bands such as Ars Nova or Gerard, this is better.
Starless - Song of Silence/Wish ($15.99)Reissue of a 1992 album plus a 1992 EP from this Japanese symphonic prog band with female vocals. Starless is similar to the other Japanese prog bands with female singers of that era such as Teru’s Symphonia, Marge Litch, etc., but Starless are not so over-the-top as those bands and so may be a better place to start for the uninitiated.
Strings Arguments - The Encounter ($11.99) SALE!Strings Arguments is three members of the Japanese band Six North (guitar, bass, drums), the violin player of the band KBB, and guitarist Hirofumi Okamoto. The Encounter was recorded live in 2002. This is instrumental fusion firmly in the Mahavishnu Orchestra style, a mix of improvised and composed music. 70-minutes.
Teru’s Symphonia - Clockworked Earth ($11.99) SALE!This is the 1993 album by a long-lived Japanese symphonic progressive band, very symphonic, with rock guitar and female vocals in Japanese. The singer has an excellent voice; if the Japanese lyrics are a stumbling block for you, don’t worry as there’s plenty of instrumental work. It’s larger-than-life orchestral bombast, loveably over-the-top, a guilty pleasure for the symphonic prog fan.
Vermilion Sands - Water Blue ($15.99)This is the CD reissue of the sole album from the Japanese Renaissance plus four bonus tracks. By ‘Japanese Renaissance’, we don’t simply mean that Vermilion Sands had a female lead singer, because a lot of Japanese symphonic bands did, and most of those singers were not exactly Annie Haslam clones. On the other hand, Vermilion Sands’ singer Yoko Royama is first-rate, and Water Blue (1989) is a beautiful progressive album in the Renaissance and Camel style, one of the best Japanese progressive albums ever. Read the Progressive World review, which says it all.
Wappa Gappa - Gappa ($15.99) SALE!The golden age of progressive rock in Japan occurred during the 1980’s, when prog rock was at its nadir in the west. Most of the Japanese symphonic bands then died out in the 1990’s as the west was experiencing a renaissance in the genre, but they are starting to come back. Wappa Gappa is one of the Japanese bands continuing the style of Outer Limits, Mr. Sirius, Pageant, and Providence. Their first Japanese release was in 1996, followed by A Myth in 1998 and Gappa in 2004. Wappa Gappa have a female singer with a beautiful, operatic voice. The lyrics are in Japanese with English translations in the booklet. The vocals function more as a lead instrument than as a singer of songs, so the fact the lyrics are in Japanese is less important than it might be. Wappa Gappa play the Japanese symphonic rock style but are not over-the-top like Teru’s Symphonia or Marge Litch. Gappa (69-minutes) and A Myth (61-minutes) present a very sophisticated and energetic progressive rock. Read the reviews at Sea of Tranquility and Musical Discoveries.
Zettaimu - Miroque ($15.99) Zettaimu is a Japanese quartet led by guitarist Hisashi Furue, who is attracted to British progressive and psychedelic rock as much as he is to traditional Japanese music and rhythms. The band has three earlier albums dating back to 1989. The star of Miroque (2007) is female vocalist Kanako, who like many Japanese female vocalists is a great admirer of Kate Bush. Musically it’s mostly guitar, bass and drums. There is some use of keyboards, but this is not symphonic rock, as the tonal palette is more limited. This does however give the music more openness and space for Kanako’s voice. These nine tracks achieve a certain stylistic consistency, particularly through dark atmospheres, the best tracks being the more ethereal and surreal ones. Read a review here.