japan, the band

When it comes to music, for things to be respectable to white people as being soulful and eternal, it has to have a black influence.

This may be a bit too old (2002) to answer, but an influence from country/folk will be sufficient in a lot of cases, no? Which means not neccessarily black as long as it is old and "authentic".

They were really good, yes, but somehow once I'd played their songs enough times I finally got tired of them. I recently bought the reissue of Gentlemen Take Polaroids and trying to listen to the whole thing seemed pointless. Like "My New Career" used to be one of my fave songs of theirs but now it doesn't do anything for me anymore. I think the Quiet Life album is the only one I could play now and still feel engaged.

Japan are total sex. Love em.

David Sylvian's voice = orgasmic
Mick Karn's basslines = meltingly good
Steve Jansen = hottt.

Trayce please get onto Trillian so I can IM you.

Im on there now! you on AIM or MSN? You never added me!

I am MSN, but my Trillian doesn't say you are on! :(

You said you are ILXtrayce right?

Quiet Life was the first LP I ever bought, and I still love it. It's got groove, it's got meaning. Bought the CD reissue last year and am also head over heels for the infintesimally different versions of 'All Tomorrow's Parties' - a mixtape essential.

ATP, or "Art of Parties"? Ive heard remixes of the latter but not the former than I can think of (maybe I'm missing something)

Yeah, ATP. On last year's CD reissue. Just 7" and 12" versions, really, and nothing noticeable.

quiet life
gentlemen take polaroids
methods of dance
night porter
art of parties
halloween
ghosts
visions of china
my new career
in vogue

No Sons of Pioneers, no credibility.

Yeah! Let's talk about Japan! I just played Sylvian's first solo album yesterday. I admit I don't play it all that often, even though it's one of the dearest records in my entire collection.

Are the cherishable imaginativeness and sophistication of Japan's later albums permanently obscured for many listeners by the group's pretty-boy looks and fondness for makeup?
If Sylvian & Co. had been as physically unprepossessing as, say, Wire, would their records get more love around here?

Also!

TS: David Sylvian's solo albums vs. Steve Kilbey's solo albums

Both great.

"european son" is soooooo good

Soooo underated...If Mick Karn and Steve Jansen were American they would've of been recognized as one the greatest rhythm sections ever...Japan still remain one of of my fave bands and Sylvian's solo albums particularly Brilliant Trees and SOTB are fuckin amazing

I remember the first conversation I had about them after a friend had seen them supporting Blue Oyster Cult and became a fan.

This is an amazing and baffling pairing of bands.

if only mick karn had hung around long enough for a hasty reunion tour. can't buy publicity like this.

Do you really think that's funny or appropriate?

i'm going to assume that's a rhetorical question

I definitely think one thing that gets overlooked when Japan are discussed is the fantastic Rain Tree Crow album, which I think is absolutely gorgeous. While it doesn't really resemble the art-funk of Gentlemen Takes Polaroids or Tin Drum, I find it very relaxing, almost post-rock even. It's one of those albums were you have to seriously just listen and let the slow-burning tracks unfold and allow yourself to let the album take you with it.

I think one thing that throws people off when they first listen to it is that it doesn't really have much in the way of prominent Mick Karn quirky basslines on it, but it really isn't that kind of album and what he does play really suits the tracks, in my opinion.

this band needs a box set

Quiet Life and Tin Drumre all I wanna listen to lately

I think those are the only two I know (beyond a few random tunes here and there), but I love them both so, so much

Turrican OTM

The Rain Tree Crow album is a good time.
When I bought it the day it came out, I was a little disappointed that there were so many instrumentals.
Now, I'm like "I wish there was more stuff like that on here".

Karn totally flipped his style, yet still came out sounding like himself.
The "bag of flutes" on the title track? All that fantastic bass clarinet. Genius.

What a band.

the biography by anthony reynolds is excellent.

sure is

can't find it in the states!

i had it shipped over from the publisher and it was worth it. the hardcover is sold out now but they have a paperback edition coming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMJZzTuhdk
this

definitely think one thing that gets overlooked when Japan are discussed is the fantastic Rain Tree Crow album, which I think is absolutely gorgeous. While it doesn't really resemble the art-funk of Gentlemen Takes Polaroids or Tin Drum, I find it very relaxing, almost post-rock even. It's one of those albums were you have to seriously just listen and let the slow-burning tracks unfold and allow yourself to let the album take you with it.

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Friday, November 30, 2012 9:18 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

My thunderbolt moment november '91 when the community radio station played "Taphead" by Talk Talk on their late night show, the host preambled it by saying the only sort-of comparison he could come up with was the Rain Tree Crow album. Shortly I was living and breathing Laughingstock and I also bought Rain Tree Crow as soon as I could find a copy. I was not familiar with Japan or Sylvian at that point and RTC disappointed me initially as Sylvian's singing sounded so much more conventional than Hollis'. After a few years it grew and grew on me though and now it lives on the same shelf as Laughingstock, A Walk Across The Rooftops, and the Orang debut.

The "Rain Tree Crow" album used to be my go-to sleepy time music. The rhythm section just kills on that recording.

'Every Colour You Are' and 'Pocketful of Change' = sublime. It's a shame that things fell apart and they didn't make another.

(That's an odd un' - was just playing La Muñeca De Sal & Anthony Reynolds's version of "Wonderful Life")

what else sounds like rain tree crow besides certain Orang tracks, Talk Talk B-sides and some of Peter Gabriel's soundtrack work?

Especially that approach to percussion...

You could try Jansen/Barbieri's Stone to Flesh, Bark Psychosis' Hex or Codename Dustsucker, Pluramon's Render Bandits, Hood's Cycles of Days and Seasons, or Headphone's Work in Progress. Maybe No-Man's Together We're Stranger as well.

Jansen and Barbieri's 'Stories Across Borders', from the same year, is also quite good.
Def my fave of the releases they did as a duo.
Karn pops up on a couple of tracks, too, so you pretty much have most of yr RTC right there.

Stone to Flesh, Stories Across Borders and Work In Progress are new to me. Thanks! The Hood and No Man albums have been in my to listen pile for awhile. Bad me. Hex, to me, is v good but lacks that kind of 16rpm world music aspect. I haven't listened to pluramon in forever and I should revisit that.

> certain Orang tracks, Talk Talk B-sides

Which ones in particular?

"It's Getting Late In The Evening"
"For What It's Worth"
"Little Brother"
"All Change"
"Anaon The Oasis"

The Orang debut is a must-own btw

never clicked with me and I'm a huge fan of all this stuff

(orang that is)

this rain tree crow shit is pretty middling and doesnt really go anywhere. great use of space I GUESS.

and wow I missed that book entirely. looking forward to a softcover. I slept on the Spirit of Talk Talk book too but I see they did reprint that.

I've always counted Avalon as one of the most important albums of my life -- it sounded / sounds like nothing else. After years of only knowing David Sylvian's work in relation to People I Pay More Attention To (Fripp et al), I finally discovered Japan several years ago and they blew my thirtysomething brain the way Avalon blew my twentysomething brain (and isn't it great that such epiphanies can still occur?). It's probably an obvious and maybe even superficial comparison at this point but the only songs I've heard that approach the sort of flawless, sophisticated New Romanticism of Avalon are things like "Despair," "In Vogue," and "Ghosts." Eager to check out some of the things mentioned upthread (have never heard any post-Talk Talk bands). Also, I've still only heard Tin Drum and Quiet Life (and bits and pieces of GTP). I guess I've always been terrified of spoiling how much I love those two albums by hearing lesser albums (I like a lot of Roxy, but Avalon is the only one I love).

Roxy's 'Same Old Scene' could have fitted snugly on Quiet Life to the point where I wouldn't have batted an eyelid. Just replace Ferry's voice with Sylvian's.

> they blew my thirtysomething brain

Nice! You're never too old to find something amazing. Your next step should be hearing "Oil On Canvas", the stellar live album. After that it's on to Rain Tree Crow and Sylvian's 80s albums. Then circle back and we'll see what you think, Sylvian went in some interesting directions in the last 20 years.

The last time I listened to Brilliant Trees, I was struck my how well engineered and beautifully recorded it was. Steve Nye worked some absolute magic on that record.

he's skipped "gentlemen take polaroids' though. jimmywine should check that out.

the only 'lesser' japan albums are 'adolescent sex' and 'obscure alternatives' and those are only 'lesser' to the extent that they are more influenced by early glam than new romantic.

Jansen and Barbieri's 'Stories Across Borders', from the same year, is also quite good.
Def my fave of the releases they did as a duo.
Karn pops up on a couple of tracks, too, so you pretty much have most of yr RTC right there.

Learning a lot here - thanks!

Context for Jansen and Barbieri? Who are these guys? New name(s) to me.

they are half of Japan!

I wanted to stop by today and mention that Howard Shore's film score to Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars kinda scratches that rain tree crow instros/ECM-y fourth world itch. Fidgety upright bass + tablas + ominous synths.

Learning a lot here - thanks!

Context for Jansen and Barbieri? Who are these guys? New name(s) to me.

they are half of Japan!

The drummer and the keyboard player to be precise. Responsible for a lot of the sound on RTC.

+ steve jansen is also sylvian's brother fyi

sorry that fyi was meant w/o snark

sometimes stage names really puzzle me. Why change your surname from Batt to Jansen? Sylvian I get.

Listening to GTP and Best of Japan a lot lately. And Yukihiro Takahashi's Neuromantic. Something's going on with my brain for sure.

Why change your surname from Batt to Jansen?

HUH

whoa

Yeah who’d a thunk

https://e.snmc.io/lk/l/a/8a3eaee17f6fca632639174f46e1cb19/2803623.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/dd/4e/db/dd4edb60a05602a84733ba32f5962bd7.jpg

bowie - drive in saturday

Cursing at the Astronette 8
Who stands in steel
by his cabinet
He's crashing out with Sylvian
The Bureau Supply
for ageing men

Sylvian (Sylvain) and Jansen (Johansen) were both NY Dolls tributes.

Mick Karn/Arthur Kane too I guess.

Quiet Life getting the deluxe reissue treatment:
https://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/japan-quiet-life-box-set/