Osaka Song Recording

 

The osaka song recording industry is alive and well. As one of the largest cities in Japan, Osaka is home to a diverse culture and effervescence that reflects a distinct personality. It also offers an urban retreat for residents from the neighbouring islands of Okinawa and Korea, whose musical cultures have often been overlooked. This essay considers the context for music-making among these diaspora communities in Osaka during the postwar period.

The Grammy award winning comedy singer and songwriter, “Weird Al” Yankovic has joined forces with NYC based Osaka Popstar in paying homage to the founding fathers of punk rock, the Ramones! This limited edition 12-inch maxi single features all new studio versions of the title track, plus 3 additional Ramones covers never before released on vinyl. The single is pressed on black vinyl and includes a 2-sided full colour inner sleeve with live photos and liner notes, along with an MP3 download card.

This album is the first to feature the full lineup of Osaka Popstar since "Dr. Demento Covered In Punk". The record includes frontman Cafiero on vocals, Dean Rispler (Voluptous Horror of Karen Black, 遊技機　サウンド制作 The Dictators) on guitar and bass, and Jon Wurster (Bob Mould, Superchunk) on drums. The band also has a guest appearance from the legendary funk/rock outfit, Stax Records' drummer Gregg Rolie.

In 1978, a small independent label in Osaka, Japan set out to challenge the mainstream in a way that few Japanese labels could at the time. Vanity Records' short-lived activity – a handful of grainy, spliced-together albums that span post-punk oddities, gritty new wave, minimalist synth and ambient radio noise experiments – remains fascinating today. While the identity of many of the musicians remain unknown, their work foregrounds atmosphere over any particular figure or narrative.

Amidst a glut of reissues from the venerable YMO's BGM label, this album stands out as a unique piece of experimental electronic music in its own right. The songs on this album are more fully formed than those on YMO's earlier, more raw "Last Chaos". The result is an album that celebrates the city of Osaka and its rich cultural heritage with a sound that's simultaneously familiar and strange. With its mix of droning synthesizers and rhythmic beats, the album is as much a journey into a strange future as it is a snapshot of the city's past. The resulting album is a true classic of its genre and a must-have for anyone interested in experimental electronic music.