V/A Tokyo Flashback 5 (P.S.F.)
The 5th in the classic series of Tokyo psychedelic music. This series started in the early 90s and this is the first one since 1995. P.S.F.has been releasing Japanese psychedelic and noise music for 20 years, starting out in 1986 by releasing a High Rise record. You’ll find everything on this collection from full on jamming psychedelic music, hard blues rock, to feedback noise. There is even a DJ set from Keiji Haino. A great look at what is going on in Japanese psych right now.
**1. Slow, raw and somewhat heavy not unlike Boris. Lots of fuzz and feedback. A new band who likes to keep it simple. Song gets a little faster towards the end as it goes through its fades out.
2. Classic rock ballad vibe with somewhat crooned vocals. This band was a 80s psych band and the Ghost guitarist plays on this track.
**3. Free psychedelic blues jam from this guitar (High Rise guitarist) and free jazz drum duo. They both attack and solo.
**4. Ambient drone with subdued feedback and very nice percussion (cymbal? Bell?).
5. Folk-y duo with both people playing electric guitar and singing. The distorted guitar takes over at the end with a nice wall of fuzz and feedback.
**6. Holy crap. Keiji Haino as DJ? He doesn’t play around a lot, only layering a few tracks and doesn’t do any turntable tricks but he does cover LOTS of ground, playing some noise, some free jazz, some African music, some musicals sounding stuff, etc. This track is out there. It’s very surreal and trippy without being rock or psychedelic.
7. A delicate solo performance of guitar, vocals and electronics. Clean guitar, pretty vocals, simple quiet electronics. Ends with a nice blues solo.
8. Another duo and a bit more rocking. Slower with some simple guitar playing over free drumming.
9. Quiet, clean, and somewhat pretty.
10. Not far from a rocking Led Zeppelin or Husker Du.or just rock-n-roll. Fun. Female backing vocals
Really good stuff. -mph