Ryukyu Underground / Ryukyu Underground
Album: Ryukyu Underground   Collection:General
Artist:Ryukyu Underground   Added:Aug 2002
Label:World Music Network  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2002-09-23 Pull Date: 2002-11-25 Charts: Reggae/World
Week Ending: Oct 27 Oct 20 Oct 6
Airplays: 1 2 2

Recent Airplay
1. May 18, 2009: Loxodromica
Soi Soi
4. Oct 19, 2002: Morning Glory
Soi Soi
2. Jan 28, 2003: At the Cafe Bohemian
Yanbaru Birdcall
5. Oct 15, 2002: No Cover, No Minimum
Shimajima
3. Oct 26, 2002: Morning Glory
Yanbaru Birdcall
6. Oct 05, 2002: Morning Glory
Agarijo

Album Review
Jacki-O
Reviewed 2002-08-13
Ryukyu Underground: Ryukyu Underground
Label: Riverboat/World Music Network

If anything, the novelty of this CD is that I’ve never heard music from Okinawa before. The music on this CD combines traditional instrumentation (such as the sashin) and Okinawan folk music/melodies, with synths & drum-machine production. Somehow the Okinawan music adds an extra layer to what would be otherwise ordinary dance music. However, I did wish for a couple of purely traditional songs so that we could get some perspective on what the native music sounds like. But, as far as “Okinawan electronica” goes, try: 1,2,5,8,9,10. Should this CD go into WORLD music? Works either way.

1. deep rolling bass, chants, sanshin, snappy breaks & layered drums
2. traditional Okinawan folk song w/ crazy D&B-breakbeats, gets kind of gets into an ambient-trance thing later in track
3. slow trip-hop dub breaks w/ ambient sounds & female vocals
4. trip-hop/ambient stuff w/ deep rolling bass, synths, lush samples
5. imagine this - Okinawan dub-reggae - really cool - works beautifully
6. dubby drum & bass w/ lots of reverbed effects - nothing groundbreaking
7. fast & furious drum & bass w/ lots of snappy hi-hats & snares
8. trippy-trance-y buildups - with distinctly Asian melodies
9. funk-driven bassline & trip-hop/pop break-beats, w/ some catchy melodies
10. drum & bass breaks with lots of layered synths, vocals



Track Listing
1. Soi Soi   6. Kokusai Dori Dub
2. Shimajima   7. Yanbaru Birdcall
3. Ashibi Shongane   8. Koza Riot
4. Shinkaichi   9. Agarijo
5. Tingasu Nu Hana Dub   10. Snow in Okinawa (Remix)