King Japan Vinilo y CD

Review: Back in 2004, Japanese r&b artist Tina headed into the studio with self-styled 'king of digging' Muro - a prolific DJ, producer, record collector and re-editor - to record some tracks for her fifth solo album. The most acclaimed of the lot was 'Struttin With Muro', a dope, funk-fuelled jam that made use of some choice Roy Ayers samples. At the time, Muro also prepared alternate takes - utilising different elements of the sampled Ayers track - which then appeared on a now impossible to find promo 12-inch. This 45 offers up those two takes - vocal and instrumental - and both sound like guaranteed party-starting jams, the kind of hybrid r&b/funky hip-hop workouts that never fail to get things going out on the dancefloor.

Review: Released back in 1979, Inga was Yagi Masao's first truly solo project released on vinyl. The late jazz pianist had previously created a tribute album to Thelonious Monk in the summer of 1960, a lovesong to one of the greatest jazz composers in history. The Japanese Americanophile is hardly a small star himself, scoring multiple movies and TV shows like the boxing anime 'Ashita no Joe' as well as live-action 60s classics like 'Good-bye Moscow' and 'Bad Girl, Yoko'. Well deserving of a third issuing, the first vinyl reissue since its original pressing, 'Inga' is a multi-instrumental masterpiece where Masao flexes his dexterity to the highest degree. No better is this shown than the dramatic, sweeping intro track ' Memories (Piano Solo)', a showcase in tempo and restraint unlike any you will ever hear today. Curiously, his name seems to be misspelt as Yagui on the 'Inga' cover, and that cover alone - one of numerous quirks to this spellbinding release.