In response to Western sounds and the desire to express their own musical roots, a form of Japanese folk music developed at the universities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka in the late 1960s. Haroumi Hosono (Yellow Magic Orchestra) and other pioneers shaped a psychedelic acid folk by experimenting with the Japanese language and traditional forms. British label Time Capsule has now released _»Nippon Acid Folk 1970-1980«*, a compilation of these diverse influences ranging from Dadaism to spiritual elements.
The eight songs range from classic US West Coast psychedelic to new transformations from their own musical homeland. Happy End’s »Kaze Wo Atsumete« (Gather The Wind), for example, was featured on the soundtrack to the 2003 film Lost in Translation, showing how timeless Japanese folk from the past can fit into the modern world. Also worth mentioning is Hiroki Tamaki, a classically trained violinist who brings his fascination for divine sounds to his synth-prog odysseys. »Nippon Acid Folk« spans the decade from 1970 to 1980, a time when the political and spiritual dreams of the 1960s were shattered. Ultimately, the songs reflect the history of Japanese music, which laid the foundations for an independent music industry. Ultimately, the songs reflect the history of Japanese music, which laid the foundations for an independent music industry.
