compiled by Nicholas D. Kent
email: ndkent "at" optonline.net
Last updated 05.12.6
(@) these are the items I've listened to but don't own
(*) means I don't own this release and haven't listened to it
My friend Rodney
Alan Greenblat owns most of these albums. I suggested he get a
few (like all), which he did and he thinks they are loads of fun, as do I.
Informational thanks to Ben
List , Terry Green and Frederic Guyader (noted as FG)
Denki Groove are Takkyu Ishino and Pierre Taki and
Yoshinori Sunahara left in 1999
Denki Groove are a highly successful techno act. They a far less strictly techno than the average act that gets pegged as "techno". Pierre Taki raps on tracks and the music is full of dub, rock, disco and pop material, not merely in a throw in some samples and loops in the mix attitude. Almost the opposite. I'd consider much of music almost like some other genre with techno elements. Ishino seems to be in charge on most releases. He shared the helm for a while with Sunahara and his lighter and more eccentric stylings but he has since departed.
Ishino also has a solo side career and has been focusing some effort on gaining recognition in Germany a few releases have domestic releases. His solo work seems a bit less humorous and a bit more extreme than Denki Groove releases. He does a whole lot of remix work. Ishino has remixed a frenchman with the initials JMJ but the last time I wrote his name out elsewhere on my site someone's legal bot harasssed me on the frenchman's behalf. I was very dissapointed by his JMJ remix which seemed knocked off real fast. TackQ was comissioned in 2002 to remix the Vangelis composed FIFA Anthem for the 2002 World Cup. I've not heard that one. (info from Seiya Hirano)
In general Ishino solo is more techno. Sunahara started a solo career doing lounge meets jet set tracks but his output has trickled in the last 5 years to just some relatively obscure remixes and production work. He left Denki Groove around 1999. Pierre Taki never really had a solo career that I know of aside from the video release.
(*) 91 Captain Records CAP-1047
FG writes: Another early release from Tack-Q Ishino. Masaru “Pierre” Taki is not credited, but the names of the other musicians are kind of strange. Maybe he was there anyway. Track 4 was reworked on various Denki Groove albums under the name Nama Gomi OH2 (live dust OH2 in japanese). Orchestration is minimalistic. Simple drum machines, cheap-sounding synths and a few guitars. Oh yes, obviously the lyrics are funny.
1- Burba papa (extended version)
2- Mimio jazz
3- (Korean title / anyone out there speak Korean ?)
4- Live dust OH2
5- Meca-BayashiMasaru Taki
(@) 91.8.23 Sony / Drill CD3 single SRDL 3338 also a 12"
1- Jinsei (original)
2- Jinsei (Bring Me Honey Mix)
3- Jinsei (original karaoke)
The song name is a take on Takkyu Ishino and Pierre Taki's pre DG band, Zinsei.
It's like an elaborate enka number. Very over the top. Some years later it was
quite successfully remixed by Hardfloor.
FG adds: --> Jinsei means “life”, in japanese. The
Zin-Say spelling is meant to be.
A compilation from Drill King Records. Great packaging and material. Has a wicked parody of Kraftwerk's Tour de France and also one of the most (probably intentionally) unlistenable tracks I've ever struggled through. ...And then there is the awsome Hardfloor techno meets enka style remix
FG writes:--> Most tracks make fun of old japanese pop bands. But track 2 is a REAL cover. The original track (“Transistor radio”, same name) is by a very famous japanese rock'n'roll band named RC Succession. Maybe you haven't heard of the band, but you might know it's mythical lead singer and guitarist, Kiyoshiro Imawano. He did a little single with Ryuichi Sakamoto called Kurenai/Rouge magic and co-wrote, co-produced and co-sang the “Nippon no hito” HIS album with Hosono in 1991.Track 6, the “unlistenable track”, is probably a sort of tribute to the Residents, one of Pierre Taki's favorite bands.
nick adds: Well the outfits could be the Residents style, though
Urban Dance had that look. Neither are anywhere near as irritably industrial
to listen to!
FG : Would you believe it ? The band's name, credited for track
7 means “the group of people who like to smell farts” !! I remember
seeing an article in a magazine, for the release of this album, with pictures
of Pierre dressed in a white tuxedo with fake moustaches, a strange machine
strapped around his waist, with tubes going up to his nose !
|
(@) 93.8.1 Sony-Ki/oon promo CD3 KSD2 1042
The cover (which is taped to a printed but blank covered promo cd3 case) shows Denki Groove in disguise, all wearing the same facial hair, obviously a trying to impersonate someone Rolf Harris looking but who's identity unfamiliar to me. 3 mixes, very funny vocals and kazoos. A version also on Drill King Anthology
Got no idea what its about but its cool and funny. one of the alternate mixes prominantly features kazoo melodies. FG and I differ on the spelling of the band name in Roman letters.
1- Transistor radio
2- Transistor radio (Touched by the hands of Shimon'z mix)
3- Transistor radio (original karaoke)
 |
Takkyu IshinoDove Lubs Dub(@) 95.8.2 Ki/oon Sony cd: KSC2 124 (early #?), KSC2-129Aggressive grooves and dub beats. Deep, though sometimes repetitious. Dream Baby Dream, a cover I presume of Suicide is superb. Memorable cover art by Otomo (Akira). Also exists as a vinyl EP.
|
(*) 95.12.13 SRCS7873
This is like a CD mixtape. Volume one was given to Ishino, other volumes feature other DJs.
1.D.D.T.V u-ZIQ INVADE/DUMDUM TV |
 |
Takkyu IshinoBerlin Trax(@) 98.4.1A collection of modern techno tracks. Several clever turns, but still as is the nature of techno, extremely limited in terms of melody or structure. Eventually released in Germany also. |
cd: KSC2-213 1.Polynasia 2.Digibell 3.Boogie Ku'damm 4.Stoned Dee-jay don't lie 5.T.E.C.(Trans Europe Center) 6.Taxi funk 7.Alles nach Nippon 8.BYKE 9. KBG 3:47am 10.Conga-O-matik |
2LP: SYUM-47/48A1.Polynasia A2.Digibell A3.T.E.C.(Trans Europe Center) B1.Boogie Ku'damm B2.Stoned Dee-jay don't lie C1.Taxi funk C2.Alles nach Nippon D1.BYKE D2.Conga-O-matik |
(*) 98.3.10 12" SYUM-0044
A1.Poylnasia
A2.Teschno Junko
B1.Vulcan Twins
(*) 98.10.23 12" SYUM-0067 LOOPA 003
A1.SUPREME
A2.PEPERONCINO
B1.PESCATORA
B2.CONNY'S SPECIAL
Montag E.P.
(*) 98.12.10 12" SYUM 0081/LOOPA 004
A1.The Guitarist
A2.SAM jam
B1.mgm on a guest list
B2.Becky says
(@) 99.3.20 Loopa-Ki/oon-Sony KSC2 280-1
The album proper is an unsurprising mix of techno with disco elements. Of greater interest is the bonus disc of remixes (it costs slightly more than a regular album altogether) which probably makes this really worthwhile.
(@) 99.7.1 Loopa~Ki/oon~Sony KSC2 290
This seems to be some sort of German techno festival Ishino organized. The tracks represent the artists involved. These are all sudio tracks. A good representation of what Ishino is into these days. Some of the tracks just kind of sit there but in general the quality level is higher than average.
Loops and collaged sounds, sort of jazzy lounge/exotica. Not all that memorable but a good listen. Opens with some Forry Ackerman narration off a record. Sandii guests on Clouds Across the Moon,, she is somewhat swamped by the thick music. While the engineering is okay, it's not up to the superb standards of the DG releases IMHO.exists as a 12"
 |
|
(*) 95.10 12" SYUM-002
A-1.MFRFM (DA RADIKAL FEAR MIX)
A-2.MFRFM (LP VERSION)
B-1.MFRFM (BOUNCE 2 MIX)
B-2.ELEGANT WORLD (LONG EDIT)
A retro concept album about the Tokyo Underground Airport. Lounge type stuff with narration and sound effects. Sometimes Yann Tomita-like (Doopee Susie Kim appears as samples). Lyric co-written with Brian Burton-Lewis. Certainly worth checking out. Early copies had better packaging. This got an overseas release.
|
12" limited single related to this album. Apparently deluxe, limited edition and with a substantial booklet.
(*) 98.9.30 12" SYUM-0068
A-1 Journey Beyond the Stars
B-1 My Love is Like a Red,Red Rose
B-2 Life & Space
Seldom seen 12"
Yoshinori SunaharaTHE SOUND OF ’70s(@) 98.11.11 Ki/oon cd: KSC2 243 This one is Pan Am airlines themed and very 70s EZ. Similar along the lines of the lsat one, maybe even more specialized. |
|
98.11.11 Ki/oon cd5: KSC2 249
A closely related 4 song EP
(Wow, YS seems to have taken my advice ;-) this is the track from Crossover with Sandii, but now its remixed with Sandii's vocals up front and a cleaner arrangement) A cool idea to do different decades.
Yoshinori SunaharaLOVEBEAT(@) 01.5.23 KSC2-387 At the time I theorized he must have had a goal of an album with vocals that he could perform in concert by himself. It's full of macintosh speech synthesized vocals, imho much too full and the arrangements aren't quite so creative sounding after you've hear a bunch of them following eachother. |
|
Animated 29 minute tape of 3 videos. Plastic Gun Man 3D character animation, which is a parody of Westerns and Anime. World Mechano Triangle which seems to be a Sun Electric remix, I've seen the main part of it on MTV's AMP. Finally a Japanese titled anime video which is violent and seeming satirical.
BACK TO MAIN MENU