Finis Africae
Amazonia

EM Records: ..."Finis Africæ (or Finis Africae)". Words redolent of mystery and myth, of Europe looking out to new lands, new worlds, new times. And so it is with A Last Discovery, the work of Spaniard Juan Alberto Arteche Guel and his musical co-adventurers, recorded between 1984 and 2001. After fifteen years of musical success in Spain with his band Nuestro Pequeño Mundo, Arteche was ready to experiment with new ideas, and with the purchase of a four-track reel-to-reel recorder he did so, exploring imaginary global music-worlds with a core of like-minded explorers. The group, dubbed "Finis Africæ" by JAA after reading Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, where the term refers to forbidden books and hidden knowledge, released seven recordings over an eighteen-year period, the best of which are compiled here.Finis Afriae was part of the "new wave" of Spanish music which gradually emerged after the end of the Francoist regime. Using modern electric instruments and traditional acoustic instruments from many cultures blended together via studio alchemy, a magic which grew even stronger with the acquisition of a sixteen-track recorder after their second release, Finis Africae created an outward-looking musical multiverse, an unclassifiable amalgam encompassing elements of folk traditions from all over the world, skillfully and lovingly shaped into an inclusive pan-global whole. Deeply influenced by African music, the group's reverberant, organic minimal funk will appeal to DJs as well as all who yearn for the loving warmth that comes with the embrace of global possibilities.

EM Records: ...A hotline to the gods! Kagura is a thousand-year-old form of Japanese Shinto sacred music and dance, accompanying the chanting of myths; the word "kagura" can be translated as "god-entertainment". Passed down over countless generations, the music is rare and recordings even rarer. Shigeo Tanaka was a master of the yumi (bow), an uncommon single-string percussion instrument, which is a true bow: arrows are fired off at the end of each ceremony to fend off evil sprits. The instrument is difficult to play; it's hard to draw out the proper sound and maintain the rhythm.Yumi kagura is the oldest of all the various forms of kagura. The Tanaka family, based in rural Jōge-cho, Hiroshima prefecture, has passed down this yumi kagura tradition for hundreds of years; this lineage continues to this day in the person of his daughter Ritsuko Tanaka. The Jōge-cho yumi kagura, which prays for family well-being, bountiful crops and good fortune, was designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1971. The piece featured here, "Takusa saimon", based on the myth "Ama no iwato" (The Rocky Celestial Cave), is mesmeric, reaching back across ages to the time before time, with Tanaka's voice and yumi, accompanied by flute and metal percussion, drawing us closer to the primal activities of the gods. Listeners may find affinities with aspects of musics as diverse as German electronic minimalism like E2-E4, certain Ethiopian music, "spiritual jazz" and more, all tapping into the deep root of forever. Previously available only on a ridiculously obscure 1990 cassette release, Yumi kagura is the first collaborative release by EM Records and Riyo Mountains, a Japanese folk song research team. “Inagahachiman jinja yumi kagura hōnō" is recorded in 2016 by Tanaka's daughter and successor Ritsuko Tanaka.

EM Records: ...Cool, sophisticated and melodically funky pop from Japan, recorded in 2014/15, six irresistible new songs from veteran members of 90s Tokyo underground pop bands like Love Tambourines, Arch and Bridge, all influenced by the Tokyo Neo Acoustic scene as well as early "club music" like Acid Jazz, Rare Groove and early Techno and mentored by Kenji Takimi of Crue-L Records. Bank formed in 2006 and have been assiduously honing their sound since then, distilling an elegant brew compounded of 80s dance music, the funkier elements of post-punk and the Factory Records roster, and other groups such as Young Marble Giants, Weekend and Duran Duran. A consummate blend. Vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Dai Nakamura is joined by guitarist Nobuyuki Ohashi, keyboardist Tadashi Kitami, with Fumio Hirami on bass and Bo Suzuki on drums. The contributions of the latter two are a key part of Bank's charm, with Hirami's funky bass laid over Suzuki's YMO-inspired grid-style drums. But make no mistake, these are true songs, not mere rhythmic exercises. Featuring memorable melodies, heavenly harmonies and attractive arrangements, these songs were mixed and mastered by Tomoki Kanda, a renowned member of the Shibuya-kei scene.

EM Records: ...from Beginning c​/​w Lena Willikens Remix, released November 23, 2018"Beginning" composed and produced by Mari SekinePublisher: Eel's Bed Music(c) & (p) 2018 EM Records

EM Records: ...The second of two EM Records 12-inch vinyl-only "tribute releases" in support of the Kuzoku film "Bangkok Nites", this time by rap group stillichimiya, local heroes in their Yamanashi homeland. Based on samples from Dao Bandon's biggest hit, the classic luk thung Isan tune "Man on a Water Buffalo" [EM1131CD/LP], the tracks here, including a remix by Compuma, are a grittier, real-world counterpart to the dreamy first release in the series.