Frosty's Sweaty Surfer Mix - Japanese Group Sounds & Pink Film Music

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FROSTY’S SWEATY SURFER : JAPANESE ELEKI BOOM, GROUP SOUNDS & PINK FILM MUSIC

1 = Takeshi Terauchi & Blue Jeans / Karajishi Botan / Ereki Ippon Enka De Shobu!

2 = Reiko Ike / Futen Gurashi Part. 1 / Onna Bancho Blues Mesubachi No Chosen

3 = Jackey Yoshikawa and his Blue Comets / Blue Fountain / Original Hits Vol. II

4 – Kazuko Sawamura and Peter Pan / My Boy / Noraneko Rock Nikkatsu New Action No Sekai

5 = Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys / Symphony No. 5 / Let’s Go Classics

6 = Jacks / Omae Ni Muchuu Sa / Haragashi Onna

7 = Takeshi Terauchi & Blue Jeans / Tsugaru Jongara Bushi / Let’s Go Eleki Bushi!

8 = Jackey Yoshikawa and his Blue Comets / Linda / Original Hits Vol. II

9 – Hajime Kaburagi / Sex Hunter (BGM) / Noraneko Rock Nikkatsu New Action No Sekai

10 = Hajime Kaburagi / Onna Bancho Blues Mesubachi No Chosen M-8 / Onna Bancho Blues Mesubachi No Chosen

11 = The Mops / Goiken Muyo / Noraneko Rock Nikkatsu New Action No Sekai

12 = Hajime Kaburagi / Yasagure Anegoden Sokatsu Lynch M-6B / Onna Bancho Blues Mesubachi No Chosen

13 = Kyu Sakamoto / Kanashiki Rokujyussai / Seishunka Nenkan Best 30 (‘60)

14 = Salty Sugar / Hashire Kotaro / Seishunka Nenkan Haiban Best 200

15 = Hiroki Tamaki / Boso Shudan ‘71 Bgm / Noraneko Rock Nikkatsu New Action No Sekai

16 = Takeshi Terauchi & Blue Jeans / Moso Bangaichi / Ereki Ippon Enka De Shobu!

17 = Jacks / M-10 / Haragashi Onna

18 = Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys / Kisobushi / Let’s Go Eleki Bushi!

19 = Sharp Five Go Go / Kaze Ga Naiteru / Japanese Pops Golden Hits

20 = Kenjiro Hirose / Onna Bancho Taiman Shobu M-3 / Onna Bancho Blues Mesubachi No Chosen

21 = Hajime Kaburagi / Sex Hunter Ps-C / Noraneko Rock Nikkatsu New Action No Sekai

22 = Ken Yamauchi / Ken No Rock / Tokyo A GoGo

23 = The Darts / Kemeko No Uta / 7″

24 = Folk Crusaders (Kazuhiko Kato – the Folk Parody Gang) – I Only Live Twice / 7″

25 = Food Brain / M-7 / Shinjuku Mad OST

26 = Takeshi Terauchi & “Blue Jeans” / Edo Komoriuta / Let’s Go Eleki Bushi!

In 1962 the Ventures toured Japan and lit the fuse for a surf music boom that soon spawned a wave of lightning fast guitars and tumbling blasts on tight drums. These new surf bands formed the Eleki sound that was topped by cats such as guitarist Takeshi “Terry” Terauchi & drummer Jackey Yoshikawa. Their sounds were blistering, heavy and filled with supersonic string strums. A Japanese surf music scene makes perfect sense when you consider the island locale but the surf essence here was pure style not practice... Some of the most sparkling moments of this genre come when the composers shoot the fusion tube and incorporate traditional Japanese folk melodies and instruments like the Koto Harp or Shakuhachi Flute with their guitar amp overdrive.

While the Beatles spawned the relatively innocent vibes of the Group Sounds scene the later echoes of Hendrix, the Velvet Underground and Blue Cheer twisted things into darker directions. These psychedelic torch bearers helped launch the Japanese New Rock movement which stepped forward over melted barriers. The Japanese musicians like their Western counterparts were focused on fuzzing up heads with experimentation. The blinds were tossed wide open and all elements became fair game. New Rock merged explosive guitar distortion with sampled radio voices, eastern melodies, odd time signatures and moody jazz chords without a second thought. This often heavy, lusty sound perfectly slid into the Pink Films that were swelling in tandem. These sexploitation flicks were cranked out on the gritty, grainy cheap but were often able to achieve high impact through psych stylings. Though many of the films were made merely to satiate sexual desires the bands whose sounds accompanied them often soared to loftier signals. Many remain active in the Japanese sound landscape and helped influence the vibrant, home-brewed noise scene that was to follow decades later.

Each of the musical movements I dove into on my recent Japanese journey: Eleki, Group Sounds and New Rock were directly influenced by foreign forms. Some may write off these Japanese rock sounds as excellent copy cats but they all incorporate sparks of unique fusion. An air of imitation exists but there are magic moments which rise above and burst with energy. Maybe these enhanced, expert imitations are what make this music so special. A candle burning in a chamber of mirrors is beautiful so who cares which flames are real? The infinite refections form a beautiful, new vision.

I’m always overjoyed to reconfirm Japan’s existence and dig deeper into its layered culture. Iceland is wonderful but I’d rather wander the streets of Tokyo any day.

– frosty

Thanks to Katsuo Design for the incredible, sexy cover art!!! Playlist translation by Hashim B.

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