1. Takeo Moriyama – Smile on HMV

Our dear friend Maso from CAS Fukoka sent us 2 copies of this jazz masterpiece originally from 1981 on Denon. A few weeks after, Alex From Tokyo brought us back another copy because he thought we’d love it. We do. Stunning!
2. Ruriko Ohgami – Fuwari Fuwa Fuwa on Rush Hour Recordings

Picked this up at Downtown 304 thanks to our dear friend Federico Rojas, who put us on. He now runs his own shop in NYC called Secondhand Records – impeccable taste and much respect for Rush Hour because this is a true journey into Japanese boogie/disco on a 7″ format.
3. Osamu Kitajima – Benzaiten on Psychedelic Sounds International

One of the strangest we’ve come across but solid as a top 10 reissue of 2016. It’s a winding psychedelic listen that takes you through folk, world, strange prog sounds. Absolutely loved this.
4. Aged In Harmony – You’re A Melody on Melodies International

Pure beauty from Richie Love On The Run and Floating Points. The 3X7″ set comes with an awesome zine that features a lot of our heroes. 10/10.
5. Sun Palace – Raw Movements / Rude Movements on BBE

Incredible to hear all of the raw demos / alt versions of one of our all-time favorite records. Instant head-turner!
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6. Air – Air on Be With Recordings

Soul-crushing good is the best way to describe this. Not to be confused with French-duo Air, this is the self-titled 1971 LP by this Long Island band that dismantled shortly after. Googie Coppola sounds heavenly.
7. V.O – Mashisa on Invisibile City Editions

Picked this up at Superior Elevation and had no idea what I was getting into. Versatility at its best: good for radio, at the club, at home. Sounds great.
8. Yasuaki Shimizu – Kakashi on Better Days

Another drop from friends in Japan. No sense in trying to describe what this sounds like. Worth keeping up with Japan’s ‘Better Days’ label – not to be confused with the 80s NYC nightclub bearing the same name.
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