Wayo France Vinyl & CDs

Review: Baki is one of the best-selling Japanese anime and manga series of all time; the story centres on a quintessential shonen coming-of-age trope, funnelled into the character of Baki Hanma, who tirelessly trains and tests his fighting skills against a variety of different opponents in deadly hand-to-hand combat, with the ultimate hope of becoming a powerful warrior like his father. Kenji Fujisawa's original soundtrack for the anime series, now streaming on Netflix, is the perfect translation of this always-affecting theme; a whopping 60 tracks are spread across 3 vinyl discs in respective illustrated sleeves; Fujisawa's tense, eye-of-the-tiger timpani-bangers, which mesh well with NIN-style industrial rock, are perfect for the invocation of Baki's constant sense of confrontation and self-becoming. This record also comes with ane exclusive shikishi art print, as well as a four-page booklet.

Review: Those interested in Japanese cartoons should know Space Adventure Cobra. First broadcast in 1982, it is now considered one of the country's finest animated TV series. This triple-vinyl box set celebrates Kentano Haneda and Yuji Ono's music from the series, combining compositions featured on the show with unheard extended versions and tracks that never made the cut first time round. Musically, it's a mix of Japanese disco, sax-sporting lounge jazz, jazz-funk, neo-classical movements and eccentric interludes, all doused in layers of cosmic dust and stargazing colour. The release also comes packaged with a 12-page booklet telling the story of the series and the making of the appealing, endlessly entertaining soundtrack.

Review: The beautiful music of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata's Studio Ghibli films is explored and showcased on this new album from Joe Hisaishi. It is based on the official piano score of the original composer of those films with pianist and Steinway and Sons Artist Nicolas Horvath playing them all. He is known for his interpretations of the works of the likes of Philip Glass, Franz Liszt, Claude Debussy and Eric Satie and this is a complete overview of the work of the famous animation studio. The vinyl edition has 24 tracks on two slabs of wax house in a lovely gatefold sleeve.

Review: Celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Story of Thor (also known as Beyond Oasis), the iconic action RPG for the Megadrive, with its original soundtrack now available in a stunning limited vinyl edition. Composed by Yûzo Koshiro, this soundtrack has impressed gamers since its 1994 release, thanks to addicting gameplay and enchanting music. Developed by Ancient, Yûzo Koshiro's studio, The Story of Thor is a beloved classic in the A-RPG genre on Sega's console. For this special vinyl edition, the music was meticulously recorded directly from a Megadrive console to ensure the highest sound quality. This limited edition features 34 tracks on two marbled discs, housed in a beautifully illustrated gatefold sleeve. It also includes a 12-page booklet and a newly illustrated shikishi by artist Hitoshi Ariga. With its rich, remastered sound, this vinyl edition of The Story of Thor soundtrack is a wonderful package for diehard fans and those who are interested in the booming video game soundtrack world.