Search results: Miki

Review: Volume One of a label retrospective of pioneering early 90s Prog House label Interactive Test Compiled by Alex from Utopia Records and enigmatic Interactive Test founder Franco Falsini. Falsini, responsible for many of the underground classics on the label he founded in Florence in 1991 was first known for his 70s Italian Prog / Cosmic group Sensations Fix. A trailblazer who continued to push the boundaries of electronic music two decades later with Interactive Test, accompanied by the up-and-coming talents of Trance hero DJ Miki the Dolphin, his brother Riccardo and an host of cult Italian music producers. Here we start with 5 tracks from the archive, all highly collectable, remastered for DJs and psychedelic music enthusiastic alike from the best sources possible. Authentic and original dance sounds still hitting the spot in our times.

Review: Open Channel For Dreamers hist release number 10 with the fifth installment of their The Secret Sun series. Taking charge for the suitably noteworthy occasion is Miki "The Dolphin," an Italian progressive house pioneer alongside the likes of Francesco Farfa and Roby J back in the 90s. Many of his older tunes fetch high prices on secondhand markets and he continues to dazzle audiences with his DJ skills 30 years after starting out. This EP is culled from his personal DAT archives and features three signature sounds, two of which have never been released before, while 'Art Of Libido' you will know, but will struggle to find a copy of.

Review: The more erudite record digger will know that Japan has long since had a thriving ska, dub and reggae scene. This new entry in the Nippon series from London's Time Capsule label proves that - Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985 dives deep into its early days when J-reggae artists were looking to the likes of UB40 and The Police for inspiration rather than the Jamaican originators. And you can hear that here in this fine collection of backbeat gems which are playful, loose and catchy, with subtle hints of city-pop and new-wave sounds. These tracks have only been available in Japan before and are now sure to find a welcome new audience on European shores.

Review: It's hard not to fall for the version of 'Stayin' Alive' featured on the Dominic Lewis-scored and curated soundtrack to Bullet Train - the 2022 David Leitch movie that unfolds on one of Japan's world-famous, super speedy, and appropriately nicknamed 'bullet trains'. The composer made some smart decisions pulling the choices together, opting to focus largely on East Asian pop and rock, with some bold inclusions. One of which is the aforementioned opener. In so far as overuse goes, The Bee Gees' seminal disco anthem is up there with the greatest, and that makes it difficult to find something new to enjoy in it. Drafting Avu-chan, of Japanese 'fashion punks' Queen Bee achieved the unthinkable, then, and sets the tone for a number of excellent covers by Japanese artists (Bonnie Tyler's 'Holding Out For A Hero' by Miki Asakura, 'Kill Me Pretty' by Tamio Okuda of Unicorn), alongside an impressive set of originals from Ryuichi Sakamoto, Carmen Maki, and more.