Friday, July 12, 2013

Testpattern - Après-Midi (Yen Records, 1982)


So, as sometimes happens in this anonymous exchange we know as file sharing / music blogging, I get a little greedy, sucking up all there is to listen to without providing anything in return. If there's anything my apprenticeship in P2P / torrent file sharing should have taught me (or that one Beatles song), it's that you've got to give a little to get a little. Rest assured, I've been here, but behind the scenes, checking my sidebar links daily to see what you've served up... (premature P.S.: I promise I've got a summer mix coming out that will doubt feature plenty of your featureds, just 'cause...)

So how do I try and repay this debt? By shamelessly re-posting something from YING YANGS blog. I should say, it would be rather difficult for me to do otherwise, as I'm still across the Atlantic with no recording equipment to rip records (or money to buy records, for that matter...etc.,etc.). Plus, really, who cares? This is all just a preamble, I'm sure the fine folks at that blog don't care that I reflect their awesomeness by re-posting this gem, which is probably the album I've listened to the most all summer.

Why? 

1. It continues my obsession with the Japanese - Francophone synth-pop connection (if only superficially; if I remember correctly, no french lyrics, lots of english). 

2. This is one of the great Yen Records releases I've been able to dig up online, apparently the group's only full-length, produced by the boys of YMO themselves, Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi. Subheading: Why great?

2 bis. Talk about your eclecticism via synth-pop! From all out ambient numbers reminiscent of fellow J-synth heads Inoyama Land ("Ocean Liner") to chilly new-wave songs ("Souvenir Glace" - OK, fine, at least 1 song en français) to bouncy arpeggiators recalling Harmonia's 1st album's 1st track ("Ring Dance") - OK, I'll stop gushing, just give it a spin...

As it's Friday...



(Real P.S.: featuring a remix of "Modern Living" that, franchement, I like better than the original...)