Instagram story viewer> @forestjams> Posts

forestjams

@forestjams

3.4K

followers

2936

following

🌲 Record Label: Balearic, Cosmic, Disco, Psychedelic / Sounds from California & Beyond! 🌲

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

【release info】レアトラック「Just Be There」が12”ヴァイナル化！カリフォルニア発バレアリック/コズミック/ディスコ/サイケデリックサウンドレーベル、Forest Jams よりリリース。DUB SQUAD の「E.D.E.N.」とのカップリング。
両トラックは、オガワシンイチが2001年にプロデュースしたコンピレーションに収録されていたもの。マヌエル・ゲッチングの名作E2-E4 にインスピレーションを得た作品です。

美しく催眠的なグルーヴで、ロックとディープ・ハウスが融合する「Just Be There」は、20年以上経った今も、ライブセットのハイライトとしてフロアを揺らし続けています。
distribution @bordelloaparigi @bordelloshop
ぜひプロフィールのリンクからもチェックしてみて。@kilikilivilla @ogashin500
#sugarplant #vinyl #forestjams #E2E4 #dubsquad by @forestjams

131

5

21 days ago

Sugar Plant / Dub Squad - Inspirations from E2-E4 is now available on 12”

Both tracks originally appeared on a 2001 compilation inspired by Manuel Göttsching’s landmark album E2-E4, produced by sugar plant’s Shin’ichi Ogawa.

Ever since Sueño Latino brought E2-E4 back into the spotlight during the acid house era of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Göttsching’s masterpiece has inspired countless homages and tributes.

In Japan, as dance culture truly began to flourish in the latter half of the 1990s, the energy of clubs and raves drew musicians from all kinds of backgrounds into its orbit. At the same time, the rise of post-rock created another point of connection, leading to a renewed discovery and appreciation of E2-E4.

Its influence reached far beyond the dancefloor, captivating rock bands, jam bands, electronic acts and DJs alike. The 2001 compilation brought together artists who approached E2-E4 from their own perspectives, each reconstructing its hypnotic appeal through their own musical language.

“Just Be There” emerged from this period in sugar plant’s history, when the band frequently played outdoor parties and raves alongside their regular live shows. Crossing the boundaries between rock and deep house, the track found an audience far beyond any single scene or genre.

More than two decades later, “Just Be There” remains part of sugar plant’s live repertoire — a beautiful, fluid deep groove that still makes the floor move whenever they play it.

E.D.E.N. - was later used as a track on the soundtrack for the live-action film adaptation of Taiyo Matsumoto’s manga *Ping Pong* (2002). Since the movie was quite a hit in Japan, this might have become the most widely heard song among DUB SQUAD’s tracks.

Distributed by: @bordelloaparigi

Digital: @kilikilivillaofficial

Design by: @i_cc_grap

Special thanks to:

@yodataro
@skymall.future
@sugar_plant_official
Dub Squad by @forestjams

213

45

23 days ago

Another beautiful release by @forestjams

Odyssey by @mmp_web is a beautiful example of 90s ambient, where the legacy of Kankyo Ongaku meets more modern influences. Dare I say I even feel a Shibuya Kei vibe in some of the tracks! A beautifully pressed vinyl of a once obscure release. Definetly recommended ! by @forestjams

335

20

3 months ago

𝘕𝘌𝘞 𝘐𝘕: Master Mind - Odyssey [FJLP-08] 🍃 @forestjams

Odyssey was originally a CD-only release by Japanese duo Master Mind (Hiroshi Ogawa & Hisaki Kurosawa) and was their 3rd full-length album. 30+ years later it is now available as a double LP on the California-based Forest Jams label. Its one of many albums of this particular genre that came out in the decade but one that is wholly unique with the depth in its sculpted sounds and the transportation it provides to an audio realm of equally fantastical and soothing proportions. For fans of ambient, lush gardens, auditory massages, RPG OST/BGM, and Kankyō Ongaku.

🌐 Available now at the ISC Webshop.
📦 Record Stores (North America) - get in touch for wholesale! taken in Los Angeles, California by @forestjams

221

4

4 months ago

𝘖𝘋𝘠𝘚𝘚𝘌𝘠: Amid the diversifying Japanese environmental music scene of the 1990s-a movement that continues to captivate listeners worldwide-a unique masterpiece was born. Odyssey, the cult-classic soundtrack by the electronic duo Mastermind (Hiroshi Ogawa and Hisaki Kurosawa) @mmp_web is being released on vinyl for the very first time via Southern California-based label, @forestjams

Born from a rare alignment of a singular creative vision and a very specific backstory, the album beautifully captures the distinct shifts of Japan’s four seasons through electronic music. Despite using samplers, the duo crafts organic, crystal-clear tones and immersive, three-dimensional soundscapes that evoke the raw essence of nature. Their distinctive minimalist approach-carefully reducing the number of elements and notes-creates space for the listener’s imagination, allowing each sound to resonate more deeply and personally.

Beyond its masterful sound design, the album carries a fascinating history behind its inception. Akie @04_1404_14 sat down with the artists themselves to discuss their creative synergy, the journey that led to this album, and the profound connections that brought it all together! Read the interview ~ link in bio ~ and purchase the record @ischifirecords by @forestjams

958

10

4 months ago

New release: FJLP-08 - Master Mind - Odyssey

Now available! The reissue of Master Mind’s @mmp_web album “Odyssey”, originally released on CD in 1995 via the Victor label and published by NHK, can now be purchased on 2xLP format. Licensed through Victor with the help of my friend @kenhidaka and with the blessing of (Hiroshi) Ogawa-san & (Hisaki) Kurosawa-san the album is more widely distributed through @bordelloaparigi.

I recently had the honor to meet Ogawa-san & Kurosawa-san at their Electro Calm studio where “Odyssey” was originally recorded. In hearing about their production process, to say that the team was doing something new & exciting for that time with the album that was originally to be a take on the four seasons as NHK desired, would be an understatement. The tranquil and serene sounds that would try to provide some peace in the aftermath of the Kobe earthquake in 1995 were created by the 2 with as a result of next-level experimentation with their studio tools. Their deep knowledge and love of several styles of music mixed with the (master)ing of their equipment is part of the reason why I think the album still sounds so fresh and alive today.

The album and other works by Master Mind have been thoughtfully written about by @fondsound in the past so please check that out if you’ve not seen it before. A deeper dive on Odyssey by way of a published interview with the group will be released very soon.

Thanks to everyone who has already placed a pre-order or has already picked up their copy!

Available in Japan at:

@recordshopraregroove
@cheeshimizu
@newtone_records
@vinyl_delivery_service
@lighthouserecords.jp

Australia at:

@recordstoresydney

US - Soon to be at:

@ischifirecords

Widely available in Europe!

Special thanks to @mori_ra for the redesign of the jacket and labels. The original photo used for the album cover was a polaroid! by @forestjams

267

26

4 months ago

𝘙𝘈𝘐𝘕 𝘎𝘜𝘐𝘛𝘈𝘙: In 2019, Shotaro Matsumoto, the renowned manager of Coconuts Disk Ekoda, published a book titled Walearic Disc Guide. In the same lineage as Chee Shimizu’s iconic Obscure Sound, the book re-examined Japanese new age, ambient, and electronic music through the lens of “balearic,” a term originating from the genre-spanning open-air sets in the Spanish Balearic islands. The book included hundreds of albums that touched on a uniquely Japanese tropical and exotic aesthetic from artists like Water Melon Group, Gontiti, Steve Hiett, Inoyama Land, and others.

Earlier this year, SoCal label @ForestJams uncovered a lost Walearic classic from the early ’00s by guitarist, arranger, and composer Hiroaki Sugawara @suga.hiro.guitar While not as known outside of Japan, Sugawara is a legend within the scene having worked as a synth programmer on Ryuichi Sakamoto’s “Neo Geo” and “The Last Emperor” along with Yukihiro Takahashi’s “Only When I Laugh” and “Broadcast From Heaven.” Released for the Nippon label’s Paradise Series, Sugawara’s Rain Guitar is a gorgeous blend of exotic moods featuring bossa-guitar and various organic instruments alongside delicate synth textures and vocals.

Read our interview with Sugawara ~ link in bio ~ and purchase a copy of the vinyl @ischifirecords !! by @forestjams

874

29

8 months ago

New release!

FJLP-07 is Sergio Maria Saguaro’s ‘Rain Guitar’.

Sergio Maria Saguaro is the alias of one Hiroaki Sugawara. Sugawara’s collaborative discography is extensive, having worked on Sakamoto’s ‘Neo Geo’, Takahashi’s ‘Only When I Laugh’, and multiple EPO and RIKKI releases to name just a very few.

Rain Guitar is a solo album that was performed, recorded, and mixed by himself in 2002 for Nippon Crown’s “Paradise Series”. The mixture of Bossa Nova, Gamelan, Jazz Guitar, and Electronic styles heard on the eclectic full-length was created by using a multitude of instruments from traditional, such as djembe, gut guitar, and kalimba, to the modern, talk box, synthesizers, and the Cubase DAW. Sugawara’s excellence as a synthesizer-programmer and his experience in engineering the studio to be used as an instrument itself allowed him to transform the images of his influences of the ocean, islands, butterflies, frogs and rain into sound.

Originally released on CD only, it’s now available on vinyl.

Hiroaki still records and performs and is currently touring his latest release “Rough But Enough”.

Special thanks to Hiroaki Sugawara @suga.hiro.guitar

Special thanks to Goka @gokasoundlab and @hamakouki of Cellar Records @cellar_records
They both have contributions on the OBI.

Special thanks to Chiaki Ohashi @i_cc_grap for the beautiful artwork. 🎨🙏 by @forestjams

280

36

9 months ago

New release: FJLP-06 is a 2xLP re-issue of Chito Kawachi’s 1993 masterpiece“KULA-kura”. Diego Olivas had written eloquently about the album via his wonderful @fondsound blog a couple years back and he kindly gave me permission to use his words here - this is just an excerpt, please go to FOND/SOUND for the full feature: “It’s the joy of not knowing what each new track will hold and just letting yourself follow the hard-working hands of such learned musicians that brings the most out of Chito’s vision. It’s this very liquid music that keeps you on your toes on tracks like “Astral Lamp (無影灯)”. Tracks like “Jagg-chagg (ジャグチャグ)” and “Filament (フィラメント)” present a fourth world music bifurcated in exponential parts by the glitch of newer, modern, electronic modalities, intersected by expressions by differing voices. Every track you switch to presents a new way to get lost in the many phases and places Chito wants you to travel to. In the end, as always, it’s not the destination but the journey through it that plants this album in your memory.” Available for vinyl for the first time on 2xLP. Officially licensed from Victor JVC. Special thank you 😌🙏: @mori_ra @hsujuiting @i_cc_grap @385.nemoto by @forestjams

155

24

a year ago

In 1986, looking for a quiet and more isolated setting, Sanae Nene and Eisuke Takahashi left Tokyo and landed on the island of Hachijo. Both individuals had been musically involved since childhood but previous performances and recordings were done in either the folk, pop, or hard rock genres (playing at Tokyo Disney 3 times a week for an entire year) and tied to major label restrictions. After arriving in the forest on the island they were free to explore music in a new way with a natural sound that carries the spirit and traditions of Hachijo-jima. They set up a studio in their house with two synthesizers, microphones, a bamboo flute, and taiko drums - an instrument that is part of everyday life and every home on the island. Nene hadn’t ever played taiko drums until she moved to Hachijo. They started the album Southwind from Hachijo with a traditional Hachijo folk song, Nene providing the vocals, and from there they improvised the rest of the album - improvisation being a key component of the taiko drums themselves. The album, that featured a photo of Nene in front of their studio (house), was released in 1992 and was only ever sold on the island, less of a commercial release and more of a promotional item for tourism/tourists. Sadly, Eisuke Takahashi recently passed away but Nene still sings to this day and it is with her blessing that this album gets to see a re-issue on vinyl and with the hope that the life and sound of Hachijo reverberates beyond its borders. Special thanks for the help with the re-issue to: @mori_ra @hsujuiting @i_cc_grap by @forestjams

278

36

a year ago

New release: Mouth Music - S/T (Re-issue) - FJLP-04

@nami_hotatsu describes the album and the impact it had on her and her music:

“This album was released in Japan in 1991, and since I had just traveled to Northern Europe and Ireland at the time, I listened to this CD over and over. Just as Haruomi Hosono’s “omini sight seeing” is for me a kind of guide and indicator of the fusion of Japanese folk music and folk songs with contemporary sounds, this album can be said to be a Celtic version of it. What I particularly sympathized with was the fact that the songs are not sampled or otherwise incorporated as the essence of the music,
but rather the songs themselves were centered around the Gaelic songs sung by the artists themselves, and the fusion of various instruments representative of Celtic music with modern electronic sounds in a diverse style was so well-balanced and refined that I was shocked and strongly impressed by the high level of completion that felt both innovative and universal. (Even now, it’s still cool and unique when I listen to it.) After listening to this album, I went to Okinawa to learn the sanshin and did some sound fieldwork in Bali. The diversity of my musical style can be described as a continuum that attempts to integrate the conflicting elements and symbolism, such as the elements of Okinawa and Indonesia, such as south, east, sea, warm and wet, and the elements of Northern Europe and Ireland, such as north, west, mountains and forests, cold, and dry, as well as ancient and future. In any case, this album had a great influence on my own musical style, not to mention my first and second albums”.

Available in Japan at:
@recordshopraregroove
@stradarecords
@newtone_records

Distributor:
@bordelloaparigi by @forestjams

155

10

a year ago

135

6

2 years ago