Digital version available here: https://emrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sakai-ishinage-odori

EM Records is proud to present, following “Yumi Kagura”[EM1154CD/LP], the second edition of the Japanese folklore music series, directed by Riyo Mountains. Japan has a long tradition of annual pre-harvest summer dance festivals, known as Bon-Odori festivals, which continues to this day. One of the longest-running of these festivals is the Sakai Ishinage Odori festival, taking place in Sakai town, Saitama, north of Tokyo. Unlike some festivals which function as tourist attractions for domestic and international visitors, this festival is resolutely local, with no professional performers, the music being passed down from generation to generation, played by local men and woman ranging in age from elementary school students to senior citizens. With percussion, massed flutes and vocals, this is a vital, living music, a sort of minimal disco born in the rice fields, agricultural “industrial” music, low-tech hard techno. Available on CD and vinyl, this release features 1982 recordings, plus 2017 versions of the same pieces recorded and mixed by Sugai Ken.

+ The liner notes by Riyo Mountains
+ 8p insert incl. rare photos
+ English translation

TRACKS:

=1982 recordings=
1. Yose daiko
2. Ishinage odori
3. Bukkiri daiko

=2017 recordings: Recorded & mixed by SUGAI KEN=
4. Yose daiko
5. Ishinage odori
6. Bukkiri daiko

Riyo Mountains:
Japanese folk song research team formed by Mood Yama and Takumi Saito. They are resident DJs at the renowned party "Soi48" at Be-Wave, Tokyo, featuring music from all over the world. They produce the Japanese folk song mix-CD series entitled "Riyo Mountains Mix" and also direct the reissue series of Japanese folk music on EM Records, including the releases "Yumi-kagura", "Sakai Ishinage Odori”, and "Kizaki Ondo”. Riyo Mountains have appeared as DJs at many events/programs including NTS (London) and Japanese Bon-Odori traditional dance festivals. Their articles about Japanese folk music are now published serially in the Japanese web magazine “boid".