Friday, September 4, 2026 • Vinyl Finds from Around the World
ささやかれた夢の話
The Okinawan city-pop songstress's 1999 album, finally cut to vinyl for the first time after years of waiting. Hiyajo personally reselected and re-edited the tracklist for the format, gathering urban-samba/bossa gems like 'Maware Maware' and the romantic 'Mebius' (single version), plus two freshly re-arranged 2026 tracks. Mastered at Sony's Nogizaka studio and pressed in Shizuoka.
Ringer (Remastered & Expanded)
Kieran Hebden personally remasters Ringer, the 2008 EP that marked the turning point of his electronic aesthetic, returning here in an expanded edition. Two rare contemporaneous tracks are added, cut by mastering great Matt Colton, with a booklet of never-published Jason Evans photos from the original shoot.
It Could Happen To You
One of Chet Baker's most beloved vocal sessions, reissued by Craft Recordings on translucent red vinyl. His hazy, intimate voice and understated trumpet make this a cornerstone of his 'Chet Baker Sings' legacy.
Waltz for Debby
The Bill Evans Trio's immortal Village Vanguard live date, issued by Craft Recordings on purple vinyl. Scott LaFaro's bass and Evans's poetic touch form one of the most tender conversations in the piano-trio canon.
Chet
Chet Baker's 1959 ballad masterpiece, reissued by Craft Recordings on purple vinyl. A tender, immaculate cast — Herbie Mann, Pepper Adams, Bill Evans, Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones — surrounds him for the definitive after-hours session.
Mere Mortals
Sam Shepherd's first complete ballet score, out this month on Deutsche Grammophon. Commissioned by Tamara Rojo for the San Francisco Ballet, it fuses orchestra, live synthesizer and electronic production — essential for classical listeners and Floating Points devotees alike.
At Newport 1958
A high-quality 180g October release on Music On Vinyl. Miles Davis leads an all-star lineup — Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb — in a complete live recording: the same band's first stage appearance before Kind of Blue was born. Its first authorized vinyl since the 2001 CD.
E.S.P.
A 180g October release on Music On Vinyl. The debut of Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams — all-original material now regarded as a landmark of 1960s modern jazz and the starting point of one of Miles's most acclaimed periods.
Sonic Batik Of Yogyakarta
A 1978 Javanese gamelan study album from an Osaka University ethnomusicology expedition. Rather than the usual court-centered, highly organized gamelan recordings, the authors first treat Javanese gamelan as an unknown sonic environment, walking the streets of Central Java to capture ambient and everyday sound before the music itself — a precious field-minded document.
Yours Sincerely
Haruomi Hosono's 23rd studio album, out September 11. Both color and black vinyl are available for this latest work from Japan's pop godfather.
JOY 2
After 37 years, Tatsuro Yamashita releases a new live album, JOY2 — his third ever after 1978's It's a Poppin' Time and 1989's Joy. He personally selected the best versions from 13 national tours and 600-plus shows between 2008 and 2025; 3CD, 38 tracks, from 'Sparkle' and 'Ride on Time' to recent songs, distilling nearly 18 years on stage.
それでも、楽しく生きたい
A new album from Korean singer-songwriter Choi Jungyoon (formerly active as yomm), a Berklee graduate, its title borrowed from a Haruki Murakami essay. Tracks like 'Honestly' and 'Don't Overthink It' carry the lightness of '90s J-pop and Shibuya-kei, sweetness laced with quiet melancholy. Released by Kissing Fish Records.
Side Effects May Include / Back In Your Eyes
A new 7-inch from Taiwanese soul singer Yufu, a hit across Taiwan and Japan last year. Continuing the love story of Heal Me Good, it sings the sweet-then-unhinged 'side effects' of falling for someone, built on early-'60s/'70s soul and Latin soul — among Yufu's most dancefloor-ready work. Released by Kissing Fish Records.
A Scorpio Affair / Theme Of The 8th House
Yufu's other simultaneous 7-inch, inspired by late-1960s boogaloo soul, tells of a dangerous romance with a Scorpio woman one can't escape. Latin percussion, brass and vibraphone weave a sultry, mysterious air, with a nod to the era's astrology craze. Released by Kissing Fish Records.
rain music
A new work from pianist Duval Timothy and percussionist Carlos Niño, largely improvised behind closed doors on a grey, rainy London day. Built on prepared piano and percussion, it blends jazz, new age, hip-hop, experimental music and free improvisation; piano, bells, wind and ambient sound unfurl slowly, like a small forest growing indoors — quiet yet exquisitely detailed.
Energy Exchange Records Vol. II
One bar of the unruly saxophone on opener 'Alkalo' and you're hooked. This set fuses dancefloor groove with spiritual jazz, recorded as free jam sessions with a lavish cast — Oscar Jerome, Australian flautist Erica Tucceri (Deep Matter), Kokoroko's Hercules — across Berlin, London and Melbourne. Limited to 500 copies.
The final chapter of a recently unearthed trilogy — a must for wamono lovers. Koto master Toshiko Yonekawa (named a Living National Treasure in 1996), with composer Kiyoshi Yamaya and the Contemporary Sound Orchestra, made this mid-'70s Nippon Columbia series themed 'Sea/Mountain/Home.' This is 'Home,' recasting traditional koto in contemporary jazz-funk — restrained, deep, yet wild.