Thursday, October 29, 2026 • Vinyl Finds from Around the World
Juice
Japanese jazz guitar master Ryo Kawasaki's 1976 classic, recorded in New York and a cornerstone of '70s Japanese jazz-funk. Dazzling guitar over hard funk grooves, psychedelic synths and disco touches, with a vintage soundtrack feel. A UK underground club favourite and a sampling goldmine: 'Bamboo Child' was flipped by Diamond D, Puff Daddy and Kool G Rap. Reissued with original artwork and obi.
Disco Party
A 1976 rarity from TSG Records, one of the US 'tax-scam' labels: tiny pressings, zero promotion, later a DJ and collector grail. Pure '70s dancefloor funk with fat bass and drums, wah guitar, horns and percussion, riding an early-disco heat. Dr. Otto Gomez and the New York session players thought it was just a routine date; Gomez only learned the album existed when Jazzman prepared a reissue in 2022. Reissued by Mr Bongo in 2026.
Yerevan Nights: Soviet Armenian City Pop 1986–1992
A remarkable compilation of late-Soviet city pop from Yerevan, Armenia, 1986–1992 — a city pop world far from Japan that rarely gets told. Sixteen tracks trace the city's everyday life: evening strolls, nights out with friends, tinged with nostalgia. Fully licensed and remastered from original tapes, pressed as a 140g 2LP with an Armenian-script obi, history notes and archival photos — a genuine piece of music history.
Look Back Original Soundtrack (驀然回首)
Score for Hirokazu Kore-eda's live-action adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's Look Back, Yuta Bandoh's second collaboration with the director. Classical guitar sits at the heart of the score, with players including Park Kyuhee and Takuya Okamoto trading parts to mirror Fujino and Kyomoto's growth; Toko Miura guests on 'Machi'. The LP holds all 22 cues, adds the Main Theme (Teaser ver.) missing from the CD, and comes with a double-sided sleeve.
here i am no i
Saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi and drummer Jason Nazary team up on Finland's We Jazz label — a duo record blending free jazz with ambient textures.
Habibi Funk 035: Beirut City Pop
German crate-digging label Habibi Funk turns to city pop for a rare themed compilation, gathering Lebanese music that circulated on privately recorded cassettes during the civil war. Despite the turmoil, it reveals a lush, joyful sound spanning disco, soul, bossa and AOR.
Fun
Indie legend Daniel Johnston's 1994 major-label debut on Atlantic, produced by Butthole Surfers' Paul Leary. Fuller band arrangements replace the raw home recordings, yet his guileless, heart-on-sleeve voice remains — one of his most approachable records. The cover is his own whimsical artwork; this is Org Music's aqua-blue colored-vinyl reissue.
Live At Eventim Apollo
Recorded on the second of Olivia Dean's three sold-out 2024 nights at London's Hammersmith Apollo, featuring 'Dive', 'Touching Toes' and 'Time'. A 2LP restock — possibly the last copies.
淑樺盛開 FOREVER
Crafted by David Tao, Wang Chih-ping and Wawa, this is arguably Mandopop's earliest R&B-flavoured album, featuring 'Shuo Ni Ai Wo' and 'Ai De Bi Jiao Shen'. Newly cut from the original masters and pressed on 180g vinyl by Sony Music Solutions in Japan.
I'mdifficult
Taiwanese band I'mdifficult's self-titled debut full-length, restocked on clear vinyl.
FINAL FANTASY 40th Anniversary: The Crystal Vinyl Edition
A 40th-anniversary crystal vinyl 2LP for Final Fantasy, with one track from each mainline game from I's Main Theme to XVI's 'Away' — including 'One-Winged Angel', 'Clash on the Big Bridge' and 'To Zanarkand'. Extremely limited in Japan; final cover art yet to be revealed.
A rare Italian library record led by saxophonist Gianni Oddi, pressed in tiny numbers by RCA Italiana in 1974 for film, TV and advertising use and never sold publicly. Rhodes, Hammond, wah-wah guitar, strings and horns drift between jazz-funk, bossa nova and psych-pop; 'Fine di un Amore' pairs misty Rhodes with wistful strings. Oddi later became Ennio Morricone's lead sax soloist. Reissued by Schema Records from the original masters.