Agata Morio - Norimono Zukan, 1979, Vanity, Japan

This is the fifth release from the Japanese Vanity label. It's one of the few from the label that's been reissued on CD (the only other being the Aunt Sally) but I can't find a place that even has this reissue available, including Morio's own website, so I feel it's fair game to upload.

Agata Morio, as I understand it, is fairly well known in Japan as being a Japanese folk artist with a sometimes experimental edge. I've heard nothing of his other work, but from what people tell me this is pretty distinct from the rest of his albums, and it's easy to see why: there are very few, if any, folk leanings on this album at all. In fact, it has more in common with synth pop, new wave, minimal electronics and the like than it does with Japanese folk-rock. That being said, it's pretty pop-based, and is probably the most accessible Vanity release after the Aunt Sally one, but it still has its experimental moments, verging into ambient and musique concret every now and then, and there are some non-electronic tracks as well. At any rate, it's another vital piece to the Vanity puzzle, and it's also very enjoyable. The booklet that comes with it is all in Japanese, so I can't reveal any of the information inside of it, including track titles...However on the back cover are a few English credits, including, notably, mentions to SAB and Phew (also from Vanity). They are:

"Norimono Zukan" Agata Morio

Agata Morio - vocal, compose, piano
Sab - synthesizer, strings, vocorder, clabinet, lead guitar, bass guitar, guitar synthesizer, bass synthesizer, rhythm box, echo, flanger, electronics & arrangement
Fujimoto Yukio - electronics, special synthesizer programming, effect synthesizer

Special Thanks to:

Phew + Idiot Girls - chorus
Mukai Chie - ko-kyu
Yasuda Takashi - drums
Taiqui - Synthesized drums
Punk Boys: Jun Shinoda & Kitada - side guitar

Roland Corporation - Osaka

Recorded at Studio Sounds Creation on November 1979
Engineered by Oku
Produced by Agi Yuzuru

Despite its pop leanings I feel this album should appeal to people interested in the other Vanity records anyway. The best comparison of it's sound I can think of would be an Aunt Sally with synthesizers mixed with BGM or RNAO, but that's just a generalization of course. The last track in particular sounds like it could have fit well into the SAB LP or the second side of Normal Brain if you allow for a bit of leeway.

Also: This is the wikipedia write-up on Morio, and this is his website for those interested.

Get it here