[1989] Osamu Mizukami - The Waltz for Fireworks (private press Electro/New Wave/Waltz) [Full Album]

With a sharp-dressed figure on the cover, and with two banging electro rap tracks as its opener ("Dr. Funkenstein's Theme", "Music with Balls"), you won't be remiss to think this is another late 80s Japanese hip hop album a la Minoru 'Hoodoo' Fushimi, albeit with way less intelligible lyrics. But hints that this LP is not what it seems started with the frantic synth lines of the second track, and then "Bad Trip" hits you with its literal "how a bad trip would sound like as an electro track". The first side—perhaps aptly named "Hypnotique Side"—then continues through more anxious new wave ("I'm Flying", "Tears"), piano ballads, and ends with a admittedly fun and whimsical synth waltz(!) "Carnival". The library music-like side two, titled "Romantique Side", opens with the title track—also a synth waltz number—that sounded like a soundtrack to a tense dance sequence in an imagined romance film. This mood continues on next two tracks ("Yurameki", "The Mosque", before giving a reprieve on the ocean-themed "Pretty Shell". The next tracks set a calmer tone, going progressively quieter and more sparse ("Sweet Little Lass") before ending with the absolutely pretty "Flower Moon". A reprise of the title track coupled with Ishmael Reed reading his writing "Rhythm in Philosophy" closes out this incredibly varied album. Truly a unique one among private presses out of Japan, and especially obscure.

〜Hypnotique Side〜
00:00 Dr. Funkenstein's Theme
05:13 Music With Balls
09:52 Bad Trip (Part 1, 2 & 3)
13:59 I'm Flying (Part 1 & 2)
16:47 Tears
19:33 The Ballad Of Harry Troutman
21:05 Carnival

〜Romantique Side〜
24:52 The Waltz For Fireworks
27:29 Yurameki
30:53 The Mosque
32:42 Pretty Shell
37:28 Ephemera
39:13 Winter Fairy
40:13 Sweet Little Lass
43:43 Flower Moon
48:18 The Waltz

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Acoustic Guitar – Osamu Mizukami (tracks: B3, B7)
Alto Saxophone – Osamu Mizukami (tracks: A3)
Composed By, Arranged By, Sampler [Sampling Keyboard], Synthesizer, Drum Programming [Rhythm Programming], Design [Graphic Design], Photography By, Illustration, Producer – Osamu Mizukami
Electric Guitar – Hiroshi Shindo (tracks: A3, A4), Osamu Mizukami (tracks: B4), Yoshiro Kurose (tracks: A1)
Kalimba – Osamu Mizukami (tracks: B4)
Other [Cooperation] – Chaconne Co., Ltd.
Photography By – Hiroe Mizuno, Koichi Shimizu (3)
Vocals – Osamu Mizukami (tracks: A3, A4, A6, B7), Takeshi Sakamoto (2) (tracks: A1)
Voice – Alex Easley* (tracks: A4)
Words By [Poem By] – Yukiko Uchida (tracks: B8)

Label/Cat#: Hypnotique Records – HYP-1001
Country: #Japan
Year: 1989
Genre: Electronic, #Funk, Soul
Style: #Experimental, #Electro, Abstract
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album