Sublime Records and the dawn of Japanese techno

My latest for DJ Mag + other odds & ends

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes it takes completely different forms.

On Tuesday, DJ Mag published my in-depth feature story about Sublime Records, Ken Ishii, Susumu Yokota, Harakami and the ‘90s Japanese techno, ambient and IDM scenes. This has been a big one - months, perhaps even years, in the making. Before I get on with sharing the link, I just wanted to acknowledge a few people who helped make this possible, like Eoin Murray from DJ Mag, who edited this feature with absolute love and care. Ken Hidaka, the translator with the most. Ross Davis, who created the incredible graphic design that accompanies my words. I also want to thank everyone I spoke with while putting this together. Much love to one & all.

While I’m on the topic, here are the two 30th-anniversary reissues that triggered this whole sequence of events. If you haven’t checked them out, they’re well worth a listen or purchase.

Born on the basement dancefloor of Tokyo’s Maniac Love club in 1994, Sublime Records quickly became a definitive label for Japan’s nascent techno scene, furthering the international profiles of emerging visionaries like Ken Ishii and Susumu Yokota and building connections with artists in North America and the UK. In celebration of its 30th anniversary and the recent reissue of two of its iconic albums, I spoke with its founders, affiliates and devoted fans to learn its story, and understand its enduring influence at home and abroad. Read more here.

RNZ MUSIC FEATURE: CITY POP, JAPANESE POP OF THE ‘70s AND ‘80s

Photo: RNZ / Chris Bramwell

Funnily enough, the universe lined things up on Tuesday afternoon, so I’d also be on air talking about City Pop with the Radio New Zealand Afternoons host, Jesse Mulligan. We’re well past Tuesday now, but thanks to replay on demand, you can listen to the segment we recorded if you want to over here.

ODDS + ENDS:

My Australian friend, Xavier Bacash, has just shared the first single from his new music project, Now Always Fades. Here’s some brief Bandcamp sales notes I wrote for him.

Northern Underground Records presents the first single from Xavier Bacash’s Now Always Fades project, ‘Into The Doldrums’. Inspired by the Intertropical Convergence Zone - a windless band encircling the equator that sailors call “the doldrums”, the song explores failing relationships and stagnation. Underscored by misty atmospherics and an undeniable street soul breakbeat, it’s a perfect narrative vehicle for vocalist Lili Hall's dreamy tones and the pair’s yearning songcraft. Come for the vibes. Stay for the afterglow.

Chatuye’s ‘Ahmuti’ Adds to a Garifuna Cultural Archive: In a recent edition of this newsletter, I posted about one of the latest releases on Frederiksberg Records, the digital reissue of ‘80s Los Angeles-based Garifuna music ensemble Chatuye’s Ahmuti (1986) album. I was excited to see Adriane Pontecorvo has written a great review of the reissue on Popmatters. You can read it here.

Here’s an excerpt from the review:

The most widely held Garifuna ethnogenesis story is one of resistance and resilience: escaping from shipwrecked European slave ships, a group of West African survivors made their way to the island of Yurumein, already inhabited by Indigenous Arawak and Kalinago people. Their shared descendants would fight against the colonists claiming Yurumein as Saint Vincent, leading to their mass internment and exile to the Caribbean coastlines of Central America and creating the urgent need to band together as a Garifuna community. By the 20th century, though, Garifuna identity was mainly stigmatized in Honduras and Belize, the nations with the largest proportion of Garifuna residents. Hoping to encourage more Garifuna youth to embrace their roots, many Garifuna cultural advocates turned to music.

On Friday, Tamaki Mākaurau-based Chinese-New Zealand singer, musician, and visual artist Crystal Chen will share her new single, ‘Kiss It Better.’ An emerging musical dynamo, Crystal’s songcraft draws from the storied influence of mid-20th-century American jazz, swing, and gospel singers like Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, and Aretha Franklin while bringing their sensibilities into harmony with the ornate sounds of 1970s soul music (in the mode of Minnie Riperton and Al Green) and the modern Latin jazz lilt of Esperanza Spalding. Vividly imagined, her songs reach out to the listener like a warm hug or a late-night video call between besties. You can pre-save ‘Kiss It Better’ here, or check out her previous releases via Bandcamp here.

Mānuka Recordings: Romi Wrights, Capsized

Over the last couple of years, I’ve worked closely with the Tamaki Mākaurau-based modern soul label Mānuka Recordings on copywriting for their releases. Here’s the text I put together for their latest single, ‘Capsized’ by Romi Wrights. You can listen to it above via Bandcamp.

After captivating ears and hearts with her yearning 2023 double-single “Bring It Back / Without You”, the powerhouse Tokelauan singer-songwriter Romi Wrights returns to the Mānuka Recordings fold with another remarkable slice of retro ‘60s/’70s slanted piping hot soul music, ‘Capsized’.

Opening with a funk-fueled drum roll, shimmering keyboards, and vibraphone, ‘Capsized’ quickly unfolds into a luxurious assemblage of strings, woodwind, tight electric guitar, and taunt hip-hugging drums/percussion. In totality, the ornate music—composed and produced by Mānuka Recordings co-founder Kenny Sterling—offers the perfect backdrop for Wright’s big voice to rise and fall like the tides of the ocean.

Created after a conversation about recent life challenges, ‘Capsized’ uses the metaphor of being lost at sea to explore the rollercoaster ride of feelings one can go through during times of lust, passion and love. As she sings in the chorus, “Can we break some waves? / Oh, it's your love (it's your love) / It's your love (it's your love) / That's got me seasick.”

Co-written by Sterling and Wrights, ‘Capsized’ was recorded live at Roundhead Studios, Tāmaki Makaurau by De Stevens, with additional recording and mixing sessions for strings, conga & percussion and overdubbed vocals at Sterling Studios and Zeal West, Henderson, respectively by Sterling. Mastered by Josh Llewellyn at Downbeat Mastering, the record shines through with Mānuka Recordings’s signature warmth and clarity while pointing the way towards further material from Sterling and Wrights in 2025 and beyond.

WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:

Elegant bilingual modern soul/R&B from one of Aotearoa’s hidden gems, the warmhearted Māori vocalist AJA. I will try to look at this one properly in the future, but for now, check it out above.

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:

Picó sound systems: The beating heart of Colombian bass culture is on its way to global impact: Originating in the 1950s, Colombia’s beloved picó sound systems power some of the most raucous parties in the world, known for an experimental blend of sounds, fierce picotero rivalries, and their own mythology and visual aesthetics. Though there have been repeated attempts to suppress picó culture over the years, the attitudes of authorities and mainstream cultural institutions have started to change, and the associated music styles are connecting with new generations of fans at home and abroad. Wil Crisp reports for Mixmag. Read here.

The pirate radio of TV: the story of Channel U: A genuine media disrupter, the satellite TV station Channel U was a trojan horse-like presence among establishment gatekeepers, providing an audience-focused visual platform for Black British music beyond the capital. Although it struggled as a business due to legal battles and the watchful eye of the authorities, Channel U helped launch the careers of numerous artists with its dedication to UK music. Here, in an excerpt from his forthcoming book, What Do You Call It?, For DJ Mag, David Kane looks at how Channel U opened the door and helped to create a space for platforms like GRM Daily, SBTV, Link Up TV, and others. Read here.

The Hot-Pink Effervescence of Judith, Chingona Pop Star-in-Waiting: A 27-year-old restaurant server made some of the best pop songs of the year. For Hearing Things, Julianne Escobedo Shepherd. Read here.

FIN.