Spotted Nishiyama san on the streets of Shibuya. He was a bit taken aback by me suddenly accosting him with an interest in his records and a request for a photo, but we got some nice music talk going and he showed me his scores, an Akiko Wada double LP and a Hiromi Miyano 7”. Then he produced another curious looking 7” saying “I have no idea what this is, but I got it anyway” – I LOVE THIS, this notion of taking a risk on music, not entirely sure what you’re going to get.
When I look back on first getting into music, this is how I acquired most of what I listened to; a whimsical purchase, not even recommended, just a hunch, maybe something with an interesting cover, maybe a band whose name I’d possibly heard of (maybe not) but maybe I didn’t know any of their music, or maybe an artist I knew, but who’s obscure 5th album I’d never known. What a great way to discover new music, to put your money where your mouth is and just pull the trigger on a hunch and gamble. I always found that when I did it that way, I might experience initial buyers remorse on a first listen, followed by a discerning 2nd listen, an accepting 3rd listen, an optimistic 4th listen, a nuanced 5th listen, an enlightening 6th listen, an appreciative 7th listen, and if I didn’t get my money’s worth by then, I would eventually as the record came and went and came again through heavy rotation, always taking me back to that moment when I took the gamble on it ..and won.
Thanks for sharing, Nishiyama san (who by the way is also a DJ, look out for him out there), for posing for Tokyo Record Style, and for still taking risks on music. It’s inspiring!
Akiko Wada – Dynamite-A-Go-Go
Label: Warner Music Japan – WPJ6-8518~19
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: Japan
Released: Sep 25, 1998
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: J-pop
https://www.discogs.com/release/6041224-Akiko-Wada-Dynamite-A-Go-Go
宮野比呂美 – 横浜ジゴロ / Hiromi Miyano – Yokohama Gigolo
Label: Radio City (3) – RD-4101
Format: Vinyl, 7″, Single, Stereo
Country: Japan
Released: 1985
Genre: Pop
Style: Kayōkyok
https://www.discogs.com/release/15995085-%E5%AE%AE%E9%87%8E%E6%AF%94%E5%91%82%E7%BE%8E-%E6%A8%AA%E6%B5%9C%E3%82%B8%E3%82%B4%E3%83%AD
Losfeld – What’s New Pussy Cat?
Label: Sound for Escape – escape006
Format: Vinyl, 7″, 45 RPM
Country: Japan
Released: 1998
Genre: Electronic
Style: Downtempo, House
https://www.discogs.com/release/6769455-Losfeld-Whats-New-Pussy-Cat
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