selected by Utayo Furukuni

The songs stroke my years of 1995 & 1996 I went over to London in spring 1995 to search my new life. I was inspired by music everyday, everywhere and still remember those very vivid music scenes there. I really wanted to tell Japanese people about the music of the real time which I encountered there. With pure zeal, I tried hard to cover a lot of things for the magazine that I used to join. Digging really good music through the pub venues, BBC Radio One, records shops, music lovers and musicians themselves! London was heaven! I witnessed so many good bands during 2 years. I can't choose all the bands that impressed me, however, here are the compilations that I really want to introduce from my memories!

Sep 2003 Oct 2003 Nov 2003 Dec 2003 Jan / Feb 2004 Mar / Apr 2004 May / Jun 2004 2004 Best Compilations 1 Compilations 2

		Kingmaker / High As a Kite
		In spring 1995, they started a UK tour with their third album In The Best Possible Taste. High As A Kite, from their debut album Eat Yourself Whole, was definitely the highlight of their show. A few months later, they decided to split and I was so disappointed. They were sort of my adolescence... Yeah...		#01
		Longpigs / Lost Myself （All the songs from 『The Sun Is Often Out』）
		They are from Sheffield, the same town as Baby Bird and Pulp. I can never forget when I first saw them at Water Rats in Kings Cross, London. I became breathless, so did my friend, and there was an overwhelming aura of their performance. The moment Richard Hawley's bluesy roaring guitar twisted on Crispin Hunt's chaotic vocal was unbelievably beautiful...		#02
		Soul Coughing / Sugar Free Jazz
		A friend of mine, came from Minnesota, used to live in the same apartment with me and she recommended their music. We went to Dingwalls in Camden Town, London,　together to see the band and we were totally blown off by their performance and musicianship! It was absolutely brilliant when they expanded the songs with improvisational play.		#03
		Baby Bird / Lemonade Baby
		The main man, Stephen Jones and his mates were all gentlemen with some kind of eccentricity. The keyboard player, Hugh Chadbourn is an actor and so dandy!!! Anyway, Baby Bird had their big hit You Are Gorgeous but Stephen Jones' greatest charm is his penetrative observation about human being. This song was released early his days as a 7 inch and we can feel his sensibility.		#04
		Cable / Seventy
		The distorted noise sound storms rudely and then Matt Becker's very nihilistic vocal and Darius' repressed guitar came into the silence all of a sudden... This song makes you lunatic! At that time, it was unique to create this sort of sound in UK. They were very outstanding among sissy music like Romo bands that were made up by NME!!! Remember that?		#05
		Girl Of The Year / Yeah Yeah Yeah
		I really like the airwave of their adolescence, which it comes from their music. They finished a song within 3 minutes and played very pop and melancholy tune. The Singer Paul Owen's face with anxiety (except his cheeks, pinkish, he looks like a bit Brian Jones. He is from the same city, Cheltenham) and he always made me so melancholy.		#06
		Big White Stairs / So Long
		Before The trail of dead, there must have been Big White Stairs... These blokes broke everything and pushing each other on stage... Their arm's gash shows clearly that their rock n roll life in the North England. Andrew Young, looks like Elliott Smith, his guitar technique is super! They are all from Macclesfield, very tough, photogenic and shy guys.		#07
		Cornershop / Jullander Shere
		They burnt pictures of Morrissey in concerts long time ago and gave us really punkish image (music too). But they changed their musical direction and played their instruments, just sitting on the floor stoically. The sound of sitar took us in trance. I bumped into Tejinger at a bus stop on Tottenham Court Road and had a chat. He was a very, very shy guy...		#08
		Speedy / A Day In The Life
		They supported Baby Bird at Water Rats (again!) and had so much fun to play for the audience with big smiles! They are actually from Sheffield (again!) and whenever they played in London, their fans gathered from everywhere! Catchy, pop, having very English humour, I think they were the shining stars of Brit pop personally.		#09
		Heavy Stereo / Smiler
		We all shine on! Like a moon, like a star, like a sun! It's all for Heavy Stereo and they were so cool with a street style. The noise from the very rough and big volume guitar sound, I really love that. Now, Gem is a member of Oasis but I'm still waiting for him as Heavy Stereo! Their manager was called Charlie Brown and which gave me a big smile.		#10
		Cast / Walkway
		Whatever people say really bad about Cast and blame them for whatever, 1995 was definitely the year of Cast. Their music is so positive and makes you so cheerful. I remember John Power was so sweet and kind to their fans and he said, during the interview we had, 'Do you believe in fate? I said, "I DO." These words are still on my mind.		#11

		photos by ISE

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