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"ISSHOKU SOKUHATSU," a landmark album born in the dawn of Japanese rock, was released in 1974.

Other works released in Japan that same year include Sadistic Mika Band’s "Kurofune" and Gedo’s “Gedo.”

Looking overseas, the era also saw releases such as King Crimson’s "Red," Deep Purple’s "Burn," Genesis’s "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway," Joni Mitchell’s "Court and Spark," Queen’s "Sheer Heart Attack," and David Bowie’s "Diamond Dogs."

It is truly astonishing that this album emerged with virtually no time lag from the progressive rock scene that was reaching its peak in the UK. Considering the limited access to information at the time, it can be called a miraculous album—one that showcases overwhelming technical ability and forward-thinking creativity.

That is precisely why it still sounds fresh today and continues to receive high acclaim overseas, often being rediscovered by new audiences.

Amid a wave of performances in Japan by overseas artists in the early 1970s, which greatly influenced their sensibilities, the band shifted from a style rooted in blues rock and hard rock toward a progressive, large-scale approach incorporating lyricism and humor. Combined with their distinctive psychedelic lyrical world, this album marks the full blossoming of their originality as a band. Four young musicians in their twenties independently crafted a sound inspired by the hard rock and progressive rock then dominant in the US and UK. It is also known as Japan’s first self-produced rock album. As a work that is at once rock, progressive, and a source of what would later be known as J-FUSION—hugely popular overseas—it stands as an essential listening experience not only for dedicated music fans but also for younger audiences.

Obi faithfully reproduced from the original pressing (with the position changed from left to right).

"ISSHOKU SOKUHATSU" LP: Clear sky blue vinyl, 33 rpm. Lyrics printed on the inner sleeve, replicating the original specifications. No liner notes included, as per the original release.

TRACKLIST

1. [hΛmaebeθ]
2. Sora to Kumo
3. Omatsuri (Yappari Omatsuri no Aru Machi e Ittara Naiteshimatta)
4. ISSHOKU SOKUHATSU
5. Pinpon Dama no Nageki

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