About

Active as a professional DJ in Japan since the late eighties, DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite is also a renowned remixer, compiler and producer. An avid record collector and an expert of Wamono music, Yoshizawa has published in 2015 the now-classic Wamono A to Z records guide book, which instantly sold-out. The book unveiled a myriad of beautiful and rare records from a highly prolific, but still then unknown, Japanese groove scene. He has also selected a large part of the music in our highly acclaimed Wamono compilations.

For this brand new chapter in the series, Yoshizawa explores King Records' legendary catalog and unearths exceptional, rare and unknown musical gems. King Records has been releasing music since 1931 and is one of the most prestigious labels in Japan. Traditional Japanese music, known as "Minyo", are ancient songs once sung by fishermen, coal miners and sumo wrestlers. They are reimagined here with vibrant afro latin, rock, rare groove and funky arrangements in this killer selection of music released on King between 1963 and 1979. Also worth mentioning is the track Ohara Bushi by The Peanuts, which was released only on tape in 1970 and is now available for the first time ever on vinyl format.

Put the needle on the record, turn up the volume and dig right now into the Wamono sound - the cream of the Japanese funk, soul, rare groove and disco music developed throughout the years since the end of the fifties in Japan! — (via Label)

Vinyl tracklist:
A1 Chiemi Eri –    Aizu Bandaisan
A2 Pinky & Killers – Soran Bushi
A3 Tokyo Children's Choir – Kokiriko
A4 Michiya Mihashi & The Tokyo Cuban Boys – Sado Okesa    
A5 Dark Ducks –    Konpira Funefune
A6 Ebonee Webb – Cowboy's Elegy
A7 Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalo – Tanchame    
B1 Satoru Oda & His Group – Yagi Bushi
B2 Pinky & Killers – Otemoyan    
B3 Miki Nakasone – Kunjan Sabakui
B4 Leon Pops – Mamurogawa Ondo    
B5 The Peanuts – Ohara Bushi
B6 Tokyo Academy Mixed Choir – Kiyari Kuzushi
B7 King Orchestra – Dojou Sukui (Yasugi Bushi)

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Label: 180g 
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Released: 2025
Genre: Jazz, Rock, Latin, Funk / Soul, Folk, World
Style: Japanese, Min'yō, Funk, Soul-Jazz, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Latin Jazz, Psychedelic Rock

File under: Japanese  // Japanese Folk/Rock
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