Fujiya & Miyagi - Electro Karaoke [7"]

Recently i came across this 7" by FUJIYA & MIYAGI; their debut single from 2002. I just love their modern take on krautrock, and ELECTRO KARAOKE is a perfect example of that. Actually i think it's still one of their best tunes. The motorik beat keeps on going and makes it a great indie dance track. The song on the B-side, Rot, is a pretty laid back tune. Both are from the band's debut album Electro Karaoke In The Negative Style which until now sadly has never been released on vinyl.

Label: Massive Advance
Cat.nr.: MADV001
Year of release: 2002

SIDE A:
01. Electro Karaoke

SIDE B:
01. Rot

Fujiya & Miyagi - Daggers/Little Stabs At Happiness [12"]

This limited 12inch (1000 copies) was released for Record Store Day 2015, and contains two remixes of tracks that originally appeared on FUJIYA & MIYAGI's latest Artificial Sweeteners album. Stephen Morris (of New Order and Joy Division fame) remixed DAGGERS, which resulted in a pretty synthy and electronic version, and Umberto did a great remix of LITTLE STABS AT HAPPINESS. With remix 12inches you can go terribly wrong sometimes, but this one's a winner.

Label: Yep Roc Records
Cat.nr.: YEP 2434
Year of release: 2015

SIDE A:
01. Daggers (Stephen Morris Remix)

SIDE B:
01. Little Stabs At Happiness (Umberto Remix)

The Finest Vinyl of 2014

Yes indeed, it's that time of the year again. Time to think which album i played the most, gave me the most goosebumps, which cover art or vinyl pressing i liked best... the so-called Finest Vinyl has become a tradition already.
And like previous years, it's been a tough choice to decide which albums i'd have to remove from my shortlist, because there are way more than 10 that i'd like to put in the spotlight right here. Also it was extremely hard to choose which album belonged on which spot exactly. But my mind's made up now...

First of all, let me tell you which 5 titles were very close but did not make it to the top 10 (in no particular order):

Ringo Deathstarr - God's Dream
I Break Horses - Chiaroscuro
Smashing Pumpkins - Monuments To An Elegy
Lamb - Backspace Unwind
The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream

Then, if i'd have to choose a best 7" single of the year, it would be Newmoon - Invitation To Hold.
And a best 12" EP would definitely be the Split EP by Whirr & Nothing.

But on with the show, here's the moment you've been waiting for:
THE FINEST VINYL of 2014:

01. NOTHING - Guilty Of Everything

02. WARPAINT - Warpaint

03. CHEATAHS - Cheatahs

04. THE RAVEONETTES - Pe'Ahi

05. FUJIYA & MIYAGI - Artificial Sweeteners

06. ESBEN AND THE WITCH - A New Nature

07. THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE - Revelation

08. DEAD HORSE ONE - Without Love We Perish

09. MOGWAI - Rave Tapes

10. WHIRR - Sway

Fujiya & Miyagi - Artificial Sweeteners [12", LP]

Before getting to the music of this album, i need to say that i've rarely seen any artwork and vinyl colours matching as well like they do on this LP. It looks like the dripping paint (or melted lollipops?) have reached the disc, which is clear vinyl with yellow, red and blue splatters. Pretty cool. FUJIYA & MIYAGI are not a Japanese duo as their name might suggest, but an English band from Brighton - however they started as a duo indeed. I like them a lot for already quite some years now, but somehow i've never bought anything of them on vinyl, until a few months ago when they released their new album ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS. And i just love it. Catchy electronic tunes with clear influences from krautrock acts such as Neu! and Can. I think i need to be hunting down their previous stuff on vinyl as well. Actually their Ankle Injuries 10" from 2006 is something that's high on my wishlist for quite some time already. Hopefully it will be appearing on this blog at some point ;)

Label: Yep Roc Records
Cat.nr.: YEP-2379
Year of release: 2014

SIDE A:
01. Flaws
02. Acid To My Alkaline
03. Rayleigh Scattering
04. Artificial Sweeteners
05. Little Stabs At Happiness

SIDE B:
01. Tetrahydrofolic Acid
02. Daggers
03. Vagaries Of Fashion
04. A Sea Ringed With Visions