Review by Stacy Livitsanis

Fantastic five-disc boxset of Isao Tomita's music for various Osamu Tezuka animation projects. I mainly bought this for the soundtrack to 1001 Nights, which is a mind-blowing combination of Miklos Rozsa-style epic orchestral music and proto-prog rock jamming. A beautiful package, with five normal-sized jewel cases in a sturdy thick box. For years I only knew Tomita as that guy who did synthesizer versions of classical music, but his original soundtracks are a whole other world of music to explore.

Very expensive and very heavy artbook showcasing the background paintings from Studio Ghibli films. This is one of those books that I decided to buy the moment I knew it existed, damn the cost. I wasn't disappointed. The art featured here is entrancing, but of course you know that if you've seen any Ghibli film. This book provides the opportunity to linger for as long as you want on those incredible images. That's what I wanted. If you watch Ghibli films and think, 'I want to stare at that stunning landscape for ten minutes', now you can.

Another quality Precure artbook. Follows the format of previous volumes in the series of Toei Precure Works. Includes illustration gallery, main character profiles and key frame art. Yamaoka's designs for Healin' Good are gorgeous. Cure Grace especially is one of the loveliest Cures in the series.

Still discovering great new-to-me music from the 70s, thanks to CD Japan. Took a chance on this album and it blew me away. Amazing musicianship from drummer/composer Airto Moreira, guitarist Egberto Gismonti, and everyone involved. Wayne Shorter plays sax on this album. Herbie Hancock co-produced it. It's a stunning Latin jazz fusion freakout. Hooked from the first track, the blistering "The Magicians".

Yumi Tono's incredible score for the 2024 Taiga Drama Hikaru Kimi E is easily my nomination for best soundtrack of the year. This first volume contains many of the most lyrical and romantic passages Tono composed for the series, and will appeal to anyone looking for classic orchestral music written for film/TV that emphasises seriousness, beauty and heartfelt melodic writing. It's an absolute knockout. The Taiga dramas always have notable scores, and Tono has just exploded with this one. I was lucky to also get the 7-disc special edition through CD Japan. If you can find that, definitely grab it. It's stupendous. If not, then the three standard volumes are still must-haves.

Everything Tangerine Dream released in the 1970s is a must-have. This reissue of Ricochet comes with the Steven Wilson remastering as bonus tracks, and a bonus disc including a live show recorded in 1974 at the Victoria Palace Theatre London. Tangerine Dream's live shows in the 1970s are famous for improvisations that deviate heavily from what's on the albums, so all the live shows from that time are worth a listen.

As a newly converted Kawaguchi disciple, I'm at the feverish stage of buying everything she's put out. This 2020 album shows the prodigiously talented Senri developing the fusion sound of her prior releases, with plenty of straight funk grooves and smooth jazz along the lines of Casiopea. Which makes sense, as longtime Casipoea member Tetsuo Sakurai plays bass on the album and wrote some of the tracks.

Superb new artbook showcasing Hayao Miyazaki's concept art for Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. It's a large-format book with beautiful reproductions of the many watercolour sketches made in pre-production on the film. Even if you already have the "Watercolour Impressions" artbook that was released years ago, this volume includes many more rougher pieces, which are no less beautiful. Everything about this book is beautiful. Miyazaki's watercolour sketches are achingly gorgeous. An obvious instantaneous purchase for any Ghibli fan.

Despite being a longtime fan, I'd never heard of Mask until searching CD Japan for Vangelis albums. At this price, why hesitate? Very glad I bought it. It's a brilliant album, reminiscent of Heaven and Hell in its arrangements, chorus and operatic grandeur.

Composers Hanae Nakamura and Miki Sakurai's score for this movie is, like all of their soundtracks, sweet and pretty, with gentle melodies and charming arrangements, as well as some more rambunctious flourishes underscoring the more wacky antics. This soundtrack is pleasant listening. It's more interesting than the film it was written for.

One Step Closer to musical heaven. Guitarist Chizuru Segawa, formerly of The jazz Avengers, releases her first full album and it's a delight. I would have bought this based solely on the cover. That smile is irresistible. Seeing a performer who loves what she does is infectious. Of course, as a pure listening experience, Chizuru's playing is exceptional but humble. She doesn't overwhelm every track with her guitar, graciously ceding the spotlight to various guest musicians. Her Jazz Avengers bandmate Ami Nakazono appears on several tracks. And Kiyo-Sen fans take note that the phenomenal Kiyomi Otaka plays organ on four tracks.

Second album by The Jazz Avengers, who I have no hesitation in calling the most awesome band of the 2020s. If you miss the 70s era of Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, and Yuji Ohno, then this group has the aural medicine you need. A fusion outfit with a world-class drummer, four saxophonists, no vocals and pure talent, The Jazz Avengers turn everything they do into gold. Let's not forget superhot bassist Juna Serita. An outstanding musical experience. Also highly recommend all the artists' other projects.

Japan is defiantly keeping alive instrumental jazz/funk/fusion. A brilliant live show from this gorgeous group of stellar ladies. Currently the only live release of this line-up of performers. Guitarist Chizuru Segawa's smile could power a city. Senri Kawaguchi on drums is a demon. Bassist Juna Serita is smoking hot, as a player and as a woman. The four horns are a force of nature. Love everything these musicians do.

The hugely talented Erica Fukasawa provides another excellent soundtrack for the Precure franchise. Wonderful Precure OST 2 is full of upbeat energy, with the full statement of Cure Nyammy and Cure Lillian's transformation an instant job-bringer. Like her Precure predecessors, Fukasawa is a genius at composing short but distinctive pieces that immediately express emotion in a sharp, clever manner. Loved every minute of this album.

Another sweet, pleasant score by Yukari Hashimoto (Toradora, Sarazanmai, Osomatsu-san). Hashimoto is an excellent journeyman composer. She's reliable and consistent, always delivering good, solid soundtracks that add to the show. She's one of the few composers whose soundtracks I will automatically buy. I haven't seen Komi Can't Communicate, but Hashimoto's compositions convey plenty of emotion.

Erika Fukasawa's score for Hirogaru Sky Precure was my favourite of 2023, and she's back for Wonderful Precure, with another beautiful soundtrack full of sweet, uplifting melodies. The transformation theme, often a Precure soundtrack highlight, is short but gorgeous, reflecting the irrepressible joy of Cure Wonderful. It's a musical endorphin rush; it immediately makes you feel great. Fukasawa, like her Precure predecessors, shows a real talent for crafting simple melodies that conjure pleasant everyday delight.

Superb value for money, with four hours on four discs of grand orchestral music for under AU$40. Composers Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata have worked on the Tactics Ogre series over the last thirty years, but this is the first time they've created a purely orchestral score. The results are magnificent. As a listener with no knowledge of the game, this music is strikingly evocative, conjuring potent images of fantasy worlds and heroic adventures.

Great collection of songs from various anime series based on manga by Go Nagai, including the classic Mazinger Z, Devilman, and, my favourite, Cutey Honey. The booming voice of the sadly recently deceased Ichiro Mizuki leads several tracks. Despite the abundance of pure testosterone and leeriness in Nagai's work, he also wrote a straight-faced magical girl series (as in a show for girls, not perverts), Majokko Tickle, represented here by the delightful disco-infused opening song sung by the legendary Mitsuko Horie. The best is saved for last: "Kitto VICTORY! The Theme of CUTIE HONEY" is a vocal version of Toshihiko Sahashi's glorious theme for Cutey Honey Flash (1997), sung by Mitsuko Horie. It's phenomenal, irrepressibly upbeat and heroic, and deserves to be as famous as the original Cutey Honey song.

It takes a while to give seven CDs of music proper attention (I haven't made it to the bonus DVD yet). After one hearing, this score ranges from the sublime to the dull. This score fits the model of many modern Japanese fantasy game soundtracks, with themes expressing rousing heroics, furious battles, pastoral relaxation and mysterious plans. There's a lot of good material sprinkled throughout the seven discs, but there is also a lot of music that feels more like bland underscore. Functional rather than inspired. My generous rating is for the gold amidst the mediocrity. As is often the case with game scores, the longer complete tracks (no looping), are more impressive, building a richer musical landscape. No problem at all with the excellent performances by the live musicians. The cover image is quite lovely.

From time to time, I like to take a chance on a musical artist I've never heard of. Although, already being a big fan of female Japanese singers means buying this 2-CD set of Maki Asakawa wasn't really much of a risk. This is a superb collection of songs showcasing a classy, elegant performer. Asakawa was an incredible vocalist, with a smooth, sexy voice, full of passion. Most of the songs here are from the 1970s, including several live recordings. It's the kind of music that makes me stop what I'm doing and listen intently. The photo booklet included is remarkable. Maki was incredibly photogenic and the camera adores her cool, confident yet detached features. The B+W photos are superbly artistic, a fine work of art in their own right, in addition to the marvelous music.