Saturday, July 12, 2008

Gran Guignol - LP (Pinakotheca PRL#9) 1982

While rummaging through my HD, clearing space to rip some more vinyl, I found this LP I recorded last year and subsequently forgot about...

This is the 1982 LP from the Japanese group Gran Guignol. It was released on the highly sought-after label Pinakotheca, best known for the first Keiji Haino & Nord LPs. The LP is housed in a screen-printed outer plastic sleeve with red cherubs.

I don't know anything about this band, nor any connections to other contemporary groups.

This isn't the greatest material of the early 80's Japanese scene, and in no way holds a candle to other releases on this or the Vanity label, but I think there are still some ok moments, and interesting merging of styles. There is an overall new wave/80's 'feel' to the album, but there are prog, jazz and electronic elements as well.

The tracks are titled in Japanese. I have labeled them as OUT-1 to OUT-4 for the A side, and IN-1 to IN-4 for the B side. IN-3 and IN-4 segue into each other, so they are left as one track. Track OUT-2 oddly sounds like it could fit in with a lot of indie/modern radio airplay, even more so if the lyrics were sung in English.

Enjoy

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