| # | Artist | Song (click to play) | Album | Year | CD label |
| 1 | Bellaphon | La Villette | Delphi | 1984 | Belle Antique |
| This album consists of unreleased studio tracks and live recordings. Other than this album, Bellaphon has only one studio release _Firefly_. Instrumental prog with a fusion touch ala Kenso, Ain Soph. | |||||
| 2 | Happy Family | The Picture Book - X Rated | Toscco | 1997 | Cuneiform |
| Heavy avant prog with zeuhl touches. Reminds me of the Swedish group Hoyry-Kone. Lots of sounds similar to Crimson (from their heavier and more dissonant moments). I can also hear some Gentle Giant influence, particularly in the guitar riff on the song "Filial Party...". | |||||
| 3 | Kazumi Watanabe | Concrete Cow | The Spice of Life Too | 1988 | Gramavision |
| The second (of 2?) Kazumi albums with Jeff Berlin and Bill Bruford. Good fusion that is more or less in the fusion styles of America and England. There are elements of Allan Holdsworth style, but, limited to the guitar voicings in the single note guitar melodies, and not so much in the solo style. For fans of Larry Coryell, Steve Khan, Larry Carlton, et al. | |||||
| 4 | Asturias | Highland | Brilliant Streams | 1989 | Spalax |
| Instrumental prog with fusion and new-age elements. The song featured here reminds me alot of Andreas Vollenweider, especially in the playful synth line. The music is pretty much in the vein of other instrumental Japanese bands like Kenso, Ain Soph and Bellaphon. | |||||
| 5 | Bondage Fruit | Odd-job | Recit | 1997 | Maboroshi No Sekai |
| More avant Crimsonish styled prog. These guys stretch out for some weird jamming more than they lay out busy quirky compositions like Happy Family of Tipograhica does. So, a closer comparison might be Bi Kyo Ran. In all it's pretty good, but, not on the level of the aforementioned groups. | |||||
| 6 | Vienna | Overture | Overture | 1988 | King Records |
| U.K. inspired band - right down to the Holdsworthian guitar runs. This is quite good. There are also hints of Bi Kyo Ran influence particularly in the guitar style. The vocalist sounds very familiar. He must be from one of the other Japanese prog bands that I have played in the past few weeks, but, I cannot figure out which one. There is a certain pop element to the music, but, in the same way that U.K. has a pop element. The music borders on a neo style, but, it is more complex than most neo bands that I have heard. | |||||