Various Artists: Gohan Sampler Volume 1 (2002)

Japanese label GOHAN RECORDS is a label I'm rather unfamiliar with, but from what I can tell it's not a high profile venture, if it exist at all these days. This sampler disc from 2002 is indicated as being their first, and most likely showcase the first signings of a then newly formed label.

And the contents indicate that this is, or was, a label with a good ear for high quality artists. Kunio Suma opens the ball with a driving, energetic number, bass driven with tight drums to match, with occasional Crimsonian guitar details and subtle dramatic synth effects, with a rather original, slightly weird lead vocal on top. Next up is massA, with tribal drums and synth voices crafting a hypnotic new age tinged mood, with an elegant melancholic emulated sax solo added in as the track settles. Magritte Voice follows, and after an initial tribal-tinged, new age inspired opening, their chosen track evolves into a richly arranged venture with melodic, dreamladen female vocals on top. Sophisticated dream pop a probable stylistic description, not too far away from mid 1990's Bel Canto - for those familiar with this Norwegian band. And finally there's Masumi Hisano, and his chosen creation takes a sharp left turn into avantgarde territories. Rich arrangements with a plethora of challenging features, with a hovering Mellotron wash and intense electronic bass and rhythms as constant effects, while instrument bursts in general and brass ons in particular come and go amidst darker synth surges and jazzy piano motifs.

But as intriguing as ale of these artists appears to be, this sampler disc has one fatal flaw: All of the tracks are excerpts, cut short at around the three minute mark. So while these compositions all appear rather tantalizing and inviting, we don't really know how much so they are. We just know that the first three minutes shine, and rather brightly so. And due to that I can't really recommend this sampler disc either. If you can get it for free it's well worth having by all means, but as a potential purchase it's without much worth. Except, possibly, for the avid, specialized collector.

Not rated.


Track list:
1. Kunio Suma: Watashi No Kokoro Wa Donarundesuka? (Where Will My Heart Go?) 2:12
2. massA: Sahara 3:03
3. Magritte Voice: Fatal Existence 2:55
4. Masumi Hisano: Coelacanth 3:13