A long-lost Japanese acid folk gem, Niningashiâs 1974 private press debut Heavy Way shimmers with originality, deft song writing and a dream-like groove.
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Although he was training as a pharmacist, Kazuhisa Okubo was much more interested in prescribing musical medicine.
A coming-of-age album, Heavy Way captured a turning point in Okuboâs life, and Japanese society more widely as a nostalgia for the pastoral calm of the traditional life, met the cosmopolitan thrill of coffee, sex and cigarettes in the big city.
Intoxicated by Tokyo, driven by a passion for music and surrounded by a thriving acid folk scene, the young student filtered his experiences through a psychedelic cocktail of soulful influences from the US and Japan.
Niningashi was his first band, and Heavy Way was their only album. It was honest and raw, deep and strangely funky, in an off-beat kind of way. Across nine tracks, Okubo and the 6-piece band put their own spin on the new folk sound of Japan, combining witty lyrics with electric guitar-driven solos and crisp, understated grooves.
Melancholy and profound, opening track âAmeagariâ feels like a synthesis of Harvest-era Neil Young and Haruomi Hosonoâs Happy End. Then thereâs the whimsical washboard country sound of âSemai Boku No Heyadeâ; the moody, low-lit charm of âRestaurantâ; and âHitoribotchiâ, a sensitive portrayal of childhood, steeped in memories of rainfall that will resonate with fans of Woo and Mac Demarco.
While Okubo would go on to taste success with psychedelic folk bands Neko and Kaze, the latter of which scored three #1 albums, little is known about his mysterious debut with Niningashi.
Self-released by Okubo in 1974, and featuring album artwork by his brother, it has slowly generated a cult following online, intrigued by its soft and enchanting sound. So few records were ultimately pressed that those remaining have fetched up to £1,500 online.
Featured on Time Capsuleâs era-spanning collection Nippon Acid Folk, Niningashiâs Heavy Way is a deep-cut grail of a vibrant time in Japanâs musical history, where even the pharmacists were making jams.
All songs are written & composed by Kazuhisa Okubo
Remastered by Andy Baldwin at Metropolis Studios, London, UK
Liner notes by Anton Spice & Kay Suzuki
Artwork by Leon Moh-Cah
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this album just really planted in my soil and grew onto me. this lovely album really knows how to take care of my emotions as well as the plants around me that also dance to these songs as well as I do.
full spathiphyllum swing! may the rest of the world find and cherish this peace for all eternity! ( ? )
