村岡実* – 実況録音 尺八リサイタル 恐山 / Osorezan

This is an incredible record, originally released by Daiei and later by Yupiteru. It’s a vast and exploratory - with beautiful sounding instruments such as the Biwa, Koto and importantly, the Skakahuchi played by Minoru Muroaka himself. It’s a restless bed of instrumentation here taking cues from funk, psychedelic rock and jazz, with beautiful moments of calm right up against sections where it’s just one player absolutely shredding it. This album stands as one of my most played this year, and I’d recommend this to anyone with an interest in foreign, international music - definitely among my favourite records to have emerged from Japan.