David Orr
I've loved this record since I heard it a year or so ago on YT and I'm so grateful to Glossy Mistakes for this wonderful remaster!
Favorite track: 祈り / Prayer.
Simon
Prayer has to be one of the most beautiful tracks ever. And just as you settle in the groove it hits you with that sublime Pink Floydesque outro. Pure bliss.
Favorite track: 祈り / Prayer.
murray5465
Awesome quiet vinyl. The blue color is absolutely gorgeous and looks far better than the mock picture. It's mesmerizing. Beautiful music that transports you to the oceans off of Japan. 10/10!
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Purchasable with gift card
€10EUR or more
Akira Ito - Marine Flowers (Science Fantasy) | CD
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Akira Ito - Marine Flowers (Science Fantasy) Remastered CD
Includes unlimited streaming of Marine Flowers (Science Fantasy)
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Sold Out
Akira Ito's T-Shirt Green & Water | Heavy Cotton
T-Shirt/Apparel
Graphic taken from a 1990's concert flyer.
Only 20 available.
Sold Out
Akira Ito - Marine Flowers | Limited Blue Edition
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Bandcamp Limited Blue Edition with Obi [Only 150 copies]
___
Originally released on 1986, 35th anniversary Marine Flowers’ first remastered, reissue. Genuinely composed as a documentary for Marine wildlife filmed in Palau and commissioned by Pionner's Laser Disc campaign.
Some artists have gained huge recognition, some records have been idealized to the point of becoming cult albums… and that’s exactly the case of Marine Flowers, by Japanese multiartist Akira Ito. An album that is unique, delicate, exploratory…
A true one of a kind sonic adventure that 35 years after its first release comes back in the form of a reissue via Glossy Mistakes.
Looking back, Akira Ito’s artistic career began not in music but in acting. Born in Japan in 1945, he developed a prodigious ability to perform and a childhood acting career blossomed. However, as acting gigs dried up, actor/director Shintaro Katsu encouraged him to follow his steps into the music industry. With the rise of Western rock and soul music lighting up Japanese radio, Akira Ito stood to capitalize in the localized mid-60s “Group Sounds” craze by becoming a performing musician, joining touring bands across Japan fusing western and Shōwa-era pop styles.
Unlikely as it seems, Akira would segue a string of stints playing in American cover bands into backing up a slew of varied American artists that would come tour Japanese military bases. Aretha, The Jacksons, Stevie Wonder or James Brown. Those were a few of the big names Akira would play alongside.
But Akira’s musical interests changed throught his life experiences and travels, up to the point when he knew exactly what he wanted to do (without knowing how to do it): healing music.
Akira understood that once he set up shop at Hitokuchizaka Studios in Tokyo the work of translating these ideas began in earnest. First he started his own record label, dubbing it “Green & Water’’ to promote a series of releases that would strike a more organic tone, envisioning a series of Japanese Environmental Music records. Marine Flowers would be one of four self-penned albums on the label dedicated to esoteric symbolism like “Hopi Prophecies”, “Prayers”, and the “Four Corners Of Water”.
Fladked by more than a phalanx of analog and digital synthesizers from Roland, Korg, and Moog, Akira would dedicate this release to those waters of Palau. Here he would largely improvise on scratch ideas he had in mind, creating a musical base for tracks like “W・A・T・E・R”, “Dancing Spirits’’, and “Life Goes On” that he’d let invited friends and gifted musicians, like violinist Takashi Toyoda, the late Japanese drum giant Shuichi “Ponta” Murakami, and others contribute their own ideas afterward.
Hearing the music now, it’s not hard to understand just what Akira stumbled into. Marine Flowers (Science Fantasy) is of a new lineage of “ambient” artists like Hiroshi Yoshimura, Satoshi Sumitani, and others who took academia out of all these therapeutic ideas married to scientific theories, making them into something a bit more universal, malleable, and palpable. This Music For Inochi or “music for life”, treated us to gorgeous, floating music like album opener “Prologue, Into the Beauty” where Akira’s droning, aquatic-sounding electronics open up to the ebb and flow of percolating electroacoustic sonics that flow into the aforementioned “W·A·T·E·R”. Rich and organic, a violin melody from Takashi Toyoda feels like an aural lily pad bobbing along to all these gentle sonorities.
Gentle piano melodies cycle in and out of songs like “Dancing Spirits” evoking classic ambient discreet music from the likes of Brian Eno. Others like “Essence Of Beauty” have gossamer parallels in the works of Harmonia. Nevertheless, according to Akira Ito, every idea was just different to the others, creating pieces that although they did not lack coherence o cohesion, were independent and self-contained.
Originally released in 1986 and on its 35th anniversary, Marine Flowers deserves this fresh reissue, making this masterpiece available for everyone.
Liner notes are written by Diego Olivas, author of the blog Fond/Sond, from an interview with the artist coordinated by Ken Hidaka.
Includes unlimited streaming of Marine Flowers (Science Fantasy)
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
...more
Sold Out
Akira Ito - Marine Flowers | Black Vinyl
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Originally released on 1986, 35th anniversary Marine Flowers’ first remastered, reissue. Genuinely composed as a documentary for Marine wildlife filmed in Palau and commissioned by Pionner's Laser Disc campaign.
Some artists have gained huge recognition, some records have been idealized to the point of becoming cult albums… and that’s exactly the case of Marine Flowers, by Japanese multiartist Akira Ito. An album that is unique, delicate, exploratory…
A true one of a kind sonic adventure that 35 years after its first release comes back in the form of a reissue via Glossy Mistakes.
Looking back, Akira Ito’s artistic career began not in music but in acting. Born in Japan in 1945, he developed a prodigious ability to perform and a childhood acting career blossomed. However, as acting gigs dried up, actor/director Shintaro Katsu encouraged him to follow his steps into the music industry. With the rise of Western rock and soul music lighting up Japanese radio, Akira Ito stood to capitalize in the localized mid-60s “Group Sounds” craze by becoming a performing musician, joining touring bands across Japan fusing western and Shōwa-era pop styles.
Unlikely as it seems, Akira would segue a string of stints playing in American cover bands into backing up a slew of varied American artists that would come tour Japanese military bases. Aretha, The Jacksons, Stevie Wonder or James Brown. Those were a few of the big names Akira would play alongside.
But Akira’s musical interests changed throught his life experiences and travels, up to the point when he knew exactly what he wanted to do (without knowing how to do it): healing music.
Akira understood that once he set up shop at Hitokuchizaka Studios in Tokyo the work of translating these ideas began in earnest. First he started his own record label, dubbing it “Green & Water’’ to promote a series of releases that would strike a more organic tone, envisioning a series of Japanese Environmental Music records. Marine Flowers would be one of four self-penned albums on the label dedicated to esoteric symbolism like “Hopi Prophecies”, “Prayers”, and the “Four Corners Of Water”.
Fladked by more than a phalanx of analog and digital synthesizers from Roland, Korg, and Moog, Akira would dedicate this release to those waters of Palau. Here he would largely improvise on scratch ideas he had in mind, creating a musical base for tracks like “W・A・T・E・R”, “Dancing Spirits’’, and “Life Goes On” that he’d let invited friends and gifted musicians, like violinist Takashi Toyoda, the late Japanese drum giant Shuichi “Ponta” Murakami, and others contribute their own ideas afterward.
Hearing the music now, it’s not hard to understand just what Akira stumbled into. Marine Flowers (Science Fantasy) is of a new lineage of “ambient” artists like Hiroshi Yoshimura, Satoshi Sumitani, and others who took academia out of all these therapeutic ideas married to scientific theories, making them into something a bit more universal, malleable, and palpable. This Music For Inochi or “music for life”, treated us to gorgeous, floating music like album opener “Prologue, Into the Beauty” where Akira’s droning, aquatic-sounding electronics open up to the ebb and flow of percolating electroacoustic sonics that flow into the aforementioned “W·A·T·E·R”. Rich and organic, a violin melody from Takashi Toyoda feels like an aural lily pad bobbing along to all these gentle sonorities.
Gentle piano melodies cycle in and out of songs like “Dancing Spirits” evoking classic ambient discreet music from the likes of Brian Eno. Others like “Essence Of Beauty” have gossamer parallels in the works of Harmonia. Nevertheless, according to Akira Ito, every idea was just different to the others, creating pieces that although they did not lack coherence o cohesion, were independent and self-contained.
Originally released in 1986 and on its 35th anniversary, Marine Flowers deserves this fresh reissue, making this masterpiece available for everyone.
Liner notes are written by Diego Olivas, author of the blog Fond/Sond, from an interview with the artist coordinated by Ken Hidaka.
Includes unlimited streaming of Marine Flowers (Science Fantasy)
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
...more
Originally released on 1986, 35th anniversary Marine Flowers’ first remastered, reissue. Genuinely composed as a documentary for Marine wildlife filmed in Palau and commissioned by Pionner's Laser Disc campaign.
Some artists have gained huge recognition, some records have been idealized to the point of becoming cult albums… and that’s exactly the case of Marine Flowers, by Japanese multiartist Akira Ito. An album that is unique, delicate, exploratory…
A true one of a kind sonic adventure that 35 years after its first release comes back in the form of a reissue via Glossy Mistakes.
Looking back, Akira Ito’s artistic career began not in music but in acting. Born in Japan in 1945, he developed a prodigious ability to perform and a childhood acting career blossomed. However, as acting gigs dried up, actor/director Shintaro Katsu encouraged him to follow his steps into the music industry. With the rise of Western rock and soul music lighting up Japanese radio, Akira Ito stood to capitalize in the localized mid-60s “Group Sounds” craze by becoming a performing musician, joining touring bands across Japan fusing western and Shōwa-era pop styles.
Unlikely as it seems, Akira would segue a string of stints playing in American cover bands into backing up a slew of varied American artists that would come tour Japanese military bases. Aretha, The Jacksons, Stevie Wonder or James Brown. Those were a few of the big names Akira would play alongside.
But Akira’s musical interests changed throught his life experiences and travels, up to the point when he knew exactly what he wanted to do (without knowing how to do it): healing music.
Akira understood that once he set up shop at Hitokuchizaka Studios in Tokyo the work of translating these ideas began in earnest. First he started his own record label, dubbing it “Green & Water’’ to promote a series of releases that would strike a more organic tone, envisioning a series of Japanese Environmental Music records. Marine Flowers would be one of four self-penned albums on the label dedicated to esoteric symbolism like “Hopi Prophecies”, “Prayers”, and the “Four Corners Of Water”.
Fladked by more than a phalanx of analog and digital synthesizers from Roland, Korg, and Moog, Akira would dedicate this release to those waters of Palau. Here he would largely improvise on scratch ideas he had in mind, creating a musical base for tracks like “W・A・T・E・R”, “Dancing Spirits’’, and “Life Goes On” that he’d let invited friends and gifted musicians, like violinist Takashi Toyoda, the late Japanese drum giant Shuichi “Ponta” Murakami, and others contribute their own ideas afterward.
Hearing the music now, it’s not hard to understand just what Akira stumbled into. Marine Flowers (Science Fantasy) is of a new lineage of “ambient” artists like Hiroshi Yoshimura, Satoshi Sumitani, and others who took academia out of all these therapeutic ideas married to scientific theories, making them into something a bit more universal, malleable, and palpable. This Music For Inochi or “music for life”, treated us to gorgeous, floating music like album opener “Prologue, Into the Beauty” where Akira’s droning, aquatic-sounding electronics open up to the ebb and flow of percolating electroacoustic sonics that flow into the aforementioned “W·A·T·E·R”. Rich and organic, a violin melody from Takashi Toyoda feels like an aural lily pad bobbing along to all these gentle sonorities.
Gentle piano melodies cycle in and out of songs like “Dancing Spirits” evoking classic ambient discreet music from the likes of Brian Eno. Others like “Essence Of Beauty” have gossamer parallels in the works of Harmonia. Nevertheless, according to Akira Ito, every idea was just different to the others, creating pieces that although they did not lack coherence o cohesion, were independent and self-contained.
Originally released in 1986 and on its 35th anniversary, Marine Flowers deserves this fresh reissue, making this masterpiece available for everyone.
Liner notes are written by Diego Olivas, author of the blog Fond/Sond, from an interview with the artist coordinated by Ken Hidaka.
credits
released December 17, 2021
Remastered by Fréderic Stader from Music Matters Mastering.
Lacquer Cut by Angstrom Mastering.
Artwork restauration by Fran Fernández.
Obi & Insert design by Giovanni Cavalleri from Paper Paper Studio.
Liner notes by Diego Olivas.
License management and coordination by Ken Hidaka.
supported by 34 fans who also own “Marine Flowers (Science Fantasy)”
Japanese environmental and architechtural ambient from the 1980's at its best. Spare, minimalistic but incredibly evocative. Satie would love it!
polinos
supported by 33 fans who also own “Marine Flowers (Science Fantasy)”
Considering the time of writing this (1982), this is a precursor of many ambient albums which followed. A curiosity, "intended to be listened to in a casual manner, as a musical landscape or a sound object" to quote its author Satoshi Ashikawa. The opening chords are the same as the Terminator theme, which makes me smile but then it's easy to get into this music as it's intended, while doing something else as soothing as this music is. Olivier Tison
These patient, organic modular synth works were recorded during Wil Bolton’s second artist residency at EMS in Stockholm. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 3, 2023
supported by 29 fans who also own “Marine Flowers (Science Fantasy)”
Magic in its purest form. I love Floating Points, I love Pharoah Sanders, I love The London Symphony Orchestra. It's a match made in heaven, and the result is absolutely gorgeous. I have loved this record since its release, and realized I don't own it for some reason. So its time to change that. 9.5/10 honestly could become a 10/10 on an indepth vinyl relisten. angrypizza98
