Product Overview
On July 26th Susumu Yokota's venerated 1994 classic 'Acid Mt. Fuji' isreissued in expanded, deluxe fashion, as part of the 30th anniversarycelebrations of the label that originally presented it. Japan's Musicmine -specifi cally it's electronic subsidiary Sublime Records - released thealbum on June 29th 1994, simultaneously with Ken Ishii's 'Reference ToDiff erence', as their inaugural joint off ering. 'Acid Mt. Fuji' is an enchanting mix of mystical ambient acid and futuristminimal techno, taking the listeners on a psychedelic pilgrimage, where303, synths and electronic percussion are scented with reverb, echo andforest recordings. Merging Japanese new age and sparse electronica,the recording is free, organic, and energized - proff ering a unique blendof early 90s western styles and the essence of his home country. Yokota originally planned an ambient record, but 'Acid Mt. Fuji' evolvedinto a concept work featuring the Roland TB-303, which he recorded liveat home alongside a sampler, yielding experimental and innovativeresults. The longplayer found its muse in the famed 18th-19th century artistHokusai's red rendition of Mt. Fuji, known as 'Red Fuji' or 'Akafuji'. Part ofthe painter's renowned 'Thirty Six Views of Mt. Fuji' series from the1830s, 'Red Fuji' depicts the iconic sacred mountain aglow in red at 2 of 3 WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH dawn, symbolizing spirituality and creativity. With references toJapanese folklore, nature and shrines, tracks like 'Kinoko' and 'Meijijingu'invite the listener to immerse themselves in the album's spiritualdepths. Yokota's own homage-to-Hokusai drawing graces the record's cover, andwas inspired by the concept of wa (harmony) - highlighting his diverseskills not only as a musician, but an artist and designer too. 'Acid Mt. Fuji' is a powerful testament to the establishment of raveculture in Japan, which rapidly developed within just two years, from1992 to 1994. Largely due to praise for the breathtaking originality ofthe LP, within this burgeoning national techno scene, Yokota rose toprominence as one of its key fi gures. He then became one of the most renowned artists to emerge from hishomeland and enter the global electronic pantheon. He inspired a newwave of Japanese producers and DJs, contributing signifi cantly to thegrowth of the techno movement in Japan.
Yokota was a solitary fi gure, an artist who expressed his life through thecontinuous creation of music. For those seeking something diff erent;mystical, soothing, pristinely ergonomic and uniquely Japanese, thisrecord stands as iconic as Mt. Fuji itself.
This triple vinyl Deluxe Edition includes the original album's eleventracks alongside fi ve raw and jacking rare gems, available on wax forthe fi rst time, which were previously included only in the Japanese 2016Deluxe Edition CD. There are also two digital-only bonus tracks. One is a live performanceby Yokota, titled 'Live at Shibuya Beam Hall', which was recorded atSublime Records' label launch party, held in September 1994. It waspreviously only released on the aforementioned 2016 Japanese CDedition. This event, titled 'Sublime Records Presents New Style ofElectronic Ambient Party' featured performances by Susumu Yokota, KenIshii, Yoshihiro Sawasaki, Speedy J and DJ Wada. This ten minute long,rare live recording captures Yokota playing a dynamic, fast paced acidhouse live jam, using two TB-303s and a drum machine. The otherdigital only bonus track is an alternative version of 'H', which wasdiscovered recently whilst excavating a DAT. The liner notes are written by DJ/producer Alex From Tokyo, who was agood friend of Yokota, and experienced the 90s Tokyo club scene fi rst-hand as an insider. His compilation 'Japan Vibrations Vol. 1' captures thisgolden era, and features music by Prism (Susumu Yokota), RyuichiSakamoto, Haruomi Hosono, Yasuaki Shimizu, Quadra (HiroshiWatanabe) and more
