This is not music for the gym or the commute. This is 3 AM music. Headphones only. Good luck. Original BASJ-019 cassettes appear on Yahoo Auctions Japan about once every 18 months. Expect to pay upwards of ¥80,000 for a copy with a cracked case and no insert.
Rediscovering a Phantom: Reiko Kobayakawa – BASJ-019 “Minimal Iwamura” Breakdown Reiko Kobayakawa - BASJ-019 -Minimal Iwamura- B...
This is the centerpiece. A low-end rumble that sounds like a refrigerator hum mixed with a passing train. Suddenly, a burst of shattered glass (sampled? real?) cuts in. Kobayakawa starts playing a melody that sounds like a lullaby being fed through a broken guitar pedal. It is haunting and beautiful. This is not music for the gym or the commute
April 17, 2026 Category: Obscure J-Pressings / Collector’s Corner Good luck
If you dig deep enough into the Japanese underground tape scene of the late 80s and early 90s, you eventually hit a layer of pure mystery. Today, we are peeling back the shrink wrap on one of the most elusive entries in the Reiko Kobayakawa discography:
9/10. Deducting one point only for the abrupt cut on B2. If you find it, rip it. Do not let this tape dissolve into the magnetic void.
The rhythm finally appears. It sounds like someone hitting a steel drum with a felt mallet. Reiko’s voice enters—not singing, but counting. Just numbers in Japanese, spoken flatly, swallowed by reverb. This is the most "accessible" track.