{"product_id":"niningashi-heavy-way","title":"Niningashi -  Heavy Way","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA long-lost Japanese acid folk gem, Niningashi’s 1974 private press debut \u003cem\u003eHeavy Way\u003c\/em\u003e shimmers with originality, deft song writing and a dream-like groove. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlthough he was training as a pharmacist, Kazuhisa Okubo was much more interested in prescribing musical medicine. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA coming-of-age album, \u003cem\u003eHeavy Way\u003c\/em\u003e captured a turning point in Okubo’s 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIntoxicated 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. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNiningashi 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMelancholy and profound, opening track ‘Ameagari’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003efeels like a synthesis of Harvest-era Neil Young and Haruomi Hosono’s Happy End. Then there’s the whimsical washboard country sound of ‘Semai Boku No Heyade’; the moody, low-lit charm of ‘Restaurant’; and ‘Hitoribotchi’, 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 Capsule’s era-spanning collection \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/theanalogvault.mom\/products\/various-artists-nippon-acid-folk-1970-1980\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eNippon Acid Folk\u003c\/a\u003e, Niningashi’s \u003cem\u003eHeavy Way\u003c\/em\u003e is a deep-cut grail of a vibrant time in Japan’s musical history, where even the pharmacists were making jams. — via Label\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe style=\"border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=2964754917\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e↓\u003cbr\u003eLabel: Time Capsule\u003cbr\u003eFormat: Vinyl, LP\u003cbr\u003eReissued: 2024 \/ Original Release: 1974\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Rock, Folk, World, \u0026amp; Country\u003cbr\u003eStyle: Folk Rock, Acid Rock, Folk, Psychedelic Rock\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFile under: Psychedelic Rock\u003cbr\u003e⦿\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Time Capsule","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43969075282078,"sku":"7483223221026","price":48.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0584\/5434\/3838\/files\/a3040676420_10.jpg?v=1718192360","url":"https:\/\/theanalogvault.mom\/products\/niningashi-heavy-way","provider":"The Analog Vault","version":"1.0","type":"link"}