Longing for the Shadow: Ryūkōka Recordings, 1921-1939 LP

Compiled by the London-based record label & NTS radio show Death is Not the End, whose releases are often the result of deep digging and musical research, 'Longing for the Shadow' uncovers the story of ryūkōka, a style of early 20th century music that folded in Western genres with Japanese traditional music. The 16 tracks of this compilation take the listener on a journey through memorable melodies that circle the blues, jazz and folk music of the era through an Eastern prism, and will resonate in the listener's head for a long while. 

"Emerging during the early stages of the recording industry in Japan, the ryūkōka style adopted western classical, blues & jazz elements into traditional and classical Japanese music.

"This collection of 1920s & 30s ryūkōka recordings follows on from the 'Kouta Katsutaro' tape we put out a couple of years back, and further captures the hauntingly unique sound of a cultural merging that was starting to reflect itself via popular song, ahead of the widespread influence of western pop music during post-war US occupation." — Death is Not the End