Hideki Matsutake

I think I mentioned that sony reissued Logic System's "To-gen-kyo" over
the summer after having been out of print about 10 years. Of Tomita
interest is he does a good all-synth cover of Tomita's "Shin Nihon Kiko"
theme. He also throws in some of his own Tomita style covering of
Borodin's "In the Steppes of Central Asia" extensively woven into an
embarassing funk song! Would have liked it as a standalone. Hideki
Matsutake who for all intents is Logic System (though he's had others
join the group) was Tomita's sequencer programmer back in the 1970s.

I thought I'd drop some comments on an additional non-tomita related
Matsutake reissue as I've yet to see it discussed on the net... and the
general concept of Moog covers of James Bond themes are probably not too
far off topic here.



Hideki Matsutake and K.I.Capsule
007 Digital Moon

1979 CBS sony   2003 reissue Sony MHCL 297

K.I. Capsule is Katsunori Ishida. He is the arranger while Matsutake
programs sounds and sequences. This is a fun album of 10 covers of James
Bond themes and songs through Moonraker (skipping Thunderball for what
it's worth). I think there is always a leagal tiptoe around unsanctioned
Bond albums. The "007" if it was part of the tiltle is now off the title
leaving just "Digital Moon". There was never a problem with covering the
themes, I think legal issues come in when it's being sold as James Bond
merchandise.

The tracks are in a fun moog meets disco sound. There is some solo
violin by Hiroki Tamaki and real? drums though some drums are programmed
too. A few hints of Moroder though overall the feel is more like a synth
cover album. Much more technically advanced sounding and well mastered
than The Fanatsia (1978).



IIIC Magical Space Band
The Infinite Space Octave

1978 e.p. ,  2003 CD reissue Sony MHCL 297 coupled with Digital Moon

This is a 4 track mini album that is more a demo of sonic illusions than
typical music. I'd never heard of it before the 2003 coupling. It is
definitely Matsutake. The cover has a 3 looped moebius strip and an
illustrated infinite staircase seen originally in M.C.Escher's prints.
These are probably perfect visual analogies. These tracks in the 2-3
minute range contain effects like Shepard tones - perpetual rising or
falling sounds that never end their rise or fall. I'm not sure I'd want
to pick up this album especially with presumably Japanese written album
notes but as coupled with Digital Moon there are no complaints from me
except "Hey that never ending rising tone doesn't sound much like a
James Bond theme! and then I wonder if Shirley Bassey or Carly Simon
could ever sing it. I assume this was released in 1978 but the notes in
the new CD booklet are dated 1987 so there is some sort of typo somewhere.




finally (plug something time) I have a mint unopenned copy of
Matsutake's 2000 album "Purple Project" for sale on ebay now

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=archanaut


nick