MIKAMI, KAN - 19 Years 2 Months 16th Night

A monster of a reissue -- by a long way the rarest item in Mikamis discography, a fanclub-only DLP released in an edition of 100. These are the very earliest recordings by surrealist folk legend Mikami, captured on tape in 1970 at the legendary Shibuya underground club and hangout, Station 70. The club used to host regular sessions by free-jazz heroes like Motoharu Yoshizawa and Kaoru Abe, while the cream of the citys avant-garde community rubbed shoulders with Japanese Red Army terrorists and Yukio Mishimas private army. Thrust into this ferment comes a nineteen year-old police academy dropout from the far north of Japan, armed with nothing but his guitar and a satchel full of coruscating, carnal songs of anger, lust and hate. This reissue isnt going to stick around for long either -- an edition of 777 copies, in a special card digipack. -- Alan Cummings.