*Japrocksampler alert*
Far East Family Band were arguably the best of the psychedelic/prog bands to emerge from Japan in the ’70s. They might not have been as far out as Brast Burn or Krauna Khyal, but as far as pure kosmiche was concerned, not many bands outside of Germany could compare. What’s more, Far East Family Band had the added bonus of Klaus Schulze as producer. Some say Schulze taught the band how to play keyboards, others claim its really him performing on the album. Whatever the case may be, that unmistakable sound is present here. Parallel World sounds like a lost, early Tangerine Dream album with its propulsive, tribal rhythms and trippy keyboard flourishes. Think Alpha Centauri meets Saucerful Of Secrets. Earth-shaking and beautiful. Those are some lofty comps, but listen and you’ll see they are both worthy.
The band formed in the early ’70s in Tokyo. The first incarnation was called Far Out. They forged their identity during a stay at Fumio Miyashita’s family farmhouse. I guess it was similar to Amon Duul when they lived on their own commune. Their first three records (Far Out, The Cave Down To Earth (featuring a young Kitaro on keyboards), Nipponjin) fall more in the category of straight progressive rock, but you should definitely investigate them as well.
Far East Family Band
Parallel World
Mu Land, 1976
MegaUpload DL Link
01. Metempsychosis
02. Entering
03. Kokoro
04. Parallel World
