Christal Zone - Rai Rai / Kanashiyana

Since 2018, BBE Music’s J Jazz Series of compilations and album reissues has been at the forefront in focusing attention on the hitherto cloistered and rarified world of Japanese jazz. True to the ethos of the series, curators Tony Higgins and Mike Peden have once again dug up a truly rare gem in the form of a 45 from the mysterious Christal Zone, originally released in 1971 only as a promo and reissued here for the very first time.

Several years before pianist Tohru Aizawa and brothers Tetsuya and Kyoichiro Morimura formed the now-celebrated Tohru Aizawa Quartet, whose 1975 private- press spiritual jazz LP Tachibana Vol 1 has become a cornerstone of the J Jazz canon and previously reissued by BBE, they were already venturing into bold, experimental territory. Their 1971 single Rai Rai, released as a promotional 7-inch on Liberty Records under the short-lived moniker Christal Zone was written and arranged by koto player and composer Hideakira Sakurai. An almost unclassifiable hybrid of jazz, Japanese folk, Algerian raï, and free improvisation. Sakurai’s visionary approach dominates the track, blending traditional Japanese instrumentation with a dense polyrhythmic groove that evokes not only avant-garde jazz but also the raw street energy of Algerian raï — celebratory, unfiltered, and joyfully unrestrained.

The story behind the recording of Rai Rai is as spontaneous as the music itself.

While casually rehearsing at Sakurai’s villa, the group was overheard by producer Kunihiko Murai, who was so stunned by what he heard that he arranged a studio session for them the very next day. The resulting 7-inch — Rai Rai / Kanashiyana, released under the one-off Christal Zone name, is now one of the rarest artefacts in Japanese jazz, with original copies fetching astronomical prices among collectors.

BBE Music has faithfully reproduced the original artwork and packaging to celebrate this extraordinary and super rare piece of J Jazz history. A piece that bridges the ancient and the future, Japan and North Africa, in under four minutes of controlled chaos. A truly one-of-a- kind artefact, Rai Rai is a manifesto from a generation unafraid to rip up the rulebook and follow their own path.

English translation of the liner notes:

RAI RAI (2:56)
KANASHIYANA (3:05)
Sung by and performed by Crystal Zone
Hideakira Sakurai – Koto/ Shamisen/ African Drum/ Vocal
Kazuo Kojima – Koto/ Japanese Percussion
Kyoichiro Morimura – Tenor, Soprano Saxophone
Toru Aizawa – Piano
Kazufumi Ohama – Bass
Tetsuya Morimura – Drums

It finally looks like the era of Pacific area culture has arrived. The ancient period of the Mu continent is largely forgotten and, not too long ago, when it came to the cultural flavour of the world, it was owned by the people of the Atlantic Ocean coastline, Europe and the East Coast of America. You could say that, as time passed and the taste of people shifted, the world’s cultural leadership has transferred into the hands of the people of the Pacific coasts. Music, etc. is surely a great example. The American West Coast has always got their music distributed to the rest of the world. And as for Japan, it is coming soon, too.

It is the end of an era where clothing is an indication of your social class, so now anyone can dress however they like, when they want and, as such, it is an era in which people can also enjoy the music that they like according to their own needs. Musical tastes have also diversified and it is a matter of course that it becomes more private and, if it gets more private, it has the capacity to
directly inspire the listener.

So, what actually is our music? Instead of stating an anachronism, songs of war and revolution are like a sense of danger from the 19th century that cannot escape being obviously ridiculous. For example, Japanese people—who sometimes slurp instant noodles—copying hard rock perfectly, reeks of a somewhat monkey-like frivolity. However, you could say that this flexibility is the foundation of Japanese culture. At any rate, the reason why Japanese rock groups are focused on writing their own original songs is because they want to make an honest, totally subjective statement.

Like the economy that is called the economic animal, music itself—and with it—the recording technology, has improved remarkably in recent years. What stands out most among them is, of course, the finished works’ musicianship and originality. As you can hear, this group’s songs have originality, with its use of Japanese instruments. They are a group with impeccable chops and you can really enjoy them. Adding a koto to an ensemble of bass, piano, drum, percussion, trumpet, and saxophone was an outstanding idea. In addition, it is worth calling to attention the fact that, rather than simply indulging in exoticism, they manage to perform their songs perfectly with a Latin rock flavour. All the members of this group are either alumnus of music universities or top-level young artists in the Japanese music scene.

Kunihiko Murai