Dream Weapons present: ILHA FORMOSA C60

Ilha Formosa means Beautiful Island. Portuguese sailors gave the island now known as Taiwan its former name in 1542. Formosa was actually the commonly used name for Taiwan up until the 1960-1970’s. Anyway here’s a collection of female singers and male instrumentalists - all originating from this beautiful island. At least according to my information. My selection contains music spanning over 15 years, from 1968 to 1983. I recognize plenty of both Chinese and Japanese material and influences. Some (or quite a few) of these melodies are based on well known South East Asian traditional songs, but presented with an «updated» westernized approach. Which was typical for this era of Asian popular music practically everywhere, except for in North Korea. This hour of 21 tunes still feature a few peculiar surprises. For instance Taiwan had their own «moogsploitation»-like scene named after Yamaha’s electronic organ series «Electone»*. A pretty amazing discovery for me personally. Full of life, lovely and charming. Enjoy! -Moahaha

*The song in the video underneath is a perfect example of that "scene"

 

1 Hua Xuanxuan / 華萱萱 - Today is Tomorrow / 今天過去是明天
2 Jenny Tseng / 甄妮 - First Meeting / 第一次見面
3 Chen Yingjie / 陳盈潔 - I'll Never Love You Again / 永遠不再愛你
4 Lam Mei-Man & Yang Zhaorong / 林美滿 & 楊昭榮  - Rain of Love / 慕情时雨
5 Yang Yan / 楊燕 - Apple Flower / 蘋果花 (song edit)
6 Di Si Nai Band / 年 狄斯奈大乐队 - 4 (unknown title)
7 Huang Shu Fen / 黃淑芬 - Manli / 蔓莉
8 The Telstar Combo / 電星樂隊 - Cherry Blossom Moon / 月桃花
9 Lin You Mei / 林友梅 - The Swallows Fly Apart / 燕分飛
10 Chan Ming Yang / 杨灿明主 - The Moon Over the Ruined Castle / 廢堡上的月亮
11 Zhao Bei Yu / 趙倍譽 - Cultivate / 耕耘

12 The Devil's Fantasy Band / 魔鬼奇幻樂隊演奏
 - Blues (from Seashore) / 藍調 (斯從 海邊)
13 Lily Chao / 趙曉君  -  Why Are You Hiding / 你何必躲避
14 Dreamy Music / 昨夜夢中  -  White Sun / 白色太陽
15 Bao Na Na / 包娜娜  -  Wedding Wishes / 婚禮祝福
16 Tsui Wing Siu Music Team / 徐永兆樂隊  -  Crimson Lotus / 紅睡蓮
17 Little White Rabbit and Little Yingge /  小白兔 & 小莺歌
 - Pinky Finger Memories / 小指の想い出
18 Wong Ngok Sang / 王粵生 - Song of the Fisherman / 漁夫之歌
19 Jin Jing / 金晶 - Taipei Nights / 臺北之夜
20 Yeung Chan Ming / 楊燦明  -  Kaworu / 川流
21 Chen Fen Lan / 陳芬蘭 - Tears of Flowers / 淚的小花

Here

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Anyone who enjoys this, or any kind of vintage Asian music, has got to check out the one of a kind and truly amazing madrotter-treasure-hunt blog. 

+ if you prefer your mp3 cover art with a correctly spelled title, just download this image and replace the file (I originally wrote "ihla"):

 

Dream Weapons present: AGE OF GOLD C60

Was the post-war era of 1950-1960 an age of gold - or a golden age? I don’t know, probably for those who were young back then. Youth is everyone's golden era, so I could have written exactly that about almost any period of time. But post-war is surely better than war. I stole the title from Bunuels surrealist movie L’Age d’Or (well, the english title), because it has this nice, nostalgic ring to it. By now it probably goes without saying that: here's another hour of intercontinental golden oldies! Guess I said it anyway. Nothing but highlights here! I think that every single time I share a mix though -Moahaha

1 Georges Jouvin Orchestra - Maruzella
2 The Tokyo Serenaders - Yuuraku Cho de Aimasho
3 The Four Knights - Walkin' and Whistlin' Blues
4 Alain Romans - Tango de thé Dansant
5 Jaycee Hill - Crash-Out
6 Carole Bennett - Haunted Lover
7 Fred Lowery - The Moon of Mankoora
8 Tomás Campos con Waldo de los Ríos - Zamba de la Toldería
9 Club Nisei Orchestra - Hana Kotoba No Uta
10 Webley Edwards - Thoughts of Love
11 Morton Gould - La Comparsa

12 Ferlin Husky - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
13 André Popp - Mon Coeur Attend
14 The King Sisters - Sweet Leilani
15 Rollee McGill - Helena Mambo
16 Jack Ary - Tu M'etais Destinee
17 Teruko Akatsuki / 暁テル子 - Liberal Ginza / りべらる銀座
18 The Paseo Jazz Band - Paseo Blues
19 Vanja Orico - Chanson du Jangadeiro
20 Ali Beirut's Orientales - Chifti
21 Krontjong Ensemble Pantja Warna - Hatiku
22 David Carroll - Madrid

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Dream Weapons present: PRESENT TENSE C60

I have to admit that I’m a little proud of this one. It is the sort of mixtape I would have loved for someone else to have compiled - and for me to discover. Twelve compositions released in 2024 and two from 2023 is about as present tense that I’m capable of. Actually it’s way beyond my capabilities in that regard. I made a  playlist titled «Strange Beauty», and somehow this hour of pristine musical gems materialized from within it. Almost. 

-Whether leaning mostly toward the traditional, experimental, electronic or ambient - all fourteen compositions can safely be filed under «Modern Classical». In retrospect, I might as well have kept my playlist-title, as these are all strange beauties to my ears -Moahaha

1 Alice Hebborn - Saisons - Mouvement 2
2 Laura Masotto - Dark Horse
3 Bruno Sanfilippo - The Feast of Crows
4 Christopher Cerrone - Beaufort Scales. I & II
5 Malcolm Pardon - Side Effects
6 Kirin McElwain - Work
7 Ljudvägg & L.T. Fisk - Försvinna, återvända

8 Jasmine Wood - VII
9 Laura Cannell and Lori Goldston - Lying Beneath The Earth
10 Snowdrops - The River
11 Watine - Unbroken Fields
12 Sarah Neufeld, Richard Reed Pary, Rebecca Foon - Georgia
13 Lauré Lussier - 4th Movement - Allegretto
14 Otto A. Totland - Mirror

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Dream Weapons present: OBSIDIAN ROCKS C90

No, I’ve not compiled the musical equivalent to a volcanic eruption. It’s closer to the polished rocks or handmade figures made from the volcanic glass that naturally occurs when lava rapidly cools. Yes, it’s another mix of fusions between the Jazz and various styles of music that seemingly everyone was into during the 1970’s. Sometimes resembling World Music, sometimes spiritual, often groovin’, always radiating warmth. Humankind at its very best -Moahaha 

1 The Bridge - Puls
2 Georges Arvanitas - Arc En Ciel
3 Hadley Caliman - The Latin Thing
4 Phil Upchurch & Tennyson Stephens - Black Maybe
5 Frode Thingnaes Quintet - Queen Python
6 Pazop - Mirela
7 Andre Fertier's Clivage - Moving Waves
8 Phrydderichs Phaelda - Zinky

9 Fred Stone - Elissa
10 David Diggs - Elusion
11 White, Green And Reds - Riffs
12 The Awakening - Mode For D.D.
13 Attila Engin Group - Deeply in Love
14 Buki-Yamaz - Your Beauty Is Devine/St. May
15 Pumpkin - Free At Last
16 Don Burrows - Twilight Zone  

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