Import
Right, finally. So... I can barely express how problematic it's been trying to obtain copies of this latest reissue of Aunt Sally's one and only record from 1979 - originally pressed at the tail end of last year, numbers were at a premium and didn't make their way to distro. A new edition was meant to be more readily available, though that's proven more than a little optimistic. So, for now at least, we've been granted just a couple of copies. It's a shame, because this is an iconic record with huge appeal, a headline feature on the hallowed Vanity imprint and the world's first introduction to one Hiromi Moritami (aka Phew). Outta Osaka (but not yet college), the five spearheaded the experimental faction of Japanese post-punk, fusing atonality, skeletal song structure and haunting sing-song melody in a way that was both highly specific and spoke of wider international interests. Though pre-dating most, they shared some sensibilities with other Japanese acts like C. Memi, Paradise of Replica or Mikan Mukku, the way western pop tropes are upended and reimagined, rhythms and melodies seemingly from a different register (might you even consider I Was Chosen a naive expression of enka?). Yet, there's at least some passing similarities to their western peers, namely Malaria and The Raincoats, a product no doubt of autodidactic ingenuity and the shrillness of punk. What Moritami soon moved on to with Phew remains truly pioneering, but you can hear those roots clearly here - the invention, sense of self, even the presentation (that cover!) make for a remarkable combination. Hopeful of another pressing landing sometime very soon (watch this space), though you should also note that this is one of those rare instances where scarcity is truly revealing of power and charm.
