by Skip JansenThis phenomenal Japanese avant-garde composer assembled his finest ensemble to perform the music of television composer Takeo Yamashita. Calling on some of the Tokyo underground's greatest improvisers and noise musicians, Phew, Haco, and Tenko are three vocalist veterans to the Japanese avant-garde scene. Boredoms guitarist Seichi Yamamoto and Zero Gravity mainstays Tsuneo Imahori and Kazunao Nagata provide astonishing musicianship for these modern takes on theme tunes. Adding to the noise with piercing samples, Sachiko M provides her distinctive electronic sine waves. The postmodern take on Japanese pop is given heavy ironic treatment, and the composer has no hesitation to pull these music pieces after giving them an incredibly authentic treatment. Fans of Otomo Yoshahide's Ground Zero will find a glimmering resemblance to that group on the chaotic subversion that makes up the second half of this CD.