Sakura Aural Bliss is an excursion into the sound of Japan's electronic underground. Nik Weston has gathered a selection of of well established producers like Yukihiro Fukutomi, United Future Organization, Chari Chari and Calm to rub shoulders with lesser-known producers with no compromise on quality. A varied musical journey that takes no prisoners, this album takes its influences from jazz, ambient, deep house, Brazilian, afro and beyond as we immerse ourselves in this melodious blend of music from the "Land of the Rising Sun".

1. Electric Sheep "Amniotic"
2. Grooveman Spot "Voyage The Sky (Grooveman Spot remix)"
3. Speedometer "Summer Haze"
4. Takayuki Shiraishi "Mr. Blank"
5. United Future Organization "Por Do Sol"
6. Cosmic Village "Aquasphere"
7. Calm "Dubbing For The Nature"
8. Takuya "Summerjam"
9. Sunaga T Experience "Times 24th By Starlight (Mark de Clive-Lowe remix)"
10. Calm "Above The Cloud"
11. Chari Chari "Across The Universe (Frankie Valentine's late nite rendez-vous)"
12. Calm "Sketch On Banana Paper"
13. Yukihiro Fukutomi "Drifting (raw deal mix)"
14. Shiba "El Sol"
15. Watusi (Coldfeet) "Aphrodisiac"

Nik Weston has been collecting and spinning music for over twenty years now and has DJ'd with a laundry list of luminaries including Peanut Butter Wolf, Tricky, Richard Dorfmeister, Phil Asher, Mariena Shaw, Fertile Ground, US 3, Dj Krush and even Courtney Pine. He's been a monthly DJ resident at Russ Dewbury's legendary Brighton Jazz Rooms (which has been running every Friday and Saturday for the last fifteen years) for the last four years and regularly spins all over the globe.

The last few years have seen him spinning extensively across Europe but he's also played in Russia, Canada, Australia and completed four DJ tours of Japan. Nik also writes several Japanese music columns as well as co-presenting a two-hour radio show "Forwardsbackwards" on www.milkaudio.com out of Canada (also syndicated in France and Australia).

The Artists

The Tokyo producer Calm has been making music since the mid 90's and so far has had releases on the Yellow label in France, Ubiquity in the US, Exceptional and Disorient in the UK as well as a plethora of major and independent Japanese labels. His remix catalogue is extensive and artists he's reworked include Chari Chari, Jazzanova and Modaji.

United Future Organization who were leaders of the Acid Jazz scene in the early 90's have been around for over a decade remixing, DJing and producing. They continue to tour the world and are currently working on the follow up to their critically acclaimed "V" album from which the track "El Sol" is taken.

Electric Sheep are comprised of Shuya Okino and Hajime Yoshizawa. Together with Shuya's brother Yoshihiro they are also members of the production outfit Kyoto Jazz Massive who record for Compost Records out of Munich, Germany. Shuya & Hajime were both part of highly successful Mondo Grosso for many years and are also represented in another form on this album as the four-piece Cosmic Village. Hajime is the leader of the Nu Jazz outfit Sleepwalker and have recently been working with the legendary saxophone player, Pharoah Saunders.

Yukihiro Fukutomi is an artist signed to Avex in Japan and to the cutting edge house label, King Street Sounds in the US.

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