Naoki Zushi - Paradise (2025)

The highly obscure debut record by Naoki Zushi, a founding member of Japanoise band Hijokaidan, comes reissued via Sad Disco. An early Org Records outing, Paradise came two years into the ogreish 80s label's quality-controlled run of LPs between dream pop, psychedelic rock and noise. Zushi resisted an easy fit into any one of these categories, and the likes of 'Spirit In My Hair' tenderise through gusts of rhythmic noisy pedal fuzz, not to mention guitar chord arpeggiations played so tightly they almost sound sequenced. Quietly released while Hijokaidan were well into their career and exploring one of their harshest phases, this lovely album by the guitarist is a comparative haven, predicting the silky noise-gaze styles later taken up by Boris or Yellow Swans.

Tracklist:
1-1 Naoki Zushi - こびと [5:56]
1-2 Naoki Zushi - ハレルヤ [6:13]
1-3 Naoki Zushi - 孤独のハープ弾き [1:49]
1-4 Naoki Zushi - パラダイス：真昼 [3:32]
1-5 Naoki Zushi - Black Hole [3:11]
1-6 Naoki Zushi - 紫の夕べ [3:16]
1-7 Naoki Zushi - 目の前の天使達 [3:14]
1-8 Naoki Zushi - Another Lonely Harpist [2:03]
1-9 Naoki Zushi - They've Gone, They Will Come [4:19]
1-10 Naoki Zushi - パラダイス [5:36]
1-11 Naoki Zushi - 童話 [5:46]
1-12 Naoki Zushi - Spirit In My Hair [2:37]