UA X NARUYOSHI KIKUCHI
Cure Jazz
(Victor Speedstar)

Japanese singer UA launched her career a decade ago as a conventional house diva, but recently she’s become known for trailblazing albums that range from experimental electronica to free improvisation. Get over the fact that Cure Jazz (combining the “Ki” in sax player and composer Naruyoshi Kikuchi’s name with “UA,” resulting in the phonetic “cure” in Japanese) is an album of jazz standards, and there’s plenty to like about it. With so many definitive versions to compare them to, familiar chestnuts like trumpet great Dizzy Gillespie’s “Night in Tunisia” are less successful, but on the originals, such as the slinky, whispering “Music on the Planet Where the Dawn Never Breaks,” UA’s rich voice entwines with elegant sax to weave an exotic spell. DG

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Peace Not War Japan
(Dynastic)

Mainstream J-pop may be a political void, but on the fringes are many artists with a conscience. That’s the lesson taught by this antiwar charity compilation, which launches with tracks from pub-punkers Soul Flower Union, crack techno producer Captain Funk and brain-bending dub warriors Dry & Heavy. Following are selections by the less familiar but still worthy Okinawa-based ethno-electronica duo Ryukyu Underground and Tokyo downtempo/experimental unit Quante Jubila. The latter tracks are a tour of underground hip-hop in Japan, with contributions by Tokyo’s female rap trio Raw Rec and Hiroshima units Unused and And More. Verdict: a diverse introduction to the contemporary Japanese music scene that simultaneously satisfies your ears and conscience. DG

MUSE
Black Holes And Revelations
(Warner Bros.)

After a golden run that saw them redefine rock music’s boundaries, Radiohead spawned many imitators. Few could have expected, though, that it would be Muse who delivered what may be the defining rock statement of 2006. Black Holes is an audacious blend of ’70s prog, multilayered electronica and pounding rock that fervently defies expectation, gelling seamlessly with vocalist Matthew Bellamy’s distressing yet tenderly aching vocal delivery. Whether viciously accusative political statements, haunting lovelorn anthems or the playfully obscure dance hybrid “Supermassive Black Hole,” each adventurous creation reveals itself as more exquisite with every listen. While most rock bands are diligently updating their sound or resting on their laurels, Muse’s ambition, and contribution, is far greater. Robert Poole

F.I.P.
Hip Hop
(Discovery Firm)

Self-styled First International Players’ debut collaboration lives (somewhat) up to its claim with a bilingual flow tightly produced by the old G of duo Dope Daddy. The CD opens with typical gangsta braggadocio in the form “It’z Yo Worst Day,” then thumps and bumps with the likes of “Thizzle Dance,” pointing to its US West Coast influence. Newcomer M.O. at times exhibits raw adolescence, but tight lyrics and smooth flow bring a bicultural flavor as he fluctuates between accent-less Japanese and English. Most of these mixes will rock the dance floor and bob the cocked heads of cruising low-riders. But cuts like “Stuk” and “I’ll be There,” backed by dope female vocals (whose missing credits reinforce the CD’s lustful misogyny), can move the body and more. For details see http://t1records.com Oscar Johnson


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