Various Artists - Wamono A to Z presents: “Blow Up” Trio - Japanese Rare Groove from the Trio Records vaults 1973-1981 (Selected by Chintam)

Wamono A to Z presents: “Blow Up” Trio sees DJ Chintam dig into the Trio Records vaults for eight cuts of Japanese jazz-funk, fusion and rare groove produced between 1973 and 1981, with hard drum breaks, weighty bass lines and funky horn arrangements at the centre.

After years working as a record-store buyer, Chintam opened Blow Up in Tokyo's Shibuya district in 2018 and co-supervised the Wamono A to Z record guide with DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite. Here he turns his attention to Trio Records, established in 1969 by Trio Electronics, now known as Kenwood.

The compilation draws from a label and its subsidiaries that issued rock, jazz, fusion, soundtrack and popular music until 1984. These selections offer a concentrated route into the Japanese jazz, funk, soul, rare-groove and boogie continuum.

This edition is pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl in a reverse-board jacket. The Trio masters are fully licensed, with mastering and lacquer cutting by Jukka Sarapää at Timmion Cutting Lab in Helsinki and artwork by Yoxxx.