In a generation of musicians that came of age in postwar Japan, Kazuki Tomokawa stands as a pioneer of radical individualism, with a sound marked by shocking intimacy and blistering honesty. In his third album, A String of Paper Cranes Clenched between My Teeth, released by Harvest Records in 1977, Tomokawa creeps "ever more inward, " as Kiichi Takahara writes in the record's original introductory text-embracing an attitude pervasive amongst musicians of the time who interrogated the prosaic and the profound alike, eschewing politics and society in favor of an "attitude of total self-containment."Tomokawa recorded the album over the course of a month-from August 24 to September 25, 1977-at Tokyo's famed Onkio Haus studio in the bustling Ginza district. The arrangements, accordingly, are amped up: paired with the Black Panther Orchestra, Tomokawa's "screaming philosopher" vocals find their match with the orchestra's electric guitar, bass, piano, tuba, and ground-thumping drums played by the Brain Police's Toshi Ishizuka-who appears on Tomokawa's first three records and remains his collaborator to this day."This is Kazuki Tomokawa in the flesh, " concludes Takahara. A String of Paper Cranes Clenched between My Teeth is, in Tomokawa's uncanny way, able to cut through facade and artifice in pursuit of truth. "You call that life?" he heckles, exhausted by the melodrama and nihilism of youth counterculture, "try saying you're alive!"
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Turntables - Top Picks
A selection of reliable record players you can buy today, for every budget
-
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Featuring a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm, precision-tuned motor, and a heavy steel platter with TPE damping, it ensures superior stability and sound quality.
-
Ortofon 2M Blue Premounted
Mounted on the SH-4 Black Headshell, this setup delivers exceptional clarity, dynamic range, and accurate sound reproduction.
-
HumminGuru: Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner
Advanced ultrasonic technology with customizable cleaning cycles and a large tank capacity to thoroughly remove dust, dirt, and contaminants
-
Nagaoka MP-110H Cartridge
Features a high-quality elliptical stylus that provides excellent tracking and minimizes distortion, delivering a detailed sound reproduction with an output voltage of 5.0 mV
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Hot Milk Corporation P.O.P
Sony International Network
June 27, 2025 -
Introspekt Moving The Center [2xLP]
Tempa
June 27, 2025 -
Various Artists Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical [2xLP]
Universal UK
July 18, 2025 -
Calum Scott Avenoir (Transparent Pumpkin Spice)
Capitol
September 12, 2025 -
Strange Boutique Let The Lonely Heart Sing (Transparent Marbled Turquoise & Black)
The Circle Music
August 8, 2025 -
Bruce Dickinson More Balls To Picasso (Multicolor Splatter) [2xLP]
Bmg
July 25, 2025 -
Jonas Brothers Greetings From Your Hometown (Cobalt Blue)
Republic Records
August 8, 2025 -
Deadguy NEar-Death Travel Services
Relapse
June 27, 2025 -
Tyler Childers Snipe Hunter [2xLP]
Rca Records
July 25, 2025 -
Night Moves Double Life
Domino Record Co
July 25, 2025 -
Lorde Virgin (Bathwater)
Republic Records
June 27, 2025 -
Death Pill Sologamy (Frosted Transparent)
New Heavy Sounds
July 4, 2025 -
Kesha . (Amazon Exclusive; Bend Over Baby Blue)
Kesha Records
July 4, 2025 -
Midnight Rodeo Chaos Era
Fat Cat
July 11, 2025