YOKI HINOHARA ????? - Rasenjikan ???? Profeller, a label specializing in rock music under the umbrella of Nippon Columbia (the oldest record company in Japan), was founded in 1971 by Tadataka Watanabe, who is also the producer of Flower Travellin' Band's Anywhere, Strawberry Path's When The Raven Has Come To The Earth. Closed in 1973 and only existing for less than three years, Propeller is a minor label with seven albums and four singles. However, their catalog is lined with fantastic albums full of individuality, such as solo albums by Tetsu Yomauchi (bassist of Free, Faces, Samurai), Hiroshi Segawa (vocalist of Dynamites), and Hideki Ishima (guitarist of Flower Travellin' Band). Among them, Yoki Hinohara's album Rasenjikan (Spiral Time) is a 'masterpiece'. Yoki Hinohara was born in Shizuoka in 1947, moved to Tokyo at the age of three, entered Keiokijuku, and graduated from Keio University. In his senior year of high school, he formed the band Marilin Monroe Hus'band with keyboard player Makoto Yano, and was active until his sophomore year in college. In parallel with the band, from around 1969, Hinohara worked as a part-time AD on TBS-TV's popular morning show 'Young 720'. As he became involved in the production of the show, the ambitious broadcast programming became a hot topic, featuring rock bands and unknown young artists: for example, the garage psychedelic rock band Jacks, the young folk artist Yosui Inoue who was active under the pseudonym "Andre Kandre" at the time, Yukihiro Takahashi who was still in high school (drummer of Yellow Magic Orchestra, Sadistic Mika Band), and only junior high school students. Arai Yumi (vocalist, one of the founders of city pop) and others. Although 'Young 720' ended in 1971, Hinohara continued to work as a broadcast writer at TBS, and in the following year, in 1972, he released his solo album Rasenjikan in which he composed and sang all the songs himself. Among the songs included, Nukenin (The Bolter), c/w Tsumujikaze no Asa (Whirlwind Morning) was also released as a single. Hinohara's album Rasenjikan is an album that has been known only to marrow collectors. The entire album is overflowing with the scent of British pop, such as the Beatles, Kinks, and Robert Wyatt, and is full of colorful sounds like a handmade jewelry box. It is a masterpiece that shows that all energy was poured into the exploration of sound. It is truly surprising that this hidden masterpiece is reprinted as an analog LP in South Korea. I hope everyone will enjoy the legacy of Yoki Hinohara, which captures the richness and delicacy of the Japanese music scene in the early 1970s.
Release date:
April 12, 2024
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Phono Preamps - Top Picks
A selection of the best phono preamps for your turntable setup
-
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.
-
Edifier R1280DB Powered Speakers
Combining classic design with modern Bluetooth connectivity, built-in amplification and versatile inputs, these speakers deliver rich, balanced sound.
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Imperial Crystalline Entombment I.C.E Abominable Astral Summoning
Debemur Morti Productions
July 11, 2025 -
FLETCHER Would You Still Love Me If You Really Knew Me?
Fletcher/Snapback
July 18, 2025 -
Cardi B AM I THE DRAMA? (Apple)
Atlantic
September 19, 2025 -
Allo Darlin' Bright Nights (Magenta)
Slumberland Records
July 25, 2025 -
Sophie PRODUCT
Numbers
July 11, 2025 -
Good Charlotte Motel Du Cap (Amazon Exclusive)
Atlantic
August 8, 2025 -
Arjen Anthony Lucassen Songs No One Will Hear [2xLP]
Inside Out Music
September 12, 2025 -
Ebba Åsman When You Know
Dorado
July 25, 2025 -
Madeline Kenney Kiss from the Balcony (Red Rose)
Carpark Records
July 18, 2025 -
Bostich + Fussible Tijuana Sound Machine Nortec Collective Presents
Nacional Records
August 15, 2025 -
Sundays Static & Silence
Geffen
July 11, 2025 -
Laura Jane Grace Adventure Club (Pink)
Polyvinyl Records
July 18, 2025 -
Nailed to Obscurity Generation Of The Void (Clear, Light Rose & Black Marbled) [2xLP]
Nuclear Blast
September 5, 2025 -
Panos Alexiadis Cestrum Nocturnum
B.a.a.D.M.
July 11, 2025