Hard to believe its been 10 years since the last volume of this series that was at least partly responsible for first bringing the myriad mutant strains then fermenting in the Tokyo underground to the ears of yr average western bozo. In a way it makes sense that PSF temporarily pulled the plug after Volume 4, as that was certainly the weakest set in the series so far, mostly down to the fact that they were caught somewhere between simply presenting yet more tracks from first wavers like Musica Transonic, Haino et al and a new wave of players that hadn’t yet developed into anything of real sonic interest, groups like Broomdusters, Psychedelic Crazy Horse etc… In the space since the last instalment, Osaka’s Alchemy records have pretty much stepped into the void with their Night Gallery comps but with the new Tokyo Flashback 5 the series is truly back on the map, thanks in part to the presence of a whole new generation of profoundly damaged psych outfits who have fully consolidated the moves of earlier, vanguard players, including VT faves Suishou No Fune, Aural Fit and Hisato Higuchi in addition to the always-impressive old guard like Keiji Haino, White Heaven, Overhang Party and Marble Sheep.

Aural Fit’s opener, “Behind 20, Beyond 20k” is an insanely heavy slice of berserker fury, several bowls more blasted than even their debut CD while the White Heaven track is a beauty, a live trio version of “Mandrax Town” from their debut LP, Out (with You Ishihara’s vocals navigating the zone like no one outside of Dredd Foole). Kyoaku No Intention (the duo of High Rise guitarist Munehiro Narita and drummer Shoji Hano) put in some searing post-McLaughlin power blues and Kabe Mimi, a previously unknown Japanese group, generate some blinding psychedelic murk, while Keiji Haino ? here billing himself as DJ Keiji Haino (who says Haino hasn’t got a sense of humour?) ? turns in the first official recording of his mind-bending turntable work. As with everything he puts his fingers too, it sounds emphatically like Keiji Haino and don’t worry, no fuggin beats. Overhang Party contribute a full-band version of “Prayer Of A Fool”, the vague 9-11 ballad that showed up in a different form on a CD-R release, while Marble Sheep make a return to the Flashback series with some great, goofy, high-energy rock. Tsuru No Ko are also impressive, a heavy new duo featuring Masami Kawaguchi of LSD-March and Nobuko Emi of Tsurubami/Ohkami No Jikan/Shogo Nari but the real highlights of the set are the tracks by Suishou No Fune, who put in one of their fantastically despairing/threatening duo concepts, with Kageo’s skull-rending vocals supported by a constellation of stoned guitar, and the ghost of a track by Hisato Higuchi, an ethereal shot of breath that inhabits the same lonely space carved out by solitaries like Loren Mazzacane, Jandek and Christina Carter. For anyone looking for the next wave of new Japanese sound, here’s yr map.
(Volcanic Tongue U.K)