Kyou Records

Kyou Records (rendered on its own site as きょうRECORDS) is a Japanese record label. Its official web presence is hosted under the Studio Warp domain at studiowarp.jp/kyourecords/, and Wikidata classifies it simply as a Japanese record label. The label's published catalogue, as reflected on its homepage, centres on archival and reissue-oriented editions connected to the Japanese underground and experimental music milieu — in particular material tied to the figure Aki Yuzuru (阿木譲), the magazine Rock Magazine (ロックマガジン), and the Vanity Records circle, alongside releases by acts such as R.N.A. Organism and Tolerance. The homepage functions as a running catalogue and news feed. It lists reissued or partially reissued issues of Rock Magazine, book publications in the AGI series (including AGI 3 / MERZBOW, AGI 4 / MERZBOW II, AGI 5 / MERZBOW III and AGI 6 / MERZBOW IV), a REVOLUTION+1 Book, and audio releases such as R.N.A. Organism's 'R.N.A.O Meets P.O.P.O [Analog]' and 'Unaffected Mixes plus', and Tolerance's self-titled 'TOLERANCE'. Several entries are framed as features or specials, for example a two-part R.N.A. Organism feature and a Rock Magazine Vol.19 special on free music, Brian Eno and Derek Bailey. Because the label operates primarily through its own web shop and announcement page rather than through a large corporate structure, details such as founding year, founder, headquarters address and ownership are not established by the available evidence. What is clear is the label's editorial identity: it acts as a custodian and re-publisher of Japanese underground music history and related writings, issuing both recorded music and books. Its audience is the collector, researcher and enthusiast segment interested in Japanese post-punk, industrial and experimental music and in the documentary record of that scene. This dossier therefore treats Kyou Records as an active Japanese independent record label and imprint, with a catalogue oriented toward reissues, archival editions and small-press books. Fields that cannot be supported by the supplied evidence are left unset rather than guessed.

Kyou Records is a Japanese record label whose public identity is bound up with its own web catalogue. The label's site is hosted under the Studio Warp domain, and its homepage presents a continuous stream of announcements and catalogue entries rather than a conventional corporate profile. Wikidata records it only as a Japanese record label, and no founding date, founder or ownership structure is established by the available evidence. What the homepage does document is the label's editorial programme. Its releases and publications cluster around the Japanese underground and experimental music tradition. A recurring subject is Aki Yuzuru (阿木譲), whose writings and editorial work are re-presented through the label: the site lists a series of pieces under the heading 'vanity recordsとロックマガジン' (Vanity Records and Rock Magazine), numbered ① through ⑤, each described as a reissue (復刻) of material from Rock Magazine issues — for example Rock Magazine issue 37 (May 1981), issue 15 (August 1978), issue 36 (March 1981), issue 35 (January 1981) and issue 26 (August 1979). A further sequence, 'vanity前夜のロックマガジン' (Rock Magazine on the eve of Vanity), parts 1 to 4, reissues material from the magazine's earliest issues, including the launch issue of 1 March 1976 and issue 2 of 1 May 1976, as well as issues 10 (1 October 1977) and 11 (1 December 1977). The label also reissues whole magazine issues as editions: Rock Magazine Vol.19, with a special feature on free music, Brian Eno and Derek Bailey; Rock Magazine No.28 'NEWYORK'; Rock Magazine Vol.45 (July 1982), titled '音楽愛好症'; Rock Magazine No.29 'MUSICA VIVA'; and Rock Magazine 05 (September 1981), with a partial reissue of a 'SUR-FASCISM' feature. Alongside these, the site lists an 'INDEPENDENT ART' item titled 'POST INDUSTRIAL MUSIC' and an 'ICONOSTESIS / YUZURU AGI' reissue edition. On the audio side, the catalogue includes R.N.A. Organism's 'R.N.A.O Meets P.O.P.O [Analog]' (listed with the code MYK035) and 'Unaffected Mixes plus' (listed with the code SWDTR 11), and Tolerance's self-titled 'TOLERANCE' (listed with the code remodel 22). The label also publishes books: the AGI series, with volumes AGI 3 / MERZBOW, AGI 4 / MERZBOW II, AGI 5 / MERZBOW III and AGI 6 / MERZBOW IV announced as they appear, and a REVOLUTION+1 Book. The site also carries editorial and curatorial content, such as a two-part R.N.A. Organism feature with essays by Noi Sawaragi (椹木野衣) and Yu Hirayama (平山悠), a dialogue between Aki Yuzuru and Isao Nose (能勢伊勢雄), and a note on Tolerance by 'Yorosuzu' (よろすず). It also includes a correction and apology notice for an erratum in the REVOLUTION+1 Book, indicating an active, hands-on publishing operation. Taken together, the evidence describes a small, active Japanese label and imprint that functions as a re-publisher and archivist of a specific strand of Japanese underground music and its print culture, issuing music, magazines and books through its own web channel.

• Rock Magazine launch issue (1 March 1976) material is reissued by the label as part of the 'vanity前夜のロックマガジン' series.

• Rock Magazine issue 2 (1 May 1976) material is reissued in the same series.

• Rock Magazine issues 10 (October 1977) and 11 (December 1977) material is reissued.

• Rock Magazine issues 15 (August 1978) and 26 (August 1979) material is reissued.

• Rock Magazine issues 35 (January 1981), 36 (March 1981) and 37 (May 1981) material is reissued.

• Rock Magazine 05 (September 1981) is reissued with a partial reissue of the 'SUR-FASCISM' feature.

• Rock Magazine Vol.45 (July 1982), titled '音楽愛好症', is reissued.

• R.N.A. Organism's 'R.N.A.O Meets P.O.P.O [Analog]' (MYK035) and 'Unaffected Mixes plus' (SWDTR 11) appear in the label catalogue.

• Tolerance's self-titled 'TOLERANCE' (remodel 22) appears in the label catalogue.

• The AGI book series is published, with volumes AGI 3 / MERZBOW through AGI 6 / MERZBOW IV announced.

• The REVOLUTION+1 Book is published, followed by a published correction and apology for an erratum.

Independent Japanese label and imprint focused on archival, reissue and experimental music editions and related books.

• R.N.A. Organism — 'R.N.A.O Meets P.O.P.O [Analog]' (MYK035)

• R.N.A. Organism — 'Unaffected Mixes plus' (SWDTR 11)

• Tolerance — 'TOLERANCE' (remodel 22)

• AGI book series (AGI 3 / MERZBOW, AGI 4 / MERZBOW II, AGI 5 / MERZBOW III, AGI 6 / MERZBOW IV)

• REVOLUTION+1 Book

• Rock Magazine reissues (Vol.19, No.28 'NEWYORK', Vol.45 '音楽愛好症', No.29 'MUSICA VIVA', 05 'SUR-FASCISM')

• INDEPENDENT ART — 'POST INDUSTRIAL MUSIC'

• ICONOSTESIS / YUZURU AGI reissue edition

1. 1きょうRECORDS – Just another WordPress sitestudiowarp.jp
2. 2Kyou Records — Wikidatawikidata.org