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In the age of streaming you’d be forgiven for assuming streaming sites are a complete archive of recorded music. The reality is many great records are left off them due to rights and licensing complications or simply because nobody has uploaded them. Here are a few of my favourite examples of such albums.
TAKASHI KOKUBO - BARCELONA - GAUDI'S DREAM (1992)
I’ve been a fan of ambient music, particularly Japanese New Age probably since around 2020 (the pandemic was a good time to zone out from). Characterised by more minimalistic instrumentation, environmental themes and a consciousness behind the music of the spaces they're designed to fill - it’s a unique and particularly meditative form of ambient music.
‘Barcelona - Gaudi’s Dream’ is an album that was released on CD in 1992 and has never been reissued or added to streaming sites. The title and artwork takes inspiration from the architect Antoni Gaudi and his most famous work, the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. The music mainly revolves around harp and guitar-like instrumentation interspersed with church bells and soft synthesisers, it’s peaceful and very meditative. It’s quiet but also feels grand and deep - fitting for an album inspired by one of the largest cathedrals in the world.
BEVERLY COPELAND - BEVERLY COPELAND (1970)
A folk-jazz record from 1970, Beverly Copeland’s self-titled debut album was initially released in a run of 250 copies, not to be reissued again until 2018. Imagine a darker, jazzier Joni Mitchell album from the early 70’s and you’re half way there to picturing what this sounds like. ‘Good Morning Blues’ is the standout track, a hypnotic guitar strummed ballad with reverb-soaked trumpet laced over it.
KASSAV' - LAGUÉ MOIN (1980)
Kassav are a French-Carribean band that originated in Guadeloupe and pioneered the genre ‘zouk’. This type of music is a form of dance music that fuses African rhythms, synthesisers, brass and infectious bass lines. ‘Lagué Moin’ is a flawless example of an early album in this genre that influenced its sound. Fresh production, crisp drums, fast and playful guitar leads and ethereal synth lines weave throughout this album, from the dancy title track to more spacey and psychedelic moments on ‘Kalagia’. I have an original 1980 pressing on vinyl (the only official way to hear it physically other than cassette and one reissue from 1985). I can’t say I listen to zouk too often but this album is probably my favourite in the genre and it’s a shame it can’t be streamed.
HARUOMI HOSONO - N. D. E. (1995)
Haruomi Hosono is a legendary figure in Japanese music and one of my all-time favourite musicians. I could write an entire post in itself about the evolution of his catalogue, starting in psychedelic rock and folk and venturing out into exotica, jazz-funk, synthpop, ambient and ambient techno, the latter of which culminated in his album ‘N. D. E.’. Whilst a good deal of his catalogue is available to be streamed, this enigmatic album remains missing. It’s an experimental, extremely detailed journey through ambient, trance and techno woven with eastern instruments and hypnotic rhythms. It’s not to be missed if you’re a fan of his music.
AHMAD JAMAL - AHMAD JAMAL '73 (1973)
The legendary jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal released some incredible music in the 1970s, much of it sampled in some of the most iconic Hip-Hop tracks of the 90’s. ‘Ahmad Jamal ‘73’ is sometimes overlooked and is one of my personal favourites from him, particularly due to the presence of the Fender Rhodes piano played throughout and which is really allowed to shine here. I can hear Ahmad Jamal’s influence in a lot of the smoother and funkier jazz being released today, a testament to the timeless sound he was creating in this period. Whilst his more famous album from this time, ‘The Awakening’ is available to stream, this one is not.
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It’s worth seeking out music that’s evaded today's most common way of consuming music. This music still exists mostly on physical media and has often been ripped and uploaded to YouTube. Don’t just rely on Spotify.