Quite simply one of the greatest psych/bliss guitar records of all time. Shizuka’s vocals are pitched just this side of Venus while guitarist Maki Miura (ex-Fushitsusha) lays down some of the most mind-blowing melodic/noise guitar solos this side of you-fucking-name-it. Also features Jun Kosugi (ex-Fushitsusha) on drums. Highest recommendation. One of the key Japanese underground albums.

Another necessary volume in this on-going series documenting current activity on Tokyo's psychedelic underground, this one features exclusive tracks by Keiji Haino, Broom Dusters (featuring members of Miminokoto/LSD-March), Musica Transonic, Puka-Puka Brians (members of Maher Shalal Hash Baz/Aihiyo), On-Na Kodomo, Shizuka, Akiyama-Sugimoto, High Rise, Kakashi, Construction, Psychedelic Crazy Horse and Hikyo String Quintet.

Shizuka's sole studio album, Heavenly Persona, has long been one of the real jewels hidden in the PSF back catalogue. Indeed, Alan Cummings calls them "THE great lost-in-action group of the Tokyo underground psych scene". The group came together from the fallout of a bunch of early Fushitsusha line-ups, with original second guitarist Maki Miura (who played on Fushitsusha's debut Untitled/1st CD on PSF) joined by Fushitsusha drummer Jun Kosugi, Miura's partner Shizuka on guitar and vocals and Seven on bass. But outside of their one official studio album and a few patchy live recordings evidence of their majestic take on extended psychedelic rock has been pretty thin on the ground. So this album may well be one of the most anticipated PSF releases in an age, the official follow-up to Heavenly Persona, consisting of a beautifully recorded live set from 1995 long whispered about in underground circles, with the band at the peak of their powers. The form here is more extended than on their studio album, with songs that explode into disruptively melodic lead guitar bombs, combining the white-heat of Keiji Haino with the emotionally fraught aspect of classic Neil Young. Shizuka's vocals float on a bed of ethereal reverb and the group interaction is just gorgeous, piloting hushed F/X through damaged blues and classic Japanese psych moves. But it's the guitar playing you'll keep coming back to, with some of the most amazing six-string destructo moves ever torn from a stack of amps. Seriously. An incredible record from one of the all-time great Japanese underground groups. Highest possible recommendation.

Another necessary volume in this on-going series documenting current activity on Tokyo’s psychedelic underground and a long-time personal favourite, the line-up and track choice here is unbeatable, with exclusives from Overhang Party, White Heaven, Fushitsusha (a fabulously unrelenting noise guitar blow-out), Cobalt, Kumo To Hae, Sweet & Honey, Ghost, Daiichi-Kakkensha, Uchu Engine, Maher Shalal Hash Baz and Shizuka, the latter of whom raise the roof with guitarist Maki Miura roaring his way through heavens of feedback and blues. Love that fake ringwear on the cover too, a real touch of class. Highest recommendation.

When Shizuka Miura took her own life earlier this year the Tokyo underground lost one of its most magical psychedelic voices. Although her group only recorded one studio album during their time together, it still stands as one of the key PSF releases, the perfect blend of floating female vocals and massive post-Haino guitar oblivions courtesy of her husband ex-Fushitsusha guitarist Maki Miura. Truly, Shizuka were a live band, with the looser, more improvisatory set-up of the shows allowing Miura to really stretch out, extending Shizuka’s zoned acid folk songs into new realms of euphoric six string excess. This nicely presented DVD functions as a memorial to Shizuka, a professionally filmed document of their last ever performance at Tokyo’s legendary Showboat venue on 30^th December 2008. Right from the first chiming guitar chords this is an instant trip, with the visuals – running from close-up shots to full band views  – taking you right there. Shizuka always had one of the most drug-damaged sounds of any of the PSF groups and she seems particularly blasted here, lost in her hypnotic vocals and with a primitive/naive aspect that is extremely affecting. But when Maki steps on his fuzz pedal he effectively steals the show, combining screaming arcs of post-Neil Young heavy metal with wild avant garde form. There’s a wide variety of approaches here, with the group occasionally stripping it down to just Shizuka and Miura before bringing the bass and drums back in for full-band assaults. Outside of Keiji Haino Maki Miura remains the Japanese guitar god of choice and it’s heartbreaking that this amazing group will never play together again. Elegaically wasted female fronted psychedelic guitar excess doesn’t come any better than this. 74 minutes, all region DVD. Limited edition of 500 copies. Highly recommended.