Various Artists
Virtual Dreams II: Ambient Explorations In The House & Techno Age, 1993-1997
Music From Memory
/
2024
2CD
19.99
MFM072 / VRD03 CD
Pre-Order: Available on / around Oct 18th 2024
2LP
29.99
MFM072 / VRD03
Pre-Order: Available on / around Oct 18th 2024
Incl. VAT plus shipping / Orders from outside the EU are exempt from VAT
Tracklist
1Dub Squad – Blown Fruit
2Akio / Okihide – Phoenix At Desert
3Palomatic – Flutter
4Virgo – Prelude
5Ambient 7 – Escape
6Web – The Cycle Of Seasons
7Yukihiro Fukutomi – 5 Blind Boys
8Katsuya Hironaka – Pause
9Riow Arai – 1969
10Modern Living – Snow Bird
11Missing Project – Poisson Davril Galaxy Dub
12Drawing Future Life – 1969

The next installment of MFM's popular multi-artist compilation Virtual Dreams: 'Virtual Dreams - Ambient Explorations In The House And Techno Age, Japan 1993-1999'. As with Part One, released in 2020, 'Virtual Dreams II' shines a light on house and techno-adjacent music that helped redefine the definition of ambient music during the 1990s.

The focus of Part One heavily fell on music from techno and house producers in Europe, eagerly exploring new soundtracks for chill-out rooms and re-imagining the potential future of club culture from new perspectives. For Part Two, we narrow the lens to focus on a unique time and place, namely Japan between 1993-1999. Despite missing out on the 'Acid House Fever', club culture was beginning to take shape in Japan during the early '90s. In contrast to the rest of the world, where ambient techno / IDM emerged as a by-product or response to the scene, 'listening techno', as it is known in Japan, was a central pillar of the culture right from the start.

'Virtual Dreams II' aims to shine a light on this unique moment in time where the thread of ambient music weaved its way through the music of an emerging club culture. This period saw the birth of many great Japanese techno labels such as Sublime Records, Transonic Records, Syzygy Records, Frogman Records, and Form@ Records, following in the late '90s. 'Virtual Dreams II' features ambient, chill-out, and intelligent techno from these leading labels alongside other lesser-known but equally influential imprints, as well as ambient deviations from Japanese house producers. Much of the music featured has only ever been released on CD.

'Virtual Dreams II' is compiled by Eiji Taniguchi and Jamie Tiller, who have worked closely together on previous Music From Memory releases such as 'Heisei No Oto' and 'Dream Dolphin - Gaia'. It is also the final project Jamie Tiller worked on before his tragic passing in 2023. Jamie had been researching, planning, and compiling this version of Virtual Dreams even before the first chapter was released, believing that there were many great tracks in Japan that fit the concept of the series. Knowing how much love and energy he put into compiling it gives it an extra special place in our hearts.

Compiled by Jamie Tiller and Eiji Taniguchi with artwork by Kenta Senekt, design by Steele Bonus and liner notes by Itaru W. Mita.