Deja-Vu - Baroque in the Future. 1988 Japan

It all starts here for keyboard wizard Motoi Sakuraba, the famed video game composer from Japan. His debut solo album Gikyokuonsou is among the very best progressive rock albums from the fertile late 80s and early 90s Japanese scene. Deja-Vu was his rock band before going solo, and with that comes the advantages and pitfalls of a group setting. In general I'm of the mind that the synchronicity of a group usually outweighs the monolithic viewpoint of the individual. But in this case, I have to say the band is something of an encumbrance. Sakuraba is the primary songwriter, and fortunately most of the album is made up of instrumental work. And here Deja-Vu shines, though some of the synth tones are a bit too much late 80s if you know what I mean. One of the best tracks is 'Byzantium', the only song Sakuraba ported over for his debut, and is instantly recognizable. The downside of the album is when the band goes for traditional songwriting. The vocals are weak, and the songs tend to plod without much direction. They appear to be nothing more than a distraction until we can get to another cool instrumental section. So put Deja-Vu somewhere in between Social Tension, Providence, Gerard, and Outer Limits. Very much a product of the late 80s Japanese progressive rock scene. The beautiful cover cinches it as a keeper, but this isn't the best place to start either.

LP: 1988 Made in Japan

This is one I bought real time, and I probably hadn't heard it in 20 years until now (like a lot of my collection unfortunately).

July 22, 2019 update: Sold LP