Wamono Groove: Shakuhachi & Koto Jazz Funk ‘76 arte O'Rourke left the band in

O'Rourke left the band in 2005

Big Star let loose their trademark mix — shimmering jangle pop with a side of elliptical melancholia — into a world that just wasn’t ready for it

Howard and HTRK co-founder Sean Stewart

the sound has become more electric yet not eclectic

Wamono Groove: Shakuhachi & Koto Jazz Funk ‘76 arte O'Rourke left the band inUnlike previous instalments in the 180g label's Wamono series, this isn't a compilation in the strictest sense of the term, but rather a retrospective. It showcases a range of killer jazz funk and rare groove tunes recorded at Nippon Columbia studios in the mid 1970s by arranger Kiyoshi Yamaya, koto legend Toshiko Yonekawa and shakahuchi master Kifu Mitsuhashi. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, from the mellow, slow burn lusciousness of