Gonno's new label releases first LP paying homage to Japan’s 2000s scene

Japanese veteran Gonno announces new label Sanka, with debut release ‘WC Heritage’ being available now on vinyl.

'WC Heritage' compiles cherished tracks from the 2000s from the Japanese label WC Recordings; the label that released Gonno’s debut album back in 2005.

The label released numerous EPs and CDs from 2004-2009 and was firm in their “Japanese anarchy techno” ethos.

This meticulously curated LP showcases the artistic prowess of artists such as Salmon, Baiyon, NOP, Techriders, DJ Wada, Kimura Yuta, Side B, DSKE, and of course, Gonno himself, alongside others who spearheaded the vibrant Japanese underground scene of the 2000s.

Although initially released in the 2000s, the tracks are just as contemporary as ever, offering a glimpse into a bygone era of creativity that had previously remained largely obscured from the outside world.

The album is a sonic tapestry brimming with a kaleidoscope of sounds and ideas, intricately woven together with glitch-infused textures and a raw production aesthetic. From creative sampling to pulsating percussion, tribal nuances, and robust basslines, 'WC Heritage' encompasses so many subsects.

Read this next: Gonno makes long-awaited return to JIN with new track & video

One of our standouts is Gonno’s contribution ‘The Sunrise in East’. Although it’s a newly produced track, it fits in so cohesively in this time capsule with it’s glitch motifs, quirky synth work and immersive atmosphere evoked by its booming 303s. It’s just as left-field as the rest of the project and holds its own against all of the other heavy hitters on the LP.

Read this next: Xiaolin unveils mesmerising rendition of city pop hit, ‘Plastic Love’

Mixmag Asia had a chat with Gonno about Sanka, which led to him explaining, "The first idea of the Sanka label was originally to do this WC Recordings reissue because since Salmon passed away in 2011, the WC material had been neglected, which was a shame."

He continued: "Salmon was my mentor and WC was the footprints of his art. I decided to release it as a proper vinyl once from my own label with some of the ex-colleagues of the WC as the WC could never put on the vinyl but only CDs and digitals."

Purchase 'WC Heritage' on vinyl here.

Henry Cooper is a Writer at Mixmag Asia. Follow him on Instagram.