HI-FI ROOM

5 PM SESSION. The final album and highest accomplishment of the lords of psychedelia, Kikagaku Moyo. We've been waiting to play this record for a long time.

6:30 PM SESSION. Loveless is one of the greatest rock albums of all time, with an influence across modern rock music that is as deep as it is wide. There, we said it. Come find out why. We'll be listening to a 1991 Creation Records AAA original pressing (a very rare press, indeed). Originally released in 1991 on Creation Records and Sire Records.

8 PM SESSION. The kings of dirge, the masters of darkness. At last, we are playing Paranoid in the HiFi Room at Shibuya. Hallelujah. (Probably not the most fitting exclamation, but you get the point.) 1970 Vertigo West German pressing from the original Vertigo UK stamper.

9:30 PM SESSION. Rule-breaking and trendsetting. Colorful and stylish, an avant-garde bag of tricks. A fun and artful mixtape produced by Twigs and her friends (Arca, Cirkut, Fred Again, Tobias Jesso Jr., PJ2, and many more), a strong contender for our favorite album of 2022. Or any other year.

6:30 PM SESSION. With each album Beyoncé redefines genres and shifts the culture. This tour de force is no exception. Keep that hat clean!

8 PM SESSION. With each album Beyoncé redefines genres and shifts the culture. This tour de force is no exception. Keep that hat clean!

9:30 PM SESSION. With each album Beyoncé redefines genres and shifts the culture. This tour de force is no exception. Keep that hat clean!

12:30 PM MATINEE. An audiophile standard. Anyone know of a beautiful and comfortable room with an absolutely killer sound system? ABC Records, 1977. P.S. Did Wayne Shorter really play that solo without hearing the song first?!? We'll be listening to a 1977 ABC First Press, mastered by Bernie Grundman. About as good as it gets.

2 PM MATINEE SESSION. On the heels of making the landmark album Kind of Blue with Miles Davis, Mr. John Coltrane stepped out on his own for his Atlantic Records debut. With Giant Steps Coltrane established himself as a titan of songwriting, a fearless bandleader and a keyholder to a wellspring of creative flow. A seminal jazz record. Recorded in 1959. Released by Atlantic in 1960.

3:30 PM MATINEE. The record that innovators make after making a record that reshapes the future of music. Released in 2000.

5 PM SESSION. The other record that innovators make after making a record that reshapes the future of music. Released in 2001.

6:30 PM SESSION. Is there a best Radiohead record? At one point in the record does one make that call? If so, the answer might come the moment drummer Philip Selway kicks into Reckoner on Side B, track 2. XL Records release, 2007.

8 PM SESSION. It's mind-boggling to think that this is one of fifty records released by Fela Kuti in his lifetime. It's also one of his best, a snapshot of a band on fire in one of the greatest studios on the planet at the time. Released by EMI in 1971.

9:30 SESSION. The psychedelic debut album of swirling R&B artist Greentea Peng. Jazz, dub, fire, brimstone. Released to wide acclaim in 2021. Come find out why.

6 PM SESSION SOLD OUT. A reference record for us -- and it should be for you, too. Nile, Pharrell, Giorgio, Julian, Paul, the Robots. Beautiful drums, live instruments, and one sample -- the recorded voice of an astronaut pulling away from the moon. We'll see you there.

8 PM SESSION. It's true -- Kylie Minogue did a lot more than just sing a hit duet with Nick Cave. She also recorded a legendary album of dance-pop tracks that have stood the test of time -- and then some. Released in 2001.

6 PM SESSION. There is no end to the praise we can heap on this record. It might feature the greatest Eddie Hazel guitar solo ever, it lays out the beautiful madness of Maestro George Clinton with stunning clarity, it remains one of our favorite records of all time. Released by Westbound Records in 1971. We'll be listening to a 1971 Original West German Belaphon pressing made from the same master as the original Westbound pressing.

8 PM SESSION. The most astonishingly ethereal and hauntingly beautiful record in the Bad Seeds catalog, an ambient tour de force that takes no prisoners and sets all listeners free. Released in 2019.

5 PM SESSION. The debut album from Fiona Apple, released in 1996, took the Grammys, the pop charts, critics' best of lists, and the music world by storm.

6:30 PM SESSION. Summerteeth may or may not represent the zenith of Jay Bennett's collaboration with Jeff Tweedy. Either way, it's one hell of a record, from each and every angle, on each and every listen. Released on March 9, 1999.

9:30 PM SESSION. Headhunters is a must-listen for anyone who loves music. And for anyone who doesn't (do such people exist?). Released in 1973 and recorded entirely at night, Herbie Hancock, Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson, Harvey Mason and Bill Summers (percussion masterpiece with a Coke bottle, anyone?) changed genres and invented a new one with this funk/soul/jazz/world music masterpiece. Analogue Productions 180G AAA pressing by Quality Records.

6:30 PM SESSION. Recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You swings and soars. This record altered the trajectory of the Queen of Soul's career, the stature of the studio where it was recorded, and the delight we all experience when we hear Aretha Franklin step up to a microphone. Released by Atlantic Records in 1967.

8 PM SESSION. Wes Montgomery -- master of the guitar, player of said guitar with his thumb, innovator of said guitar with his lightning-quick use of octaves -- made one record that he was absolutely delighted with. This is that album. Recorded and released in 1962.

9:30 PM SESSION. Our Love is the seventh studio effort of Dan Snaith. The first time we heard this record -- a perfect blend of electronic music, house, hip hop and R&B -- we had to listen to it twice. A true "slow burner" that gets better every time. Released in 2014 on City Slang and Merge Records.

12:30 PM MATINEE. Brrruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce. The Boss. Conduit for the saxophone perfection of Clarence Clemons. Shares a sideman with Tony Soprano. A perfect record, note for note, beat for beat, from Thunder Road to Jungleland. Beauty is the bleak. Hope in the darkness. Born To Run, released in August 1975, launched Bruce and the E Street Band into the stratosphere. Klipschorns, anyone? For a 2005 Classic Records AAA pressing, nothing else will do.

2 PM MATINEE. We'll be lisening to a rare "RL" pressing of the second record of the magnificent and mighty Led Zeppelin. If you haven't heard an RL, you ain't heard II. If ever a record closed out a decade with a thunder clap, this is the one. Atlantic Records, 1969.

3:30 PM MATINEE. Al Green -- preacher, songsmith, ambassador of soul and R&B -- makes us swoon everytime. And this record is no exception. Released in 1971 on Hi Records and Produced by Willie Smith, Green's third solo release is our favorite.

5 PM SESSION. One spin makes it clear that the Pulitzer committee at Columbia University had no choice but to hand Kendrick Lamar his just due.

6:30 PM SESSION. P.U.L.I.T.Z.E.R.

8 PM SESSION. A cinematic masterpiece.

9:30 PM SESSION. The third studio album by multi-hyphenate Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino is a funk and psychedelic soul masterpiece, a pastiche of humor, random percussion instruments, the guitar wizardry of Gary Clark, Jr. and Glover's hypnotic falsetto. Produced with his longtime collaborator, composer Ludwig Göransson.

6 PM SESSION. Fierce and playful. Energetic and urgent. Delivered in a beautifully abrasive and subtly surrealist package of heavy guitars, in-your-face synths, and vocals both gritty and smooth. Released in 2023.

8 PM SESSION. The rampant electronic music experiments of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke hit the nail precisely on the head with this record. Produced by Nigel Godrich and released in 2019, ANIMA pushes sonic envelopes at every turn.

One of our favorite Joni records. Released in 1971, both elegiac and sweet, Blue remains a favorite of the artist's oeuvre, and with percussive acoustic guitars and lyrics such as "I wanna talk to you/I wanna shampoo you" it's easy to see why. This session will feature a 2018 AAA remaster by Bernie Grundman and Joni Mitchell.

8 PM SESSION. A shoo-in for the greatest and most innovative studio record ever made. The caliber of musicianship and the vision of Brian Wilson would never again collide in such a perfect way. Released May 16, 1966. We'll be listening to the Analog Productions AAA 200g pressing.

5 PM SESSION. One of the sweetest, most soulful voices of all time. A masterpiece of a record, with backing musicians at the top of their game (who happen to be Booker T. and the MGs) and a scorching duet with Carla Thomas, we'd grab this before heading to a desert island. Recorded in two days in the fall of 1967 and released in the first days of 1968, we love this record more than words can say.

6:30 PM SESSION. Sun Ra made this record with the Arkestra after an appearance on Saturday Night Live in the summer of 1978 (John Belushi was a fan). The band was cooking that night, so they headed into the studio. By sunrise, Lanquidity was born.

8 PM SESSION. One for the canon of perfect debut records. And one of our favorite studio records, ever. Released in 1994.

9:30 PM SESSION. In quick succession, Portishead infiltrated the music libraries of almost everyone with two studio albums and this live record. Released in 1998, it remains one of our favorite and best-sounding live albums of all time.

5 PM SESSION. You've heard this record 500 times. But have you ever listened to it? We did the other night in the HiFi Room. It was astonishly beautiful. Released in 1964. This session will feature the Analog Productions AAA 200g pressing.

6:30 SESSION. Required listening. Released in 1979.

8 PM SESSION. From Vicious to Goodnight Ladies, Lou Reed's second solo record is half a century old (released in 1972) yet sounds and feels like it was recorded by the darkest and most debaucherous modern band of today -- and tomorrow. "Why don't you swallow razorblades," the greatest finger snaps ever recorded, and the cinematic Perfect Day, which includes a movie, a visit to the zoo and problems all left alone. Sign us up. Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson. Speakers Corner import AAA pressing, widely considered to contain the greatest clarity.

9:30 PM SESSION. Steven D. Bingley-Ellinson aka Flying Lotus aka FlyLo aka Captain Murphy made an astonishly brilliant and experimental album of songs in Flamagra. Released in 2019, the record remains a perfect example of what he can accomplish sonically, which is everything. We would expect nothing less that the grandnephew of Alice Coltrane.

2 PM MATINEE. Thunderous. Majestic. Levee-breaking. Two years earlier the quartet reached for the Hammer of the Gods on their debut album. This time around, they brought the hammer down squarely on the world of music, and music has thanked them ever since. By the way, Jimmy Page plays the guitar solo on Stairway to Heaven on a Stratocaster. Plus, we'll be checking out the Classic Records 2003 Grundman master on 200g vinyl. This is widely considered to be the best version of this album.

3:30 PM MATINEE. Have you seen the clip when Dr. Dre hears the opening drum fill to Refugee? Jimmy Iovine is playing it for them as the duo sample speakers for their nascent speaker company. Dre's head snaps to attention. "That's me, baby," says Iovine. Mr. Petty and the Heartbreakers take it from there, and it only gets better.

5 PM SESSION. The Butch Vig-produced Siamese Dream remains a high water mark for the Smashing Pumpkins. The tympani and strings on Disarm never fail to make you drop everthing and listen. So why not drop everything and listen? 1993 UK Caroline pressing, which is the original and best sounding vinyl pressing of this landmark record.

6:30 PM SESSION. Around the turn of the century the Black Keys became one of our favorite bands when they played at the recently-opened Chop Suey. Here we are over 20 years later, and the Keys are still churning out virtuosic fiery blues tunes of bowling and loneliness. Brothers, released in 2010, remains a masterpiece.

8 PM SESSION. The White Stripes leaned heavily into keyboards, loud guitars and the bombastic drums of the phenomenal Meg White for this, their final studio effort. 2007 WB/Third Man Records pressing.

9:30 PM SESSION. The vocal performance on Five Years, the opening track of this seminal record by David Jones aka David Bowie aka Ziggy Stardust, reportedly brought the singer to tears. It's that moving. And the record just takes off from there. Released in 1972. This session will (lucky for you!) feature the 40th Anniversary Parlaphone edition, a AAA pressing from analog tape.

5 PM SESSION. The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd. We'll be listening to an original AAA original press of the 30th Anniversary edition. Pink Floyd debuted material for this record in Brighton, UK, and released this masterpiece on March 1, 1973. 30th Anniversary AAA pressing -- a true gem.

6:30 PM SESSION. Meddle is the sixth studio record by Pink Floyd. Recorded at EMI in London, the band with this record began to chart a course for the epic Dark Side of The Moon.

8 PM SESSION. Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd. This 1975 release made clear that the band had nothing but epic records up their collective sleeve.

6 PM SESSION. From the ashes of Mother Love Bone rose Pearl Jam. The pantheon of rock bands has never been the same. Ten is the band's debut album, released June 27, 1991. You'll be lucky enough to enjoy an original 1994 Epic Records US pressing, notable for sounding better than all the remasters and remixes that have come since.

8 PM SESSION. From the ashes of Mother Love Bone rose Pearl Jam. The pantheon of rock bands has never been the same. Ten is the band's debut album, released June 27, 1991. You'll be lucky enough to enjoy an original 1994 Epic Records US pressing, notable for sounding better than all the remasters and remixes that have come since.

5 PM SESSION. Blonde is the second studio album by the American singer Frank Ocean. It was released on August 20, 2016, as a timed exclusive on the iTunes Store and Apple Music, and followed the August 19 release of Ocean's video album Endless. The album features guest vocals from André 3000, Beyoncé, and Kim Burrell, to name a few. A HiFi Room favorite.

6:30 PM SESSION

8 PM SESSION

9:30 PM SESSION

5 PM SESSION. The debut album of the Pharcyde, with more laughs per groove than any other vinyl on the planet. Anywhere.

6:30 PM SESSION. 1989 was a great year for music, and this is one reason why. Our favorite De La, along with all their other records. But this is the one.

8 PM SESSION. A sonic masterpiece which changed the shape of American music and brought horology into the mainstream (thank you, Flavor Flav). Plus, Big Daddy Kane's verses alone are worth the price of admission.

9:30 PM SESSION. The iconic cover says it all. And the cuts are as sharp as a Dapper Dan jacket.