Shintaro Sakamoto, former frontman of the legendary Japanese psychedelic group Yura Yura Teikoku. Over the course of their 20 years together, that band rose from the storied Japanese psychedelic underground to huge mainstream success in their homeland (and cult status around the world), with a wholly original sound that defies definition. The group disbanded in 2010, and Sakamoto set off into uncharted waters on his new solo material, working mostly alone to create a stunning set of quiet, percussive songs that draw on ‘70s folk and AM radio pop from the U.S., U.K. and Japan, as well as folk forms from across continents and eras; How to Live with a Phantom, released late last year in Sakamoto’s own Zelone label in Japan, is an enigma and an instant classic that blew so many minds at the Other Music shop when a few imports trickled in, they had to release it themselves.