Yuji Ohno - Inugamike no Ichizoku (Original)

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'79 Japanese Original Pressing. Yuji Ohno’s soundtrack for The Inugami Family is a masterpiece that stands at the very peak of 1970s Japanese cinematic jazz. Created for one of director Kon Ichikawa’s most iconic entries in the Kindaichi detective series, the music builds a unique atmosphere where beauty, melancholy, unease, and madness all coexist.
Blending jazz, classical music, fusion, and European cinematic influences, the soundtrack paints a dense portrait of dark and decadent Showa-era Japan through flowing piano lines, humid strings, and eerie electric piano and synthesizer textures. The main theme in particular is regarded as one of the most unforgettable melodies in Japanese film music history — mysterious, haunting, and instantly recognizable.
Rather than relying on explosive action, the soundtrack focuses on quiet tension and psychological depth, creating the feeling of wandering through an old mansion or a fog-covered lakeside. A true masterpiece of Japanese gothic cinematic groove.