Can't Stop The Loneliness: City Pop Mixtape #3

Isolation is a tough thing to deal with, especially during these times. Here's a City Pop mix-tape to help everyone feel more relaxed while they're alone at home.

ALBUM REVIEW: Variety by Mariya Takeuchi - 1984

At the time of my writing this review (March 20, 2020), City Pop fans all over the globe celebrate the birthday of the Queen of City Pop herself, Mariya Takeuchi. Mariya Takeuchi (竹内まりや) is a Japanese singer-songwriter with a musical career that spans several decades, with her most recent album being the 40th-anniversary commemoration, Turntables. There was a time when she was relatively unknown outside of Japan, but thanks to the internet, people from all over the world discovered her musical talents thanks to a particular single that fans have now codified as the national anthem of City Pop, Plastic Love. 6th album, Variety.

THE HISTORY

Variety was an important milestone in Mariya's career. It was her first album since coming back from a 3-year hiatus to start a family with Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎). It was also her first one in which she handled both writing and composing chores for all of the songs, as opposed to previous works in which she performed songs written for her by other people.

Tatsuro Yamashita was in charge of the overall production, which means he had the members of his own band as session musicians, including Jun Aoyama (Drums), Koki Ito (Bass), Hiroyuki Nanba (Piano), and Kazuo Shiina (Horn Arrangement). There are a number of other noteworthy musicians like Hiroshi Sato on piano, Ryuichi Sakamoto on synthesizers, Yutaka Hosoi & Tokuo Nakano from rock band Sentimental City Romance, and American jazz saxophonist Ernie Watts, who was a featured soloist on many of Marvin Gaye's albums during the 1970s. There are also a lot of famous voices featured as backup vocals, some Japanese voices you might recognize include Ginji Ito, Masamichi Sugi, Kazuhito Murata, & Taeko Onuki. However there's also some American vocalists as well, Jim Haas, Stan Farber, & Jon Joyce, who have all sung on Mariya's previous albums, Joyce in particular had also sung with former Beach Boy, Brian Wilson, and is a perfect fit for this album aesthetic.

 Variety came out in April 1984. It became a number one hit, outselling her previous release and debuting at the top of the domestic charts, it also happens to be Mariya’s favorite album that she worked on, and for good reason. 

THE MUSIC

1. もう一度 | Once Again: A stellar opening track about a woman longing for a second chance at love. Mariya's ethereal voice and Yamashita's signature doo-wop harmonies make it sound like it's Connie Francis meets the Four Seasons. On top of the stellar Wall of Sound production make this a perfect homage to American standards of the 50s & 60s. 
2. Plastic Love: The most iconic song on the album. We skip a few generations for a more contemporary disco boogie. Easily the most "City Pop" track on the album, it has all the essential elements; a strong bass line, a tight brass section, some Steely Dan style guitar noodling, and lyrics about a hopeless romantic trying to fill the gap in her heart in a neon-lit metropolis.  
3. Let's Get Married: We head back in time again with this song. Complete with saccharine lyrics about becoming the ideal couple in a big house with a dog in the backyard this sugary homage to 50's style romantic ballads, not without its more contemporary touches, particularly the sax solo by the legendary Ernie Watts.
4. One Night Stand: A pretty standard but well-done Country Pop ballad about a lonely drifter who rides from town to town in pursuit of a fling, with only his fellow blue jean-clad buddies keeping him company. 
5. Broken Heart: Keeping the theme of tragic love going, we wave an R&B ballad with some serious late 70's vibes, with Mariya's soulful crooning about losing the man she loves to another woman.  
6. Amphitheater Night: Mariya takes us all to the sock-hop with a lively rockabilly style number. Complete with tight horns, a honky-tonk piano, and a classic 50's rock & roll guitar solo.
7. とどかぬ想い | Irresistible Feeling: A soft rock ballad reminiscent of The Walker Brothers. The soft backing vocals & gentle trumpet that play throughout the song really set the mood.
8. マージービートで唄わせて | Let Me Sing In Merseybeat:  An ode to the British invasion that takes us on a trip through Liverpool. 
9. 水とあなたと太陽と: A bossa nova influenced lounge number about a lovely couple getting cozy during an island getaway. 
10. ふたりはステディ| They're Going Steady: Mariya & Tat's take a page from album Pet Sounds for this jaunty track about a young & blissful relationship. 
11. シェットランドに頬をうずめて | Burying My Cheeks in The Shetland: For the finale of the album, Mariya treats us with a Carpenters style ballad about a couple's life retiring from the city and moving into the countryside. The beautiful, dramatic string arrangements really compliment Mariya's voice as she sings about knitting a comfy sweater for her loved one by the fireplace. 

THE REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

True to its name, Mariya Takeuchi covers a lot of ground, from the bar-counter country and Rock & Roll to lounge jazz and bossa nova, there's even an ode to British pop to make things interesting. And of course, the most well-known song on the album, Plastic Love; a hypnotizing urban melody that conceals bittersweet lyrics. While generally everyone likes that song, I've heard mixed things about Variety as a whole. Many people have told me that while Plastic Love is great, none of the other songs hold up as well.

While certain songs come off as a bit too pastiche, Merseybeat & Amphitheater Night being the biggest offenders, most of the other songs are pretty awesome on their own merits and worth the second listen. I especially enjoy carrying this overarching theme of love and how it tries to mend itself over time, starting with Once Again, despite how upbeat it is, it's telling us lonely the main character is. Plastic Love and One Night Stand give us examples of unhealthy coping mechanisms surrounding love, the former being more about filling a void materialistically and the latter through meaningless flings. Of course, the album doesn't deny us examples of healthy relationships blooming in songs like They're Going Steady, and  Burying My Cheeks in The Shetland. Honestly, my favorite song from the album is actually Broken Heart, as it's probably one of the only times we hear Mariya tackle more contemporary sounding R&B and this track has the making for the perfect slow jam. That and it's one of the only 2 80's sounding tracks on the album, besides Plastic Love. 

Despite the overall abundance of oldies' revival, Variety manages to crossover from imitation to authenticity quite well, thanks to Mariya's great composition & writing and Yamashita's superb production skills. I also feel this is an album that will satisfy multiple levels of nostalgia whether you grew up in the 60s', 70s', or 80s', there's something here for everybody. If you fell in love with Plastic Love, you're gonna enjoy the entire package for sure. Let me know what you guys think of Mariya's Magnum Opus in the comments below.

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Beyond SONGS: Archiving The Musical Activity of Sugar Babe - Part 1

It's a well known fact that the 1975 release of SONGS by the band Sugar Babe, marked the beginning of what we know as Japanese City Pop. However, it was not Japan's first introduction of Sugar Babe themselves, nor was it their first recorded contribution in J-pop. In the band's 3 year run (1973-1976) Sugar Babe collaborated with many artists, in both studio & live projects, that helped establish them as valuable assets in the Japanese music industry. The full list of collaborations is actually quite big, so I've narrowed down some notable highlights. Just for clarity when referring to Sugar Babe throughout this article, I'll usually be referring to the 3 "core" members of the group, Tatsuro Yamashita, Taeko Ohnuki, and Kunio Muramatsu, as they all performed lead vocals throughout the record and majority of their collaborations involved them performing as a chorus group for other artists.

The list so far:

• September 21, 1973: “CITY—Last Time Around” (Official Debut)
• March 1974: Yuka Kamebuchi ‎– Touch Me, Yuka
• July 1974: Chie Sawa - 23 Years Old
• September 4, 1974: René Simard ‎– ミドリ色の屋根
• October 1974: Yumi Arai - Misslim
• December 25, 1974: Yumi Arai Christmas Concert
• January 25, 1975: Chu Kosaka - Horo
• August 1975: Kohei Oikawa - 懐しいくらし(Nostalgic Living)
• May 30, 1975: Eichi Ohtaki Niagara Moon
• June 5, 1975: Kaze -1st Album
• October 3, 1975: Minako II Live Concert
• November 25, 1975: Tin Pan Alley - Caramel Mama
• Boys and Girls Choir Mizuum
• January 25, 1976: Seri Ishikawa 石川セリ ‎– ときどき私は (Last Appearance)

CITY—Last Time Around: Happy End Concert

Appropriately named after the final album of Buffalo Springfield, CITY: Last Time Around was the final concert of legendary rock band Happy End (はっぴいえんど), held at Bunkyo Public Hall (now known as the Bunkyo Civic Center). At this point in time, had functionally disbanded, Haroumi (Harry) Hosono (細野晴臣) & Shigeru Suzuki (鈴木茂) had already began their new band, Caramel Mama, and Eiichi Ohtaki (大瀧詠一) had created his new independent label, Niagara Records. However this concert was mainly seen as an opportunity to formally say farewell, as well as to show off all of the new talent they are currently working with, that included a newly formed Sugar Babe. Ohtaki had invited them a month prior after listening to a copy of Tatsuro Yamashita's amateur album, ADD SOME MUSIC TO YOUR DAY.

The concert event was moderated by Group Sounds legend, Hiroshi Kamayatsu (かまやつひろし), with musical performances by Minako Yoshida (吉田美奈子), Yoshitaka Minami (南佳孝), Moon Riders, Kyōzō Nishioka (西岡恭蔵), Ginji Ito's band Coconut Bank, Singers Three and Caramel Mama.The entire concert was so big it had to be split into 2 live albums, Live!! Happy End, and Show Boat: 素晴しき船出 (Wonderful Ship)

Eiichi Ohtaki

On top of being their producer, Eiichi Ohtaki brought Sugar Babe on a number of different personal ventures under the Niagara Label. Sugar Babe made their official music debut as the backup chorus for Ohtaki during the last live happy end concert, where they sang some of Ohtaki's popular songs, including uraraka, Flying Whale, as well as Coconut Holiday, by Ginji Ito.

Sugar Babe also participated in the recording of Niagara Moon, where they sang the commercial jingle melody Cider '73 '74 '75. Kunio Muramatsu was also on guitar, and Yamashita handled the Horn & String arrangements.

Yumi Arai | 荒井由実

After the release of her debut album, Yumi Arai became interested in Yamashita and his band's vocal prowess after hearing them perform with gospel singer Yuka Kamebuchi (亀淵友香) in the fall of 1974. Sugar babe then became a part of the backing chorus for multiple Yumi Arai albums, including Misslim, Cobalt Hour, and 14th Moon. Sugar Babe also participated in the  Yuming's 1974 Christmas Concert where they were they were the backing band for the song December Rain (12 月 の 雨). One of my favorite moments is in Lipstick Message from the album Cobalt Hour, where you can hear Tatsuro's falsetto take over the finale of the song. 

René Simard

Then French-Canadian prodigy René Simard, apparently shared the same record company as Yuming, ALFA Records, at that time known as Alpha and Associates Inc.. This led to Sugar Babe participating in Simard's very first live concert album. Recorded at Shibuya Public Hall on September 14 and 15, 1974 . While not credited or seen on stage, Sugar Babe along with Minako Yoshida participated in the chorus for "Nu Cupe pa les Roses", "Yo Yo", "Dove in the Ruins" and "Small Life" live in concert.

Kaze | 風 

Kaze  was a Japanese musical duo composed of singer-songwriters Shouzou Ise (伊勢正三 ) and Kazuhisa Ookubo (大久保一久). They were best known for their chart-topping debut single 22-sai no Wakare (22 Year Old Farewell), which was released in 1975. While primarily a folk duo, their debut album, aptly called First Album, features songs like Dancing Doll  &  Romance that fall into the realm of New Music, featuring Tin Pan Alley and naturally Sugar Babe, as the backing band. 

Tin Pan Alley

Speaking of which, seeing how they're basically the forerunners of New Music, it comes to no surprise that Sugar Babe was a natural part of the Tin Pan Alley ensemble whenever they did session work for other artists. My two personal favorite highlights being in Chu Kosaka's Horo (ほうろう), in the song Yugata Love (ゆうがたラブ) , Tats, Ohnuki, and Minako all sing like their in a gospel choir during a shout. There's also a moment in Minako's own first live album, Minako II, where her & Sugar Babe sing a cover of Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

Seri Ishikawa | 石川セリ

The last album to have Sugar Babe credited was Seri Ishikawa's sophomore album, Sometimes I...(ときどき私は). This album marked Ishikawa's official transition from regular aidoru (Idol music), into the more adult contemporary New Music scene, featuring session musicians like Akiko Yano (矢野顕子), Ray Ohara (小原礼) and Masataka Matsutoya (松任谷正隆). Sugar Babe was the appropriate choice for her back up chorus, who voices can be heard in songs like Wow Wow (フワフワ), and the titular track, Sometimes I. 

If there are anymore City Pop/ New Music albums that feature Sugar Babe in them, let me know in the comments below. *If you enjoy my content, consider supporting me through Teespring & Patreon. Thanks!

ALBUM REVIEW: After 5 Clash by Toshiki Kadomatsu -1984

Even though they share many musical similarities, City Pop artists tend to specialize in their own particular themes. If you want good summer-themed music, then you listen to Tatsuro Yamashita (山下達郎) or Kiyotaka Sugiyama (杉山清貴). If you want New Wave or Euro-style pop, then your best bets are Taeko Ohnuki (大貫妙子) and Yukihiro Takahashi (高橋幸宏). However, if "City Nightlife'' was its own genre of music, you can bet that Toshiki Kadomatsu (角松敏生) would be your go-to man, and his most defining record would be After 5 Clash, a disco/boogie album that would be the catalysts to help Kadomatsu define his music aesthetic

THE HISTORY

After producing some music for pop singer Anri (杏里), and releasing his 3rd album, Off Shore in 1983, Kadomatsu wanted to move away from the over-saturated market of Resort Pop that was released at the time. Wanting to explore a new direction, he took inspiration from the then-current club scene of New York and created his first 12-inch single “Do You Wanna Dance” that same year in October. A funky synth-pop disco tune with a heavier emphasis on metropolitan nightlife. His next two albums took on more of this sound, the first of which being After 5 Clash in 1984.

Some notable session musicians in this record include Hiroshi Satoh (佐藤博), and Jun Satoh (佐藤 準) both on Keyboards. There's also composer Ken Muramatsu (村松健), who handles both the piano and synthesizers. Not surprisingly, the ever-present Jake H. Concepcion appears on this record to provide his signature spicy sax solos. Some notable voices are featured on the album as well, Eiji Nakahara and R&B singer Noriko Miyamoto（宮本典子）appear in the rapping portion, (yes there is rapping although it's not as bad as you expect). Kadomatsu, Keiko Toh, the sister trio Eve, and idol singer Yurie Kokubu（国分友里恵）provided the chorus. However the MVP of this album is clearly the bassist, Tomohito Aoki (青木智仁) who's been a part of Toshiki's music since '82 and provides some of the grooviest, and most powerful slap bass ever hear on a City Pop album. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2006.

After 5 Clash was released on April 21 in 1984 meeting a moderate commercial success, peaking at No.18 on the Oricon charts before landing at No.54. Despite not being a huge chart-topper, Kadomatsu would keep the ball rolling with his new musical identity. He used the royalties he earned from producing Anri's work to travel to New York City so he can produce his next album, Gold Digger. 

THE MUSIC

1. If You...: The album starts us off with a fade-in of a very familiar guitar riff, and suddenly explodes into a bombastic disco number complete with tight horns and a catchy hook about inviting that special someone to a night of partying. It even features both an awesome saxophone solo and a punchy bass solo.
2. Midnight Girl: A laid-back synthesized yacht rock tune about a guy's encounter with a lovely woman in the back streets, who seems to be tipsy after a fun evening.
3. Airport Lady: A heart-palpitating disco song about someone's crush on a "Chestnut Haired" flight attendant at the airport. 
4. Maybe It's Love Affair: Another yacht rock-inspired track featuring an awesome synth keyboard solo.
5. Will You Wait For Me: The quintessential ballad of the album that masterfully combines mid 80's synths with a 70's R&B-inspired melody, including dramatic piano playing and a surprise guitar solo.
6. 

   Step Into The Light: We get a very deceptive kabuki drum style intro, that leads us into a funk-heavy contemporary boogie with awesome chorus work. There are even various hip-hop elements mixed in, including some very goofy but entertaining  "rapping" by Noriko Miyamoto, Eiji Nakahira & Kadomatsu himself. The song samples the 1983 single by Unique, What I Got is What You Need.
7. After 5 Crash: The (almost) title track of the LP is another bombastic dance number where Toshiki paints the scene of what the big city looks like once the sunsets and the neon lights turn on.
8. Never Touch Again: Another quintessential dance track, this time featuring some cool Zapp & Rogers style talk-box rapping at the end.   
9. 
   I Need You: Another standard ballad, but going off of the more sultry piano playing, definitely more gospel-influenced than the first one. 
10. Heart Dancing (あいらびゅ音頭):  Toshiki goes for an even bigger subversion of expectations by ending the album on a traditionally inspired ondo (folk dance) melody with a jazzy big band arrangement, that surprisingly fits together perfectly. The cherry on top is when the song fades out like a slowed-down record, then rewards the listener with the exciting explosion of fireworks.

THE VERDICT⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

After 5 Clash definitely feels like the nighttime version of Timely by Anri, which is appropriate considering both are Kadomatsu productions. So I basically feel the same way about this album that I feel about the latter; it's a really groovy album with cliché songs, but those clichés are wrapped up in such well-crafted and tight arrangements that it's really hard to care. When I listen to songs like If You..., Airport Lady, & I need You, I hear clear inspirations from Yamashita's Sparkle, Loveland Island, & Futari respectively. Although I'll give Toshiki some credit and say that this album has more of its own identity in comparison, you got his signature tight brass section, the ever-present slap bass, plus some awesome and creative synthesizer work thanks to Ken Muramatsu. You can definitely tell that Kadomatsu was paying close attention to the New York music scene in the '80s as many of the songs fit right alongside stuff by the Gap Band, Zapp, and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam.

I think the biggest fault I can give After 5 Clash is that it overplayed its hand in literally the first song, which (minus 2 songs) gives you everything the whole album has to offer in terms of the arrangement. You can literally switch out the 1st track with After 5 Crash and it wouldn't break the flow of the album at all. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it shows how samey some of the songs are. That's another thing, why does After 5 Clash have to share the same track space as Step Into The Light? In order to listen to it, you have to listen through Step Into the Light, which isn't a bad, song, it's one of the more stand out songs in the set despite how corny some of the rap verses are (their pretty short and brief too), but the fact that I can't enjoy either song individually is dumb.

I would say the most stand-out track to me is actually the closer, Heart Dancing, which combines traditional Japanese folk dance music with contemporary New York style big band music, to create a brand new musical experience. It also hearkens back to the type of stuff Eiichi Ohtaki would do in albums like Let's Ondo Again, and Niagara Triangle, but here it's executed to much greater effect.

As a whole, though After 5 Clash is a super fun album to listen to and probably one of the best disco records City Pop has to offer. I'd kill to hear any track from this album while I'm out at the club. Toshiki Kadomatsu made the right call by moving away from the sunny tropical beaches into the neon-lit metropolis, which helped him unlock his true potential as a producer and a musician.

*If you enjoy my content, consider supporting me through Teespring & Patreon. Thanks!

Rainy Day: City Pop Mixtape 2

Moonlight Island by Haruko Kuwana - 1982

Haruko Kuwana (桑名晴子) was a singer-songwriter from Osaka born in 1956. Known for her funky and soulful City Pop tunes, she made her solo debut in 1978 with the release of Million Stars and was most prolific during the '80s and '90s. While not active in the mainstream, she is still playing live gigs under the stage name HALKO.

THE HISTORY

The most unique album in her catalog is easily her fourth album Moonlight Island. Released November 25, 1982, under Japan Records, the album features covers of various kayokyoku & New Music from the 1970's all given an urban AOR/City Pop sheen, covers of everyone from Haruomi Hosono (細野晴臣), to Tatsuro Yamashita’s (山下達郎) band Sugar Babe, to Haruko's very own brother, Masahiro Kuwana (桑名 将大 ). According to Haruko herself, the sales point for this album was the “sound of waves”, and she wanted to give each of the songs a more “tropical” and “resort” vibe to the music, inspired by her residency in the Shonan-Fujisawa, the center of the “Surfer/Beach” Lifestyle in Kanagawa, Japan. Apparently, during this time, Haruko was also an assistant for the local Kanagawa TV program called Funky Tomato, on their surfing news segment, and she ended up living in that area for 14 years.

Haruko collaborated with the rock band AB's during the album's production, with Fujimaru Yoshino (芳野恭郎) & Makoto Matsushita (松下誠) on guitar, Naoki Watanabe (渡辺直樹) on bass, Atsuo Okamoto (岡本郭男) on drums, and pianist Yoshihiko Ando (安藤芳彦). AOR Crooner, Yasahiro Abe (安部恭弘) was the assistant sound engineer on the album. The photography for the album was done by Isao Harachi, in collaboration with the Japanese adult magazine Weekly Playboy (週刊プレイボーイ).

THE MUSIC

Lyrics to Down Town & 夢で逢えたら

SUNSHINE SIDE

1. ほうろう(Horo): Originally an R&B number by Chu Kosaka (小坂忠) back in 1975, Haruko gives it a more Rock & Roll vibe. Even channeling a bit of her older brother by shouting his signature “Alright!” at the beginning of the song.
2. Choo Choo Gatagoto: A cover of  Harry Hosono's 1973 song, while initially more of a folk-rock number, has more of a City Pop feel to it with the addition of a more upbeat drumbeat, funkier guitars, and an almost honky-tonk style piano.
3. Uraraka ( ウララカ ): Haruko carries on the Elvis/Rockabilly style Rock & Roll number originally composed by the late Eiichi Ohtaki ( 大瀧詠一). Now with an added piano solo, and doo-wop backing vocals from the ABs.
4. Down Town: The AB turn Sugar Babe's hit 1975 folk/pop single into a straight disco number. There have been other covers of Downtown, however, Haruko's is the only version that's sung completely in English (although a bit incoherent at times). The English lyrics were written by Linda Hennrick.
5. あの頃のまま [Anogoro no mama / Back in the Day]: A soft rock song originally performed by the folk group Bread & Butter, now given an R&B slow-jam touch. The original song was written and composed by Yumi Matsutoya（松任谷由実) under her alias of Karuho Kureta(呉田軽穂).

I Love You (Promo Single)

MOONLIGHT SIDE

1. I Love You: A soulful beach rock ballad track that was written in English in the first place as a B-side to Hiro Tsunoda's（つのだ☆ひろ）1973 single, "Mary Jane".
2. Moonlight Surfer: Another beach rock ballad originally sung by Japanese singer-songwriter Seri Ishikawa (石川セリ), this time in English thanks to Linda Hennrick.
3. 夢で逢えたら (Yume de Aetara/ Dreams Come True): Originally sung by Minako Yoshida, written & composed by Eiichi Ohtaki. The only song on the album that doesn't start much from the original except for it being a bit more tropical.
4. Yoru No Umi (夜の海...Night Ocean): One of Masahiro Kuwana's signature songs before his passing from his debut album Who Are You? (1976). The original was a Beach Rock duet sung by both Kuwana siblings. Now Haruko sings this one by herself giving it a melancholy slow-jam feel...
5. Yoru No Umi Part II: An acoustic reprise of Night Ocean with the added ambiance of ocean waves.

THE VERDICT

If it wasn't for the fact that all the songs are covers, Moonlight Island would probably be my favorite album by Haruko Kuwana so far. It's an excellent combination of old fashion Rock & Roll and R&B and Soul fused into each song. It's the type of sound I'd imagine hearing at an old fashion jazz club or a cantina of sorts. Some of the covers dare I'd say surpass the originals in quality, particularly Down Town and Ano Koro no Mama. Haruko's Down Town would have been my favorite version (even over EPO's) if it wasn't for the incoherent vocals, it's not a problem throughout the whole song, there are certain parts where I have to guess what she's saying. This is strange considering that half of her debut album, Million Stars was sung in perfect English! Maybe she was out of practice between the 2 other albums. Since this album had a bit more of a rock vibe going, you can definitely tell she was channeling a bit of her brother's style into her singing, which was pretty cool.

Overall if you are a fan of the 70's New Music, you'll be happy to know that Haruko Kuwana's Moonlight Island succeeds in paying tribute to the bygone era of music by updating the sound for the '80s while still keeping intact what made those 70's songs classics, to begin with.

Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Vocals:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Arrangement:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aesthetic:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Memorability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Composition:⭐⭐⭐⭐

BONUS

Here’s a message from Haruko Kuwana herself that can be found in the CD release of Moonlight Island. Translation thanks to my friend J-Cannuck from Kayokyoku Plus!

“I think part of the reason “Moonlight Island” exists is the deep relationship among my life, the ocean, the moon and the islands, namely within my music. The sales point for this album was the “sound of waves”, and on the “Funky Tomato” program on TV Kanagawa, I was an assistant on the surfing news segment. I did interviews at the surf shops in Shonan, Chiba, Shibuya, and other places, and I went to the sea weekly to do location shooting for surfing wave information and surfing areas. Before I knew it, during that time, I became separated from Tokyo and ended up living in Shonan-Fujisawa for 14 years.

The small apartment that I lived in was on top of a small hill, and I could see far off in the distance the waters of Shonan and Mt. Fuji from my window. At sunset and at night, I could see the Enoshima lighthouse rotating. On my days off, I got on the bike and took rides in the breeze.

I really didn’t like show business and I traveled all around Japan, taking my guitar and writing and singing songs. During those trips, I incorporated the views that I saw including the moon, the sea, the wind, the people that I met into my music, and then went back home to Shonan. That life was wonderful, and no doubt, those days were fun and beautiful.

Then a little after the Kobe Earthquake, I returned to Hyogo Prefecture 24 years after my debut. Here, there are no sounds of waves and no shadows of islands. But in my heart, the silvery light of the moon shines on the sea, and that sound of waves becomes music and always resounds. “Moonlight Island” reflects my heart.

I pray that this blue Earth continues to shine beautifully. I will continue to sing the ocean’s sound of waves from my heart.”

--Haruko Kuwana (桑名晴子)

Yellow Magic Orchestra by YMO - 1978

I’ve noticed that Americans, for the most part, have a very limited perception of Japanese music. If we think of modern J-Pop it’s always in terms of anime music and teenybopper idol groups (both male & female), and when it’s older Japanese music we jump all the way to the Feudal era oriental-style music or at least Enka music from the Showa era. However, during the ‘70s New Music scene, various artists went out of their way to challenge the status quo of what Japanese music was supposed to sound like, from supergroup Tin Pan Alley to psychedelic rock group Happy End, to superstar singer-songwriter Yummi Arai, and among all these acts they were all connected to one key individual; a man named Haruomi Hosono.

Haruomi Hosono, or just “Harry” for short, was an exceptional producer, singer-songwriter & bassist and to this day is considered one of the architects of modern Japanese music. Harry was aware of the various stereotypes that the western world had about Asian culture, especially music, and was known for composing songs that flipped those stereotypes on their heads. One of his most famous albums to achieve this was known as the Yellow Magic Orchestra released in 1978 by the band of the same name, founded by Harry, along with Percussionist Yukihiro Takahashi( 高橋 幸宏 ), and Ryuichi Sakamoto( 坂本 龍一 ).

THE HISTORY

Yellow Magic Orchestra, or YMO for short, was initially conceived by Hosono as a one-off exploration of computerized music revolutionized by German band Kraftwerk & Japanese composer Isao Tomita (冨田 勲), as well as a parody of Exotica, a genre of music invented by pianist Martin Denny, built off of Western conceptions of the orient. However, YMO wasn't Harry’s 1st foray into electronic music that year, Parisio released on April 25th featured songs that combined folk & jazz fusion with techno-pop, and Cochin Moon, released September 21st, was Harry’s first completely electronic solo album. Both albums also featured future YMO members, Yukihiro Takahashi & Ryuichi Sakamoto, although during this time frame they were still known as the Yellow Magic Band. However, the three members were already veterans of the music industry before coming together, Yukihiro was the drummer for the Sadistic Mika Band (later known as just The Sadistics) and Sakamoto was working on his own solo debut album, Thousand Knives that same year.

The 1st YMO album began production in July 1978 at a Shibaura studio in Tokyo, and utilized a wide variety of electronic music equipment, most notably (but not limited to) the Roland MC-8 Microcomposer, and was the earliest known pop album to use it. The microcomputer was programmed by pioneer Hideki Matsutake (松武秀樹 ), who came on board after helping Ryuchi Sakamoto on Thousand Knives. The only acoustic instruments used during recording were a Steinway piano, drum set, and a marimba. Hosono of course was the main producer, handling the Bass and the arrangements for all the songs, Yukihiro was in charge of the drums, percussion, and vocals (La Femme Chinoise), and Sakomoto was the main keyboardist, but also handled percussion and orchestration.

Additional vocals were provided by Alfa Records secretary Tomoko Nunoi (布井智子) who could speak French so was invited to provide narration on La Femme Chinoise, and Shunichi “Tyrone” Hashimoto (橋本俊一) for the song Simoon, who has worked previously with Harry’s previous band, Tin Pan Alley. Other guest artists included prolific guitarists Masayoshi Takanakan( 高中 正義 ), who played electric guitar on Cosmic Surfin' and La Femme Chinoise, and British poet Chris Mosdell, who wrote the lyrics for the album and came on board through Takahashi after he discovered his poetry work through the Japan Times newspaper.

YMO had completed recording by September 5, 1978, and was released November 25th the same year. The album sold 250,000 copies in Japan earning it 69th place on the Oricon Pop Charts. However, the accolades didn’t stop in Japan, as Harry intended for YMO to have the potential for reaching success in non-Japanese-language territories as well. Thus YMO was released in the US on 30 May 1979 by A&M Records with a new mix done by Al Schmitt at Capitol Records Studio in Hollywood, California. In the US, YMO entered the Billboard 200 and R&B Albums charts. Its most successful single was Computer Game / Firecracker, which sold over 400,000 records in the United States and was a top 20 hit in the United Kingdom. The band YMO not only became Japan’s hottest pop act, but also an important milestone in music production, influencing and inspiring genres such as chiptune, synth-pop, and even Hip Hop. Firecracker, in particular, became popular in the then-emerging hip hop community, which appreciated the new electronic sounds, and in the Bronx, where it was later sampled by pioneering hip hop artist Afrika Bambaataa in his famous 1983 debut album Death Mix (1983). YMO became such a global phenomenon that they were able to earn a spot on the American TV show Soul Train in 1980, where they performed Firecracker as the first and only Japanese band on the show.

THE MUSIC

Side A

1. Computer Game 'Theme from The Circus’: Serves as the prologue to the song Firecracker. All the sound effects come from the 1977 arcade game “Circus” and it features an 8-bit sample of a funeral march.
2. Firecracker: A cover of a Martin Denny song from his album Quiet Village. They turned the original quiet oriental lounge track, into an electro chiptune disco number. Has very hip-hop feel to it a whole 6 years before Newcleus came on the scene.
3. Simoon: Named after the sandstorms of the Arabian Desert, Simoon is a slow melodic electro lounge song that, according to Hosono, was inspired by the desert scenes in Star Wars. Indeed images of C-3PO & R2-D2 making a lonely trek through the Dune Seas on Tatooine come to mind while listening to this song.
4. Cosmic Surfin: A futuristic surf-rock track that was originally introduced in the 1978 album Pacific, which was a collaboration between Harry Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki & Tatsuro Yamashita. The YMO version has a slightly slower tempo and more complex Drums & synths added. It also features Masayoshi Tanaka on electric guitar.
5. Computer Game 'Theme from The Invader': Another chiptune interlude, this time it’s SFX from the Game Circus juxtaposed against sound fx from the game Space Invaders.

Side B

1. Yellow Magic (東風 Tong Poo, "East Wind"): Arguably the most iconic song on the album written by Ryuichi Sakamoto, It was the first composition of his to be recorded by the band, and the only track on the album to be composed by him. The title came from Jean-Luc Godard's 1969 movie "Le Vent D'Est..." (Wind from the East ), an appropriate name for a synth-pop disco number inspired by Chinese classical music during the cultural revolution in China. The original was an instrumental punctuated by Hosono's funky bass as well as Sakamoto’s sweet improvised piano playing. A 1979 version was released with Minako Yoshida's（吉田美奈子）breathy vocals added in the background.
2. La Femme Chinoise: Another important entry in YMO's discography since it opened up the opportunity for the band to be seen not just as an instrumental group but a vocal one as well, featuring french narration by Tomoko Nunoi and the New Wave/Romantic inspired vocals of Yukihiro Takahashi.
3. Bridge over Troubled Music: The last Interlude in the album that serves as the prologue to Mad Pierrot. The title is based on the Simon & Garfunkel classic Bridge over Troubled Water. 
4. Mad Pierrot: The title is derived from the 1965 French film, "Pierrot le Fou" (Pierrot The Madman). Another fast-paced Oriental Synth Pop Dance track in the same vein as Tong Poo. Apparently, the song was so difficult to perform live, that the band decided to stop doing so for a while.
5. Acrobat: The final song of the album (unless you have the US version like I do), it takes the Combined circus music & funeral march from the 1st track and turns it into a full dance song, although it's only a minute & a half long.

THE VERDICT

Yellow Magic Orchestra was a band that took me a while to get into, I was introduced to them through the song Rydeen from the album Solid State Survivor, and while I did enjoy the song I wasn’t sold by the rest of the more ambient post-apocalyptic songs. In contrast, because YMO retained that strong emphasis on exotica, it still retained the melodic & jazzy flow that I’m used to hearing in other Hosono works, which is probably why I enjoyed this album a lot more. As a huge hip-hop head, I naturally gravitated towards Firecracker as my favorite song. I always imagine watching B-Boys break-dancing to this song, to top it off the US mix of the song has punchier equalization and heavy use of reverb making it much more satisfying to dance or bop your head to. As a fan of both ‘70s Disco & Chinese orchestral music, Tong Poo is another favorite of mine as it combines the best of both worlds perfectly. I currently own the US release of the album which omits Acrobat, and to be honest nothing of value was lost, as it just would have been another redundant interlude. It’s not a bad song, but the fact that it’s so short and that it recycles the same chiptune SFX from the previous Computer Game interludes, it’s not a very interesting song. That being said, the 1978 album Yellow Magic Orchestra is a must-own for any fan of electronic music. Whether you’re into chiptune or vaporwave or any type of video game music, YMO is worth checking out just to hear where it all came from.

Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Vocals:⭐⭐⭐

Arrangement:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aesthetic:⭐⭐⭐

Memorability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Composition:⭐⭐⭐⭐