The funkiest Wukongs, for sure. I'll never forget the lyrics and crazy synth work in this one.
I'd argue T-Square (formerly The Square) is closer to instrumental kayokyoku (City Pop) fusion than Casiopea, and they're somehow more underrated on GAF despite their co-leader Masahiro Ando writing original music for Gran Turismo games. Definitely take a listen to some of their early stuff for City Pop vibes, like Make Me a Star and Rainbow. Japanese pop fusion like this and Toshiki Kadomatsu is quite something to get into.More on-topic, do you know Casiopea? They're a Japanese super funky jazz-fusion group operating at the same time as City Pop and they're definitely City Pop-adjacent.
Her '80s work is also really good, with more genre variance and plenty of vocal expression. Sadly there's a lot of Japanese pop media which could really benefit from huskier singers like her and MIQ, rather than squeaky clean voices even when they don't fit.Not as bubbly as other city pop songs but this is my shit even though it is a damn near cover of Can't Hide Love by Earth Wind and Fire.
Mai Yamane - Tasogare
Same singer from Real Folk Blues from Cowboy Bebop
City Pop shouldn't have been lost in translation to begin with. I guess the similarities between '70s/80s kayokyoku and its influences from overseas made all these artists seem more like copycats than something worth spreading and talking about. Thankfully we've crossed a threshold and plenty more people are talking about this style.A number of key reissues are coming from some existing and new record labels in the near future. This is the next big thing thanks to all that dumb vaporwave stuff.
Pretty sure Kazunori Yamauchi is a T-Square otaku since he contracted Satoshi Bandoh (one of the band's recent drummers) to do some GT tracks.
A number of key reissues are coming from some existing and new record labels in the near future. This is the next big thing thanks to all that dumb vaporwave stuff.
Pretty sure Kazunori Yamauchi is a T-Square otaku since he contracted Satoshi Bandoh (one of the band's recent drummers) to do some GT tracks.
Was planning on coming in here to post Hitomitoi once I got home. Her City Pop revival stuff is awesome.
Dive, from 2012's "City Dive" album is also a good starting point for her. This was followed by a pair of albums, the above "Surfbank Social Club" and then the follow-up "Snowbank Social Club".
makes me so upset I was too young to ever experience a Tokyo sunset in mid-80's Japan.
Japanese jazz fusion will always fly under the radar, as City Pop's resurgence in our part of the Web shows. But at least T-Square's doing well into old age and ex-Casiopea members (especially Akira Jimbo) have it made. I also really like Soil & Pimp Sessions, though they lean more towards a frenzied contemporary jazz than fusion.TBH I'm a bigger fan of the instrumental fusion jazz stuff like T-Square and Casiopea than of City Pop, but I love all of it. I bought a crap ton of Casiopea and T-Square CD's when I was in Tokyo in March, less worried about them getting damaged in transportation than vinyls.
Discogs is really the best you can use outside of tracking down Japanese fansites.As someone who somewhere tries to follow reissue of older Japanese music do you know where information on these reissues (when they are coming mostly) are?
Discogs is really the best you can use outside of tracking down Japanese fansites.
Yeah that's been my approach along with checking hmv occasionally for upcoming releases. From the post I was replying to, it just sounded like there might be some us/Europe labels getting the licenses to reissue some of these albums (similar to George Clanton reissuing Software's Digital-Dance album, WRWTFWW Midori Takada releases, or Light in the Attic slow stream of various Japanese albums).
"Plastic Love" is the hottest jam
future funk is roughly city pop made with city pop, etc samplesI always confuse city pop with future funk. They're basically just jazzy japanese songs right?
the sega sound devs were heavily inspired by the genreA lot of this music reminds me of late 80s & early 90s SEGA Arcade & Genesis music. Especially those synth bass lines, straight FM bliss.
future funk is roughly city pop made with city pop, etc samples
the sega sound devs were heavily inspired by the genre
HotHamBoy said:These songs seem to be from an OutRun game that doesn't exist.
Midsummer Drivin'
Sea Line
Like, god damn perfect.
the sega sound devs were heavily inspired by the genre
A lot of this music reminds me of late 80s & early 90s SEGA Arcade & Genesis music. Especially those synth bass lines, straight FM bliss.
Makes sense!
Station square seems more of a variant/style that uses midi instruments a whole lot. style adjacent?Yeah, it's really clear. Like my post up above suggests, Hiroshi Kawaguchi must have had that shit on loop.
But even as recent as Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast you have tracks like this:
Station Square
That sounds a hell of a lot like those two tracks I just posted.
Station square seems more of a variant/style that uses midi instruments a whole lot. style adjacent?
As someone who somewhere tries to follow reissue of older Japanese music do you know where information on these reissues (when they are coming mostly) are?
Taeko Ohnuki's got jams, too bad 4AM keeps getting taken down. The first track on that album and the self-titled tracks are dope.
Yung Bae and Macross were that dudes. Check out Architecture in Tokyo if you feel thoseHoly shit this thread is awesome, I've been on a Yung Bae, Macross 82-99, and Waterfront Dining binge the last few weeks lol.
Love music like this!
Are there any playlists for Apple Music?
And to whoever liked the stuff from Casiopea, go check out T-Square(aka the dudes who wrote most if not all the original jazz in Gran Turismo), Issei Noro Inspirits, and Trix. I'd also throw out Kaori Kobayashi(one of the best female sax players today imo) but she's more of a traditional jazz musician than jazz fusion like those guys above.
Now the question is, should I risk it and open this thread while I'm at work tomorrow? Lol.
Right? I'm listening to a track or two of this stuff on YT already, and I'm like "Damn, Loose Ends would've killed on this beat."80's Japanese R&B has a new name!?
Hmmm...
I generally hear about them through other boards, also just on Discogs when I'm looking for deals, heh. Euro and Japanese labels have been reissuing assorted things over the last few years (Hosono, Sato, the CBS/Sony series, etc), Light In the Attic and Forced Exposure are helping distribute some things in the US although some of these are more on the avant garde end of things (but no less important and often even harder to track down)
This really is a /mu/ pet genre. I first learned about City Pop when I stumbled on Sugar Babe's album SONGS, which helped pioneer the style and led to solo success for Yamashita and Taeko Ohnuki. And it struck me just how much influence this style of kayokyoku had on video game musicians in the '80s.City pop is cool as hell, learned about it on /mu/ just a couple months ago
Tatsuro Yamashita was king of the scene and his music brings to mind some 90s anime too slick and too dreamy to ever actually exist
Wow. Never heard of this genre/style but I love it.
All future vaporwave samples.
"Plastic Love" is the hottest jam