'As Michael K. Bourdaghs noted in his book, Sayonara Amerika, Sayonara Nippon, this music was, “Deconstructing the line between imitation and authenticity.” Some of the best City Pop teeters in this zone—easy listening with mutant exotica, tilted techno-pop, and steamy boogie bubbling beneath the gloss.' - Light In The Attic

The latest chapter in Light In The Attic’s Japan Archival Series, following 2017’s Lab-platinum Even A Tree Can Shed Tears (almost everyone in the Lab office bought a copy of that one) with a new 16-track set charting the progression from Japan’s tender folk rock scene into the burgeoning sound of City Pop, an inherently Japanese take on boogie funk, AOR and soft rock that reflected the upbeat vibes of the country’s increasing economic prosperity, cultural rebirth and artistic realization in the postwar era. The collection features important tracks from scene luminaries and Lab faves Haruomi Hosono and Shigeru Suzuki (both formerly of Happy End, arguably the progenitors of this sound; and Hosono famously co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra), Minako Yoshida, Hiroshi Sato, Taeko Ohnuki, Masayoshi Takanaka and more. Pacific Breeze lays down a strong baseline with four sensual boogie cuts from the scene’s leading ladies (Tomoko Soryo, Ohnuki, Yoshida, Nanako Sato) before wandering into weirder, more electronic territory with Hosono-san’s “Sports Men” and Izumi Kobayashi’s “Coffee Rumba.” Seaside Lovers’ “Sun Bathing,” Sato’s “Say Goodbye,” Takanaka’s “Bamboo Vender” and Suzuki’s bossa-infused “Lady Pink Panther” are other highlights. While many of the LPs these tracks are culled from have been reissued in recent years (highly recommended if you can get ahold of them), Light In The Attic’s unparalleled programming yields the finest survey of the City Pop sound we could imagine; a cohesive and enjoyable listen from top to bottom. All tracks have been remastered and are pressed on black double vinyl, housed in printed inner sleeves with extensive liner notes, custom die cut obi strip and foldout booklet, recommended.

• black double vinyl pressing
  
• remastered audio
• custom die-cut obi strip
• housed in full color printed inner sleeves
• includes foldout booklet with extensive liner notes + artist bios
• compiled by Andy Cabic, Zach Cowie + Mark ‘Frosty’ McNeill
• artwork by famed Japanese illustrator Hiroshi Nagai
• music label: Light In The Attic 2019

reviewed by sunrise mart 03/2019