Light in the Attic simply does not disappoint. After checking out TMT contributors Rob Arcand and Sam Goldner’s excellent intro to City Pop, the bottomless mimosa of music genres, I thought to myself: when are we going to see a compilation of these glossy relicts of heart-tugging exotifications of consumerism drop with the help of everyone’s favorite musical custodians?
Well: May 3, 2019, apparently. It’s called Pacific Breeze: Japanese City Pop, AOR, & Boogie 1976-1986. It was compiled by Andy Cabic of Vetiver, DJ & music supervisor Zach Cowie, and dublab’s Mark “Frosty” McNeill, and it comes with an obligatory Hiroshi Nagai cover.
As the first-ever AUTHORIZED overview of the late 1970s-mid ’80s genre outside of Japan (City Pop releases are generally difficult to get your hands on due to licensing issues), the album showcases artists such as Taeko Ohnuki, Haruomi Hosono (whose album reissues have recently been handled by Light in the Attic as well), Minako Yoshida, Shigeru Suzuki, Hiroshi Sato, and other BIG names to everyone with unhealthy overlapping obsessions with major 7th chords and cuddle cafes; generally “tracks ranging from silky smooth grooves to innovative techno pop bangers and everything in between.” For a style of music which generally has built its popularity in the U.S. through Youtube mixes (listen below), this is HUGE.
Pre-orders of this must-have installment in Light in the Attic’s Japan Archival Series are now going on, and include a deluxe 2XLP edition with an actual beach towel. Get it while it’s…dry?
Pacific Breeze: Japanese City Pop, AOR, & Boogie 1976-1986 tracklisting:
01. Tomoko Soryo - I Say Who
02. Taeko Ohnuki - Kusuri Wo Takusan
03. Minako Yoshida - Midnight Driver
04. Nanako Sato - Subterranean Futari Bocci
05. Haruomi Hosono - Sports Men
06. Izumi Kobayashi - Coffee Rumba
07. F.O.E. - In My Jungle
08. Akira Inoue, Hiroshi Sato, Masataka Matsutoya - Sun Bathing
09. Hiroshi Sato - Say Goodbye
10. Yukihiro Takahashi - Drip Dry Eyes
11. Masayoshi Takanaka - Bamboo Vender
12. Shigeru Suzuki - Lady Pink Panther
13. Haruomi Hosono, Takahiko Ishikawa, Masataka Matsutoya - Mykonos No Hanayome
14. Yasuko Agawa - L.A. Night
15. Hitomi Tohyama - Exotic Yokogao
16. Tazumi Toyoshima - Machibouke
More about: Haruomi Hosono
