A record that picks up on a very particular strand of Japanese music in the 70s – and one that's maybe not even fully described with all the evocative words in the title! The sounds here are leaner and more open than work you'd know from the city pop years – but also not like Japanese rock of the late 60s, and maybe not even like some of the bigger names of the 70s who crossed over to American audiences. Instead, the whole package is very creative and inventive – certainly with currents of psych and soul, but often moving into territories that really defy easy categorization – as if these Japanese artists feel free to pick and choose whatever they want to put in the mix! The sound is great, and the album is a treasure trove of discoveries – with sounds that include "Aoi Galasu Dama Blue Glass Ball" by Yoshiko Sai, "Have You Smoked Gauloise" by Hiroshi Kamayatsu, "Jikan Wo Koero Go Beyond Time" by Tadashi Goino Group, "Omae You" by Jun Fukamachi, and "Hachigatsu No Inshow Augusts Impression" by Momotaro Pink. LP, Vinyl record album

A great bit of Japanese soul from the end of the 80s – and one that's got a surprising connection to Prince as well – given the man himself wrote some of the tracks, and also appears on the record himself! Apart from Kahoru's Japanese vocals, the Prince tracks are totally Prince numbers – in that he wrote, produced, and performed all the instrumentation – on both "Mind Bells" and "Bliss" – which were then topped by vocals from Kahoru – in a way that's a totally great blend of city pop modes and Prince's funky groove! Other tracks are pretty great too – and feature arrangements that are equally soulful – on titles that include "Dreamer", "Wild Generation", "In The Rain", "Time The Motion", "Silent Blue", and "Everything's All Right". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweetly soulful soundtrack from Cagnet – music for the extremely popular Long Vacation series in the 90s, done in that Japanese style from the time that was very heavy on influences from American soul! There's English language lyrics on most tracks – sung by Natalie and Anna, with a bit of work from male singer David too – and the music has that groove from this key moment in Japanese club, when it seemed as if productions like this could easily cross the boundaries of cultures, as ears in both the US and UK scenes were really opening up to the groove. Titles include "Here We Are Again", "Long Vacation", "Into You", "Under The Moonlight", "What Will I Do", "Deeper & Deeper", and "Our Romance". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare rock from the Japanese scene of the postwar years – but sounds that definitely have a universal appeal overall! Masaaki Hirao is way more than just a novelty remake of American rockers of the time – as he's got a sharp-edged sound that easily rivals the best we had to offer here in the US – the charm of Elvis, the propulsion of Johnny Burnette, and the offbeat appeal of Buddy Holly! Yet the sounds here are often quite their own thing, too – especially on the Japanese language numbers which make up most of the set, and which have Masaaki stepping away from straight American cover versions, and really doing some great things on his own. The guitar lines are especially great – recorded with brilliant twang and echo that really matches the power of the vocals – and the set features some mighty nice live tracks that are even more biting than the studio material! 10 cuts in all – including "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Hoshi Wa Nandemo Shitteiru", "Isuki No Komoriuta Rock", "Crazy Love", "Ooh My Soul", "Jenny Jenny", "Miyo Chan", and "Blue De Memphis". (Rock, Japanese) LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary pairing of talents – as Japanese jazz singer Kimiko Kasai works alongside Herbie Hancock – in a setting that's very much on the soul side of the spectrum! Both Herbie and Kimiko started out with a straighter jazz sound in their early years – but by the end of the 70s, they'd both picked up plenty of influences from R&B – although Kasai's work was largely unknown to American audiences. This set is one of those rare Japanese-only sessions by Herbie at the time – a few of which have gotten released overseas as the decades have gone on – and Hancock is in his best keyboard groove, and also gets additional help on the keys from Webster Lewis – who no doubt brings a strong soul current to the music too. Other musicians include Bennie Maupin on soprano and tenor sax, Paul Jackson on bass, Ray Obeido on guitar, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, and Bill Summers on percussion – in a groove that's like a tighter take on the sound of The Headhunters. Kimiko sings in English – and titles include some great versions of Herbie Hancock tunes – including "Maiden Voyage", "Sunlight", "Butterfly", "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", and "Harvest Time" – plus a great take on Stevie Wonder's "As", the cut "Head In The Clouds", and the funk-steeped opener "I Thought It Was You". LP, Vinyl record album