Great work from Hitomi Tohyama – a set that's very much in the soulful side of the city pop spectrum, and one that does a great job of mixing English lyrics in with the Japanese! The backings are what really holds the whole thing together, though – done with all the right elements from American soul of the period, right down to well-crafted instrumentation that uses subtle fusion lines to really deepen the sound of the record without washing out the vocals – a mode that gives the record a lot more universal appeal and lasting power than you might expect! Titles include "Take Off Your Sunglasses", "Teardrops Romance", "Kiss The Yesterday", "Mystery Drive", "Get My Love", and "Love Is The Competition". LP, Vinyl record album

There's a sexy robot pictured on the cover, but the real guiding force of this sweet little set might be producer Hikaru Flash Kanematsu – who we can always thank for adding a bit more groove to the mix! The set was issued in Japan, but has a tight 80s soul groove that's like some of the best American work of the time – all the best use of sweet keyboards and funky basslines, and a strongly soulful vibe throughout – English lyrics that crackle along with all the best impulses of the grooves! Hitomi's got a nicely soulful vocal style – and titles include "Let's Talk In Bed", "Wanna Kiss", "Sexy Robot", "Behind You", "Try To Say", "Cathy", "Slow Love", "We Are In The Dark", and "Be Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful grooves from the Japanese scene – most of them from a time when its singers and musicians were leaning heavily on influences from American funk and soul, and turning out some wonderful music of their own! Lyrics on most tracks are in Japanese, but there's a really universal vibe to the grooves – great basslines, warm keyboards, and lots of jazzy touches in the instrumentation – a soulful, often funky approach that gives the collection an appeal that goes way beyond the boundaries of language! These aren't the mellow, electronic, or offbeat Japanese tracks of the 80s – and instead, the work here is overflowing with soul - on titles that include "Simple Another Love" by Jadoes, "Kimagure" by Kumi Nakamura, "Natsu No Hikari Ni" by Sumiko Yamagata, "Party Is Over" by Hatsumi Shibata, "Moonlight Flight" by Makoto Iwabuchi, "Paradise's Dream" by Arakawa Band, "I Wander All Alone (part 3)" by New Genration Company, "Sofa Bed Blues" by Haruo Chikada & Vibratones, "Tuxedo Connection" by Hitomi Penny Tohyama, and "Chigasaki Memory" by Mitsuko Horie. LP, Vinyl record album