Tokyo Glow

Description

After the success of the compilation Tokyo Dreaming, the label Wewantsounds presents a new selection of funky gems curated by Japanese DJ Notoya, who drew from the rich catalog of Nippon Columbia from the late 70s and early 80s to extract the essence. Nippon Columbia is an institution in Japan and one of the country's most important labels, having accumulated an incredible catalog over the decades. The label was particularly creative in the 70s and 80s and was one of the main providers of quality music at a time when Japan was entering one of its greatest economic booms. At that time, record companies had large budgets and could afford to hire the best musicians for a record, with rich string and brass sections, top drummers, and keyboardists... The result was a sophisticated sound, very different from today's music. Eager to emulate the popular music created in the United States by their American counterparts, Japanese musicians created their own cocktail of funk, boogie, and soul, better known as city pop. The selection Tokyo Glow is filled with these funky gems with influences from the West Coast, starting with "Kimugare," a mid-tempo track by Kumi Nakamura, a famous actress who recorded only one album for Columbia in 1980. The playlist continues in this vein with the sunny grooves of Miyuki Maki, Hatsumi Shibata, and cult musician Hiroshi Sato. The pace then picks up to become funkier with New Generation Company, Kengo Kurozumi - with his superb boogie "Juggler" - and one of the queens of the genre, Hitomi 'Penny' Tohyama with "Tuxedo Connection." DJ Notoya, based in Tokyo, is part of the new generation of Japanese DJs focusing on Japanese music and is an expert in funk, modern soul, and boogie. With Tokyo Glow, he has focused more on rarities rather than more well-known tracks. Another example that illustrates his point is "I Wander All Alone Part III" by New Generation Company, a group made up of some of the best Japanese studio musicians led by arranger Katz Hoshi and including Hiroyuki Namba (keyboards), Kazuo Shiina (guitar), and Yutaka Uehara (drums), all of whom have played with Tatsuro Yamashita among others. In collaboration with Notoya and Nippon Columbia, Wewantsounds is pleased to revisit one of the most creative periods of Japanese music with this groove-filled album.