Formerly Out-Of-Print Japanese Albums You Need Now

I write about Japanese music a lot, but I’ve been motivated to write about it even more as of late. I’ve recently covered the whole “city pop” thing a few times now, mostly to the extent that I just don’t get it. It’s fine, and there are some artists in that scene that I definitely do dig, but to me it just seems like such an odd subgenre of J-pop for people to be interested in, mostly because there’s just so much more interesting stuff out there, especially in terms of Japanese synthpop (or, as they call it, “technopop”).

And no, I’m not just talking about YMO and their related acts (although, for fuck’s sake listen to YMO and their related acts) but other artists too. The early-80s was simply jam-packed with amazing Japanese synthpop, and now, finally, a lot of the better stuff that was lost to time is being re-isssued, many for the first time on CD. So I thought I would take a quick look at three amazing artist worth checking out whose albums have recently gone back into circulation. 

Unlike the city pop that’s all the rage on YouTube, you can actually buy this stuff at fairly reasonable prices! So I suggest you do! A lot of this these albums are on Amazon Japan, and you can find a lot of it on Discogs too. I also recommend checking out LOGIC STORE, the online music shop curated by Hideki Matsutake aka Logic System aka the guy who did the sequencer work on most of these albums and YMOs best records. Not only does he have this stuff for sale, but a bunch of other great synthpop from the era.

Rajie

As I mentioned in my YMO guide, Rajie is a bit jazzier than many of her YMO-related compatriots, but her smooth voice gives her work an aura that you don’t find on other synthpop from the era.

Rajie was insanely prolific, pumping out seven albums between 1977 and 1985. Of those, the first five were re-released relatively recently. They’re not all bangers, but I recommend both Quatre and Le Trottoir D’Apres Midi. They’re a little on the soft side and a bit low-key, but her voice is so beautiful, and the rather understated electronic accompaniment fits her wonderfully. The title track from Quatre pairs her slow vocals with an upbeat sequencer rhythm to perfect effect.  And “ラジオと二人” (Two People and a Radio) is a fantastic amalgamation of strings and electronic beats.

This stuff is like the perfect middle ground between the city pop of Taeko Ohnuki and the more purely electronic sound of someone like Sandii. Upbeat yet chill, good synthpop for relaxing with a nice glass of wine.

Mioko Yamaguchi

While I can’t recommend all of Rajie’s discography without reservation, I must simply implore you to buy all three of Mioko Yamaguchi’s recently re-issued albums at your earliest possible convenience. They’re all masterpieces.

The stereotype of the Japanese pop idol of the 80s (and even today) is that they were tools of their producers or record labels, just pretty faces that could sing. This couldn’t be further from the truth for Mioko Yamaguchi, who wrote and sometimes arranged all of her songs. She was an auteur, a proper singer-songwriter. She was also profoundly unpopular (sigh) and vanished into obscurity shortly after her third and final album, Moonlight Princess, was released in 1983.

Which is a goddamn shame for many reasons, not the least of which being that Moonlight Princess is a damn masterpiece, a Velvet Underground and Nico of 80s synthpop. Just perfect production from beginning to end. Her first two album are great, no question about that, but Moonlight Princess is just an unbelievable record, filled with catchy melodies, wonderful vocals and top-notch instrumentation. “Yugao (Aware)” combines a soft and quiet piano with haunting electronic rhythms, and “Natsu” builds with a quiet intensity and an unbelievable hook that’ll burrow itself into your brain for days. It’s the most downtempo of the three, but it also has the most room to breathe. The more minimal nature of the electronics help to showcase the strength of the melodies and Yamaguchi’s wonderful voice.

Seriously, this stuff is great. An absolute must for synthpop fans. You’ve never heard anything like it.

Chiemi Manabe

The most bubblegum of this group, Chiemi’s music is light and fluffy, but far from disposable. It might not be as original as the Rajie or Yamaguchi, but damn is it fun, not to mention stacked with damn near everyone of note from the Japanese 80s synthpop scene.

Manabe’s backing band is a who’s who of singers and musicians who are now cult acts in both the states and in Japan. YMO guitarist Kenji Omura plays throughout the album as does The Sadistic Mika Band’s Kazuhiko Kato, who also contributes backing vocals with pop singer EPO and city pop darling Taeko Ohnuki. Experimental musician Nobuyuki Shimizu plays keyboards, while YMO’s Hideki Matsutake handles programming for the litany of electronics that accompany them all. And serving as a nebulous “supervisor” is YMO’s own Haruomi Hosono. 

This album was a bomb when it came out, leading to its rarity that turned it into a hot collector’s item for synthpop fans in the decades to come, with the sole vinyl pressing fetching hundreds of dollars in the rare instances that it would turn up for sale. And with one listen it was easy to hear why, the album is an immaculately produced piece of synthesized joy. The electronics are layered with a level of complexity and depth you just didn’t hear in 1982, when most synthpop still sounded relatively sparse and minimal. Tracks like “Nerewareta Shoujo” and the beautiful “Untotooku” just burst with melody and never-ending grooves. And if this album wasn’t already a must-own, the CD re-issue even includes several bonus tracks and instrumentals that were never before released. Just a fantastic record.