{"product_id":"various-tokyo-glow-japanese-city-pop-funk-boogie","title":"Various - Tokyo Glow : Japanese City Pop, Funk \u0026 Boogie","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"custom-field custom-field__track-listing custom-field__type--html teaser rte\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"custom-field--value\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eImmerse yourself in the neon-lit, retro-futuristic soundscapes of 1980s Japan with Tokyo Glow, a masterful compilation album curated by Tokyo's own DJ Notoya. Released via the acclaimed reissue label Wewantsounds, this double-vinyl release unearths rare gems, cult classics, and underground floor-fillers from the legendary Nippon Columbia and Better Days archives. Perfectly capturing the intersection of Japanese City Pop, smooth 80s modern soul, and electronic jazz-funk, it serves as an essential auditory time capsule for seasoned audiophiles and newcomers looking to experience the authentic nighttime groove of Tokyo's golden era.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the success of \u003cem\u003eTokyo Dreaming\u003c\/em\u003e, Wewantsounds releases another compelling set, this time compiled by city pop expert DJ Notoya who has dug the rich Nippon Columbia catalog to bring a breezy selection of funky gems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNippon has amassed an incredible back catalog over the decades. Particularly strong in the '70s and '80s, the label was one of the main purveyors of great music at a time when Japan was entering its greatest economic boom and labels had budgets at hand to create the highest quality music. As Notoya explains in the liner notes, \u003cem\u003e\"Back in the day, the record companies had big budgets and could afford to have many great musicians playing on one record, plus strings and horn sections, top drummers and keyboardists. It all made for a very rich sound, which is generally very different to today's music.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeen to emulate the music created in the US by their American counterparts, Japanese musicians came with their own blend of funk, boogie and soul that has come to be known as city pop. The selection on \u003cem\u003eTokyo Glow\u003c\/em\u003e is full of such gems and starts with \"Kimugare,\" a relaxed, mid-tempo track by Kumi Nakamura, a famous actress who only recorded one album in 1980 for Columbia. The set continues and flows effortlessly with the sunshine grooves of Miyuki Maki, Hatsumi Shibata and cult keyboard player Hiroshi Sato before the pace starts going faster and 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.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTokyo-based DJ Notoya is from a new breed of Japanese DJs focusing on nippon music and is an expert on funk, modern soul, and boogie from the Island. With \u003cem\u003eTokyo Glow\u003c\/em\u003e, Notoya says he \u003cem\u003e\"focused more on the slightly more underground tracks from the era, rather than the bigger, well-known releases. For me that was a more fun and satisfying approach.\"\u003c\/em\u003e Another fine example on the set is the mid-tempo groove of \"I Wander All Alone Part III\" by New Generation Company, an aggregate group of some of the best Japanese session musicians led by arranger Katz Hoshi and including Hiroyuki Namba, Kazuo Shiina, and Yutaka Uehara.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTokyo Glow\u003c\/em\u003e showcases the diversity and specificity of Japanese city pop during the late '70s and '80s. Also features Haruyoshi Yamashina, Sumiko Yamagata, Makoto Iwabuchi, Arakawa Band, Kiyohiko Ozaki, Ken Nishizaki, Jadoes, Midori Hara, Mizuki Koyama, Haruo Chikada \u0026amp; Vibra-Tones, and Mitsuko Horie.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFeatures\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDouble LP\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRemastered from the Original Tapes by Nippon Columbia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMany Tracks Making Their Debut on Vinyl Outside of Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGatefold Jacket with Obi Strip\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesign by Optigram\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLiner Notes by DJ Notoya \u0026amp; Nick Luscombe\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eTracklist\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"track\"\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSide A\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKimagure – Kumi Nakamura\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndo No Michibata – Miyuki Maki\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOsake To Joke – Haruyoshi Yamashina\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNatsu No Hikari Ni – Sumiko Yamagata\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePARTY IS OVER – Hatsumi Shibata\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSide B\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMOONLIGHT FLIGHT – Makoto Iwabuchi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSaigo No Tejina – Hiroshi Sato\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePARADISE'S DREAM – Arakawa Band\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI WANDER ALL ALONE (PART III) – New Generation Company\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSide C\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOjosan Oteyawarakani – Kiyohiko Ozaki\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJUGGLER – Kengo Kurozumi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKoi No Paradigm – Ken Nishizaki\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSIMPLY ANOTHER LOVE – Jadoes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSide D\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAamar Jabar – Midori Hara\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTUXEDO CONNECTION – Hitomi 'Penny' Tohyama\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOH! DADDY – Mizuki Koyama\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSOFA BED BLUES – Haruo Chikada \u0026amp; Vibra-Tones\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCHIGASAKI MEMORY – Mitsuko Horie\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eNotes\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLabel: WeWantSounds\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"selections\"\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"The Audio Co","offers":[{"title":"Gatefold 180g Vinyl 2LP with Obi-Strip","offer_id":68072978481235,"sku":null,"price":9990.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1867\/3055\/files\/image_2026-11-07_200859935.png?v=1794062350","url":"https:\/\/theaudio.co\/products\/various-tokyo-glow-japanese-city-pop-funk-boogie","provider":"The Audio Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}