Various
Pacific Breeze: Japanese City Pop, AOR And Boogie 1976-1986

✺ Japanese Record Store Day 2021 Exclusive✺ First time on 7"Momoe Shimano gained popularity for her cool singing voice during the R & B boom that swept the 2000s.From “Free Soul Moe Her Mellow Lovers Twilight Amour”, which was announced in 2009 and attracted many listeners in a blink of an eye, the number that decorated the opening is the long-awaited analog release.The A-side, which beautifully covers Minako Yoshida’s famous song “Shooting Star of Love,” is a mellow number that matches the voice that sings while looking up at the original song and the softly swaying electric piano.On the B side, a Japanese R & B “Late Show” that swings gently is coupled to acid jazz-like. I would like you to get the songs that are indispensable for tracing the genealogy of Japanese soul-R & B and city pop, with 7inch.

✺ Pressed on black vinyl✺ Yumi Tanimura's 1987 debut album✺ Newly remasteredSinger-songwriter Yumi Tanimura’s first album “Believe In” will be reissued on LP. The LP "Believe In (2024 Cutting)" is a new cut in 2024 from the original master and will be released in the domestic press. It is a new cutting/newly remastered sound source that delves deeply into the original sound source of 1987 and evokes new emotions, and we hope that those who have listened to it so far will enjoy it to their heart's content again.

✺ Light in the Attic World Exclusive (Including Japan)✺ Japanese import✺ Pressed on black double vinyl✺ First ever vinyl release of several rare tracks including "Bikkuri Party No Theme"✺ Track selection and liner notes by Hashim Kotaro Bharoocha✺ Remastered and cut by Bernie Grundman✺ Art direction by Takashi OkadaAt the center of Tokyo’s Techno Pop scene was ALFA/YEN Records. The label left behind an impressive body of work, but much of it wasn't made widely available... until now! This new, definitive compilation focuses on the music archives of the YEN Records catalog, available for the first time exclusively at Light in the Attic. This is a true celebration of Japan's Techno Pop scene of the 80s, reissued with the intent that future generations, internationally, will be able to discover, enjoy, and appreciate ALFA/YEN and its significant contributions to the sonic landscape of the 80s and beyond.

The latest chapter in the acclaimed Pacific Breeze series with artwork by renowned illustrator Hiroshi Nagai. Compiled by Yosuke Kitazawa and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab)Housed in a deluxe wide spine jacket with full color inner sleeves and custom die-cut OBI and features extensive artist bios by Yosuke KitazawaLight in the Attic’s Pacific Breeze series has supplied the world’s growing legions of Japanese music fans with an expertly curated selection of the most sought-after City Pop recordings—the mesmerizing and nebulous genre of Japanese bubble-era music of the ‘70s-’80s that encompasses AOR, R&B, jazz fusion, funk, boogie and disco. These familiar sounds are spun through the unique lens of optimistic, cosmopolitan fantasy colored by Japan’s affluence at the time. Much of the music has previously been nearly impossible to acquire outside of Japan and continues to captivate listeners with its unique blend of groove-laden escapism, even birthing wholly new genres such as Vaporwave.Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987 marks the latest chapter in the famed series and features holy grails plus under-the-radar rarities. The collection bursts at the seams to reveal some of the greatest Japanese tracks ever laid to tape, pushing towards the edge of City Pop to reveal glimmers of the next waves of styles to spring forth from the country’s creative minds. The appearance of Pizzicato Five hint at the emergence of Shibuya-kei while the influence of hip hop and electro as an emerging global trend are also evident here through the prevalence of heavier programmed drum beats on tracks such as “Heartbeat” by Miho Fujiwara.This volume of Pacific Breeze, like its predecessors, is a female-forward offering with many tracks being voiced by women who would become household names in Japan as actresses and pop idols. Their songs here subvert the norm and brim with an innovative spirit that shatters gender roles in favor of sonic transcendence. Techno-pop classics from Susan, Miharu Koshi and Chiemi Manabe sit alongside sublime funk from Atsuko Nina and Naomi Akimoto while Teresa Noda slides into the mix with a sultry reggae jam. The genre span is stretched wider with hypnotic jazz fusion by Parachute and Hiroyuki Namba, a synthesizer fantasy from Osamu Shoji, and magnetic pop by Makoto Matsushita and Chu Kosaka.Although not front and center, the visionary members of Yellow Magic Orchestra are still very present on Pacific Breeze 3, with Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi taking up producer and musician roles on many of these tracks. Pacific Breeze 3 serves up a captivating musical journey that adds an essential chapter to the iconic compilation series.

✺ Pressed on Blue Vinyl✺ First ever vinyl reissue of the 1983 Japanese City Pop Classic✺ Newly Remastered for Vinyl✺ LP Includes Huge 24’’x 24’’ Fold Out Poster✺ First of three in the Piper reissue seriesLed by guitarist/vocalist Keisuke Yamamoto, Piper was formed in Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. A move to Tokyo was followed by the release of their first single on Yupiteru Records, thanks to original guitarist Yuji Suzuki who had became an A&R man for the label. Citing British bands like Wishbone Ash and Camel as influences, Yamamoto and Piper nevertheless conjured up classic American sounds on Piper’s recordings, utilizing unusual recording techniques and new technologies like Linn drums to effortlessly blend styles of funk, soul and fusion and simultaneously evoking summer vibes, autumnal breezes, and wintery shimmer.Summer Breeze is Piper’s second album, originally released in 1984 on Yupiteru. Inspired by the sounds of Masayoshi Takanaka and Tatsuro Yamashita, as well as the concept of “BGM” (background music) championed by YMO, Summer Breeze was a conscious about face from their debut to create a new signature sound and become masters of summery resort vibes. Its smooth sounds belie the bevy of experimentation utilized on the recording, from vocoders and drum programming to recording guitars direct through the board. Even the iconic cover art, with the surfer wearing an impossibly short crop top, is deceiving in its simplicity – it was one of the most expensive jackets produced by the label at the time, due to its use of special spot colors and custom handlettering. The original album featured the marketing copy “Good Weather! Good Sounds!” which perfectly encapsulates the sounds contained on the album.Summer Breeze de Piper

"Plastic Love" often comes to mind as the quintessential example of City-Pop, originally written and produced by Japanese power couple Tatsuro Yamashita and Mariya Takeuchi in 1984. Later in 1991 it was covered with new Cantonese lyrics by Anita Mui, and now, over 3 decades later, the pursuit to give this song new aesthetics continues with yet another cover with Anita Mui's Cantonese lyrics but with a completely different feel. What could be interpreted as relatively raw production methods is turned into a refreshing take on this classic Japanese 80's anthem. Originally recorded during golden age of Japanese technology with a highly polished sound, Xiaolin gives it a new twist with a rougher edge established by the drum machines and saturated bass echoing video game soundtracks from a bygone era, beautifully juxtaposed with her dreamy vocals. Also included, a karaoke instrumental version on the B-side.