Ritsuko Kazami -- Onna Tomodachi: Reira no Baai（女友達－レイラの場合）

I guess that I can say now that there is something called the Taeko Ohnuki（大貫妙子）sound. But this sound is rather time-locked in that it is most likely applicable just to the early-mid 1980s when Ohnuki herself was weaving tunes that not only had a touch of European class but also some of that technopop flair thanks also to her collaborator, Ryuichi Sakamoto（坂本龍一）.

(15:58)

Case in point: it was only three days ago when I could detect that composing signature in Jennifer Connelly's "Ai no Monologue"（愛のモノローグ）even before I confirmed that it was Ohnuki who composed that particular tune. For this particular song here, I actually listened to Ritsuko Kazami's（風見律子）"Onna Tomodachi: Reira no Baai" (Female Friend: Reira's Case) a few weeks ago, and after I'd finished the video, that Eureka moment flashed in my head and exclaimed "Yes, that's an Ohnuki!" as if it were some vintage car.

In fact, I had it pegged even before the 30-second mark with Kazami's way of delivering the vocals: high and slightly halting. Plus, there's that certain melody line which is rich but playful and quirky with the busy keyboards. It's classy City Pop with a French twist going into the late 1980s but with that Sakamoto/Ohnuki technopop arrangement. Along with Ohnuki, Reiko Yukawa（湯川れい子）provided the lyrics.

"Onna Tomodachi" shares the Kazami album "Aventurier" (1986) with the title track, also a City Pop number with a venturesome streak but with a different feeling. At this rate, I'm going to have to seriously think about investing in this album.