Just out of my usual sense of whimsy that pops up, I explored a bit on whether I could find another new technopop band of the 1980s in Japan outside of the usual suspects: Yellow Magic Orchestra and any of the Techno Gosanke(テクノ御三家). I have discovered a few but when I took a look at one of the streaming services, I did manage to find a fresh one.
Good heavens! This fellow was quite the handsome Japanese David Sylvian or member of Duran Duran, wasn't he?
Let me introduce you to musician and singer-songwriter Shinobu Narita(成田忍). He's actually had an indirect presence on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" because he was a part of the music project 99.99 for which I've provided a few articles including one for their "Amazin' & Amusin'" song from 1982. As I mentioned in that one, their self-titled album was split into two types of music with one type covering fusion while the other type was all about progressive rock and technopop. "Amazin' & Amusin'" was from the fusion stable so I can imagine that Narita was on the other type.
Anyways, Narita joined up with another member from 99.99, violinist Tadahiko Yokogawa(横川理彦), to form the electro group 4-D in October 1982 which mostly did the live house circuit in the Kansai region. Narita also produced his own songs on sonosheets/flexidiscs for free distribution and according to "Lostwave's Finest Wiki", one of those tunes was the 1984 "Ceramic Love", a slightly dreamscape-y song thanks to the introspective arrangement and echo-laden vocals by the man himself. The J-Wiki article for Narita states that "Ceramic Love" came out in 1987 but I'm assuming that is the CD version.
Looks like you have found the 'depeche mode' of Japan! I am going to have to check out more of Shinobu Narita's works.
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