I just came across a 2012 article on "The Japan Times" that talks about a return of that Perrier-sipping and plane-hopping Japanese genre known as City Pop. And considering some of the singers I've encountered for the first time via YouTube and articles on this blog, I think the return is still happily on the move. Perhaps Japan, and specifically Tokyo, may no longer be all that close to the top of the economic heap as it was when City Pop was experiencing its first heyday, but it seems that there is still a want for some of that urban contemporary beat.
One of the relatively new artists that I discovered in the last few months is Ryusenkei（流線形...Streamline） aka Cunimondo Takiguchi nee Toshiaki Takiguchi. He is mentioned in that Japan Times article but otherwise there is not a whole lot about him aside from his own Facebook page. However, I did find out that he has had three albums so far under his belt, "City Music" (2003), "Tokyo Sniper" (2006) and "Natural Woman" (2009).
Tonight I'm featuring a track from Ryusenkei's first album "City Music", "Airport '80", created by Takiguchi. Both the album and the song are perfectly titled considering the genre. The airport is one of the representative places when it comes to City Pop...that launching point to exotic horizons, whether they be the shores of Honolulu or the streets of Manhattan, or that landing point before heading into the world's biggest megalopolis. As soon as I heard that melody of shimmery strings and strumming guitar along with those technological bloops after that recording of soaring jets, I knew I was getting back into some comfortable musical territory. The mellow vocals also had me craving those huge cocktails with the paper umbrellas. I'll be interested in trying to catch up with what Ryusenkei has been producing over the past decade.
Have a look at a couple of articles that Marcos V. has written up on similar material. One is on Greeen Linez and the other is his playlist on those Retro Grooves.
One of the relatively new artists that I discovered in the last few months is Ryusenkei（流線形...Streamline） aka Cunimondo Takiguchi nee Toshiaki Takiguchi. He is mentioned in that Japan Times article but otherwise there is not a whole lot about him aside from his own Facebook page. However, I did find out that he has had three albums so far under his belt, "City Music" (2003), "Tokyo Sniper" (2006) and "Natural Woman" (2009).
Tonight I'm featuring a track from Ryusenkei's first album "City Music", "Airport '80", created by Takiguchi. Both the album and the song are perfectly titled considering the genre. The airport is one of the representative places when it comes to City Pop...that launching point to exotic horizons, whether they be the shores of Honolulu or the streets of Manhattan, or that landing point before heading into the world's biggest megalopolis. As soon as I heard that melody of shimmery strings and strumming guitar along with those technological bloops after that recording of soaring jets, I knew I was getting back into some comfortable musical territory. The mellow vocals also had me craving those huge cocktails with the paper umbrellas. I'll be interested in trying to catch up with what Ryusenkei has been producing over the past decade.
Have a look at a couple of articles that Marcos V. has written up on similar material. One is on Greeen Linez and the other is his playlist on those Retro Grooves.
Hiii do you know the airport lyric un english? I likee this sobg, but i dont know the traduction :(
ReplyDeleteHello, doramaonline.
DeleteThanks very much for your question. Unfortunately I couldn't find the original lyrics online and I'm not too good at interpreting without the written lyrics.
However, from what I could hear from the link at the top of the article, I think the singer was pointing out to her probably soon-to-be-ex-lover that she no longer wants to have anything to do with him. Airports have often been used in Japanese popular music to signify the ending of a romance.