Eri Hayakawa -- Metamol City（メタモル・シティ）

Just to reassure everyone, this song has nothing to do with Maya from the second season of "Space:1999" or Constable Odo from "Deep Space Nine". There were actually no metamorphs involved in the making of this song.

However, there is apparently one in the title of this song "Metamol City" which is the lead track for Eri Hayakawa's（早川英梨）one and only album from August 1981, "City". Hayakawa was the first stage name for singer Atsuko Iwai（岩井敦子）who would later take on the name Atsuko Nina（二名敦子）. She's already represented on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" with her later discography, but I had been hoping to hear her City Pop material under the name of Hayakawa, and happily under the aegis of Kimi no Station: The Home of City Pop up on YouTube, I can get a listen.

Perhaps the metamol in "Metamol City" is the Japanese abbreviation for "Metamorph" or "Metamorphosing" , but whichever the case may be, it's a good and mellow urban contemporary number for Hayakawa which begins with an interesting arrangement of what sounds like a marimba. Then enter some of those silky strings, Fender Rhodes and even a lone trumpet. It's got that nice sheen of early 80s City Pop. In fact, I'd say that "Metamol City" would make for a fine accompaniment for that morning walk through West Shinjuku.

Composer Tetsuji Hayashi（林哲司）took care of the music and lyricist Yuriko Matsuda（松田侑利子）provided the lyrics. Apparently, "City" got a Tower Records-only remastering release earlier this decade but I'm not sure whether there are any more copies remaining. But I wouldn't mind going for this one rarity along with some of the later albums under the name of Nina. At the same time, I'm also curious about even further into her past since she made her debut under the name Eri Hayakawa in 1979 with the single "Sasowarete Natsu"（誘われて夏...Inviting Summer）. Her J-Wiki profile stated that her first song is more of a regular kayo rather than a City Pop tune.