Platinum 900: One of The Most Overlooked City Pop Bands

Hi, I am HRLE92, a new author of this blog. I run a Youtube channel called "Island Fantasia" to upload music. If you like city pop, AOR, or jazz, you might find something interesting there.

This is my first time posting here at this great Japanese music blog. I initially thought that I would begin by introducing city pop in the 90s, but I found that I did not have enough knowledge to write an article about Japanese music in the decade. So I scrapped that plan and decided to start by introducing one of my favorite city pop bands: Platinum 900. 

(Please note that all text below only reflects my personal opinion. You may find some of the information below inaccurate or not true for you.)

You can listen to this unofficial compilation I made while reading.

Platinum 900 was a band from Tokyo, Japan. It was a trio that consists of vocalist Naoko Sakata (坂田直子), guitarist and bassist Kazuhiko Nishimura (西村一彦), and keyboardist Hiroshi Iihoshi (飯星裕史). Iihoshi was also in charge of computer programming. The trio was released three albums and one EP in the course of three years, from 1997-1999. If I were to find a western counterpart for this band, it would definitely be Vulfpeck. In fact, the music of this band really seems like what Vulfpeck would release if it had city pop influence. Unfortunately, the difference is that Platinum 900 did not have Youtube and the Internet to help them get more exposure. 

I discovered the band when I stumbled across a Japanese blog that introduced rare albums. The author put a Youtube video under each album for sample listening. The album I saw in the blog was the group’s last album “Free (At Last)”. I genuinely did not think that this album would be one of my favorite city pop albums of all time when I saw the album cover, which features a weird, half black face of a man with sunglasses which has a reflection of a woman’s face on the left and a planet on the right. The fact that it was released in 1999 only further confused me. But it all became clear when I clicked on that play button. The song I heard was "Let’s Boogie The Night", track 9 of the group's last album. The first thing that stunned me was the fluid guitar movement and the funky bass line in the intro. Then it was the string section and vocals that kicked in later. However, the greatest part of the song was the flute solo. It brought the city pop vibe to an absolute apex. 

Since then, that Youtube video has been luring me to look for more grooves by this unfortunately forgotten band. I found a couple of pieces of audio on Youtube and later made an unofficial compilation from it (“Platinum No Rare Groove”, the video above), but that was it. There were no more materials on the Internet. 

Sometime later, I sent the audio of "Let’s Boogie The Night" from Youtube to a private city pop group chat I joined to share the discovery. I was very surprised to hear from a member that he actually had the audio of all three albums by Platinum 900. He was nice enough to send me all of it and let me have a listen to the band's discography, but he did not let me share any of them, which was unfortunate but reasonable.

Track information is from Tower.jp

1st album: "Platinum Airways Flight 900", 1997

CD originally packaged in jewel case housed in a thin cardboard box. Comes with a hype sticker on shrink but no obi strip.

This was where the legend started. I think this album has more jazz and funk influence than the band's later albums. 

Since I am not good at categorizing music, I will quote and translate a blog that introduces this album posted by a DJ from Taiwan. This guy goes by "勝野武士" and makes lots of great Japanese music mixes. You can check them out here. The original text in Chinese can be viewed here.

"The first song, "恋のレスキュー隊" (Koi no Rescue-tai...Rescue Squad of Love), starts the album with the style of acid jazz music and lounge music. Then it's the Japanese city-style AOR track "Never Stop". After the interlude "Never Stop" comes "I can't listen to the BOSSA NOVA on a Sunday afternoon", which is a lighter track that fuses bossa nova with drum'n bass music. "Eternity" is another AOR track. The urban soul song that incorporates jazz and funk influences, "Platinum Airways", comes next. [The last track,] "History", is as warm as a hug. Although [this album] has a little less variety compared to the group's last album "Free (At Last)", it is definitely a famous one that symbolizes the Japanese shibuya-kei musical culture of the late 90s." 

1.恋のレスキュー隊 00:04:56

2.Never Stop 00:05:02

3.Flight 900 00:00:43

4. I can't listen to the BOSSA NOVA on a Sunday afternoon (ボサノヴァ日曜日)00:07:49

5.Eternity 00:04:21

6.Platinum Airways 00:04:10

7.History 00:05:24

Track 3 is a shorter take, or possibly taken from, track 6. 

All tracks composed by Kazuhiko Nishimura, except for track 4, which is composed by Hiroshi Lihoshi and Kazuhiko Nishimura, and track 5, whose composer is not listed

All lyrics by Naoko Sakata, except for tracks 2,3, and 6, whose lyrics were written by Naoko Sakata and Kazuhiko Nishimura.

All songs arranged by Satoshi Nakamura (中村哲) and Platinum 900

2nd album: "Concerto für Jazz, Disco and Bossa Nova", 1998

CD originally packaged in standard jewel case inserted into a thin cardboard box. Comes with a hype sticker on shrink wrap but no obi strip.

This album is more simply known as “白金”, which means “platinum”. The track “Platinum Airways [Live Version] is what confirms that Platinum 900 was from Tokyo. I do not know if this was really recorded live, but I did hear audiences cheering and a host introducing the band. What is heard in the song is transcribed below. I cannot understand some parts so I marked them as "[unclear]".

Narrator: “Alright, alright, people. I now want you to know to give a big [unclear] welcome, all the way from Tokyo, Japan, is the Platinum nine… Something, whatever. Here they are! Let's hear from [unclear].”

Naoko Sakata: “Hello, New York! Are you having a good time? We are Platinum 900, from [unclear] Tokyo. We love you!"

In this album, the sentimental mood of the music shown more apparently in the third album was starting to develop. However, different from their third album, the string section did not play an important role in this album.

Except for tracks 2, 3, and 6, none of the tracks are available for online listening.

1. 第一楽章:今すぐ受話器をとって 00:04:59

2.第二楽章:アップル -APPLE- 00:05:57

3.第三楽章:Mercedes Life 00:06:01

4.第四楽章:Platinum Always [Live Version] 00:04:30

5.第五楽章:My Philosophy 00:05:17

6.第六楽章:ファンタスティック・ジャーニー 00:05:44

All lyrics by Naoko Sakata

All songs composed by Kazuhiko Nishimura

All songs arranged by Platinum 900

Tracks 1,2, and 3 are groovy city pop songs. Track 4 is a live version of track 6 in the group's first album “Platinum Airways Flight 900", Track 5 is a samba/bossa nova song. Track 6 is a cheerful and funky song.

3rd and last album: “Free (At Last)”, 1999

CD originally packaged in a standard jewel case with obi strip.

Tracks:

1.天国と地獄 (Heaven or Hell) 00:05:42

2.眩しいフォトグラフ (Mabushii Photograph) 00:06:02

3.フリー (アット・ラスト) (Free (At Last))00:05:13

4.夜明け前 00:06:25

5.ハリーは毛むくじゃら (Hairy Henry) 00:05:03

6.月灯りの下で 00:04:56

7.セイ・ホワット? (Say What?) 00:03:43

8.クライ、ベイビー クライ (Cry, baby cry)00:04:16

9.レッツ・ブギ・ザ・ナイト (Let’s Boogie The Night) 00:05:22

10.カミーニョ・ド・マー (Caminho Do Mar) 00:06:27

All lyrics and songs composed by Naoko Sakata and Kazuhiko Nishimura

This is probably Platinum 900's best album. It contains their most listened song, "Let's Boogie The Night", which has over 10000 views on Youtube. My favorite song from this album is Mabushii Photograph, which features an absolutely amazing string arrangement. 

I think this album accurately reflects the sentimental city mood. It is suitable to listen when driving downtown. The melodies may not seem "comfortable", or "perfect" as it often is in many classic city pop albums. But I think that the imperfection is the album's brilliance because it is meant to portrait the painful, yet beautiful, moment of heartbreak in city life. 

In this album, the string section has completely merged into the song as one of the main instruments: the drum and bass provide a solid groove, the vocal tells the story when the guitar and the strings create the atmosphere.

(Tracks 4,5,7,8, and 10 are not available online yet)

Track 1 is the beginning. It starts the album off with crazy horn sections and bass grooves. I do not understand the lyrics, but I think that the vocal sounds desperate and confused. This song sets up the mood for the rest of the album. 

Track 2 is a slower song. This song is highly rated by many Japanese music blogs. I feel that the best part of the song is the string section, which feels like that it is breathing and alive. 

Track 3 is the theme song of the album. It does not make me think of anything, but with the low-pitch chorus and bass sections, it feels like the perfect song for cruising at midnight.

Track 4 is the most emotional piece in the album. I feel that Sakata has really got good vocal skills. She can handle the mood of every song just so accurately and perfectly.

Track 5 takes the "uncomfortableness" of the melody to a peak. Sakata's voice feels rather relaxed in this song.

Track 6 has got some bossa nova influence.  It was performed with drum machine.  

Track 7 is a groovy jazz-funk jam.

Track 8 is a funky but relatively slow ballad song. Kazuhiko Nishimura was in charge of the main vocal. Sakata did not sing much in this track.

Track 9 is the funkiest in the album. It feels like the beginning of something like joining the dancefloor in a disco downtown. However, it simultaneously feels like the last chance you can get on the dancefloor and dance with someone. It feels like the last "boogie night" you would have before leaving and never returning or dancing with the same person. I think the theme here is pretty similar to that of Mariya Takeuchi's "Plastic Love". It is both sentimental and beautiful.

Track 10 is a bossa nova song. It is a chill ending for the whole album. 

If you want to get one of Platinum 900's album, I would recommend you to get it sooner than later, because when CDs typically do not hold value well, some CDs can sell for high prices. A few years earlier, Platinum's third album sold for a little more than 10000 yen, today it would take you more than 20000 yen to buy a copy. The second album is the most abundant, you can frequently see some buy-it-now listings on Yahoo Auctions listing them, in good condition, for around 12000 yen. However, the first album is, I think, as rare as their third album, but it would not cost as much. A copy without the original cardboard outer packaging was sold for 7000 yen on Yahoo Auctions a few months earlier.

Having heard these albums and known their rarity, I am actually surprised that there are no reissues for any of Platinum 900s album since the Japanese reissue labels are sometimes willing to reissue many lesser-known and more common albums. I do hope that a reissue would come soon and make the amazing sound of Platinum 900 available for more people.