99.99 -- Ginza de Aimasho Darlin'

 

Near the end of the year in 2022, I found this eclectic band that had some chameleon-like abilities with its genres. 99.99 (called "four-nine" instead of "ninety-nine point nine nine") skipped the light fantastic through progressive rock, technopop and fusion. In fact, the band's debut album in 1982, "99.99" divided its tracks into Type A which followed the first two genres while Type B tunes covered fusion. Type B was what described the first track, aptly named "Amazin' & Amusin'".

Then, maybe the first track from 99.99's 2nd album "More of 99.99" from January 1983, "Ginza de Aimasho Darlin'" (Let's Meet in Ginza, Darlin'), is more of Type A. I'm not quite sure how to categorize it though, to be honest, and that's a good feeling. It means something even more interesting is afoot here since maybe this starting song, which might be a humourous titular riff on Frank Nagai's（フランク永井）classic 1957 "Yurakucho de Aimashou" (有楽町で逢いましょう）, could be a form of progressive pop with a soupcon of techno exotica a la Yellow Magic Orchestra's "Firecracker". Then again, I also hear a fusion of sorts melding New Wave and EPO's cheerful brand of City Pop from the same period. Finally, for some reason, I think that "Ginza de Aimasho Darlin'" may have some sibling connections with some of the tracks from Kazuhiro Nishimatsu's（西松一博）"Bouekifu Monogatari"（貿易風物語）.

In any case, we'd have to ask 99.99 member and composer Masei Hattori（服部ませい）about all of the genres that could possibly be tied up here like a bouquet garni into this musical stew. Lyricist and vocalist Noriaki Nakabayashi（中林憲昭）basically sings "Ginza de Aimasho Darlin'" like Fujimal Yoshino（芳野藤丸）with a lighter touch. For a Mood Kayo/enka-friendly area like Ginza, it's rather refreshing for some other different genres to take a whack at one of the most expensive slabs of real estate that can be found on Earth.