One Step Communicate - One Step Communicate (Album Review)

One Step Communicate is a group consisting of Kenichi Nakagawa (vocals), Hiroyuki Yano (guitar), and Takeshi Kudo (bass). The group released two albums and disbanded. However, in around 2008 (?), Kenichi Nakagawa and Hiroyuki Yano formed a group called "First Fruits" with another musician known as You-Ju. They released an album called From α which according to a Japanese blog is "reminiscent of Kiyotaka Sugiyama's Omega Tribe".

The latest place I've seen the bassist Takeshi Kudo was in a bass guitar textbook and he was writing about Marcus Miller.

One Step Communicate is one of the two releases from the group of the same name. The other album they released came out in the same year and credits the same recording locations, so I think the two albums are actually one recording session split into two albums. 

By the time this album came out, the trend of city pop and funk-based J-pop has already begun its decline. stuff that topped the chart at the time was synth-pop and rock. Artists such as Shizuka Kudo and Zard were replacing 80s idol singers such as Akina Nakamori and Anri. Even on the funky side of things, the Japanese music industry was taking a dramatic turn towards neo-soul, new jack swing, and contemporary R&B. However, obviously the three guys at One Step Communicate couldn't care less. All they wanted to do was produce a banger album that can push the boundary of city pop, a genre that started its decline half a decade ago by the time this album came out.

And boy did they deliver. Every song on this album is a banger on its own. The attempt to innovate their sound is audible. Since it was the 90s, they of course had to experiment with digital and synthesizer instruments, but they eventually decided to keep many instruments analog, such as the horn section and bass. The fusion of synthesizer and analog instruments is one key element that makes this album sounds so good. 

The arrangements and compositions are mostly done by Hiroyoshi Yano. In other words, he is responsible for all the bass slaps, elegant synth-string sections, and crazy guitar solos. It is certain that he took J-fusion as a reference when arranging the album, but he didn't take things too far. He found a perfect balance point that is just right between J-fusion and city pop and just let it flow. Except for amazing, I honestly don't know how to describe Yano's work. I really would not be surprised if you say these arrangements are from experienced musicians such as Yuji Toriyama or Masanori Sasaji, but this is not the case. One Step Communicate was actually Yano's debut. It's also sad to see how his career played out. The first album he arranged was a city pop masterpiece, and then he gets like 5 songs to arrange for the rest of his career. He has the talent but sadly no one noticed.

Kenichi Nakagawa is in charge of the vocals. Whoever chose him to fill this role knew what they were doing. For a city pop album, we need a city pop voice, and who sounds more city pop than Kiyotaka Sugiyama? Well, unfortunately, Sugiyama was doing his own rock thing in the 90s, so the management found someone that also has that crystal-clear voice and amazing singing skills. Nakagawa's vocal part is just the cherry on the sundae for the entire album.

The guest musicians feature Japanese fusion veteran Yuji Toriyama as well as the bass legend Tomohito Aoki. The horn section features famous LA studio horn musicians Gary Grant and Jerry Hey, the latter being a frequent collaborator with Japanese musicians.

Overall this is just an amazing album. Great musicians, great sounds, creating a unique vibe you won't hear anywhere else. It is also one of the last city pop albums in the 90s that can make me feel the same vibe Toshiki Kadomatsu, Anri, and Tatsuro Yamashita created a decade earlier.