It's an amazing thing about realizing that the huge iceberg representing Japanese popular music not only has a ton of City Pop in the 90% underneath the surface but also a lot of techno kayo. Those guys in Yellow Magic Orchestra really were quite influential.
Case in point: Susan（スーザン）. Her full name is Susan Nozaki, a half-Japanese and half-French singer, actress and TV personality. I only found out about her last night but it seems during the midst of her time on television going into the 1980s, she had a chance encounter with YMO drummer Yukihiro Takahashi（高橋幸宏）at a TV studio in 1980 which translated into another opportunity for music (apparently earlier in the 1970s, Susan had been a singer and from the description in her website profile, it looks like it may have been as an aidoru).
A debut album would come out titled "Do You Believe in Magic?" which featured all three members of YMO: Takahashi, Haruomi Hosono（細野晴臣）and Ryuichi Sakamoto（坂本龍一）among other artists. And then there was the second album "The Girl Can't Help It" in 1981 whose material swung from Motown to New Wave. The final track is the technopop "My Love" with some mightily crashing percussion which was written by Takahashi and Peter Barakan with music by Takahashi. Takahashi and Hosono even help out on backing vocals while Susan's feathery vocals fly over the melody line and through the storm of drums.
You hit the jackpot this time around! A post where Peter Barakan, YMO, and Susan appear. Well, actually I did not know much about Susan before, but I do know about YMO and Peter Barakan. I think Susan has a very smooth and interesting voice.
ReplyDeleteHello, Brian. Until a couple of days ago, I had no idea about Susan. It just goes to show about how many other techno kayo singers were out there who I still have to discover.
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