There's a comment by Robert B. underneath my first article for a Satellite Lovers song, "Best Friend" (posted in July 2024) which said that the YouTube algorithm was pushing really hard. Yeah, I would agree with that assessment and I'm grateful that we've been able to encounter wonderful new discoveries like this supposedly Shibuya-kei soul unit that went into more hip-hop stuff.
"Best Friend" belonged to a 1996 mini-album by Satellite Lovers, "Sons of 1973". For my sophomore post on the band, here is its track mate, "Home Much I Love You, Baby", and it's another example of what sounds like a number of different genres collaborating like a bunch of Avengers. We've got vocalist Mika Ikeuchi's（池内美加）rap overlaying some City Pop groove and indies pop/rock jangliness. Maybe the Shibuya-kei part involves the horns but that's more into the background. Maybe this is the type of tune that would be great during a stroll somewhere summery...like how the band is doing on the front cover of the album.
Oh yeah, I remember their album being pushed to my YT algorithm back then. I'm glad it did, love the grooves on this.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting J-Canuck! Oh, I have recently learned that Mica Ikeuchi wrote both the lyrics and music for “How Much I Love You, Baby.” and that arrangement is credited jointly to Satellite Lovers and Yoichi Murata (村田陽一), the Japanese trombonist, arranger, and producer. Murata is also credited as a co-arranger of “Best Friend.” And, here is a thank you to both their fans in Canada and in the USA. Why? Because Sony Music acknowledged their growing popularity in the United States and Canada and initiated a reissue campaign (in 2025/2026).
ReplyDeleteAlways good to hear fan power pushing some reissues of the more obscure material out there.
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