trf -- Do What You Want

 

Considering how much I (and much of the Japanese music lovers) got caught up in the wave of trf as part of the Komuro Steamroller in the 1990s, I think I've covered pretty much all of the big hits that the dance-pop group had to offer such as "Boy Meets Girl" and "EZ DO DANCE". I may have missed that first year of trf bloom by landing in Japan at the end of 1994, but there were still a few more years of the group hitting the big time.

So, it's the case where I'm looking for some of the songs by the group that I never got to hear. And speaking of "EZ DO DANCE", I did come across their coupling song here called "Do What You Want". It is quite different for a number of reasons: 1) YU-KI is not the main vocalist, leaving the vocals to the other two female members, Etsu and Chiharu (although they don't seem all that prominent behind the mike, 2) who I think the main vocalist is happens to be Suzi Kim who used to sing for the eclectic band 99.99, and 3) all those dance synths have mostly been left at home.

In fact, I think "Do What You Want', which was written and composed by Tetsuya Komuro（小室哲哉）with Kim also working on the lyrics, sounds more like a New Age music think piece with the title being emanated like a mantra for free love. Most likely, listeners would be sitting in a yoga position rather than dancing it up at the clubs. As I said, it's quite the different song by trf.

99.99 -- Through The Night, Toward The Light

 

It was at the end of 2022 when I posted the first article regarding the band 99.99...which is supposed to be called Four-Nine. Their April 1982 debut self-titled album "99.99" had a stylistic split with half of the tracks following a progressive rock/technopop line (Type A) while the other half was following fusion (Type B). The first track on Side A "Amazin' & Amusin'" sounded like Type B to me.

Track No. 4 is "Through The Night, Toward The Light" may have actually ended Side A so I gather that Side A was indeed the Type B side. Written and composed by keyboardist Masei Hattori（服部ませい）, it feels like a jam session being filtered through Steely Dan and Santana arrangements. Perhaps that is Hattori helping on the fleet-flooted vocals but I do believe that the female voice is being provided by Suzi Kim who was also behind the mike for "Amazin' & Amusin'".  I even think that the vocals are so nimble that I'm wondering if Hattori and Kim were going for their own form of vocalese.

99.99 -- Spam Rhapsody

 

Yes, the above is spam. Naked spam, all fresh from the can. And I'm more than delighted to inform you that I've been a big fan of spam ever since I was a kid. I've had friends who have pooh-pooh'ed it as dog food for humans but hey, the Okinawans have used it in their goya champloo and the Hawaiians have also made spam musubi. Me? Throughout my years on Earth, I've enjoyed having it sliced up, fried up and eaten up with steamed rice. 

Now it was almost a year ago when I introduced 99.99 (pronounced Four-Nine), this music project spearheaded by keyboardist Masei Hattori（服部ませい）and violinist Tadahiko Yokogawa（横川理彦）which wanted to get out its brand of progressive rock, technopop and fusion. And they were able to do so through a couple of albums in 1982 and 1983.

The first album from 1982, the self-titled "99.99" with that gorgeous album cover of an old gas pump was divided into two types in terms of the music with the Type A of prog rock and technopop and the Type B of fusion. The first song that I introduced was the first track "Amazin' & Amusin'" which was comfortably set in the latter type. Track No. 2 is "Spam Rhapsody" which again I think is a fusion tune. Depending on which website one visits, the title can be seen as either "Spam Rhapsody" or "Spum Rhapsody" but since I have no idea what "spum" is and I do adore my meaty spam, I haven't hesitated to go with the first option. 

As the YouTube video explains it, "Spam Rhapsody" is indeed filled with its funk and jazz although it starts out rather airily, almost like a prog rock prelude. Then about a minute in, we get into some festive atmosphere with vocalist Suzi Kim in full funk mode and a lot of electric instruments: guitar, bass and piano with Hattori on a number of synthesizers including an Oberheim OBX. No, it doesn't remind me of one of my favourite easy dinners, but heck it's fun to listen to. And there's even another cameo by the Type A music as Hattori decides to play around on the synths. Especially in the latter half of "Spam Rhapsody", that music project-rather-than-a-band feeling comes out with some of that free-wheeling jam session.

All done!

Suzi Kim -- Maloa（マロア）

 

Several weeks ago, I wrote about an old Fuji-TV program known as "Wordsworth no Bouken"（ワーズワースの冒険...The Adventures of Wordsworth） which dealt in providing viewers about some of the more mature and refined hobbies out there. It lasted about four years and had a parade of celebrities helping out in the delivery such as actress Rie Miyazawa（宮沢りえ）above.

Now, the original theme song that was used with "Wordsworth no Bouken" was the fantastical and mysterious "Sha Rion"（シャ・リオン）as recorded by the late Eri Kawai（河井英里）and created by Michiru Oshima（大島ミチル）. I think that was also the theme song that everyone still knows the show by, but apparently (and this doesn't show up on the J-Wiki article for the program), in 1997, which was its final year, Oshima concocted a new theme titled "Maloa" (or "Maroa") according to the brief explanation for the YouTube video. Sung by Suzi Kim（スージーキム）this time, it's quite the perky Latin jazz tune that could tempt viewers to book that vacation to Brazil.

Suzi Kim is someone whose name that I've heard from time to time when it comes to Japanese music, but the only information that I could dig up so far on her was located at the website for the Zaza Voice Training School where I gather that she is an instructor. After studying in the United States, she returned to Japan where she provided backup chorus to singers such as Masaki Ueda（上田正樹）and Takuro Yoshida（吉田拓郎）. She also started up the Royal Funk Band in 1996 which is still performing today, but she has done DJ duties on radio and has participated in commercials.

99.99 -- Amazin' & Amusin'

The famous chef for Niimi in Tawaramachi, Tokyo

Just a few hours after writing about a new discovery in Presents, I can also write about another recent encounter in the fusion field. 

It doesn't hurt that the cover of their first album looks so gorgeous and 80s. The band that I'm talking about is 99.99, and nope it's not pronounced "Ninety-nine point nine nine"; the correct pronunciation according to the members is "Four-Nine" (save your complaints, scientists). I may also have to correct myself though since according to the Bar Chiba Music Store website, 99.99 was more of a loose project than an actual band. It consisted of eight members including keyboardist Masei Hattori（服部ませい）, who used to be part of the progressive rock band Ain Soph in the 1970s, and violinist Tadahiko Yokogawa（横川理彦）.

99.99 put out two albums during its time in the early 1980s. The first album, "99.99", was released onto the record shelves in April 1982 and according to one Goo blog, the album was split in half in terms of the music. There was a Type A (progressive rock and technopop) and a Type B (fusion). Track No. 1 is the Type B "Amazin' & Amusin'" and its melody certainly is the title. It's spacey but it also has that familiar fusion sound that brings up images of sipping an Orange Mimosa in a seashore café somewhere. Vocalist Suzi Kim（キム スージー）is guesting behind the mike (apparently, she was also involved in the band Doopees), and for those who love their electric guitar and bass solos, this song is for you.

The above video is of the entire album, uploaded by Rotating Farmhouse. Check out all of those Type A and Type B tunes.