Sold Date:
September 15, 2020
Start Date:
August 16, 2020
Final Price:
$33.96
(USD)
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Our Town: Jazz Fusion, Funky Pop & Bossa Gayo Tracks Vinyl LP Pink Color Variant
One word that could be used to aptly describe Japan's society and
culture during the 1980s would be 'bubble economy (??? ??)', which is to
say that it was characterized by abnormally inflated asset prices.
Japan, which had emerged as a global economic powerhouse through the
rapid growth of the 70s, saw an era of unprecedented economic prosperity
as it entered the 80s. At this time, the very notion of city life, with
it's promise of prosperity amid economic stability, had a sense of
allure to it. A growing number of people sought to partake in a culture
that was more sophisticated and refined. Likewise, a growing consumer
base was purchasing automobiles and car audios. It was amid this
atmosphere that new forms of music drawing on western soft rock, AOR,
and adult contemporary, and incorporating elements of smooth jazz,
contemporary R&B, and funk, rose to prominence. The urban-tinged
music created by artists such as Haruomi Hosono (????, formerly of
Japanese rock pioneers 'Happy End') and Tatsuro Yamashita (????) came to
be known as city pop. The city pop boom, which was buoyed on by the
optimism pervading Japanese society during the 80s, faded away along
with the collapse of the economic bubble. City pop still went on to
influence the 'Shibuya-kei' style, which developed during the 90s around
Tokyo's Shibuya district, drawing from French pop, baroque pop, bossa
nova, lounge, and house music. The recent resurgence in the popularity
of city pop, to the point where it appears to have carved out a central
position in digger / listener culture, is a rather intriguing
phenomenon. To begin with, the term 'city pop' itself was more of a
marketing slogan, pointing to 'music with urban sensibilities' targeted
toward consumers aspiring to urban life, rather than a descriptor of
some particular music style or genre. Neither was the term widely used
during the 80s, the historical peak of the style's popularity. On the
contrary, it appears to have been rediscovered and redefined amid the
'new-tro' vogue of the late 2000s, driven by the nostalgia of those who
grew up during the 80s. The important elements of 'city pop' have more
to do with the sensational and affective descriptors associated with the
term itself - such as sophistication, relaxedness, comfort, freshness,
dynamism, elegance, radiance, sweetness, as well as the splendor and
romanticism associated with the city. The underlying appeal of retro
stems from the desire to experience and enjoy things from before one's
own time. This is not unconnected to the popularity of 'cool kitschy'
subcultural trends like vaporwave or future funk. So, there's nothing
surprising about today's youths digging through well or lesser-known
Korean gayo records from the early / mid 90s featuring AOR, jazz fusion,
or funky styles. Likewise, the artists that are mentioned under the
keywords of 'Korean City Pop' - names like the Yoon Soo-il Band or the
City Kids, Lee Jae-min, Bom Yeoreum Gaeul Kyeoul, Kim Hyun-chul, Yoon
Sang, Jang Pil-soon, Bitgwa Sogeum, Yang Soo-kyung, Nami, and Lee Eun-ha
- are not unfamiliar. Though their popularity might have been
short-lived at the time, their music featured soft saxophone parts,
lively rhythms, delicately-crafted harmonies, and beautiful melodies.
These make for a fusion sound that is particularly well-suited for the
tastes of today. It is worth appreciating that the 90s, by which time
the waves of American AOR and Japan's city pop had faded away, was a
golden age for Korean gayo. So, it's quite rewarding and enjoyable to
rediscover and listen to tracks that are well worth another spin after
all those years.
I ship my records in a cardboard record mailer, surrounded by bubble wrap.
Message me with any questions before purchase, thanks!
_gsrx_vers_856 (GS 7.0.20 (856))