★Great Tracks

Keyboardist Himiko Kikuchi's 1987 fusion album with guitarist Masatsugu Matsumoto, a full horn section and members of Spectrum, AB's and Yuji Ohno's band. Limited 180g reissue on Great Tracks, pressed in Japan.

Taeko Onuki's third album, from 1978, arranged by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Ichizo Seo with Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi and Shigeru Suzuki: Yokogao, Umi to Shonen and 4:00 A.M. 180g reissue cut by Bernie Grundman.

Recorded in New York in 1978 with Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson, Richard Tee, Michael Brecker and David Sanborn, the session that helped start Japan's crossover boom. Great Tracks reissue with obi and insert.

Recording technology was completely revolutionized in the 80s by the multitrack recorder, with the popularity of 24-channel SSL consoles sweeping the world. Japanese pop music created during this wave of digital improvement is now recognized worldwide as ""City Pop."" Techno Pop was another offshoot born of the same revolution. Precise, computer-controlled beats produced by groups like Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) introduced a different type of sound to the masses. By now, these works have been …

Tip! Three Blind Mice revitalized the Japanese jazz scene during the 1970s and 1980s. Its initial mission was to proactively produce albums of new musicians. Another goal was to expand its fan base, which was done by releasing albums of famous musicians. Through these efforts, TBM has greatly contributed to enriching the Japanese jazz scene. Tsuyoshi Yamamoto and Isao Suzuki were two of the leading figures who gained prominence by their works on TBM. Yamamoto quickly became a star in the Japanes…