Global Web Hosts Classic Japanese Tunes of Yesteryears
In the realm of music, the 1980s in Japan was a particularly fertile time, with the emergence of unique genres that have recently seen a resurgence in popularity. One such genre is City Pop, a blend of Western influences like funk, jazz, and R&B with Japanese sensibilities, which has enjoyed renewed international and domestic appreciation since the mid-2010s.
This revival can be attributed to several factors. The growing nostalgia for analog sound formats, such as vinyl records, played a significant role. In Japan, vinyl sales increased tenfold between 2010 and 2020, signalling a renewed interest in vintage sound aesthetics that aligns well with genres like City Pop.
Younger generations have discovered City Pop through digital platforms, appreciating the genre's sophisticated production and upbeat vibe as a contrast to contemporary music. The smooth and glossy production values of City Pop, often associated with Japan's economic bubble years, have found new admirers globally, further fuelling renewed domestic interest.
Ambient and experimental Japanese music also shares roots with the electronic and synth-pop movements of the late 1970s and 1980s. Pioneers like Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) introduced rhythm machines like the Roland TR-808 and blended post-punk and new wave aesthetics with synthesized sounds. The preservation and reissue of such early electronic and experimental works have contributed to their revival, as enthusiasts and collectors seek out these foundational recordings to explore Japan's contributions to global electronic music scenes.
This resurgence in vintage Japanese music dovetails with a general cultural tendency in Japan to cherish and refine classic forms, similar to the revival of vintage fashion styles like Ivy style, where Japanese preservation and perfection brought renewed attention to classic American fashion.
Recent developments in the music industry reflect this resurgence. Record labels like Light in the Attic have released compilations, such as the "Pacific Breeze" series, as an introduction to City Pop. The late Hiroshi Yoshimura's works, which evoke a slower pace of life near nature, have gained a large following on YouTube, and his album "Green" is being reissued as part of a new imprint called WATER COPY.
The nomination of the compilation album "Kankyo Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990" for the 2020 Grammy Awards in the Best Historical Album category demonstrates the ongoing revival of vintage Japanese music by global music fans.
In conclusion, the revival of vintage Japanese music genres like City Pop, ambient, and experimental works is linked to the vinyl resurgence in Japan, the global rediscovery and streaming of these genres, and a broader Japanese cultural pattern of valuing and perfecting established forms. This revival continues to influence contemporary Japanese music and fashion, maintaining the legacy of these distinctive genres and styles.
- The appreciation for City Pop, a unique Japanese genre from the 1980s, has been fueled by the growing interest in vintage sound aesthetics, such as vinyl records, among younger generations.
- The smooth and glossy production values of City Pop, which align with Japan's economic bubble years, have found new admirers globally, adding to the domestic renewed interest in the genre.
- The resurgence of City Pop coincides with the appreciation of other vintage Japanese music forms, like ambient and experimental music, which share roots with electronic and synth-pop movements.
- The revival of vintage Japanese music not only reflects a Japanese cultural tendency to cherish and refine classic forms but also influences contemporary Japanese music and fashion, preserving the legacy of these distinctive genres.
