{"title":"Artist: Mariko Katsuragi","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"mariko-katsuragi-seaside-highway-lp-vinyl-record","title":"Seaside Highway","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eKEY FEATURES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1xLP pressed on 12\" Classic Black Vinyl\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpins at 33 1\/3 RPM\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecorded between 1982-1986\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduced and arranged by HASEGAWA Joe and KATSURAGI Mariko\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaster at Lauri Liivak Mastering\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eRELEASE DESCRIPTION\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith unprecedented prosperity and growing worldwide fame in broadcast, game, and synthesizers, the 1980s Japan entered a golden decade. \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew genre splashes from technopop, Pacifica, and AOR\/City pop merged local sensibilities with jazz-funk and Latin influences.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e Spiced in sugary US West coast sparkle and boasting naive lyrics with opulent arrangements and cover designs, it beamed millions of listeners on the cosmic journeys of Japan and its connections with Asia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLooking to bet on the city pop phenomenon, a group of young, just out-of-school in-house studio players gathered for ad hoc recording sessions between 1982-1986. Spearheaded by up-and-coming associate producer and arranger \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHASEGAWA Joe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e and keyboardist \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKATSURAGI Mariko\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e their goal was to produce a hit album concept with a musical journey from Japan to Asia and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust short of wrapping a handful of test-pressings for studio and radio executives and a few tapes of demo recordings, the sessions came to an abrupt halt in 1986 with a striking personal loss. With the band’s consequent disbanding and members embarking on their decades-long sessions careers, the original tapes were archived and lost in the Akihabara district for decades…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e…until Japanese pop culture connoisseur extraordinaire and producer \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSten SALUVEER\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eaka MILDHANS\u003c\/em\u003e discovered a rare demo of the original recordings in one of Tokyo’s Ebisu district’s revered vinyl bars. After a lengthy period of digging and tracings for the original tapes, the lush soundscapes of KATSURAGI Mariko and HASEGAWA Jo are finally here to take you on a jazzy journey to \u003cem\u003eCity Heights of Asia\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eTRACKLIST\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDancing Tonight\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeaside Highway\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGame Sentaaa\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGame Sentaa (JT's On Acid Mix)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e","brand":"Mariko Katsuragi","offers":[{"title":"LP \/ Black","offer_id":42298738147519,"sku":"MMV001-BK","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0620\/6947\/3471\/products\/826853003841.jpg?v=1679874113"},{"product_id":"aoyama-nights-mariko-katsuragi-lp","title":"Aoyama Nights [Import]","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eKEY FEATURES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cb\u003e1xLP pressed on Black Vinyl\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cb\u003eRecorded between 1982-1986\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cb\u003eNewly remastered\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eRELEASE DESCRIPTION\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurfing on the wave of 1980s Nippon’s bubble of electronics and economics, fashion and the femme fatale, the explosion of its pop culture and computerized technopop, and the world’s sudden fascination with everything Japan, a group of young studio musicians stemming from Tokyo’s downtown of Akihabara and Kanda came together for ad hoc recording sessions between 1982-1986.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir goal… produce the next domestic hit album, a travelogue of city pop inspired by the urban yet lonely sprawl of now globally admired Asia. Yet their vision of the concept album under the City Heights moniker never came to see the light due to the group’s sudden disbandment after the tragic loss of love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLed by the guitarist come arranger-producer HASEGAWA Joe (Jô) and keyboardist KATSURAG Mariko, the City Heights sessions drew from Tokyo’s musical melting pot of the early 1980s with a distinct blend of jazz, funk, and boogie, spiced with a local touch of Nippon’s finest electronic instruments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow, restored, remastered, and occasionally redubbed by Japanese music connoisseur Sten Saluveer aka MILDHANS, this second, highly anticipated volume will take you on a journey through the love-longing nights of Aoyama, to the festive matsuri bustle of Jô’s hometown of Kanda, the Jasmine dreaming of Taipei, and a quirky nod to a then legendary musical superhero.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTRACKLIST \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAoyama Nights\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKushiyaki\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKuroiinu Hosono\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJasmine Dream\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eLISTEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eAvailable on Desktop \u0026amp; Mobile\u003c\/em\u003e","brand":"Mariko Katsuragi","offers":[{"title":"LP \/ Black","offer_id":43188184449215,"sku":"MMV002-BK","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0620\/6947\/3471\/files\/MMV002-MarikoKatsuragi-AoyamaNights.jpg?v=1714542840"}],"url":"https:\/\/helixsounds.com\/collections\/artist-mariko-katsuragi.oembed","provider":"Helix Sounds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}