Various
Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985
If there is a year zero for the introduction of reggae music to Japan, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was 1979 when Bob Marley & The Wailers toured the country, trailed by an entourage of journalists, photographers and fans ready to spread the message of the music into all corners of Japanese society. But the story of Japanese reggae is not a linear one, and the music that is collected on 'Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985' captures the moment J-reggae entered the broader public consciousness, merging commercial city pop style with an infectious backbeat, that has drawn comparisons with the emergence of "Lovers Rock" in the UK. Rather than look directly to Jamaica, many producers and artists in Japan were inspired instead by the commercial sounds of The Police and UB40, their reggae fix arriving pre-filtered through the lens of new wave and pop from the UK. Among them are Miki Hirayama, the idol singer who borrowed the bassline from Bob Marley's 'Natural Mystic' on 'Denshi Lenzi,' Chu Kosaka, who headed to Hawaii to cut the Jimmy Cliff-inspired 'Music' and Marlene, the Philippine songstress whose cover of Roberta Flack's 'Hittin' Me Wear It Hurts' owed much to her producer's obsession with Sly & Robbie's Compass Point sound. Then there was Izumi "Mimi" Kobayashi, who enlisted the Babylon Warriors to perform on a dubbed-out version of her own track 'Lazy Love,' the city pop-meets-new wave reggae sound of Miharu Koshi's 'Coffee Break,' Junko Yagami's anti-apartheid deep cut 'Johannesburg' and Lily, whose 'Tenki Ni Naare' was produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto and closes out the compilation with a flourish. While these stories may not always conform to neat narratives, they do provide a more accurate reflection of the indirect ways in which styles infiltrate one another and, in their naivety, have the potential to create something beautifully strange and entirely new. Previously only available in Japan, the tracks on this compilation are a testament to that curious alchemy. 'Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985' is released on vinyl, featuring original artwork by Japanese Fukuoka-based artist Noncheleee, whose cover pays homage to the iconic dancehall album art of Wilfred Limonious. SIDE 1: 1. Miki Hirayama - Tsukikage No Nagisa 2. Miki Hirayama - Denshi Lenzi 3. Chu Kosaka - Music 4. Izumi "Mimi" Kobayashi - Lazy Love SIDE 2: 1. Junko Yagami - Johannesburg 2. Miharu Koshi - Coffee Break 3. Marlene - Hittin' Me Where It Hurts 4. Lily - Tenki Ni Naare