Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 188 - Did a J-Crossover Album That Led the Resort Boom Set the Stage for YMO’s Birth!?

As the weather feels like the height of summer, what kind of music are you all listening to? Considering the impending full arrival of the rainy season, I can’t be the only one feeling a bit gloomy.
For the upcoming season, I highly recommend Brazilian bossa nova music.

Last year, my heavy rotation was the bossa nova album Quietude released in 2022 by Brazilian pianist Eliane Elias, who is also the ex-wife of Randy Brecker (Tp.) of the Brecker Brothers.
In this album, Eliane, primarily a pianist, focused on vocals, barely playing the backing piano, and instead, relied on the rhythms spun by guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves. Her acoustic piano solos over this background created an exquisite world.
It could be described as Brazilian chill music. The beauty of Brazilian music is not just its comfort; as I wrote in my previous article on “Blue Bossa”, it also carries the unique Brazilian ‘saudade’, which translates roughly to ‘melancholy’ or ‘nostalgia’. This blend of comfort and saudade creates music imbued with a resort-like atmosphere.
When thinking about whether Japan has similar music, an album came to mind that lacks the element of saudade but offers something else.
I will introduce it this time.

■ Recommended Album: Pacific by Haruomi Hosono, Tatsuro Yamashita, and Shigeru Suzuki (1978)

This instrumental album, inspired by tropical islands, features prominent musicians from Japan’s pop scene such as Haruomi Hosono, Tatsuro Yamashita, and Shigeru Suzuki, among others. Rather than a band effort, each musician contributed individually based on their vision of a tropical island.
The high quality of this album is undeniable, given the star-studded lineup. However, as an omnibus album, it lacks a cohesive sound. Since the musicians’ approaches didn’t converge into a single direction, it retains an omnibus nature.
On the flip side, this freedom allowed the musicians to create relaxed, enjoyable tracks, which is also part of its charm. The participating artists include Tatsuo Hayashi, Shuichi “Ponta” Murakami, Kenji Takamizu, Motoya Hamaguchi, Nobu Saito, Jun Sato, Kenji Omura, and Hidefumi Toki. With such talent, it’s no wonder the album turned out so well.

Notably, the album features a precursor to YMO’s “Cosmic Surfin’”. Though a demo-like version, its quality is remarkable. This omnibus album offers a glimpse into the sound of YMO just before they took the world by storm.

Recommended Track: “The Last Paradise” by Haruomi Hosono

The synthesizer-generated bird sounds and the acoustic piano intro invite you to a paradise. The theme is played by the ARP Odyssey synthesizer. The melody unfolds with a deeply modulated synthesizer sound and vibraphone, creating a unique arrangement.
In the latter part, the same theme is presented with a tremolo sound, achieved by applying modulation to the VCA, likely using the Korg PS-3100 polyphonic synthesizer. This soft sound seemed to be a favorite of Ryuichi Sakamoto. The modulation applied to different parts of the synthesizer changes the ‘fluctuation’ effect—VCO modulation produces vibrato, while VCA modulation results in tremolo. Keyboard players consciously sing the theme with this in mind.

Looking at the credits, both Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto used the ARP Odyssey and Korg’s polyphonic synthesizers. At that time, both of them used the same equipment for their keyboards. Considering their trajectory towards YMO, this recording session feels like a precursor to YMO.
In addition to these two, the members included Yukihiro Takahashi, a percussionist, and a guitarist, making a total of five.
The core of the track is made up of YMO members. It’s quite intriguing to think about these three performing this piece, especially since the concept is different from YMO. Imagining how this track would sound if played as YMO is an interesting thought experiment.
The bass line features Hosono’s signature quirky phrasing, which adds a distinct charm.

ARP Odyssey Synthesizer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Quoted from Wikipedia)

Recommended Track: “Nostalgia of Island” Part I: Bird Wind / Part II: Walking on the Beach by Tatsuro Yamashita

Starting with the sound of waves, the melody played on a Telecaster with plenty of reverb, guided by a Fender Rhodes piano, evokes a tropical island. This nearly 10-minute suite-like masterpiece begins this way.
In the background of the melody, you can hear the phased sound of a Solina String Ensemble. Nowadays, the classic combination of Solina and MXR Phaser brings a smile and a wave of nostalgia. The exact same sound can be heard in “Sweet Agnes” from Masayoshi Takanaka’s second album.
Tatsuro Yamashita himself handles most of the instruments, including the drums. The highlight of this track is a brief 4-bar vocal part sung by Yamashita himself, starting around 7 minutes and 50 seconds. His singing instantly transports the listener to an imaginary resort, captivating with its remarkable performance. I genuinely believe this CD is worth purchasing just to experience this moment—no exaggeration!

Musicians, Albums, and Recommended Tracks Featured in This Article

• Artists: Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Tatsuro Yamashita, Yukihiro Takahashi, and others
• Album: Pacific
• Recommended Tracks: “The Last Paradise”, “Nostalgia of Island” Part I: Bird Wind / Part II: Walking on the Beach

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