Once again, Japanese crossover/fusion is heating up. As a development or spin-off from the global reappraisal boom of city pop, Japanese fusion has rapidly risen back into the spotlight since around last year.
This is the first album released by world-renowned Japanese trumpeter Terumasa Hino after moving to the up-and-coming label Who-Ring, then under Toshiba EMI (now Universal Music). Produced in part by Lalah, the gifted artist who later provided major hits for Whitney Houston, the album takes on the cutting-edge, danceable urban contemporary sound emerging from New York at the time.
The album includes vocal tracks with Lalah taking the lead, making it one of the most accessible and pop-friendly entries in Hino’s extensive discography, appealing equally to pop music fans. At the same time, Hino’s cornet and flugelhorn lines interwoven with the choruses are deeply expressive, leaving a lasting impression with their rich, glossy tone. As 1980s sounds continue to be reappraised today, this is an album well worth revisiting. (Original release: 1988)
Remastering & cutting: Katsutoshi Kitamura (Mixer’s Labo)
