From tjohansson@cmu.edu Fri Mar 10 07:54:38 1995
Path: ashpoly!cascade!transat!eunet-de!hansebox!cmu!tjohansson
From: tjohansson@cmu.edu (Thiago Johansson)
Newsgroups: alt.music.synth-pop
Subject: Akasaka Branch City Pop arrangements - Japanese session players
Message-ID: <1995Mar10.075438.5913@cmu.edu>
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 07:54:38 GMT
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Comparing the Western synth-pop arrangements with the Japanese singles released between 1984 and 1988.

Yet Nova's vocal tracks were kept identical, creating this bizarre hybrid of dark European synth-pop and sparkling Tokyo idol funk.
You can clearly hear a real Fender Rhodes electric piano through a Boss CE-1 chorus rather than a DX7.

Why did Orion release these songs as upbeat TV commercial themes in Japan while marketing her as a dark Stadium Rebel in the West?

-- 
Thiago Johansson | tjohansson@cmu.edu
PGP Key fingerprint: CF5F 7CEC 13EA B268
"Keep the channels open."

From kpark@delphi.com Fri Mar 10 09:24:38 1995
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From: kpark@delphi.com (Kirsty Park)
Newsgroups: alt.music.synth-pop
Subject: Re: Akasaka Branch City Pop arrangements - Japanese session players
Message-ID: <1995Mar10.092438.9775@delphi.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 09:24:38 GMT
References: <1995Mar10.075438.5913@cmu.edu>
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In article <1995Mar10.075438.5913@cmu.edu>, tjohansson@cmu.edu (Thiago Johansson) writes:
> Comparing the Western synth-pop arrangements with the Japanese singles released between 1984 and 1988.
> Yet Nova's vocal tracks were kept identical, creating this bizarre hybrid of dark European synth-pop and sparkling Tokyo idol funk.

That's the genius of the Akasaka singles. The music is smiling and sunny, but her lyrics are still about carrier waves and locked doors.

-- 
Kirsty Park -- Delphi Internet Services
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary spectra."

From jkang@clari.net Sat Mar 11 19:38:38 1995
Path: ashpoly!bigsur!pacrim!jpgate!kamome!clari!jkang
From: jkang@clari.net (Jen Kang)
Newsgroups: alt.music.synth-pop
Subject: Re: Akasaka Branch City Pop arrangements - Japanese session players
Message-ID: <1995Mar11.193838.8767@clari.net>
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 19:38:38 GMT
References: <1995Mar10.075438.5913@cmu.edu>
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In article <1995Mar10.075438.5913@cmu.edu>, tjohansson@cmu.edu (Thiago Johansson) writes:
> Comparing the Western synth-pop arrangements with the Japanese singles released between 1984 and 1988.

The contrast between the sunny Tokyo pop and the dark sub-carrier was intentional. The Akasaka memo calls it 'Phase Inversion Masking.'

-- 
=== Jen Kang ===
Dept of Electrical Engineering, ClariNet Communications Corp
"There are 14 nodes and only 10 countries. Count again."