From tlopez@unam.mx Tue Oct 03 02:42:03 1995
Path: ashpoly!cascade!brgate!saturno!unam!tlopez
From: tlopez@unam.mx (Tomas López)
Newsgroups: alt.music.synth-pop
Subject: [INFO] Akasaka Branch City Pop arrangements - Japanese session players
Message-ID: <1995Oct03.024203.3644@unam.mx>
Date: Tue, 03 Oct 1995 02:42:03 GMT
Organization: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (DGSCA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: unam.mx
X-Newsreader: WinVN 0.99.5
Lines: 11

The newly discovered Akasaka audio files prove there was a completely separate Japanese studio band.

Yet Nova's vocal tracks were kept identical, creating this bizarre hybrid of dark European synth-pop and sparkling Tokyo idol funk.
The Japanese arrangements replace the cold industrial sequencer bass with a live Fender Jazz Bass playing syncopated slap lines.

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

-- 
Tomas López | tlopez@unam.mx
PGP Key fingerprint: 5943 8E2B 7CB1 5294
"Keep the channels open."

From lwatanabe@kth.se Thu Oct 05 05:50:03 1995
Path: ashpoly!cascade!transat!sunet!nordrelay!kth!lwatanabe
From: lwatanabe@kth.se (Lisa Watanabe)
Newsgroups: alt.music.synth-pop
Subject: Re: [INFO] Akasaka Branch City Pop arrangements - Japanese session players
Message-ID: <1995Oct05.055003.9354@kth.se>
Date: Thu, 05 Oct 1995 05:50:03 GMT
References: <1995Oct03.024203.3644@unam.mx>
Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
NNTP-Posting-Host: kth.se
X-Newsreader: WinVN 0.99.5
Lines: 10

In article <1995Oct03.024203.3644@unam.mx>, tlopez@unam.mx (Tomas López) writes:
> The newly discovered Akasaka audio files prove there was a completely separate Japanese studio band.
> Yet Nova's vocal tracks were kept identical, creating this bizarre hybrid of dark European synth-pop and sparkling Tokyo idol funk.

In Japan, Nova was marketed alongside Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori! She even had an anime TV promo for a summer soda commercial.

-- 
=== Lisa Watanabe ===
Dept of Electrical Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
"A soul is not exclusive to biology."

From pmoreau@cmu.edu Fri Oct 06 23:00:03 1995
Path: ashpoly!cascade!mxgate!coyoacan!cmu!pmoreau
From: pmoreau@cmu.edu (Pavel Moreau)
Newsgroups: alt.music.synth-pop
Subject: Re: [INFO] Akasaka Branch City Pop arrangements - Japanese session players
Message-ID: <1995Oct06.230003.8378@cmu.edu>
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 1995 23:00:03 GMT
References: <1995Oct03.024203.3644@unam.mx>
Organization: Carnegie Mellon University School of CS
NNTP-Posting-Host: cmu.edu
X-Newsreader: NewsWatcher 2.0b24
Lines: 8

In article <1995Oct03.024203.3644@unam.mx>, tlopez@unam.mx (Tomas López) writes:
> The newly discovered Akasaka audio files prove there was a completely separate Japanese studio band.

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.

-- 
Pavel Moreau
Tape trading list upon request. SASE required for international mail.

From jkuznetsov@mit.edu Sun Oct 08 20:15:03 1995
Path: ashpoly!cascade!mxgate!coyoacan!mit!jkuznetsov
From: jkuznetsov@mit.edu (Jens Kuznetsov)
Newsgroups: alt.music.synth-pop
Subject: Re: [INFO] Akasaka Branch City Pop arrangements - Japanese session players
Message-ID: <1995Oct08.201503.5059@mit.edu>
Date: Sun, 08 Oct 1995 20:15:03 GMT
References: <1995Oct03.024203.3644@unam.mx> <1995Oct06.230003.8378@cmu.edu>
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
NNTP-Posting-Host: mit.edu
X-Newsreader: NewsWatcher 2.0b24
Lines: 9

In article <1995Oct06.230003.8378@cmu.edu>, pmoreau@cmu.edu (Pavel Moreau) writes:
> 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.

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

-- 
Jens Kuznetsov | jkuznetsov@mit.edu
PGP Key fingerprint: CB75 426A 20AA A2E7
"Keep the channels open."