Back catalogue: Soul

Review: Adding to the fervour around Japanese city pop - the genre is still a clogged but speculative seep for reissuers, who are keen to capitalise on the mainly Tokyo-born genre's still underground, under-recognised reserves of music - comes DJ Nutoya with a fresh and terse ten-tracker compilation: Tokyo Bliss. This breezy selection centres on the all-rounder genre's favourite international foci, boogie and funk: frissonic formulas for sensational home listening. Most tracks here make their debut on vinyl outside of Japan; from Buzz's pristine tremolo'er 'Garasumado', to Keiko Toda's escape-noteworthy 'Fade In' and Yuji Mitsuya's delirious summer disco dirge 'After Five At Caf-Bar', this is an impeccable curation job.

Review: DJ Notoya returns with another expertly curated selection of Japanese gems, this time delving into the funky, soulful, and city pop sounds of King Records. Spanning the years 1974 to 1988, this compilation is a treasure trove of forgotten classics and hidden gems, a sonic time capsule that transports listeners back to the neon-lit streets and vibrant nightlife of 1980s Japan. Buzz's 'Garasumado' kicks things off with an infectious groove and funky guitar riffs that could rival any Western funk classic. Mami Ayukawa's 'Sabita Gambler' adds a touch of soulful sophistication, her smooth vocals gliding over lush instrumentation. Keiko Toda's 'Fade In' is a city pop gem, its dreamy melodies and catchy hooks evoking a sense of carefree optimism and urban cool. Elsewhere, Johnny Yoshinaga's soulful ballad 'The Rain' provides a moment of introspection, while Kumiko Sawada's disco-infused 'Your Love's Away' will get you moving and grooving. The compilation closes with the feelgood sounds of Masatoshi Kanno's 'Day By Day', a perfect encapsulation of the city pop aesthetic.

Review: Since its inception in 2020, Kunimondo Takiguchi's City Music Tokyo compilation series has emerged as one of the most authoritative and reliable sources of 'city pop' gems - in part because he traditionally looks beyond the style's 1980s heyday and includes older and newer songs that fit into the celebrated style's colourful and Western pop-influenced aesthetic. There's naturally plenty of goodness to be found across the latest edition, subtitled 'Anagram'. The plentiful highlights include the joyous, boogie-era disco swell of Ami Ozaki's 'Love Is Easy', the quirky, big band-sporting eccentricity of 'Maya Maya Beach' by Yuko Kanai, the slow-motion reggae-pop warmth of Seiko Ito's 'Nagisa No Unlucky Boys' and the low-slung wonder that is Parachute's 'Kowloon Daily'.