Long overlooked by international labels, Japan's rich musical history has been undergoing thorough excavation over the past few years. Some of the most satisfying archival releases to date have come from Light in the Attic, the U.S. label behind last year's Haruomi Hosono reissues and the recent "Kankyo Ongaku" collection of 1980s ambient music.
For its latest foray, the label picks a more elusive target: city pop, the slick, cosmopolitan sound of late '70s and early-'80s Japan. Once dismissed with an uncomplimentary epithet that sounds a lot like "city," the music from this era has made a comeback recently, assisted by YouTube algorithms, sample-hungry producers and a homegrown revival that was more hype than substance.
Pinning down exactly what "city pop" is turns out to be tricky, though the artists associated with the tag tended to draw on disco, soft rock and jazz fusion.