Nippon Columbia Announces "TOKYO GLOW" Compilation

With Japanese "city pop" gaining worldwide attention, Japanese record label Nippon Columbia recently announced the release of TOKYO GLOW, a compilation exploring city pop, funk, and soul of the late ‘70s and ‘80s from the label's vaults. The release was curated by Tokyo-based DJ/curator/city pop expert DJ Notoya.

Due out on December 10th, the 18-track compilation will be released digitally by Nippon Columbia. In conjunction with the digital release, French label WeWantSounds is set to put out a physical edition of TOKYO GLOW on the same day in double LP and CD formats. The 2-LP gatefold album was designed by Optigram and is annotated by DJ Notoya with Nick Luscombe (BBC Radio). Both physical editions of the release are available for purchase from WeWantSounds' official Bandcamp page.

The compilation is said to feature a mix of classics and rarities, including songs by artists such as Hiroshi Sato, Hatsumi Shibata, Hitomi 'Penny' Tohyama, and Midori Hara, many of which are being released digitally for the first time and also making their vinyl debut outside of Japan. The audio has been newly remastered by Nippon Columbia.

DJ Notoya’s 2018 series “TOKYO 1980s”, featuring ‘80s funk, boogie, and disco from Japan, contributed to the global resurgence of city pop. His selection of music on the upcoming compilation is said to mix "gorgeous grooves with a hint of melancholy and nostalgia", promising to make fans "feel the dazzling yet fragile light that shined in Tokyo in the 1980s".

DJ Notoya commented:
“There are many city pop compilations out there already, but I still felt there was a lot of stuff from Japan that was being slept on and I wanted to introduce more of this music to the world - not just on vinyl but via playlists on Spotify and Apple Music. I wanted to show there was more depth to music from Japan from the 1970s and 80s. So, for TOKYO GLOW I focused more on the slightly more underground tracks from the era, rather than the bigger, well-known releases. For me, that was a more fun and satisfying approach.”

In addition, in 2020, Nippon Columbia launched "J-DIGS", a playlist series for Japanese music diggers around the world, showcasing some of the label’s most influential music from pioneering artists. Last June, "J-DIGS" premiered the first in a series of playlists curated by GRAMMY®-nominated producer Yosuke Kitazawa. Based in Los Angeles and specializing in reissues of important recordings from the past, Kitazawa’s work on the "Japan Archival Series" from archival reissue label Light in the Attic has helped to introduce Japanese music from the '70s-'80s to new audiences worldwide. The "J-DIGS" playlist “Stringing & Swinging”, offering a sample of Kitazawa’s unique perspective on the 100+ year history of sounds from Nippon Columbia, is available here. Check out more "J-DIGS" playlists here.

A trailer for TOKYO GLOW can be listened to below.


Three tracks from the compilation are also available for streaming via YouTube now:

Ken Nishizaki - Koi no Paradigm

Miyuki Maki - Indo no Michibata

Kumi Nakamura - Kimagure