Obscure City Pop Disc Guide" covers 512 disc reviews of obscure Japanese city-pop and its related music released 'on CD' from 1986 to 2006. No Tatsuro Yamashita, Taeko O'onuki or other Japanese city-pop superstars.
The Japanese city pop movement really got going at the start of the 80s, when vinyl and cassette were still king and queen - but it kept on going even after formats shifted - at a level that makes this book such a key document of the scene and style, which is often just tied to the vinyl market. As with other Japanese disc guides, the bulk of the text is in Japanese - which can now easily be read using Google Translate on your phone - but the book has entries for hundreds of titles, each with a full color image of the cover - which will offer up plenty of information for your digging. The book has a few other features alongside the disc listings – and is a total of 272 pages, softcover, with hundreds of full color images throughout.
1986-1989, Beyond the Golden Age of City Pop
1990-1994, Shibuya's counter attack
1995-1999, Diversification and the rise of J R&B
2000-2006, Return to the raw sound, City Pop re-evaluation.
Edited and written by lightmellowbu
Japanese with English titles, 272 pages, full-color, paper back (15 x 21cm)
Deadstock, very good condition, limited stock.