Celebrating Christmas a bit early? Well, it seems I am (or for those stumble into this post in the future), you might be… Joyful, meaningful, and at times, quite lovely, Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi’s Yen Records released in 1983 a special compilation for their fans of their homegrown record label, Yen Records.
Just a month before Christmas, the duo of Harry and Yuki, rounded up a whip smart group of their best friends: Moonriders, Jun Togawa from Guernica, Ginji Ito and many more to create a batch of original Christmas songs. Rather than ask them to deviate from their own sound, each artist brought something special of their own to the occasion.
Harry began the proceedings with a spectral ambient take “25 Dec. 1983” might have just been renamed “Vince Guaraldi’s Floating Vapors”, since it lends the same magic Harry would produce for MUJI the same year. Moonriders, then, waltzes in with their 10cc-like, larger-than-life take on Pop, “銀紙の星飾り”, that clues you into the brilliant music they’ve tried to pull off outside of the Yen Records music sphere.
Miharu Koshi contributes one of those highlights you have to scour through countless records to find. “Belle Tristesse 妙なる悲しみ” is another Telex-like, or Testpattern-like (who produced this one), gem of sophisticated techno-pop, this time around, trying to serve a slightly dark take on how it feels to miss the holidays. Koji Ueno then brings his serialist touch to “Prelude et Choral”. Jun Togawa then reimagines a Christmas classic, from way, way, back when as this windy, sampledelic dream called “降誕説”. So ends the A-side.
On the flip side, Pierre Barouh is joined by master Brazilian sambista/bossa novaist Kazuhiko Kato for a featherweight, sunkissed beauty that forms the Venn-diagram composite of France, Japan, and Brazilian saudade, one that would grace his Sierras, a year later. Grounding you in bed, Taeko Onuki contributes a truly lovely original “祈り” or ‘prayer’ that covers dreamy Avant Pop territory of the Zabadak and Yoko Ueno sort. Arranged by Harry, multi-sampled choral harmonies float through ambient soundscapes that depict child-like wonder and expectation in glorious, musical form.
Ginji Ito then prepares to take you home. “ほこりだらけのクリスマス・ツリー” or ‘Dusty Chrismas tree’ fits true to his form as Japan’s preeminent Power Pop man. This time creating a spritely jaunt of sighing background vocals punctuating all sorts of beautiful Christmas wishes — latter-day electro-Paul McCartney fans would appreciate something here.
After that, what else do we have? “White and White” is Hajime Tachibana’s joyful minimalist take on fairground, far ground background music, this time imagining a very white Christmas. It’s another one of the many joys to hear, on this album. Finally, we hear Yukihiro Takahashi end this album on a similar note to Harry’s opener. “ドアを開ければ” is a moody, meditative Pop song that captures the sadness and happiness the holidays are wont to bring us. For every joy, there seems to be some sadness we have to appreciate, to fully realize the importance of the other.
On that prior note, here’s 40 minutes of joy for that other.