Description
Irrepressible, off-the-wall and utterly unique – the late 70s/early 80s Latin jazz-funk and leftfield electronic boogie of Japanese composer and pianist Izumi Mimi Kobayashi collected for the first time. A luminous soul with an indefatigable love for music, few artists have had careers as varied and successful as Izumi Mimi Kobayashi. One of Japans leading jazz-funk pianists, she wrote and recorded cult albums with fusion legends at home and abroad. Obsessed with new electronic instruments, she penned some of the countrys most well-known TV themes and pioneered the use of drum machines in anime soundtracks. A star in Japan, she moved to Europe to record global hits with Depeche Mode and Swing Out Sister, toured the world with the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra and made beats with Attica Blues Tony Nwachukwu.Now based in London, Mimi currently fronts Tokyo Riddim Band – the intergenerational live Japanese Reggae outfit born from Time Capsules acclaimed 2023 compilation of the same name – playing live shows and releasing a trio of recordings made at Prince Fattysstudio.
Choice Cuts 1978-1983 collects eight recordings from four of Mimis first five albums Sea Flight (1978) recorded with her group Flying Mimi Band, and Coconuts High (1981), Nuts Nuts Nuts (1982) and Tropicana (1983) under her own name.The compilation opens with a syncopated electro-funk cover of Sergio Mendes iconic Mas Que Nada (Tropicana) and the crisp and stripped back techno-pop of Coffee Rumba (Nuts Nuts Nuts) with a keyboard bass line that would have made Stevie Wonder weep.
Released on legendary guitarist Takanakas Kitty Records label, Coconuts High was recorded in LA with a backing band of jazz fusion icons, including Alex Acua, Abraham Laborial, Harvey Mason and the Tower of Power horns. A riot of playful Latin-tinged jazz, funk and fusion with the off-beat spirit of Kid Creole & and the Coconuts, the album became a cult hit, attracting huge sums on the resale market. Here its the sultry, Minnie Riperton-esque “Crazy Love”, with its addictive groove and bittersweet melodies that makes the cut, alongside the steel drum-infused carnivalesque bounce of “Palm St”. Capturing a highly creative and prolific moment in Mimis career, Choice Cuts 1978-1983 will introduce the idiosyncratic energy and playful verve of this under-the-radar pioneer to a wider audience for the first time. Welcome to the world of Izumi Mimi Kobayashi. Once you enter, you wont want to leave. via Label
Label: Time Capsule
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Released: 2024
Genre: Electronic, Jazz, Funk / Soul
Style: Jazz-Funk, Latin Jazz, Boogie, Fusion
File under: Japanese Electronic
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