Description
Reissued outside of Japan for the first time in 40 years.Hideki Matsutakestarted his career as the assistant of Japanese electronic music masterIsao Tomitain the early ’70s, he went on to work withRyuichi Sakamotoand thenYellow Magic Orchestraas their keyboard programmer and unofficial fourth member. In 1981 he started his own Logic System project recordingVenusthat year in Los Angeles withDon Grusin,Nathan East, andMichael Boddicker, brilliantly mixing synth funk, ambient, and boogie with a touch of fusion jazz predating vaporwave by a mere 30 years.
While the first album,Logichad a harder techno feel, the second one,Venus, was different affair. Recorded in Los Angeles at the new state of the art Yamaha Studio, it was loosely themed on the Greek goddess Venus and had a funkier more organic sound. For the album, Matsutake had asked a handful of American musicians to provide songs he would then add his synth magic touch to. The updated sound was achieved by switching from the Moog III to the E-mu modular System (which Matsutake brought over to LA) and other synths like the Prophet 5, the Roland MC-8 and TR 808, and the Yamaha GS-1, a forerunner of the DX7. The result is an amazing futuristic mix of electronic music and early ’80s funk, announcing many genres to come, from techno and house to French electro and vaporwave. From the breezy ambient synth of “I Love You” to the city pop edge of “Be Yourself” (originally written byNathan EastforDebra Laws) and the vocoder-ledDaft Punk-ish “Take A Chance”,Venusis a fascinating album that both pushes the boundaries of electronic music and is yet strangely accessible and beautiful.
The other key elements ofVenusis the artwork designed by legendary Japanese illustratorPater Sato. Sato had started in Japan in the early ’70s doing many album covers for Japanese artists, includingTatsuro Yamashita’s cultSpacy LP (1977) before moving to New York in 1979 to pursue a career in fashion and advertising. His airbrush style became hugely influential over the years. Remastered from the original tapes. via Label
Label:Universal Music
Series:EMI Legacy Vinyl Collection Vol.2
Format:Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue
Reissued:2023 / Original Release: 1981
Genre:Electronic, Jazz
Style:Synth-pop, Jazz-Funk
File under: Japanese Electronic
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