This is, apparently, a musical departure for Japan who have been playing a more glam rock sound until now, but without musical context we can’t tell. To me, this is how they’ve always sounded, a kind of synth-pop successor to Berlin-era Bowie. Visually they even seem to take their androgynous, be-suited look from a mix of Ziggy Stardust and Thin White Duke Bowie, and they give a hint of the direction that music will head in the early Eighties.
In my mind I’ve always lumped them with the New Romantics, but the band eschew this label, and I kind of agree with them. Although New Romantic bands may play similar synth-pop music, they also adopted the flamboyant appearance, while Japan went with smart lines rather than frills. It’s kind of like my comments on glam rock being as much about silver platforms as it is with stompy beats.
Anyway, the music is some sleek synth-pop that really does sound like Berlin Bowie. And it’s not driven by the synth, the synth features rather than dominates, and has moved away also from the krautrock pulse-beat rhythms. There’s a fascinating cover version of Velvet Underground’s All Tomorrow’s Parties which sounds very different to the Nico version, almost sinister and detached. Best track for me was the last one The Other Side Of Life, that touches a little on Eno-era Roxy Music – atmospheric music that takes you off into another place that’s equal parts dark and unworldly.
I think perhaps the problem for me was that I listened to this while working, and it’s the kind of music that you *can* listen to while working and forget to pay much attention to it. I mean, it’s okay, but it also reminded me why I didn’t get into that early Eighties batch of bands like Visage, OMD, Duran Duran, ABC, Flock of Seagulls, etc. I’m interested, however, to see if I have a renewed appreciation for them this time around. I’ll keep an open mind but if you’ve been following this blog this far, you’ll know I usually like awkward corners on my music, and the early Eighties were quite smooth.
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