There's A Sound Of Distant Living

A couple of weeks ago JC/ The Vinyl Villain updated his run through 1979- a year he's saying may be music's best ever year- and one of the songs he posted was Japan's Life In Tokyo. I've become mildly obsessed with it ever since, playing it repeatedly. 

Life In Tokyo

Recorded with Giorgio Moroder, who co- wrote it with David Sylvian, it builds on Moroder's supercharged late 70s disco records with Donna Summer but with some very overt Roxy Music influences in there too. One of those records that bears repeat plays, keeps on giving, keeps rewarding in different ways- the synths, the bass, the lyrics, the production, the vocal. It's a superb slice of 1979 art- pop. 

Life In Tokyo (Long Version)

It was re- released several times, the record company looking for a hit and as each Japan album after 1979 came out, so did Life In Tokyo. In 1981, hot on the heels of Gentlemen Take Polaroids, Hansa released it on 12" with a seven minute extended remix and then again in 1982 after Tin Drum and two hit singles (Ghosts and Cantonese Boy) it was remixed and re- released for a third time. 

David Sylvian's lyrics are suitably impressionistic, with plenty of late 70s apathy- 'it seems so sentimental/ why should I care'- coupled with Ballardian existentialism- 'somewhere there's the sound of distant living/ locked up in high society/ it seems so artificial/ why should I care'- and then the chorus, 'oh oh oh life can be cruel/ life in Tokyo'.

In 2019 Sean Johnston wanted a version to play at ALFOS, a turbo charged edit with Japan, Moroder and Roxy Music crossed with a cosmic, sci fi Latin disco feel that goes on and on for nine minutes. So he made one.

Life In Tokyo (Hardway Bros Re- edit)

Sunshine After The Rain

Denise Johnson's death in July came as a sudden and sad shock, the voice of so many records over the last three decades and a lovely person too- she was a voice of  reason and warmth on Twitter and someone about whom everyone says nice things. It's impossible to imagine Screamadelica, many of ACR's songs since 1990, Hypnotone's Dream Beam or Electronics' Get The Message without her voice on them. 

Her solo album was released posthumously in September and sold out immediately (leading to a second pressing). It is only seven songs long, some covers and some of her own songs, done acoustically with her voice at the fore. Three of the covers are of Manchester bands (Denise was a proud Mancunian) and show her roots and love for the songs- New Order's True Faith, Well I Wonder by The Smiths and I'm Not In Love by 10cc. The other cover was this, Sunshine After The Rain, stripped down and personal. 

Sunshine After The Rain was written and recorded by Ellie Greenwich in 1968, a slightly baroque mod- pop floor filler. The lyrics are classic, post- relationship break up and hoping for better days fayre.

The Sunshine After The Rain 

It's probably best known as a cover by Elkie Brooks a 1977 single and as a 1994 pop- rave single for Berri (which also borrowed from I Feel Love). Berri's version may not be great art but it is a highly effective piece of pop music, a song which soundtracks drunken nights out in 90s pub discos, ironing out the heartbreak in favour of hands in the air and fistpumps. 

Life Can Be Cruel

Would you like to start your Sunday with a hot off the press Hardway Bros re-edit of Japan's Life In Tokyo? Of course you would, why wouldn't you? Sean Johnston has given the 1979 David Sylvian- Giorgio Moroder co-write a sultry update, setting the controls for a nine minute voyage to the heart of the chug. It all gets a bit wiggy and spun out too. Get it here or below.

Life In Tokyo (Hardway Bros Re-edit)

I Feel Space

More space-disco from Norway today with Lindstrom and I Feel Space, a track inspired by I Feel Love. Norway by way of Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer. I Feel Space was released back in 2005 but in no way sounds thirteen years old, its Italo synths and rhythms sounding completely current in 2018 (but then I think I Feel Love still sounds modern, which goes to show how ahead of the game Moroder was).

I Feel Space was covered by fellow Norwegian Marius Circus earlier this year, a 12" single which came with a very tasty, slightly acid-tinged Andrew Weatherall remix. I posted it here.

I Feel Space

Love Never Ends

Today one of our oldest friends gets married in Sheffield. Congratulations R and Z, may you ever be together in electric dreams.

Carpenter

I took a punt on this recently in the ALFOS section in Piccadilly Records, a four track 12" by Maurice and Charles. Released at the end of last year, the A-side is a trippy, bleepy electronic chugger called Sofa Love plus a remix. The B-side is this tribute to John Carpenter, mixing a dirty bassline, some Eno-Byrne My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts style sounds and some vocal samples from Escape From New York. A moody, funky groove you'll want to play all over again as soon as it finishes.



In 2011 Maurice and Charles put this out, a sort of acidic disco tribute to Giorgio Moroder.

Moroder In Milan (Original Mix)

Donna Summer RIP

Surely one of the greatest records ever made.