在 MP3 和串流音樂興起，實體音樂銷售日益下滑的今日，看似很小眾的卡帶和 Future Funk 音樂，居然能異軍突起，並帶動日本 80 年代的 City Pop ，使其成為世界注目的焦點。這個原本在日本 30 歲以下的年輕都沒聽過的音樂，如今居然成為全球的音樂寵兒，其背後原因值得探究。
With the popularity of MP3 and streaming music and the declining sales of physical music today, cassettes and Future Funk seems niche but suddenly emerge and drove the City Pop in Japan in the 80s, making it the focus of world attention. This music was never heard by anyone under 30 in Japan, has now been the famous genre. The reasons behind it are worth exploring.
【現在篇】City Pop 復興的推手 Future Funk
City Pop 復興的現象，不僅僅侷限單一或幾位歌手，而是全面地讓 80 年代的日本歌手重新受到注目，包括：山下達郎、角松敏生、八神純子、杏里、中森明菜、松田聖子等等。代表人物之一的竹內瑪莉亞應該想不到，她在 1984 年發表的 Plastic Love 在 30 多年後，因為一位韓國的素人 DJ 讓歌爆紅，成為 City Pop 的國歌。更想不到，這首上傳到 Youtube 的 remix 的版本，居然可以在四年不到的時間，點擊率破一千萬，現在仍然不斷地增加中，而影片畫面只是幾個動漫畫面輪播而已。因為實在太受歡迎，唱片公司也留意到這個復興的現像，開始復刻 CD、黑膠，並在 35 年後的2019 推出官方的 Plastic Love 短版 MV。
The revived of City Pop is not only limited with one or certain singers ormusicians, moreover, it is a trend that let all the Japanese singers got thechance to draw again people’s attention. Included: Yamashita Tatsuro, ToshikiKadomatsu, Junkoo Yagami, Anri, Akina Nakamori, Seiko Matsuda, one of mostrepresentative singer: Maria Takeuchi, would never thought of her song Plastic Love, which she released in 1984, has became the anthem of City Pop after 30 years, just because of a Korean DJ, who’s even not that famous, and more unexpectedly, the remixed version has uploaded to YouTube then reached to ten millions views in less than four years and still increasing today, the video shows only a few manga images in turn, but it was just too popular that the records label hasnoticed it, therefore started to retro CDs, Vinyl, plus presented a short version of the official music video of Plastic Love in 2019.
2019 年推出的官方〈 Plastic Love 〉短版MV，邀請到新生代導演林響太朗執導。曾為多位知名藝人，如星野源、米津玄師......等人拍攝 MV。利用光線表現出如畫般的風格，是他作品的一大特色。透過 1989 年出生的他，去展現 1984 年的歌曲，不也是一種新與舊的交融？
City Pop 融合了R&B、Funk、New Wave、Rock、Surf Music 等元素，再加上日本音樂人的個人特色，形成洋溢著律動感的曲風，在當時的日本也迅速造成流行。當年的 City Pop 歌曲分為兩大流派，一是結合了 Jazz、Rock、R&B 等風格的都會夜生活派，寺尾聰的《 紅寶石戒指 》可謂是代表作。另一派則是散發著濃濃夏日氣息的海灘派，融合著 R&B、Funk、New Wave 和 Jazz，山下達郎的Christmas Eve 至今仍是日本國民耶誕歌曲。到了70年代末期，也開始出現了純樂器演奏形式的 City Pop 類型，甚至整張都是這樣的音樂，如角松敏生的《 SEA IS A LADY 》 。
City Pop merged R&B、Funk、NewWave、Rock、Surf Music…etc many different elements together, plus Japanese musicians all have their own character in music, City Pop has became popular in a very short of time inJapan. Back then City Pop has two major styles, on is so called ‘Big city nightlife’ music, more of Jazz、Rock and R&B, the most representative single would be Ruby Ring by Akira Terao. The other hand, fullof summer vacation’s vibe, this beach-like style has more R&B, Funk, New Wave and Jazz: Christmas Eve by Yamashita Tatsuro stays always the one and onlyChristmas hit song for Japanese people. In the late 70s, some instrumental City Pop has appeared, even for a whole album, like the Album; SEA IS A LADY by Toshiki Kadomatsu,
1987年角松敏生《 SEA IS A LADY 》，專輯中每首歌都帶入日本女性的名字來命名。2017年時將部分曲目加以調整或改編，發行了30週年紀念版本。
80 年代初期迎來了City Pop 的第二波變革，起因於由坂本龍一、細野晴臣以及高橋幸宏所組成的前衛時髦電子合成樂團—Yellow Magic Orchestra 樂團（簡稱 YMO），所造成電子合成器及鐵克諾樂風的盛行。他們加入了更多適合跳舞的 Synth Funk、Boogie，形成了一種介於流行樂與日本民謠間、所謂的 J-Funk。在此同時，偶像歌手杏里、EPO 也逐漸崛起。
In the early 80s, we embraced the second renovation of City Pop, which hasstarted with the avant-garde electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO inshort), made up by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi,they are great influence in the field of popular electronic music and werepioneers in their use of synthesizers, samplers, sequencers, drum machines,computers and digital recording technology, they also put in some elements ofSynth Funk and Boogie that took shape a music type in the middle of pop musicand old folk songs, which what we called afterwards- J-Funk. Meanwhile, popsinger Anri and EPO were getting popular within it.
1978年YMO第一首單曲〈 Firecracker 〉，結合電子舞曲節奏、電玩音效，又帶有濃厚的東方情調，從此打開了通往國際的道路。
這股 CityPop風潮卻是從海外吹回日本，甚至在臉書上有很多非日本人成立的 CityPop 社團，有個共同點就是不能貼西方的歌曲。原因是美國西岸的舊金山、洛杉磯等地，因為氣候及生活型態與海灘派的 CityPop 頗為接近，所以當地樂迷原本就喜歡聽這類型的音樂。聽著熟悉的groove 節奏、製作精良的音樂，加上日本動漫的耳濡目染，雖然聽不懂歌詞，卻也能沈浸在這東方情調的 Funk、Disco 音樂之中。這說明了groove 是音樂共同的語言。
ThisCityPop trend has actually circled back to Japan from overseas, on Facebookthere are many CityPop communities, groups set up by non-Japanese people, thus,there is one common rule in all these communities, which is ‘no western music’,so as to keep this exotic but yet nostalgia vibe of CityPop: listening to thegroove plays in eastern style of Funk Disco music, even with thoseincomprehensible lyrics in Japanese, groove is the only language that speaks toall CityPop music fans.
西雅圖的音樂廠牌 Light In The Attic Records，近期也持續有 CityPop 的唱片重發計畫，在 2019/ 5 就發行了 Pacific Breeze: JapaneseCityPop, AOR and Boogie 1976-1986 合輯，封面沿襲 CityPop 專輯特色，使用了 80 年代封面設計大師永井博的作品。在今年也有將發行 Piper 的計劃。
Light In The Attic Records from Seattle, has been working on CityPop recordsrecently. In May 2019, they have released acific Breeze: Japanese CityPop, AORand Boogie 1976-1986. Cover wise, they have inherited the tradition and chosethe work from Hiroshi Nagai in 80s, and for this year, they are preparing torelease Piper.
《Pacific Breeze: Japanese City Pop, AOR and Boogie 1976-1986》 2019年5月，由美國著名重發大廠 Light in the Attic 所發行的 City Pop 合輯， 封面使用永井博授權畫作，專輯收錄由美國民謠唱作人 Andy Cabic 、唱片收藏家／DJ Zach Cowie 與 dublab 電台共同創辦人 Mark “Frosty” McNeill 所精選的32首昭和後期流行歌曲，除了較具知名度的大貫妙子、YMO成員細野晴臣與高橋幸宏，以及井上鑑、松任谷正隆（包括Seaside Lovers名義），也收錄了較少被提及的當山瞳、豐島多鶴美等歌手。
Future Funk 正是 City Pop 復興風潮的推手。受到 Vaporwave 影響，Future Funk 也取樣 70 ～ 80 年代的歌曲。由於 City Pop 本身就充滿著律動感，所以 Future Funk 在取樣這些音樂時，加重一些節拍，讓它成為現下流行的電子舞曲，變得更容易被現代人所接受。對於上了年紀的日本人來說，可以再次聽到熟悉的旋律；對於年輕人來說，就是新的歌、新的舞曲，如此一來聽眾自然寬廣。日本的唱片公司也擁抱這新的音樂，邀請人氣 DJ Night Tempo 混音，為 80 年代的偶像團體 Wink 出道三十週年發行二張 EP 專輯，藉此讓年輕人重新認識她們。Night Tempo 就曾提到，他在日本演出時，除了年輕人會參加外，蠻多都是 40~50 歲的族群。因著 FutureFunk 備受注目，這些年輕的歌迷紛紛在網路搜尋被取樣的原曲來聽。從未經歷過80年代的他們，聽原曲就像聽新歌，也開始廣泛地去搜尋相關的歌曲和資料，認識並瞭解當年的偶像們。
FutureFunk is no doubt the pushing hands of the renaissance of CityPop. Takingshape from Vaporwave, FutureFunk took also songs from 70-80s. CityPop has itsown rhythm so Future Funk is more about emphasizing the beat so as to make itbecome the iconic electronic disco songs for today, in another word, to make itmore acceptable to the young generation. To those elder fans, it’s a feeling of nostalgia, yet to the young people thesesongs are completely new and unknown, therefore it has successfully widened itsfans.
Recordslabels in Japan also embraced this new genre of music, by inviting famous DJNight Tempo to remix it, also released a second EP of 80s famous group: Wink,for their 30th anniversary, in order to give young fans anopportunity to know them. As Night Tempo has once mentioned, when he wastouring in Japan, a part of young fans, there were also many elder fans, thanksto FutureFunk, these young fans have been searching the original songs whichwere taking from, they have never lived in 80s so all the original songs arenew to them, this old-newness has also motivated them to find out more aboutthese songs and to get to know more about these singers.
1989年WINK《 淋しい熱帯魚 》（ 寂寞的熱帶魚 ）。該曲除了由 Night Tempo 於2019年4月推出官方 remix 版外，台灣團體小虎隊亦曾於1990年翻唱為〈 星星的約會 〉。
最名的例子就屬 Night Tempo 所改編的竹內瑪莉亞 Plastic Love ，在 Youtube 上可以看到各式各樣的原曲影片，在 Youtube演算法的推波助瀾下，每則影片的觀看數都相當驚人，最高的已突破 2,900 萬次，不遜於現下當紅藝人。這首歌在 Youtube 影片上，搭配的是竹內另一張單曲Sweetest Music / Morning Glory 的封面，回眸一笑、呈現清新甜美的氣息，更是激起網友的無限創意，網路上流傳著各種改造版本。
The most well-known example would be the adapted version of Plastic Love byNight Tempo, originally by Mariya Takeuchi, you can find many differentoriginal versions of the song on YouTube, and thanks to the calculator method,all these videos have incredible views, the most viewed one has almost reached 30millions, no less then currently popular singers. This new version of Plastic Love by Night Tempo, in the video it comes along with the cover of Mariya Takeuchi’s single: Sweetest Music / Morning Glory: a greatsmile with a glance back, so refreshing that has motivated more fans to go wildwith their imagination and came out with more and more modified versionsafterwards.
網友所創作的漫畫版竹內瑪莉亞，將原照呈現出的清新甜美完整封存。照片出自 SoundCloud。
在這波復古風潮吹襲下，也有越來越多的新興樂團著重 City Pop 中的爵士樂 groove 節奏，融入全新創作風格，形成所謂Neo CityPop 的新曲風，可以說是現代的CityPop，代表樂團要屬 Suchmos。2016 年一曲Stay Tune 搭配 HONDA 汽車廣告，讓他們成為家喻戶曉的新一代樂團，也讓這首歌在 Youtube 上的觀看數超過 5,000 萬次。
With this storm of retro vibes, there are more and more new bands focusing onthe groove tempo in the CityPop Jazz, they put in new ideas and style, reformeda so called Neo CityPop music style, which can be seen as a modern CityPop.Great example such as the HONDA commercial went with the song Stay Tune bySuchmos in 2016, which made them huge and became an iconic band to the younggeneration, also the TV commercial has gainedover 50 millions views on YouTube.
〈 Stay Tune 〉收錄於 Suchmos 2017 年發行的第二張專輯《 THE KIDS 》。不僅是他們最為人熟知的一曲，亦為他們奠下了 Neo City Pop 代表團體的稱號。
以前的 DJ 都需要一個實體舞台才能展現自己的才華。網路媒體的盛行，讓原為素人的音樂創作者，能夠以最低成本的方式發表自己的創作。幾位知名的 FutureFunk 的創作者年齡多在 20 幾歲，如 Macross82-99、Desired等，他們大多崛起於網路。而網路無疆界、短期間就能快速傳播的特性，也確實助長了 FutureFunk 的盛行。在天時、地利、人和的情況下，一切的發生就是如此的理所當然了。
In the old times, a DJ needs an actual set to show the audience his talent,thank to the internet and new medias, platforms online, music makers nowadayscould easily upload their works with a low budget, quite a few FutureFunk musicmakers are still in their 20s, like Macross82-99, Desired and so on, they allappeared on the internet, and since the internet has no limit, it spreadsvirally in a very short amount of time, that has encouraged the popularity ofFutureFunk. When the time is right,either geographical or social conditions are all favorable, it just happens sonaturally as it should.
在我們可以在系列專題訪談之中得到共同的結論：在香港的 Neoncity Records 將銷售通路放在無國界的網路上；Desired 不同於俄羅斯的同儕只著重在國內的市場；來自韓國的 Night Tempo 先在網路上竄紅，再將源自日本的音樂帶回日本演出，並受到熱烈的歡迎。走向國際，找到對的樂迷，創造出屬於自己的群眾，這應該是每位音樂人接下來的課題。
Here we can finally sum up a few facts that we learned from the interviews:Neon City Records put their sales network online; and Desired has reached outto the whole world instead of just focusing on the local market. Night Tempo isfrom Korea, he has first became popular online, then brought his music back toJapan where it’s actually his songs’ origin, and therefore he won a greatvisibility. In short, go worldwide; find the right crowd, and then create your newcrowd might be the next step for all musicians.
Future Funk 是由網路上發跡的全新的音樂風格。與其說全新，不如說是將舊的音樂，用新的手法呈現，再加上動漫的視覺，讓它不只是一種音樂風格，而是一種 Life Style，影響著許多人的生活及態度。Night Tempo 曾經說過，他想推廣的是文化，而不只是音樂的層面而已，2/14 將在東京舉辦 昭和 Groove 的新 EP 發行活動，也選擇在充滿 80 氛圍的 Tokyo Dome Roller Skate Arena 舉辦。其實在許多領域中，都可以見到用新方法演繹舊文化，試圖讓現在人能夠多一層認識與了解。相信唯有透過了解，這些美好的過往才能得以延續。
Future Funk is a brand new music style appeared on the Internet, not exactly new as it refers, more like it represents the old music with a new technique, and plus,the visual impact of manga, makes it more than just a music style, but a ”LifeStyle”, which is deeply merged into people’s life and attitude. As Night Tempoonce said: the culture that he wants to spread and promote is never just on themusic aspect, that is also why, the New ‘Showa Groove” EP Release event inTokyo on the 14th February, they chose to take place at Tokyo DomeRoller Skate Arena, where is full of 80s’ ambience. In all kinds of field, thisphenomenon, which is to interpret the old culture into a new conception, is anapproach for people to understand deeply and know more about different cultures,we believe that only through understating, the good old times can last for lifetime.
Taiwan｜
https://kindofbluerecords.cashier.ecpay.com.tw/
Overseas｜
https://kindofbluerecords.bandcamp.com/