Welcome to my final drop for the week. Holy s***, is this a large one.

First things FIRST LINKS AS ALWAYS:

DL LINK: (fair warning: 1.4 gb)

bit.ly/31F1Jk4

Stream Links to select lp's:

Shogun -Rotation -

Fujimal Yoshino -

Romantic Guys

youtube.com/watch?v=-c3Na9w_8_U

AB's -

youtube.com/watch?v=ZgUJLP9ckL4

The central theme in this drop is a particular japanese city pop singer/songwriter composer/guitarist by the name of Fujimara Yoshino & his various projects including
Shogun,Captain Hiro, One Line Band, The AB's, a few Solo's. There's 15 lp's in all as follows:

Captain Hiro - Lost & Found (1)
Fugimaru Band - BGM (1)
One Line Band-Yellow Magic (1)
Shogun (5)
Fujimaru Yoshino solo's (3)
The Ab's (4)

not in print in the states nor is it streaming on spotify,apple,tidal.

Now if you are new to my thread's, i always include artwork scans if I can find them swiftly. And I did find pretty much get all the vinyl artwork and that should make some of you

One Zip only because I know how these multiple zips are a pain in the ass. Every lp is in chronological order and everything is highest quality available of what I could find that day.

I guess we should talk a bit about this artist. Yoshino Fujimal Fujimaru started out in band's I'm guessing early on. He started a psych progressive group called Captain Hiro & they release 2 lp's. Then i'm guessing his manager said to him "Do you want all dudes at your shows? Im leaving because this isn't what I signed up for"

Eventually Captain Hiro disbands and then he gets into session work and in japan, that's a hell of a living to do sessions on record's. (Now you have a person like me on discogs who finds pertinent information to present to you)

Now somewhere along the line he records another project Fujimaru and this is more geared toward I guess the radio. But it only lasts one lp and he calls it the "Fujimaru Band" ( havent listened to this one yet)

After the Fujimaru band, he teams up with some other musicians and records a project called "One Line Band" (havent listened to it yet) And that's when he finally comes to his next chapter

What makes Shogun unique? Well it's co-led by a westerner guitarist named Casey Rankin and apparently this band had ambitions to cross over from Japanese market to american market. Casey Rankin later becomes the sole leader of the band after a few albums. Shogun has a sound that is like Steely Dan meets Doobie Bros meets Chicago in japan? , it's very aor rock-pop-ish

The chord voicings are jazzy and funky and this band has a lot of brass horns to it. Maybe Chicago was a influence? Tower of power? Here's shogun at bandstand meeting d*** clark:

We see Fujimal say a big influence is Earth Wind & Fire. Here's the song off their first soundtrack:

Sometime after that, Fuji leaves in the 80's to start a brief solo career of 2 album's. Continuing on with what he learned in Shogun sound and this time forming a new group to record and here's 2 song's off 2 solo lp's

We notice a few faces of western A1 session musicians on the 2nd record. You can see the names on the artwork scan I provided.

Then after these solo lp's Fuji decides it's time for another band and he forms this aor rock-pop city pop band called "the Ab's" Lots of eighties flange reverb guitar on these releases. Really cool if you are into that type of music. I wouldn't be surprised if he was a toto head.

Then after the Ab's he record's a couple soundtrack's, more sessions on guitar and he decides to reform Shogun once more and they do a reunion lp (havent't heard this, cant comment on it)

After Shogun, he reunites Ab's with a few new member's they release mini lp's. Unfortunately I wasnt able to find these, perhaps another time.

I do have to say it is interesting to note how well Fujimaru sings in english. He could've definitely passed on american radio. The other thing I noticed, didn't write his own lyrics. He seems to focus all on the music. Nonetheless, relaxing shimmering melodic music that can maybe put you at ease during a stressful time in your life.

And that's that, I probably won't return until Friday with something completely different & never posted by me on here. Enjoy the music and let me know what you decide to listen to first. We are just getting started with the japanese drop's. You see how I roll.

@BabyYoda @sipsome_ @vox @yandhi @nomad

@Johan_DeVito @Biginthegame @prince @free @AtTheEquinox

closing out this week, fam

we going hard in the paint for this drop, it took some time but it is finally here :

@localblaccmane @proper @RVI @Replica @canon

INNNN

@flosh @Soupvillain @grimes @Goo @nonamestreets14

You see the title

Thanks for these threads op you the flame keeping ktt alive

IN

This one took some time, ladies n gentlemen. Lots of ridiculous inception zip files, fam. Only one zip in this link though/

@Prbz @SOLARIS @Bob_Tha_Trillder @blkswnoir

@NOTSAVEME @brownsugah
@NPZx @smackdab @blockbeataz

back again after a slight absence this week

We hit you with that 1 2 punch

@babybop_ @philanthropist @STUFF @texmaker @CaliKhalElCaliban

Holy s*** mane. Been exploring the asian scene looking for new s*** lately

This exactly what I need rn

@newgodlevel @Plx193 @Drain_Cook @Ron_James

its here

@PerryTheMADLADYPUS @PushaToThe @BaroudeurFlipFlop @ineedabaker @Danny

Y'all know i bless the drop fam

@woahuhyeah @NewYork @Lawdie @theDonandOnly @BlackStar

omg, consulting drop is here

annnnnnnd I think that's everyone.

@Twitch @LastCall

For my sanity sake, i had to focus on one artist if i intend to keep going back because I would never remember if I made mixes of hundreds of artist's. That would drive me to the loony bin

I do what I can, fam. Do i have you on the notifications?

that sax line that swoops in with that melody

@twitch plenty of heat rock's on this drop.

one of my faves from ab's

In

🔥 flames my dude!!!!

...and I’m in.

City pop is my s***

love city pop

yesssir!