City pop

History and character

City pop (shiti poppu) is a Japanese pop with blurred boundaries, born in the mid-1970s and at its peak in the 1980s: more than a rigid genre it is, as Jon Blistein wrote in Rolling Stone, a “classification of atmosphere”. It draws above all on American funk, soft rock, AOR, boogie and disco, with touches of jazz fusion and of tropical, Okinawan, Latin and Caribbean colors. It is tied to Japan's economic boom, to the new leisure class and to technologies such as the Walkman, the car cassette player and electronic instruments (including the Roland TR-808).

Tatsuro Yamashita is often called the “king” of city pop (Ride on Time, 1980; For You, 1982); Haruomi Hosono and Yellow Magic Orchestra shaped its sound. Other key names: Mariya Takeuchi (Plastic Love, 1984, produced by Yamashita), Miki Matsubara (Mayonaka no Door / Stay with Me, 1979), Taeko Ohnuki (4:00 A.M.), Anri (Remember Summer Days, Cat's Eye), Junko Yagami, Hiroshi Sato, Toshiki Kadomatsu, Omega Tribe, Tomoko Aran, Eiichi Ohtaki (A Long Vacation). Many records are played by excellent session musicians with winds, strings and layered backing vocals.

After the 1980s city pop lost popularity and in Japan was long considered dated. From the 2010s, blogs, reissues and YouTube (the upload of Plastic Love with millions of views) gave it a global following; it became a key influence on vaporwave and future funk, inspired the revival of Indonesian “pop kreatif” and has been sampled by hip hop and R&B producers. New artists have taken up the aesthetic (Night Tempo, Kirinji, Suchmos, Taeko Ohnuki reissued, Mariya Takeuchi rediscovered).

Scales and keys

In the modes, Roman numerals refer to the modal scale.

Major (Ionian) with jazz extensions

• Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (T T S T T T S). In Eb: Eb F G Ab Bb C D.
• Characteristic note: major 7th and 9th on the chords: the “urban” and sophisticated color.
• Chords: Ebmaj9 Fm9 Gm7 Abmaj7(#11) Bb13 Cm9 Dø7.
• Use: royal road and ii–V–I progressions, maj7 and m9 chords on Rhodes and guitars.
• Example: Tatsuro Yamashita — Ride on Time (bright major).
• Mistakes: plain triads: city pop lives on 4–5-note chords.

Dorian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 (T S T T T S T). In D Dorian: D E F G A B C.
• Characteristic note: major 6th (B): major IV (G9).
• Chords (modal scale): i Dm7 – ii Em7 – III Fmaj7 – IV G7 – v Am7 – vi° Bø – VII Cmaj7.
• Use: i7–IV9 vamp in funk verses.
• Example: Plastic Love is listed in D minor (≈ 103 BPM): the minor vamp with a major IV gives the typical Dorian color.

Natural minor (Aeolian)

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7. In C: C D Eb F G Ab Bb.
• Use: nocturnal and melancholic songs (Mayonaka no Door), i7–VImaj7–VII–III progressions.

Mixolydian and Lydian as colors

• Mixolydian (1 2 3 4 5 6 b7): dominants with 9 and 13 (Bb13), funk riffs.
• Lydian (1 2 3 #4 5 6 7): the maj7#11 chord on the IV (Abmaj7#11 in Eb) is a signature of city pop and fusion.

Pentatonic and yonanuki

• Major pentatonic (1 2 3 5 6) for singable melodies; the yonanuki (the same shape, in Japanese terminology) gives the typical nostalgia.

How to choose

Harmony

Function

Jazz-pop harmony: ii–V–I, royal road, secondary dominants, tritone substitutions, slash chords (IV/V in place of V), chords with 9, 11, 13; harmonic rhythm of one chord per bar or per half bar. City pop loves soft tension: the dominant is often replaced by IVmaj7/V or by V7sus4.

Signature techniques

• IV/V (Fmaj7/G): the “suspended” dominant of soft rock and AOR.
• Royal road (IVmaj7–V7–iii7–vi7), popularized precisely by city pop.
• Marusa / Just the Two of Us (IVmaj7–III7–vi7–v7–I7).
• Turnaround iii7–VI7–ii7–V7 and chromaticism.
• Modulations by a semitone or a third between verse and chorus.

Voicing

Rhodes with rootless voicings (3–7–9–13), guitar with 9th and 13th chords on the high strings, winds in close 4-part position, strings in octaves, backing vocals in thirds and sixths; bass playing the root or the slash.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

“16 beat” feel: sixteenth-note hats played with two hands or with alternating accents, funk/disco groove with a syncopated kick (1, the last sixteenth of 2, the “and” of 3), snare on 2 and 4 with ghost notes, open hat on the “and” of 4. Light swing (52–56%) or none; session-musician playing, precise but human. Variants: disco with four-on-the-floor kick, boogie with drum machine (TR-808, LinnDrum), ballads in slow 4/4 or 12/8, light shuffle.

Drums

Kick

Funk: steps 1, 8, 11 (or 1, 7, 11); disco: four on the floor; ballad: 1 and 3. Muffled, dry kick, medium tuning.

Snare

On 2 and 4 with ghost notes (steps 7, 10, 15, velocity 25–45); dry '80s snare with little reverb or a short plate; rimshot in the verses.

Hi-hat and percussion

Sixteenth-note hats with accents; open hat on the “4 and” (step 15); Latin percussion (conga, bongo, tambourine, shaker, cabasa), woodblock and bells as color.

Interaction with bass and vocals

Slap or fingerstyle bass in dialogue with the kick; drums that leave room for the vocal with controlled dynamics; ensemble kime with the winds in the transitions.

By section

Verse: full but light groove; pre: crash ride, fill; chorus: more frequent open hats, tambourine; interlude: sax or guitar solo over a full groove; ending: fade out on the groove.

Fills and sounds

Clean, short tom fills, snare fills with flams; '80s studio acoustic drums (dry, close mic) or TR-808/LinnDrum. Mistakes: drums that are too modern and compressed; lack of ghost notes.

Bass

• Sound: funk electric bass (fingerstyle or slap), bright, with a sharp attack; synth bass (Minimoog, DX7) in boogie.
• Notes: melodic, syncopated lines, octaves, dead notes, chromatic approach notes, slash chords.
• Rhythm: funk sixteenth notes, disco octaves.
• Relationship with the kick: rhythmic interlocking (the bass fills in between the kicks), no sidechain.
• Examples: Tatsuro Yamashita — Sparkle and Ride on Time (funk bass), Mariya Takeuchi — Plastic Love (octave bass and soft groove).

Harmonic instruments

• Rhodes and FM e-piano (DX7): seventh and ninth chords, rootless voicings.
• Guitars: funk cutting in sixteenth notes (clean single-coil), arpeggios with chorus, fusion solos.
• Winds: section (trumpet, sax, trombone) for stabs and lines; sax solo.
• Strings: lines in octaves and legato pads in the choruses.
• Synths: pads (Jupiter, Juno), synth brass, FM bells.
• Acoustic piano: in ballads.

Voicing: rich extensions, guitar high, Rhodes in the middle, winds in close position.

Melody and vocals

• Melody: singable and nostalgic, often with a yonanuki/pentatonic color in the chorus, long, legato phrases, use of English words in the hooks.
• Vocals: clear, soft female voices (Mariya Takeuchi, Anri, Miki Matsubara), warm, bright male voices (Tatsuro Yamashita, famous for his layered vocal harmonies and a cappella backing vocals overdubbed by himself).
• Backing vocals: 3–5-part harmonies in AOR/doo-wop style, multiple overdubs, “uh” and “ah” in the choruses.
• Effects: moderate plate and hall, doubles, quarter-note delay, light chorus on the backing vocals.

Instruments

Vocals and backing vocals, acoustic drums (or TR-808/LinnDrum), electric bass, funk and lead guitars, Rhodes, DX7, piano, polyphonic synths, winds, strings, Latin percussion, solo sax.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• DX7 V — FM e-piano and bell: The signature sound of the Japanese '80s: FM E.PIANO and bell.
• Stage-73 V — Rhodes: Seventh and ninth chords with light tremolo.
• Jup-8 V — Pads and brass: Synth pads and brass of mature city pop.
• Jun-6 V — Pads and arpeggios: Pads with chorus for boogie and nocturnal songs.
• Prophet-5 V — Leads and pads: Soft leads and chords of '80s Japanese pop.
• Mini V — Synth bass: Boogie basses as an alternative to the electric bass.
• Solina V — String machine: '70s–'80s string pads.

Song structure

Length 4:00–5:30.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Warm, glossy and “analog”: dry, precise drums, defined funk bass, bright Rhodes and guitars, wide winds and strings, clear vocal with elegant reverb. References: Mariya Takeuchi — Plastic Love, Tatsuro Yamashita — Sparkle, Anri — Remember Summer Days, Miki Matsubara — Mayonaka no Door.

Kick

HP 35 Hz, +2 dB at 70–80 Hz, −3 dB at 400 Hz, +2 dB at 2–3 kHz; compression 3–4 dB; dry; center.

Snare

HP 80 Hz, +2 dB at 200 Hz, +2 dB at 4 kHz; compression 3 dB; short 0.8–1 s plate; center.

Hi-hat and percussion

HP 300 Hz; hat 20% to the side; percussion spread out (conga 40% L, tambourine 30% R).

Bass

HP 35 Hz, +2 dB at 80 Hz, −2 dB at 250 Hz, +3 dB at 1–2 kHz (slap and attack); 1176 compression 4:1, 4–6 dB; mono.

Rhodes, guitars, winds, strings, synths

• Rhodes: HP 80 Hz, stereo tremolo/chorus, −2 dB at 300 Hz.
• Cutting guitar: HP 200 Hz, heavy compression, pan 50–70%.
• Winds: HP 120 Hz, +2 dB at 2 kHz, 1 s plate, pan 30–60%.
• Strings: HP 150 Hz, 2 s hall, wide.
• Synths: wide, filtered pads, behind the vocal.

Vocals

EQ: HP 80 Hz, −2 dB at 300 Hz, +2 dB at 3–5 kHz, air +2 dB. LA-2A + 1176 compression (6 dB). 1.5–2 s plate, 40 ms pre-delay; quarter-note delay.

Backing vocals

Bus with HP 150 Hz, 6 dB compression, wide pan, light chorus, longer reverb.

FX

Tape saturation on the music bus; tape echo on the sax.

Buses and groups

Drum bus 2:1, 2 dB; mix bus with tape and 1–2 dB compression (SSL-style).

Sidechain

None or minimal.

Master

Chain: EQ → tape → compressor 1–2 dB → limiter. Target −11/−9 LUFS ('80s originals are very dynamic), −9/−8 for new city pop-style productions. True peak ≤ −1 dBTP. PLR 10–13 dB.

Common mistakes

A modern mix that is too compressed (it loses the softness); slap bass that is harsh at 2–3 kHz; winds and guitars in conflict; a vocal that is too dry.

Reference tracks for the mix

Taeko Ohnuki — 4:00 A.M. (1978); Miki Matsubara — Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me) (1979); Tatsuro Yamashita — Ride on Time (1980); Tatsuro Yamashita — Sparkle (1982); Mariya Takeuchi — Plastic Love (1984).

Reference listening

• Taeko Ohnuki — 4:00 A.M. (1978)
• Miki Matsubara — Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me) (1979)
• Tatsuro Yamashita — Ride on Time (1980)
• Eiichi Ohtaki — Kimi wa Tennen Shoku (1981)
• Tatsuro Yamashita — Sparkle (1982)
• Anri — Remember Summer Days (1983)
• Mariya Takeuchi — Plastic Love (1984)