NEXT DOOR

ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Released in 1983, NEXT DOOR is Hitomi Tohyama’s third album and one of the strongest documents of the harder, funk-oriented side of her early work. The opening “Exotic Yokogao” immediately sets the tone with a sharp groove, clipped guitar, prominent bass, and a vocal performance that balances power with rhythmic control. The album was recorded during the same period that produced the unreleased “Dreaming Love,” later discovered in the master tapes, giving the sessions an added historical interest. Compared with the more electronic SEXY ROBOT that followed, NEXT DOOR feels more rooted in live-band movement, even when synthesizers and contemporary studio effects are present. Tohyama’s bilingual background and strong command of English phrasing also give the album a different rhythmic character from many Japanese pop records of the period; she often treats the voice almost like another instrument inside the groove. The record’s later rediscovery through DJ culture and future-funk circles is easy to understand. Its appeal lies not in nostalgia alone, but in how physical the performances still sound: tight, modern, and built around rhythm before image.