SAHARA

ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Released in 1984, SAHARA is one of the more adventurous Japanese urban records of its period, combining new wave, black contemporary, jazz-funk, and electronically programmed rhythm under the direction of producer and arranger Masanori Sasaji. The supporting cast is unusually strong: Takayuki Hijikata, Yuichi Togashiki, Jun Aoyama, Kenji Takamizu, Yasuo Tomikura, Takehiro Honda, Atsuo Mine, and others bring together musicians from the Mariah, NAZCA, fusion, and jazz worlds. “Say Cheese” leans toward mellow urban contemporary, while “T.N.T.” uses Linn-drum programming in a more angular, avant-garde frame. “Fall in Love” pushes toward technopop, and the title track surrounds Murakami’s vocal with emulator textures and new-wave funk. The inclusion of Leon Ware’s “If I Ever Lose This Heaven” adds another connection to American soul. What makes SAHARA compelling is not stylistic purity but controlled instability: each track approaches urban pop from a slightly different angle, while Sasaji’s production holds the record together through sharp rhythm, vivid synthesizer color, and highly disciplined musicianship.