SUNSHOWER

ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Released in 1977, SUNSHOWER predates the period most listeners now associate with city pop, yet it has become one of the records most frequently cited when tracing the style’s roots. Taeko Ohnuki’s second solo album draws heavily from jazz fusion, crossover, soul, and sophisticated pop rather than the glossy eighties sound that came later. Ryuichi Sakamoto played a central role in the arrangements, while the sessions brought together an exceptional group of musicians including Chris Parker, Haruomi Hosono, Tatsuro Yamashita, Kenji Omura, and other leading studio players. “Tokai” has become the album’s best-known international track, but “Summer Connection,” “Kusuri wo Takusan,” “Silent Screamer,” and “Sargasso Sea” reveal how wide its musical language really is. Parker’s drumming gives several songs a loose but remarkably controlled rhythmic feel, while Ohnuki’s calm vocal delivery sits in striking contrast to the harmonic and rhythmic activity underneath. That balance is what makes SUNSHOWER feel so modern: intricate without sounding academic, urbane without relying on later studio gloss. Its overseas rediscovery turned it from a cult title into a foundational reference for Japanese crossover and city-pop collecting.