Light In The Attic Records Announces Next Release from Japan Archival Series

US-based label Light In The Attic Records recently announced that they will be continuing their Japan Archival Series with a new compilation titled Somewhere Between: Mutant Pop, Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds of Japan 1980–1988.

Curated by Yosuke Kitazawa and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab), who also penned the liner notes, and featuring cover art by Japanese illustrator/designer Koichi Sato, the latest release is said to "mine the midpoint between LITA’s GRAMMY®-nominated compilation, Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990 and the metropolitan boogie of Pacific Breeze: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1976-1986 to create the first–ever officially licensed compilation of this kind". All three albums showcase recordings produced during Japan’s soaring bubble economy of the 1980s, an era in which aesthetic visions and consumerism merged.

Available for pre-order now and due out January 22nd on double LP, CD, cassette, and digital formats, Somewhere Between brings together many songs that have never been released outside Japan, encompassing ambient pop, underground electronics, liminal minimalism, and shadow sounds.

While Kankyō Ongaku's aural atmospheres were "attuned to structures, art installations, products and other concrete concepts", and Pacific Breeze "soundtracked the personal spaces of the people punch-drunk on prosperity occupying the buildings", Somewhere Between is said to speak to an undercurrent of dissent. The somber vision of Sato's cover artwork is said to "encompass a common idiosyncrasy of Japanese society where hushed malaise gets brushed under gleaming surfaces".

Housed in a wide–spine jacket, the double LP is available in both classic black vinyl and eye-catching color editions that can be ordered exclusively at LightInTheAttic.net and at independent record stores. The compilation’s first single, Mishio Ogawa's Hikari No Ito Kin No Ito, is available on all digital platforms now.

For more information about the release, or to purchase a physical copy, visit Light In The Attic's official website.