Toshiki Kadomatsu: Palm Trees & City Pop

Jazz, pop, beaches and ladies — and much more in this video essay about the Japanese city pop legend Toshiki Kadomatsu.

This is the first episode of a new mini-documentary series called «Japanese Music Discoveries». Please subscribe if you'd like to get notified when the next episode is uploaded!

MUSIC CREDITS:
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Way to the Shore
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Night Sight of Port Island
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Off Shore
Mariya Takeuchi - Plastic Love
Snarky Puppy - What About Me?
Mario Kart 8 - Staff Credits
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Fly-By-Day
Yung Bae - Day by Day
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Yokohama Twilight Time
Midnight Shuffle - Cosmos
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Friday to Sunday
Anri - Windy Summer
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Tokyo Tower
Toshiki Kadomatsu - If you… (Wanna Dance Tonight)
Toshiki Kadomatsu - 52nd Street
Toshiki Kadomatsu - June Bride
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Oshi-Tao-Shitai
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Midsummer Drivin'
Toshiki Kadomatsu - The Bass Battle
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Sea Line
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Office Lady
Toshiki Kadomatsu - Hatsu Koi
Casiopea - Galactic Funk

For educational purposes only.

Thanks to my partner Selina for help with research and proofreading the script.

This is my:
192nd video of all-time
2nd video of 2019

[accordinglyx]

Just finished watching your Casiopea video and now I’m watching this one. While I’m already well-versed in the world of city pop/jazz fusion I still found your videos very enjoyable, it’s great knowing there’s others out there that appreciate these old Japanese tracks as much as I do. Great work too, your video essays are extremely well made

[tiaflies]

Toshiki Kadomatsu is one of my all-time favorite artists. Absolute legend.

[fightman_records]

The 2017 re-release of Sea Is A Lady is truly an amazing album for driving. It hasn't left my car's CD bay since I got it!

[creativepop]

Toshiki Kadomatsu I think is the best Japanese City Pop/Jazz Fusion artist out there. He is definitely out there in my top artists (I mean look at my PFP lol). His style of music has definitely influenced me the best right now because, other than any other artists, his songs hit my nostalgia harder than others. Guitars, horns, synth, drums, bass, and back up singers just blend perfectly with him.

[nathanmantle]

It's so weird to see Japanese City pop kind of explode in the last few years, as someone who basically got into the stuff over a decade ago (because I love 80s and 90s anime, and the soundtracks basically revolved around this sort of sound). I remember posting songs on facebook at that time, and getting ignored, but now when I share a city pop song on youtube, I get people actually commenting ... so weird. Makes me wonder if people did actually like this music, but were too embarrassed to admit it because the music wasn't popular back then ... hmmm

[SavageOra]

I'm a huuge fan of Anri. Timely is INCREDIBLE. Now knowing Kadomatsu played a big part in the album, I need to check out more of his stuff.

[ImJustStandingHere]

For me, Toshiki Kadomatsu is THE quintessential 80's city pop artist. His own work is legendary, and he produced some of Anri's best works as well as many others. His go-to bassist Tomohito Aoki (RIP) was a legend in his own right as well, often driving Kadomatsu's songs through the 80's and on. Truly legendary music that hits like nothing else.

NOW HE JUST NEEDS TO RELEASE HIS ENTIRE LIBRARY ON STREAMING PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IM TIRED OF LISTING TO RIPS ON YOUTUBE

[gnunahartup]

This video means a lot for city pop fans around the world! Thank you so much.. thanks for the appreciation to the artist..

[derallerechtelensen]

Man my Brother and i found our passion for Asian Jazz Fusion Music few years ago and he showed me your channel, its a blast! I love to learn something about the history of these musicians!
For some time we thought nobody else would listen to this kind of music anymore 😂 we couldnt imagine how wrong we were 😂😂😂😂

[thebarbaryghostsf]

Toshiki Kadomatsu saved my life. <3 This is a good place to start your series.

[ethanoreilly]

Superb documentary! I've been doing the same thing for the last 4 years, I started listening to future Funk and vaporwave and then got into a whole genre of Japanese city pop as well as Japanese artists such as Ryuchi Sakamoto

[asabovesobelow]

Plastic Love change my life since february 2021!

[krystianhinz]

if you like Toshiki Kadomatsu and anime I highly recommend the 42 minute OVA film "Nineteen 19" which uses several of Toshiki Kadomatsu's songs including "LOVIN' You 'Sawako'" and encapsulates the bubble era and all its glory

[mikecamcorder]

It the perfect music for my neon high rise apartment overlooking palm trees or driving my Japanese station wagon around the beaches in south Florida. I swear I seen most of the albums pictures in person here. It oddly fits and it amazing music from across the world can remind me of home.

[JazzzRockFuzion]

Came here after watching your outstanding Casiopea video twice.

Kadomatsu-san is the city pop G.O.A.T., IMO. His producer credits alone are staggering. Amazing artist - always dynamic, exciting, playful, sophisticated and with the highest level of musicianship.

Thank you so much for what you do 🙏

[partydeer]

Can't wait for the Anri video. You have great production quality!

[fvert]

i discovered city pop also because of future funk, its actually my favourite genere of music and love collecting this old vinyls

[electrogeek]

I'm just getting into the worlds of city pop and jazz fusion, and your videos have been an excellent education into what may be my new favorite music genres.

[thebarbaryghostsf]

I love the work he did on every artist he produced, but Jadoes are really underrated!

[ЯрославДмитрюк-хш]

YouTube algorithms threw your Casiopea video at my face. Now I'm here) Thank you for this hidden gems! Also: great video quality with all this charts, chapters and very nice animations!