About

— Eight-track LP compiled by DJ Notoya, drawn exclusively from the Victor Entertainment archive.
— Cover artwork by celebrated city pop illustrator Hiroshi Nagai.

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When DJ Notoya's unofficial Tokyo 1980s mix series began circulating in the 2010s, it tapped into a global appetite for the lush, groove-laden sound that had flourished in Japan during the bubble era — a world where post-disco boogie, West Coast AOR sophistication and jazz-fusion virtuosity converged into something uniquely Tokyo. Victor Entertainment took notice, commissioning the first official instalment in 2025 to widespread acclaim on both streaming platforms and vinyl. Tokyo 80s Victor Edition Vol.2: Boogie, AOR & Fusion from Japan is the long-awaited sequel, once again entrusting Notoya with full curatorial control over the label's storied back catalogue.

Eight tracks have been selected with characteristic precision, spanning the full emotional range of the era: from the deep, swaying bassline of Aru Takamura's "Koi wa Saikou (I'm in Love)" to the breezy AOR of One Line Band's "You're the Only One" — the group that would later evolve into Shogun under the leadership of Fujimaru Yoshino — and the effortlessly mellow dancefloor shimmer of Sadistics' "Adios", a track that united YMO's Yukihiro Takahashi with guitar icon Masayoshi Takanaka. The sleeve, adorned with artwork by Hiroshi Nagai — the painter synonymous with city pop's pastel-and-palm-tree visual identity — makes this as much an object of desire as a listening experience. — (via Jazz Messenger)

This new release features a carefully selected collection of tracks that received high praise from overseas in previous digital releases, further optimized for vinyl. In particular, Reiko Takahashi's "Sunset Road," which is difficult to obtain on its original 7-inch vinyl, will be included on record for fans. — (via Label)

The jacket artwork is an illustration by Hiroshi Nagai, just like in Volume 1. 

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Label: Victor
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Limited Edition
Released: 2026
Genre: Japanese, Pop, Funk/Soul
Style: J-pop, AOR

File under: Japanese Pop
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