{"product_id":"studio-mule-midnight-in-tokyo-vol-1-japanese-disco-boogie-soul-vinyl-2lp","title":"Studio Mule: Midnight In Tokyo Vol.1 (Japanese Disco, Boogie, Soul) Vinyl 2LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eFor a Japanese label, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?type=product\u0026amp;q=Mule+Musiq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eMule Musiq\u003c\/a\u003e have put together an incredible catalog of leftfield techno and inventive dance music\u003c\/i\u003e and have done so, remarkably, without favoring music from the land of the rising sun. Since 2000, they’ve given us classic records by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?type=product\u0026amp;q=DJ+Sprinkles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDJ Sprinkles\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eHenrik Schwarz\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?\u0026amp;q=Optimo\u0026amp;filter=Brand\/Manufacturer\/Artist_fq:%22Optimo%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOptimo\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?type=product\u0026amp;q=DJ+Koze\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDJ Koze\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e when they could have easily made a killing simply by issuing the troves of homegrown obscurities in their own record collections. In recent years, they’ve stood by while nascent \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?type=product\u0026amp;q=palto+flats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eAmerican\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?type=product\u0026amp;q=wrwtfww\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eEuropean\u003c\/a\u003e imprints have licensed holy grail Japanese \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?\u0026amp;q=soichi%20terada\u0026amp;filter=Brand\/Manufacturer\/Artist_fq:%22Soichi%20Terada%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003ehouse\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?\u0026amp;q=minoru%20fushimi\u0026amp;filter=Brand\/Manufacturer\/Artist_fq:%22Minoru%20%27Hoodoo%27%20Fushimi%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003efunk\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?\u0026amp;q=tokyo%20nights\u0026amp;filter=Brand\/Manufacturer\/Artist_fq:%22Cultures%20Of%20Soul%20Records%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003edisco\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?\u0026amp;q=mariah\u0026amp;filter=Brand\/Manufacturer\/Artist_fq:%22Mariah%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eambient\u003c\/a\u003e records (which we’re certainly not mad at!), and they’ve decided that now is the time to get in the game and put their own spin on it. This collection of rare Nippon disco and boogie is compiled by Mule Musiq boss \u003cstrong\u003eToshiya Kawasaki\u003c\/strong\u003e, who apparently felt so strongly that he christened a new offshoot to deal with these archival releases: Studio Mule. Aside from the obvious lyrics, and maybe the austere perfectionism of the tracks, there isn’t much about these songs that screams *Japanese* - this is just straight-up banging disco, any way you slice it. Check out the stepping jazz fusion of “Silver Spot” by a 19 year old \u003cstrong\u003eNobuyuki Shimizu\u003c\/strong\u003e, or the slick machine funk of “Samba Night” by \u003cstrong\u003ePiper\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cstrong\u003eHitomi Tohyama\u003c\/strong\u003e’s bilingual “Love Is The Competition” is the would-be Garage classic that \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?type=product\u0026amp;q=Larry+Levan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLarry\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e probably never had the privilege of hearing. Some of the tracks wear their influences on their sleeves; “Koiwa Saiko (I’m In Love)” by \u003cstrong\u003eAru Takamura\u003c\/strong\u003e sounds eerily similar to \u003cstrong\u003eCheryl Lynn\u003c\/strong\u003e’s “Got To Be Real” (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?type=product\u0026amp;q=soichi+terada+got+to+be+real\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eJapan's love for this record truly is real\u003c\/a\u003e), and \u003cstrong\u003eHonma Express\u003c\/strong\u003e’ “What The Magic Is To Try” is the long lost \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/search?type=product\u0026amp;q=Herbie+Hancock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHerbie Hancock\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e vocoder joint you didn’t know you needed in your life. \u003cstrong\u003eHaruko Kuwana\u003c\/strong\u003e turns Japanese soul classic “Akogareno Sundown” into a lush \u0026amp; syrupy late nite groove, another major highlight. Thank your lucky stars for these 13 tracks, each one rarer than the next, remastered by \u003cstrong\u003eKuniyuki Takahashi\u003c\/strong\u003e and spread across four sides of vinyl. Recommended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003edouble vinyl pressing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003emusic label: Studio Mule 2018\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003ereviewed by sunrise mart 02\/2018\u003c\/h6\u003e","brand":"Studio Mule","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl 2LP","offer_id":1494543466504,"sku":"lp-9327","price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/4542\/products\/studiomule-midnightintokyovol1.jpg?v=1762274493","url":"https:\/\/www.turntablelab.mom\/products\/studio-mule-midnight-in-tokyo-vol-1-japanese-disco-boogie-soul-vinyl-2lp","provider":"turntablelab.mom","version":"1.0","type":"link"}