KING RECORD’s Archive Project “SOUND FUJI” Announces Its First-Ever Vinyl Release Five Rare Titles from Japan’s Rare Groove Catalog, Gaining Renewed Recognition Worldwide Released Simultaneously Around the World
SOUND FUJI — the archive project by King Record Co., Ltd. dedicated to timeless, quality music that never fades — has decided on its first-ever vinyl release. Pre-orders open today. Focusing on Japanese rare grooves being reappraised around the world — City Pop, Japanese jazz, fusion/crossover, and more — the five titles curated by SOUND FUJI through its own unique perspective will be released simultaneously worldwide. Each title has been newly cut from high-spec audio data converted at 96kHz/24bit from the original master tapes, with the jackets, obi strips, liner notes, and other elements faithfully following the specifications and designs of the original releases. For this release, SOUND FUJI welcomes Light in the Attic Records — a Seattle-based music label known for reissuing numerous classic albums — as a partner, bringing Japan’s rich musical heritage to music fans around the world in vinyl format. The release date is April 16, 2027. The titles will be available through the SOUND FUJI and Light in the Attic Records online stores, as well as major record retailers and other outlets.
■PRODUCT INFORMATION
RELEASE DATE: April 16, 2027 (Friday)
All five titles released simultaneously. Now available for pre-order.
Pressed and printed in Japan by King Record Co., Ltd.
TITLE 01
TITLE: BGM (PURE VINYL)
ARTIST: Fujimaru Band
CATALOG NO.: NAS-2181 JAN: 4988003387723
WEIGHT: 270g
AVAILABLE AT:
https://soundfuji.kingrecords.co.jp/products/NAS-2181/
https://lightintheattic.net/products/bgm
★First-Ever Colored Vinyl
TRACKLIST
SIDE A — English Reference Titles
- ハイウェイ (High Way) — Highway
- 雑踏の中で (Zatto no Naka de) — In the Crowd
- 哀しみの舗道 (Kanashimi no Hodou) — The Sad Pavement
- 避暑地の出来事 (Hishochi no Dekigoto) — An Incident at the Summer Resort
- 雨の昼下がり (Ame no Hirusagari) — Rainy Afternoon
- 陽のあたる道 (Hi no Ataru Michi) — The Sunlit Road
SIDE B
- Can’t We Start It All Over Again
- Paper Machine
- Don’t Ever Say Good-bye to The Sun
- I Know It’s Gonna Last
- Theme
ORIGINAL RELEASE: June 21, 1977
CREDITS:
FUJIMARU BAND
・FUJIMARU YOSHINO（Electric Guitar, Folk Guitar, Vocal & Chorus）
・MASAO NAKAJIMA（All Keyboards）
・KAZUYOSHI WATANABE（Electric Bass）
・JUNICHI KANAZAWA（Drums & All Percussions）
・JIRO INAGAKI (Soprano, Tenor Saxophone & Flute)
・TADAYUKI HARADA (Baritone Saxophone)
・TETSUO FUSHIMI (Trumpet)
・TAKEHISA SUZUKI (Trumpet)
・KAZUO USUI (Trombone)
・NORIO MAEDA (Horn Arrangement)
・MASAO NAKAJIMA (Arrangement)
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Led by guitarist Fujimaru Yoshino, who has played guitar on numerous classic Japanese songs including “Momen no Handkerchief” and “Amagi-goe,” Fujimaru Band released their sole album in 1977.
Long regarded by music fans as a hidden gem and a masterpiece of Japanese rare groove, the album has gained renewed attention in recent years, particularly outside Japan, with more than 9 million streams to date. Long sought after for a reissue, the album is now being released for the first time on color vinyl, using uncolored virgin vinyl in a Pure Vinyl edition.
RECOMMENDATION
Tatsuo Sunaga (DJ / Music Producer)
I’ve been playing “Lonely Man,” best known as the ending theme of the TV drama “Tantei Monogatari”, starring Yusaku Matsuda, for many years.
The roots of that sound can be found on this album, “BGM”.
It’s a uniquely Japanese rare groove record that doesn’t simply fit into the catch-all category of CITY POP, with a rich blend of urban pop and mellow sounds.
That sophisticated, grown-up feel comes from taking the groove sensibilities of Western music from 1977 and reinterpreting them through a distinctly Japanese sensibility, combining exceptional grooves with stylish melodic lines.
It’s an impressive record, with a vintage feel that still sounds fresh and undiminished today, in 2026.
In recent years, especially since the pandemic, record bars and MUSIC BARs, where records are played on high-end audio systems, have been gaining popularity. They are also connected to the uniquely Japanese culture of jazz kissa, a listening-bar tradition known around the world. And, by coincidence, isn’t “BGM” the perfect title for an album to be played in a place like that?
TITLE 02 
TITLE: THREE CUSHION
ARTIST: Isao Suzuki
CATALOG NO.: NAS-2182 JAN: 4988003387730
WEIGHT: 260g
AVAILABLE AT:
https://soundfuji.kingrecords.co.jp/products/NAS-2182/
https://lightintheattic.net/products/three-cushion
★First-Ever Vinyl Reissue
TRACKLIST
SIDE A
1. PERHAPS
2. MORITAT
3. TOGETHER AGAIN
SIDE B
1. THREE-CUSHION
2. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS
3. SANDY
ORIGINAL RELEASE: November 21, 1981
CREDITS:
ISAO SUZUKI (bass)
AKIRA MIYAZAWA (tenor sax)
TADANORI KONAKAWA （trombone)
YOSHIAKI MIYANOUE (guitar)
ICHIRO DOI (piano)
MOTOHIKO HINO (drums)
DIGITAL RECORDED: May 6, 1981 at King Studio 2
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
A 1981 collaboration between legendary Japanese jazz bassist Isao Suzuki and tenor saxophonist Akira Miyazawa.
Long cherished by jazz fans as a hidden gem of Japanese jazz, the album captures thrilling, groove-driven performances.
Featuring acclaimed musicians including Motohiko Hino on drums and Yoshiaki Miyanoue on guitar, the album is marked by intense exchanges of improvisation. It is also known as Isao Suzuki’s first digital recording. Now receiving its long-awaited first-ever vinyl reissue.
RECOMMENDATION
Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUNDS)
Isao Suzuki was an incredibly compelling bassist. He had the individuality, skill, and conviction to turn anything he played into “Isao Suzuki music,” and that’s what made him so cool. That appeal remained unchanged from the time he began his professional career in the 1950s until his passing in 2022, captivating fans not only in Japan but around the world.
He left behind numerous standout recordings, including BLOW UP (1973), あこの夢 (AKO’s DREAM) (1976), and 自画像 (SELF-PORTRAIT) (1981), but the album I especially want people to hear now is this 1981 recording, Three Cushion. Here, Isao Suzuki, who could make anything sound cool, takes on hard bop—both his musical roots and his true forte. Wanting to record with Akira Miyazawa, one of Japan’s tenor saxophone titans, Suzuki invited him to join the session.
On “Perhaps,” they stay true to the classic tradition; on “Together Again,” they push the possibilities further; and on his own composition, “Three-Cushion,” Suzuki takes things on with boldness. Traditional yet innovative. Never flashy, but somehow incredibly stimulating. Before you know it, you find yourself completely drawn into its world. This is Isao Suzuki at his peak.
TITLE 03 
TITLE: SOFT LANDING
(CLEAR DEEP BLUE VINYL)
ARTIST: TAKERU MURAOKA & HIS NEW GROUP
CATALOG NO.: NAS-2183 JAN: 4988003387747
WEIGHT: 275g
AVAILABLE AT:
https://soundfuji.kingrecords.co.jp/products/NAS-2183/
https://lightintheattic.net/products/soft-landing
★First-Ever Colored Vinyl
TRACKLIST
SIDE A
- ODE TO NAZCA
- HOT WIND
- MAY STORM
- LADY BOOGIE
SIDE B
- SNAPPIN
- AMI
- QUASAR
- BON VOYAGE
ORIGINAL RELEASE: July 21, 1978
CREDITS:
TAKERU MURAOKA (Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Lyricon)
SUSUMU KAZUHARA (Trumpet, Flugelhorn)
TAKAO NAOI (Electric Guitar & Acoustic Guitar)
MASANORI SASAJI (Piano, Electric Piano, Clavinet, Solina & Synthesizer)
MICHIO NAGAOKA (Electric Bass)
MICHAEL KAWAI (Drums & Percussion)
KIYOHIKO SENBA (Percussion)
RECORDED: June 1, 2, 5, 8 & 14, 1978 at King Studio
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The second album by saxophonist Takeru Muraoka, a key figure in the New Jazz movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, released in 1978. A standout work featuring a colorful sound that incorporates crossover and fusion, with cutting-edge grooves and an edgy ensemble. Accomplished musicians including Susumu Kazuhara on trumpet and Masanori Sasaji on keyboards join Muraoka, delivering a wide range of sounds, from funky tracks to fast-paced numbers. Now available on color vinyl for the first time.
RECOMMENDATION
Mitsutaka Nagira (Music Critic)
Last year I went to France, and this year I went to Sweden and Finland, drinking my way through the local spots. In every city, whenever I came across a restaurant or bar where records were being played, I would find some kind of Japanese jazz record, and I had just experienced firsthand how strong the scene has become. In Europe, many of these places feel closer to DJ bars than traditional jazz kissa, so naturally, records that work well for DJ play, while also functioning as background music in a seated setting, tend to be favored.
Takeru Muraoka’s Soft Landing is right at the center of that context. Some of the band members come from Akira Ishikawa’s musical circle, and many of them are accomplished musicians who supported artists such as Yoshitaka Minami, Tatsuro Yamashita, and Anri within the City Pop scene. Masanori Sasaji was also a member of Mariah. With a band like this, the album moves effortlessly through the many forms of “fusion” of the era. Jazz, funk, and disco intermingle, shifting from a light, refreshing feel to a deep, weighty groove from track to track. They have the versatility of studio musicians, yet as Muraoka’s band, with its ties to Terumasa Hino’s musical circle, the players become more self-assertive and aggressive when they take their solos. This distinctly Japanese duality is also part of what makes the album so compelling. I can easily picture a reissue of Soft Landing being played in bars all over the world.
TITLE 04
TITLE: OKINAWA (CLEAR VINYL)
ARTIST: AKIRA ISHIKAWA & COUNT BUFFALO
CATALOG NO.: NAS-2184 JAN: 4988003387754
WEIGHT: 250g
AVAILABLE AT:
https://soundfuji.kingrecords.co.jp/products/NAS-2184/
https://lightintheattic.net/products/okinawa
★First-Ever Colored Vinyl
TRACKLIST
SIDE A
- サスカッチ (Sasquatch)
- 士官候補生 (High School Cadets)
- 子象のマーチ (Baby Elephant Walk)
- セ・シ・ボン (C’est Si Bon)
SIDE B
- 沖縄ブルース (Okinawa Blues)
- シー・サイド・バウンド (Seaside Bound)
- 谷茶前 (Tanchame)
- サンセット沖縄 (Sunset Okinawa)
ORIGINAL RELEASE: November 21, 1976
CREDITS:
Akira Ishikawa (Drums)
Takao Naoi (Electric Guitar)
Hideo Ichikawa (Keyboards)
Masaoki Terakawa (Electric Bass)
Larry Sunaga (Latin Percussion)
Koji Hatori (Trumpet)
Eiji Arai (Trombone)
Takeru Muraoka (Tenor Sax, Alto Sax)
Masao Suzuki (Baritone Sax)
Ohno Group (Strings)
Time Five (Vocal)
Kayoko Ishu (Vocal)
PRODUCED BY: Koichi Sugiyama, Akira Ishikawa, Leiko Yugawa
RECORDED AT: Alfa Studio
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
A 1976 album by acclaimed drummer AKIRA ISHIKAWA & COUNT BUFFALO, who pursued their distinctive musical style with jazz and rock as their twin foundations.
Inspired by Okinawa, the album incorporates a diverse range of elements including funk, Afro, and disco, creating a genre-crossing sound.
It features standards, Western pop covers, and Okinawan folk songs, brought to life through dynamic and experimental performances, including arrangements by Koichi Sugiyama.
The album also features memorable chorus performances by Kayoko Ishu and Time Five, making this a little-known and highly distinctive concept album.
The album is now being released for the first time on color vinyl.
RECOMMENDATION:
Katsumi Tanaka (Minyo Crusaders)
“AKIRA ISHIKAWA & COUNT BUFFALO’s OKINAWA is a record I’ve loved since the early days of Minyo Crusaders, and it’s something of a musical bible for me. The arrangements are by none other than Koichi Sugiyama.
Built around Akira Ishikawa’s incredibly tight drumming, the A-side draws heavily on Philly soul and jazz funk, creating a sense of tropical freedom, as if you’ve wandered into a disco in Koza in the 1970s.
On the B-side, Okinawan scales, sitar guitar, and dreamlike choruses come together to create an entirely exotic world.
Following Okinawa’s 1972 reversion to Japan, the rise of rock and soul in Koza, the flourishing Okinawan folk music scene, and the 1975 Okinawa International Ocean Expo, Okinawa was undergoing major changes. Perhaps it was no coincidence that a group constantly seeking out new beats from around the world turned their attention to OKINAWA.
A masterpiece that I highly recommend listening to alongside Makoto Kubota’s Hawaii Champroo and Haruomi Hosono’s Bon Voyage co..
TITLE 05 
TITLE: Disco Hanagasa Ondo / Soma Bon Uta -MEMPHIS SOUL MEETS JAPANESE FOLK SONGS-
ARTIST: EBONEE-WEBB
CATALOG NO.: NAS-2185 JAN: 4988003387778
WEIGHT: 275g
AVAILABLE AT:
https://soundfuji.kingrecords.co.jp/products/NAS-2185/
★First-Ever Vinyl Reissue
TRACKLIST
SIDE A
- 相馬盆唄 (Summer Soul Vibration)
- ソーラン節 (So Run)
- 南部牛追唄 (Cowboy’s Elegy)
- 安里屋ユンタ (Yunta)
SIDE B
- 花笠音頭 (Yashow Macashow)
- 炭坑節 (Smoky Moon)
- 佐渡おけさ (Island Bump)
- 阿波踊り (Foolish Dance)
ORIGINAL RELEASE: June 21, 1979
CREDITS:
EBONEE-WEBB
MICHAEL WINSTON (Leader, As Vocal)
THOMAS BROWN (EG, Vocal)
GREGORY DAVIS (Kb, Vocal)
CHARLES LIGGINS JR. (Perc, Vocal)
GLYNN FLOWERS (EB, Vocal)
DONALD ROBY (Ds, Vocal)
PATRICIA HENDERSON (Kb, Vocal)
GUEST PLAYER (A-1,3,4 B-2,3,4)
JAKE H CONCEPCION (Alt Sax, Sop Sax, Tenor Sax)
MUSICAL SUPERVISOR: Chikara Ueda
RECORDED: March 25, April 19 & 20, 1979 at King Records Studio & Big Box Studio 901, Tokyo
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The second album by Memphis funk/soul group EBONEE-WEBB, originally released in 1979.
Japanese folk songs from across the country, including “So Run,” “Yashow Macashow,” and “Smoky Moon,” are boldly transformed into disco sounds through the arrangements of Chikara Ueda, an arranger and composer known for exploring a wide range of musical styles, including Brazilian music.
The album brings together powerful grooves and distinctive Japanese-language vocals in an extraordinary and highly unusual set. An extraordinary cult masterpiece receives its first-ever vinyl reissue.
RECOMMENDATION
Chinbantei Goraku Shisho (DJ)
The definitive folk-song disco album by Memphis-based group EBONEE-WEBB, recorded during their time in Japan—perhaps to make some money?!—finally gets its first-ever vinyl reissue!
EBONEE-WEBB became widely known after their “Disco Otomisan,” a bold arrangement of Hachiro Kasuga’s hit song “Otomisan,” became a huge hit. Following their first album, the group made this second album, giving Japanese folk songs full-fledged funk and disco arrangements. The person behind the arrangements was Chikara Ueda, one of Japan’s finest arrangers.
The crying guitar, powerful bass, and dynamic rhythm section come together perfectly. “So Run,” and “Yashow Macashow,” have long been favorites among Wamono DJs, but the track to really pay attention to is “Smoky Moon.” Its rhythm and chord progression boldly pay homage⁈ to Stevie Wonder’s hit “Isn’t She Lovely?”—something Ueda himself has acknowledged.
This miraculous oddball record has finally caught up with its time. Don’t miss it!
NOTES:
Some credits are quoted from the original release.
Images are for illustrative purposes only. Actual product design and specifications may differ in part.
■WHERE TO BUY
SOUND FUJI: https://soundfuji.kingrecords.co.jp/products/
Light in the Attic Records: https://lightintheattic.net/