KAN – No-No-Yesman

Japan Original Pressing.

A seriously overlooked 1987 Japanese sophisti-pop gem — sharp programming, jazzy chords, Latin touches and immaculate late-night arrangements inspired by The Style Council, Sade and Matt Bianco.

Before KAN became one of Japan’s best-known pop songwriters, he made this remarkably sophisticated second album in 1987. Working closely with arranger Akihiko Matsumoto, KAN deliberately looked toward the polished “café music” world of The Style Council, Sade and Matt Bianco — but filtered it through his own highly detailed sense of melody and studio construction.

“Kimi wo Omou Yoru” carries a beautifully nocturnal melancholy, colored by flugelhorn and an elegant, restrained arrangement. “Boku wa Naku” twists through one of the album’s most distinctive melodies, while “STYLISTIC” slips effortlessly into light bossa and Latin territory. “BRACKET” may capture the record best of all — spacious, sophisticated and subtly rhythmic, with sounds deliberately stripped away to let the groove breathe.

It is difficult to call this simply City Pop. There is AOR, jazz-pop, Latin and British sophisti-pop here, all arranged with an obsessive attention to small details. That ambiguity is exactly what makes the record so compelling today.

Stylish without being slick, pop without being obvious — an unusually refined early KAN album, and a genuinely elusive 1987 Japanese original LP.