Momoko Kikuchi

𝙒𝙍𝙒𝙏𝙁𝙒𝙒 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 opens its new City Pop Series with a long-awaited reissue of Momoko Kikuchi’s 1984 album Ocean Side, originally released by legendary label VAP. This sparkling city pop gem—finally available again as a limited transparent vinyl pressing—captures a perfect moment in Japan’s musical landscape: when breezy AOR, funk, and pop melodies met the shimmer of coastal dreams.

Produced and arranged by the prolific Tetsuji Hayashi, known for his work with Mariya Takeuchi and Omega Tribe, *Ocean Side* flows effortlessly between glistening beach funk, gentle ballads, and mid-tempo summer grooves. Standout track “Blind Curve” exemplifies the sound: taut guitar lines, velvety synths, and Kikuchi’s radiant vocals glide across a tightly produced rhythm section. Elsewhere, “Futari No Night Drive” and the title track build moods of intimacy and cool optimism, conjuring moonlit highways and sea breeze air.

More than just a nostalgic piece, *Ocean Side* serves as a cultural touchstone, echoing into today’s future funk, vaporwave, and chillwave movements. It’s music designed to soundtrack endless summers—timeless in both texture and feeling. Officially reissued with audio sourced from the original masters and cut by Sidney Meyer at Emil Berliner Studios, this pressing is the definitive edition of a city pop essential.