Shohjo-Tai were a successful Japanese teen idol trio. Not just big in Japan, but all over Asia. Chiiko, Miho and Reiko, even sung the theme to the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Released in 1984, Escape was their second single / E.P. Recorded in Japan’s now dim distance economic bubble, the sessions featured an incredible number of players: Keys, percussion, programmer, arranger, 2 engineers, 2 guitarists and 4 horns. The results are a sharp, spiky shot of new wave synth-pop. The production smacks of seasoned jazz men tinkering with then state-of-the-art technology. Experimenting with drum machines and samplers. Inspired by Art Of Noise and Yello, playing, percussively with snippets of found sound. Like, say, for example, Shuichi Murakami on Padang Rumput.

Forever boasts Bill Laswell / Celluloid Records-esque beats, and scratched metal guitar shards, a la Herbie Hancock’s Rockit. The girls indulging in a cute / cheesy rap. From similar gear, Electronic City shapes a more disco groove. A mix of EBM and Italo, like Front 242’s Funkahdafi lost in Tantra’s Hills Of Katmandu. Bursts of clipped, bright rhythmic riffing, and a moment of manic axe shredding accompanying the teenagers’ chants. Ku.Ro.O.Bi Magic is muscular, macho, futuristic funk. Synthetic slapped bass fusion. Teaming timbales with vocoder. Tropical marimba tones with virtuoso piano.

The set’ll certainly be of interest to fans of other top Japanese `80s electro-pop sides, such as Yasuaki Shimizu’s Blue Suits, or Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Tibetan Dance.