a summery playlist, travelling from japan's city pop and retro-future jams, to brazil's bossa nova, and landing on american jazz fusion and jazz-tinged pop.
full tracklist (expand to view)
01. SUPER★DRAGON - [君は1000%] 君は1000%
02. Kikuo - Astral Travel
03. Shibayan feat. Rainych - disco light
04. 無果汁団 - [うみねこゲイザー] まぼろしタイムマシン
05. Minami Kitasono - エビはカニじゃない
06. Gen Hoshino - Comedy
07. 大貫妙子 - [Sunshower] Summer Connection
08. 土岐麻子 - [VOICE~WORKS BEST~] Flamingo
09. Tatsuro Yamashita - [Ride On Time] Clouds
10. Antônio Carlos Jobim - [Stone Flower] Andorinha
11. Banda Black Rio - Mr Funky Samba
12. Elis Regina & Tom Jobim - [Elis & Tom] Águas de março
13. Elizeth Cardoso - Outra Vez
14. Vinicius de Moraes, Toquinho y María Creuza - [En La Fusa (Buenos Aires)] Samba Em Preludio
15. César Camargo Mariano e Hélio Delmiro - [Samambaia CD1] Carinhoso
16. Steely Dan - [Aja] Deacon Blues
17. Michael Jackson - [Michael Jackson Off The Wall - Special Edition] I Can't Help It
18. Stevie Wonder - [Innervisions] Too High
19. Jamiroquai - [The Return Of The Space Cowboy] Space Cowboy
20. Weather Report - [Heavy Weather (Mastersound SBM)] Palladium
21. Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes - [Astral Traveling CD1] Astral Traveling
22. Ramsey Lewis - [Salongo] Brazilica
This mix is a bit of a change from my previous ones, which were specifically aiming for newer releases with a focus on digital fusion. For this one, I was inspired by the summer's sweltering heat to let my mind wander to worldwide genres that make me feel like summer.

Starting with Japanese city pop. I included a selection of classics, like "Clouds" by Tatsuro Yamashita, as well as SUPER DRAGON's cover of "Kimi wa 1000%", but also modern takes, like Mukajudan's wonderful Maboroshi Time Machine and Flamingo by Asako Toki.
Drifting onward from this sound, I landed on the bossa nova sound from Brazil: Jobim, Banda Black Rio (although they might be considered funk instead), and many other pioneers from that time.
Finally, I selected some of the most summery tracks from the US jazz fusion and jazzy, summery side of r'n'b from the 70s and 80s: Steely Dan is a must of course, and I recently discovered that "I Can't Help It" by Michael Jackson was written by Stevie Wonder, a real sleeper track with stellar production by Quincy Jones. I also included some of my favorite instrumental jazz fusion tracks to close the set out, with Ramsey Lewis' "Brazilica" tying it all together. Get a cold drink and sit under the intercontinental palm trees!