Saravah!

Before YMO, Yukihiro Takahashi made a solo debut that lets the cabaret flair of Volare brush against the coming sound of techno. The title track is an exquisite slice of medium-tempo, bossa-inflected mellow pop. Then “Elastic Dummy” changes the temperature: a sharp, uptown fusion-funk instrumental by Ryuichi Sakamoto, with a Brazilian rhythmic kick that makes sitting still difficult.

The record has more than one way of moving. “Back Street Midnight Queen” has an assured sense of soul, while the Brazilian sway around “Elastic Dummy” gives way to tougher, more driving passages elsewhere. There is enough wit and quality in these arrangements to surrender to the album's changes of mood.