I knew nothing about Shintaro Sakamoto, but there was just no way I could have resisted such provocative album art or a title like How to Live With a Phantom. Good thing I didn’t.

Sakamoto creates a strange but lovely mood with elements of funk, soft rock, and smooth jazz, and touches of psychedelia, tropicalia, and salsa. We get two sides of album cuts and two sides of groovy, laid-back instrumentals. I can’t decide which I enjoy more. The lyrics are sung, mostly, in Japanese. Though I can’t understand the words, and am therefore missing out on even greater levels of pleasure, my ignorance doesn’t keep me from dancing. Like a breakdancing cat-man.

Here’s the video for “You Just Decided.”

Decided what? I wonder. To get down, I guess.

The double-LP is housed in an attractive gatefold jacket. The sound throughout is open and colorful.