RFI: Yellow Magic Orchestra

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I really like their name.

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, but their music is better.

'Naughty Boys' might be the greatest synth-pop album ever.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:58 (9 years ago) Permalink

I was listening to this DJ Harvey radio show mix CD and he played Yellow Magic Orchestra's awesome "Behind the Mask" from XX infinity multiples or whatever that album's called(not XOYO, that's the passage...) and then played Eric Clapton covering that song.

very...weird.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

Just discovering YMO's material. Really great stuff. Both the early mainly instrumental stuff, and the later, vocal but very Eastern sounding, output.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:40 (9 years ago) Permalink

I love the first three. 'Solid State Survivor' and 'xxo multiplies' in particular. Japan is number one. Some good things on the later records too, though they bland out a bit. 'BGM' has it's moments.

Sakamoto's '1000 Knives' is very close to the YMO sound, more jazz less kitsch though. 'B-2 Unit' and 'Esperanto' I love to tiny bits.

The new Sketch Show record 'Loophole' has disorientingly modern production; it's glitch-o-clock. But it's really growing on me. It's currently a hyper-expensive import, I wouldn't say it's $28 worth of brilliant but if you're a YMO fanatic, you definitely want this. If it ever comes out domestically, people will be talking about it.

― (Jon L), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

one last descriptive note: 'Loophole' is almost entirely songs, many in english. the production's at the service of the tunes. less pomo than cornelius, less acoustic more tuneful than takemura's songbook material.

― (Jon L), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:18 (9 years ago) Permalink

The best news about YMO is that they've just reissued all of the albums, some of them as doubles with different versions on different discs. The first self-titled one has the Japanese/US version split into two, and Naughty Boys is split into regular and instrumental versions. I just got the Naughty Boys the other day so still not sure how it stacks up for me overall, but the self-titled and Solid State Survivor are both fantastic, and am still enjoying most of Technodelic, BGM and Service.

I'm unclear on Xoo Multiples...is it just a compilation of the first two, or are the versions of the songs on that one somehow different?

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

Another great thing about the re-releases is they have made marvellous surround remixes that (unlike most surround remixes) aren't only available to the select few that own a SACD player.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:31 (9 years ago) Permalink

can someone explain this? A friend made me a CD of B-2 Unit and it had this one amazing new wavey pop song on it that was kinda punky, but that wasn't on the LP another friend had, but I can't remember seeing a difference in tracklisting...

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:41 (9 years ago) Permalink

the japanese issue of xxo multiplies was a 100% new album. with extremely odd 'comedy skits' capable of frying the mind of anyone trying to come to terms with what the band was really about.

the us edition replaces the skits with several tracks from 'solid state survivor'. hopefully any new reissue will just feature the japanese edition.

early copies of the us edition of 'B-2 Unit' replaced the dissonant 'Participation Mystique' with the amazing 'Warhead', from the a-side of a 12" single. if the song you're thinking about has a one-beat slapback delay on all the human vocals and insane vocoder vocals for the chorus, that's 'Warhead'. they're both incredible songs.

― (Jon L), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

extremely odd 'comedy skits'

Those are insane and wonderful. Anyone who complains/can't deal with hip-hop skits probably just won't know WHAT to think about these.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

they marked me pretty deep as well.

― (Jon L), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ...aaaaaho ho ho ho ho ho ho ah yes

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 03:48 (9 years ago) Permalink

Sean, 'Naughty Boys' is amazing. And the second instrumental disc is totally worth getting. In fact, I might listen to it more. Listen to it before you go to bed. It just makes you so happy!

And I agree with milton on 'Loophole'. Pretty great album. I was surprised. The one from '02 'Audio Sponge' is good as well (higher highs, lower lows maybe).

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 05:52 (9 years ago) Permalink

Of the reissues, is there one that towers above all others that I should obviously definitely get first, as flavoursome sampler? Or is opinion hugely divided on which is best? Or should I perhaps just buy as many as I can afford? (please make all my decisions for me)

― Alex in Leeds (Alex in Doncaster), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 10:25 (9 years ago) Permalink

So far for me it's Solid State Survivor so far.

Patrick, will definitely be listening to Naughty Boys more. I found the instrumental version a bit repetitious and grating when I listened last but I was also in a bad mood, so...

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 11:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

do you understand me mr.ohira ?

― eleki-san (eleki-san), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

>Of the reissues, is there one that towers above all others that I should obviously definitely get first, as flavoursome sampler?

'Solid State Survivor' seconded, no contest. Then 'XXO Multiplies'.

Comparing this band with late 70's/early 80's synth pop from other countries; everywhere else, the synth sounds seemed to inevitably lead to concept pop bands focusing on either amped up irony (M's 'Pop Musik') or dehumanized alienation (Ultravox / Numan / Human League, even Moroder etc.) YMO's a bizarrely happy, kitsch party band throwing out references to video games, sleazy lounge music, happy party fun. If it's dehumanizing, they seem very happy about it. Maybe because the same technology in Japan signified unprecedented financial prosperity? I can't know. Seriously, if anyone can knowledgeably fill me in on how YMO was received in their home land, please post to this thread.

Obviously a big part of the group's concept was throwing up a funhouse mirror to the west's asian stereotypes (the Martin Denny cover, the Snakeman Show skits, the unbelievable 'Tighten Up' single: 'We Don't Sightsee, WE DANCE You Understand, Yahdee!'), but they don't seem... angry... they seem happy? Or is it actually intensely focused rage? Or... what? Huh? How?

For perspective, the only other group doing Martin Denny tributes in the late 70's was Throbbing Gristle (certainly coming from an entirely different place).

The last reissue wave was the early 90's, still one decade too soon. Hopefully they'll catch on this time.

― (Jon L), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 19:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

I shouldn't have lumped in M with the other bands, they're the western exception, underlined by the fact that Scott and Sakamoto started collaborating almost immediately.

― (Jon L), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 19:24 (9 years ago) Permalink

I would say Human League were about fun from "Dare" onwards. Also, a lot of the stuff Vince Clarke was involved with was very positive and happy.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 21:59 (9 years ago) Permalink

In the case of YMO, "Service" is a rather dark effort btw.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 22:06 (9 years ago) Permalink

dude! millar to thread!!!!!!!

― geeta (geeta), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 22:20 (9 years ago) Permalink

'Solid State Survivor' isn't as unique as YMO's last three albums. 'Technodelic' is pretty subtle, but a great album nonetheless. 'Service' has amazing songs, but each track is broken up by skits in Japanese, that are bothersome as they interupt the flow. It would have been nice if the reissue had the songs all in a row (and perhaps a few bonus tracks to make up for only 7 songs). The live album 'After Service' is really great as well. 'Naughty Boys' is extremely catch. And Bill Nelson does guitar work on it. Milton's description of the band really only holds true for their first couple albums. Both periods are good though.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Thursday, 12 February 2004 04:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

>only holds true for their first couple albums.

I will cop to less familiarity with the later period and shouldn't generalize. Looking forward to checking out the reissues.

― (Jon L), Thursday, 12 February 2004 05:24 (9 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

Naughty Boys is my favouritest thing ever EVER now kind of. Solid State Survivor is also near-flawless motorik glee. The first album is bop-poppin-blip-cracklin' aceness. Technodelic is a tiny bit harder work but still luscious and unfurly. But Naughty Boys and the instrumental disc are both 100% perfect. My world is completer for YMO (it is too late to be articulate about why but YAY)

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 21:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

If anyone is interested there is a bloke on Ebay.com who sells YMO DVD releases pretty cheaply, about £7 each plus p&p (there's about 8 I think, in total) it's mainly live stuff and videos, they seem to have kept a pretty extensive archive of concert films. I bought a couple and they are very watchable, kinda gives an extra edge to the music when you see the kindof *Devo* live setup they had.

― mzui, Thursday, 13 May 2004 08:03 (9 years ago) Permalink

How did I miss this? When I'm a millionaire I plan to open a bar in manhattan called "RYDEEN" that plays nothing but YMO, Telex and Kraftwerk all day and night. Like that bar that plays nothing but Turbonegro, but less leather, more pomade and robots.

my YMO 10 right now

1. Taiso
2. Rydeen
3. Firecracker
4. Tighten up
5. Tighten up (I can do this!)
6. You've got to help yourself
7. Light in darkness
8. Nice Age (perverse!!!!)
9. Day Tripper
10. Absolute Ego Dance

B-2 Unit is indeed an excellent record. I'll have to check out 1000 Knives. I've been tetchy with Sakamoto solo releases as he's rather ...inconsistent. Haruomi Hosono's Monad Box isn't really worth it either.

I have still not ponied up for any Sketch Show releases! *forehead slap*

Ally's mom in the car when Tighten Up came on the stereo: "They sound like they're making fun of japanese people!"

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 13 May 2004 13:43 (9 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

YMO so good so so good. like john hughes movie fills but... yeah!

― cºzen (Cozen), Friday, 10 September 2004 19:02 (8 years ago) Permalink

there was a copy of ryuichi sakamoto's 'esperanto' at Amoeba SF in the used section for $7.95 tonight.

― (Jon L), Saturday, 11 September 2004 06:31 (8 years ago) Permalink

7 months pass...

I love "Chaos Panic" right this second. Thanks very much.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 13:48 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Would you like to have some coffee?"
"Ah, yes please..."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 14:14 (8 years ago) Permalink

RAP RAP EVERYBODY RAP.

I can gmail/YSI you guys sick Yamantaka eye remixes also!

― Open your eyes; you can fly! (ex machina), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 15:16 (8 years ago) Permalink

please do mr williams

― milton parker (Jon L), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 17:33 (8 years ago) Permalink

i heard something off "1000 knives" at the record store yesterday. sounded like gong's "a sprinkling of clouds" crossed with kraftwerk's "home computer". i think i'll have to get it.

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 18:41 (8 years ago) Permalink

"absolute ego dance" is the business (like the rainbow island video game theme music tripping on something wonderful)

― joseph (joseph), Thursday, 28 April 2005 01:19 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

The new Senor Coconut album is called Yellow Fever and you can guess what group gets reworked this time out. But all three YMO guys are on it individually, so that's nice. And I gotta say the take on "Rydeen" is utterly wonderful.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 25 May 2006 19:32 (6 years ago) Permalink

"Firecracker," "Simoon" and "Behind the Mask" not far behind.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 25 May 2006 19:38 (6 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

Ok, so I've gone YMO bonkers these last few weeks and held off reviving this thread as long as I could.

Solid State Survivor's so outstanding I can't believe I didn't happen upon it earlier, the perfect synthesis of their pop orientalism and mastery of electronic texture -- the "Japanese Kraftwerk" thing really plays here, with "Behind the Mask" (bizarre history notwithstanding) something of an antidote to "The Model" (there's an absolutely hideous YouTube clip of Sakamoto playing this in the 90s that makes me shivver to even think about). "Insomnia," too, with the noirish vocoder melody that appears in the last third.

I'm only digging into BGM now, but Technodelic seems to get seriously short shrift -- the sound develops by leaps and bounds here, with "Taiso" birthing Nick Rhodes perhaps even more than Richard Barbieri ever could. Transitional, but not the worse for it. Shades of the Beatles, which would show up later on with "Lotus Love."

With Service and Naughty Boys, the music becomes extremely...digital, more symphonic. Some great stuff -- "Limbo," "Wild Ambitions" (featuring Bill Nelson's eBow pretty prominently), "Kai-Koh." These records almost sound like a different band, featuring little of the wit or bounce that kind of defines early YMO songs like "Absolute Ego Dance" and "Firecracker," with much more of an opaque Ippu-Do thing going on.

Still digging in, but with such a diverse profile, it's hard to believe these guys were left with such a niche reputation.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 2 November 2006 05:54 (6 years ago) Permalink

I've only got BGM. How much better is, say, Naughty Boys, relatively? I liked some of the songs off of BGM a lot, but I didn't feel that any of them really compared to....well, ok. I always heard them referred to as "The Japanese Kraftwerk". Kraftwerk is probably one of my favorite bands ever, so it's a lot to live up to, but - nothing off of BGM compared to Kraftwerk to me (Or if it did, only to Electric Cafe-era Kraftwerk).

― Zachary Scott (Zach S), Thursday, 2 November 2006 06:22 (6 years ago) Permalink

I think Naughty Boys is the album where YMO really found their sound. It's also a lot more cohesive than the grab-bag of BGM. I don't think of them as sounding like Kraftwerk at all by '83 and '84. It's shiny, happy synth-pop.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Thursday, 2 November 2006 07:01 (6 years ago) Permalink

Technodelic seems to get seriously short shrift

It's great! "Epilogue" should reduce many a grown man to sobbing.

― LC (Damian), Thursday, 2 November 2006 12:06 (6 years ago) Permalink

Zachary, you should check out "Insomnia" off Solid State Survivor. Patrick's right in that by Naughty Boys (and Service before it), the band doesn't really have the Japanese Kraftwerk thing going on at all, though I'm not sure with his belief that it's their "best" era or where they found their sound. It's just different, more overtly pop.

with "Taiso" birthing Nick Rhodes perhaps even more than Richard Barbieri ever could

Clearly I meant "Light in Darkness" here.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 2 November 2006 13:20 (6 years ago) Permalink

Also, does anyone know a good comp of theirs with rarities (single mixes, etc.)? I was eyeballing Overseas Collection with some envy, but that's utterly impossible to find for anyone outside of Japan. Likewise for Techno Bible...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 2 November 2006 16:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

can someone recommend some other Haruomi Hosono projects aside from YMO (solo or otherwise)?

― amateurist, Tuesday, 4 August 2009 14:49 (3 years ago) Permalink

Haruomi Hosono

― damo tsu tsuki (r1o natsume), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 14:52 (3 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Paraiso is really good. Tropical music with a bizarre electronic twist. Very odd and affecting, and quite catchy as well.
Cochin Moon is an early electronic classic. Really neat stuff.
His Nokto de la Galaskia Fervojo soundtrack is chilling, it's minimal (as is a lot of Hosono's stuff) but very cold and moving. Love it.

― frogbs, Monday, 15 November 2010 19:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

so glad this was revived. just found a mediafire folder with all the albums and needed some guidance.

― brotherlovesdub, Monday, 15 November 2010 21:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

really loving these stripped down live versions YMO have been playing this year

― missingNO, Saturday, 25 December 2010 03:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

Love the synth trumpet!

― Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 26 December 2010 17:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

Whoah, YMO doing "Thank You For Talkin' to Me Africa"!

― Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 26 December 2010 17:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

excellent video (if you can ignore the camera effects). kinda weird to see a shorthaired 70's Hosono funking out by himself. they really did keep it tight though.

― frogbs, Tuesday, 30 October 2012 12:23 (6 months ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

― Late night with Amazing Bo (MaresNest), Sunday, 31 March 2013 23:48 (1 month ago) Permalink

amazing find

― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Monday, 1 April 2013 00:20 (1 month ago) Permalink

i think cindy crawford is in one of those!!

― frogbs, Monday, 1 April 2013 02:10 (1 month ago) Permalink

hah, she is! I caught her posing dramatically with a piano while randomly skipping around.

― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Monday, 1 April 2013 04:38 (1 month ago) Permalink

Somebody really needs to write me a good, thorough examination on YMO and the Japanese New Wave (400 pages at least). I like the process of rooting around and finding out little bits and pieces of information but I need some cultural CONTEXT dammit!

― Late night with Amazing Bo (MaresNest), Monday, 1 April 2013 16:42 (1 month ago) Permalink

I'm thinking that Nick Kent (the guy who runs technopop.info) could probably do something like that. YMO are interesting enough to warrant their own book but Japan is such a small country that all that stuff really ran into each other at some point. Like there's 3 degrees of seperation between pretty much every one of those bands. Most of it is probably through Harry Hosono, who seemingly appeared on everything that came out of Japan from 1976 to 1990 or so.

― frogbs, Monday, 1 April 2013 17:42 (1 month ago) Permalink

Too true, Hosono is a walking infographic.

― Late night with Amazing Bo (MaresNest), Monday, 1 April 2013 17:50 (1 month ago) Permalink

a book like that would leapfrogbs to the very top of my reading list, for real

― your holiness, we have an official energy drink (Z S), Monday, 1 April 2013 17:51 (1 month ago) Permalink

it's weird how popular ymo seem to be when reading about them, but every time i've asked a native japanese if they've heard of them, they haven't. maybe it's a generational thing?

― 君ちゃん (clouds), Monday, 1 April 2013 18:16 (1 month ago) Permalink

I've experienced this a couple of times with some Japanese aged under thirty or so, although they seem to know Sakamoto for some reason.

What's interesting is that if they are aware of YMO they're often interested that a westerner would be bothered listening to 'old' Japanese music, or even Japanese music period.

― Late night with Amazing Bo (MaresNest), Monday, 1 April 2013 19:19 (1 month ago) Permalink

yeah it seems like japanese don't have the same retromania that americans do, but i have no idea really

― 君ちゃん (clouds), Monday, 1 April 2013 19:40 (1 month ago) Permalink

― Late night with Amazing Bo (MaresNest), Monday, April 1, 2013 5:42 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I've not felt the urge to write about music much over the last few years, but I *really really* want to write a longform piece on Jun Togawa. Never going to happen without a rudimentary knowledge of Japanese, though.

― emil.y, Monday, 1 April 2013 19:42 (1 month ago) Permalink

If you want to blow the mind of a 40+ Japanese person, tell 'em you love Ippu-Do or Guernica.

― Late night with Amazing Bo (MaresNest), Monday, 1 April 2013 19:43 (1 month ago) Permalink

I know a lot of big music nerds who have no idea who Kraftwerk are, for instance...some people just don't really care about anything older than they are

― frogbs, Monday, 1 April 2013 19:46 (1 month ago) Permalink

You know, I heard an phone interview on Resonance last week with Akiko Yano (interspersed with some of her music), it was a show called Clear Spot. Maybe you could speak directly to Jun herself? If she speaks Eigo of course.

― Late night with Amazing Bo (MaresNest), Monday, 1 April 2013 19:46 (1 month ago) Permalink

emily - have you read this?
http://www.groundzeromongkok.com/2010/12/memory-and-gender-in-music-of-jun.html

― frogbs, Monday, 1 April 2013 19:47 (1 month ago) Permalink

oops, XP

― Late night with Amazing Bo (MaresNest), Monday, 1 April 2013 19:47 (1 month ago) Permalink

Frogs, yeah, it's a good piece (and I love the toilet ad it links to), but I want more! I guess really I want something book-length, with a really good biographical content as well as analysis.

― emil.y, Monday, 1 April 2013 19:51 (1 month ago) Permalink

basically, a book version of this would be the most amazing thing:
http://park10.wakwak.com/~techno/jgenealogy.html

― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Monday, 1 April 2013 21:53 (1 month ago) Permalink

and yeah, togawa is really fascinating. would read all of these imaginary books.

― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Monday, 1 April 2013 21:54 (1 month ago) Permalink

Wow - I need to hear that Akiko Yano Resonance show.

― That elusive North American wood-ape (Capitaine Jay Vee), Monday, 1 April 2013 23:49 (1 month ago) Permalink

CJV - I imagine it'll turn up in the Resonance 104 Soundcloud page if you check there in the next few days.

― Late night with Amazing Bo (MaresNest), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 12:37 (1 month ago) Permalink

found it!
http://www.mixcloud.com/alberto-umbridge/akiko-yano-broadcast-on-resonancefm-25th-march2013/

― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 14:37 (1 month ago) Permalink

Japan is such a small country

It is?

― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 14:42 (1 month ago) Permalink

Not in terms of population, but in size - like in the US, in the 70's you had the Detroit scene, and the New York scene, and the Nashville scene, and the Chicago sound...in Japan it kinda feels like everybody knew each other and played on each others' records.

― frogbs, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 14:59 (1 month ago) Permalink

Of course theres no book about any of this so I'm just guessing here. Didn't Takahashi and Hosono produce or otherwise appear on all the YEN records stuff, which made up a large portion of Japan's new wave scene?

― frogbs, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 15:01 (1 month ago) Permalink

(sakamoto being cool)

― your holiness, we have an official energy drink (Z S), Wednesday, 3 April 2013 00:36 (1 month ago) Permalink

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