Yukihiro Takahashi: S & D

Just saw this Pocky ad with YMO (×∞ Multiplies-inspired design--I dig it)

http://pocky.jp/index.html

are you in the J, geeta?

lol at hosono napping in those rehearsal pix

has anyone heard YT's later stuff?

i really like his 2009 album 'Page By Page', has collaborations with Cornelius, Steve Jansen, Lali Puna

are you in the J, geeta?

ha, i wish--I've never been to Japan (will hopefully remedy that sometime soon)

you lucky sods who are going to the LA or SF shows over the next couple of days, report back

ha ha the Pocky ad is still blowing my mind!!

make sure your speakers are on, 'Rydeen' is the soundtrack

new Beatniks album coming soon, that's unexpected
apparently Towa Tei did a track with him on his new album. awesome how Towa keeps paying respects to YMO, I think all three members have guested on an album at some point. you can clearly hear Hosono doing backing vocals on "G.B.I." but he's uncredited

as for as the albums go - his late 80's/early 90's work seems a little weak, but the 'new' version of "Betsu-ni" from A Day in the Next Life is so incredibly beautiful

I'd be interested in giving that Beatniks album a listen. There was a few weeks earlier this year when all I listened to were the four albums he did from Murdered By The Music to Tomorrow's Just Another Day. It was amazing finding basically a bunch of other brilliant YMO albums, especially as Naughty Boys is my favourite and they're quite similar.

This is one of my favourite songs from those albums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbAoCw1gSgU&feature=related

So many great tracks though, School Of Though, Drip Dry Eyes, Blue Colour Woker, My Bright Tomorrow and Kagerou especially.

The great thing about What, Me Worry? is all the guest vocalists that kinda take the pressure off Takahashi. His voice is decent but I don't know if I like it to carry a whole album. That said I think it did improve a little as he went on.

That is a great album but I've never really had a problem with his vocals. My favourite YMO song is Opened My Eyes which is made by his vocal, especially the way he sings " I couldn't sleep in my bed at night, I didn't have any appetite for anything"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZSUEJgM47Q

The new Beatniks album came as a surprise to me as well (Amazon Japan is good at notifying me). I pre-ordered it this morning!

IMO his best vocal is that garbled up thing he does in "Camoflauge"
I dunno, I did get annoyed by the way he seems to add an extra syllable to some of his words. That said the vocals in "It's Gonna Work Out" are pretty ace. As long as he stays within his limitations he does fine.

kitchen you've heard "Exitenialism" haven't you?

Neuromantic is a masterpiece

p much

http://www.discogs.com/Yukihiro-Takahashi-Live-1998-Run-After-You/release/782065

Been geeking out over this one lately. I like YT's work in general but I have tended to notice that many of his albums are a little uneven, and almost all of them feature at least one or two totally knockout tracks. Here's a 1998 live release that focuses a lot on his mid-to-late 90's work, but with some great callbacks to his early solo albums ("Something in the Air" and "Kid-Nap the Dreamer"). His work certainly took a turn for the more mature crowd (in other words: kinda boring) but the songs on here are almost universally gorgeous, alternating between big, powerful ballads and really pleasant pop songs. Production is great and Yuki himself sounds about as good as he ever has. Check it out!!

finally listening to What Me Worry? after being obsessed with Neuromantic for several months. It's great! "This Strange Obsession" seriously should have been a massive global hit.

"flashback" is the bomb

try "murdered by the music" next!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVWwb8LQCpM

yeah "murdered by the music" is great - kind of like a more fleshed out companion album to Xoo Multiplies

"school of thought" is so good, the main synth riff kinda reminds me of sparks for some reason.

Takahashi, Towa Tei, Yoshinori Sunahara (ex-Denki Groove), Cornelius, Tomohiko Gondo, and Leo Imai to form a supergroup, good God:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2014/07/15/music/ymos-yukihiro-takahashi-recruits-towa-tei-cornelius-yoshinori-sunahara-tomohiko-gondo-and-leo-imai-for-an-impressive-supergroup/#.U8XjdCj23QU

Towa Tei ft. Yukihiro Takahashi and Kiko Mizuhara - "The Burning Plain"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=769QwzmW22Q

Great song. Amusingly enough the song is about the act of watching the movie rather than the movie itself.

have you heard his metafive supergroup album? towa tei is in that one too. and cornelius.

http://coolestsound.jp/Takahashi_Yukihiro_Metafive_Techno_Recital_Takahas/2014.07.20/010395/

Had no idea they actually released something - will try to grab as soon as I can find a cheaper copy ;) The trailer sounds good. The In Phase release seems interesting too, I dig the more mature stuff too so long as the songwriting is there. I've posted about his "Run After You" live release which is maybe my favorite YT album overall but I don't think anyone knows those songs.

Lately I've been obsessed with a song called "'00" from his 1999 album The Dearest Fool. Can't find it on Youtube but it's really neat, has a really similar groove to "Jumbo" by Underworld

yeah, agreed, trailer sounds pretty good. def curious but these things are always a little disappointing...

then again, there's also a song credited to the metafive group that was used in the new ghost in the shell series and it's actually quite good imo. production sounds a bit like some of cornelius' work on the salyu x salyu album. you can hear that one here:
http://cornelius-kokakua-sound.com/#splitspirit

actually still haven't heard much YT solo stuff outside of neuromantic. one day!

i get this stuck in my head sometimes and can never remember where it's from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knojf1neSwc

Made a nice YT playlist last week that I thought I'd share with you guys. Most Takahashi albums have one or two killer tunes so I figured, why not put them all together.

1. '00 - The Dearest Fool (1999)
2. TURN TURN - Sketch Show, Audio Sponge (2002)
3. Pure Jam - YMO, Technodelic (1981)
4. MIS - Lifetime, Happy Time (1992)
5. The Burning Plain - Towa Tei, Sunny (2011) (YT only does the vocal here but I really like the track)
6. Flying George - Sketch Show, Audio Sponge (2002)
7. Kaze Ni Tsuzuku Michi - The Dearest Fool (1999)
8. It's Gonna Work Out - What, Me Worry? (1982)
9. Radioactivist - Murdered by the Music (1980)
10. You've Got to Help Yourself - YMO, Service (1983)
11. Ballet - YMO, BGM (1981)
12. Something in the Air - Neuromantic (1982)
13. Coincidence - Tomorrow's Just Another Day (1983)
14. The Sensual Object Dance - Broadcast From Heaven (1990)
15. Betsu-Ni - A Day in the Next Life (1991)
16. Merci Boku - Fate of Gold (1995)
17. Une Femme N'est Pas Un Homme - Beatniks, Exitentialism (1981)
18. Umibe No Ie - Fate of Gold (1995)
19. Set Sail - Run After You (1998)
20. Iron Man - Run After You (1998)
21. Split Spirit - YT + Metafive (2014)
22. Ekot (Cornelius remix) - Sketch Show, Loophole (2003)
23. Prayer of Gold - Run After You (1998)

So the first half is mostly his technopop stuff, second half the more romantic, classier side. Looking back he did a lot of killer tunes in the 90's even though I'm not crazy about many of the full albums (Fate of Gold and Run After You, a live disc, are my favorites - the latter is maybe my favorite YT disc full-stop). I'm lacking some of the later albums, maybe there is good stuff on there I don't know about. But I'm digging this playlist quite a bit, maybe you will too?

https://www.sendspace.com/file/o9oq91

DOWNLOADING

thank you so much!

i am totally ignorant of takahashi outside of YMO and his solo stuff through what me worry, so i am fucking pumped for this

yeah, thanks for this. i have some of the albums but in general YT is the YMO member whose solo stuff i'm least familiar with.

Thanks frogbs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUYLpNjggTo#t=22

Is that sendspace upload expired? the download is currently a <1MB .dmg file. Would be great if someone (frogbs, zs?) could re-upload it!
Scored great copies of Solid State Survivor, BMG and Neuromantic yesterday (I left Naughty Boys in the racks, definitely going back to get that soon) - would love to hear more YT solo stuff.

there's a checkbox on the download page, you have to de-select it first

D'oh, thanks! (I should've included a stupidity disclaimer...)

Towa Tei featuring YT - "Radio"

This is really great, kind of references YMO's Technodelic period in the middle there - wish these two would just do a full album together

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUapYCZeSA

new song by Metafive (YT's supergroup with Cornelius, Towa Tei, Yoshinori Sunahara, and a couple others) - great song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LBUEYGfisQ

very impressed by the singer - hope he features a lot on the upcoming album

Mental, it's like The Power Station/INXS/Nik Kershaw/Thomas Dolby rolled into one.

weird question -- were there ever any record stories in the USA (in LA or NY i imagine) that specialized in japanese music? i mean ones that really went deep? do any still exist?

Great version of Cue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFCZ0GYpZnM

Album coming 1/13/16 - based on the strength of this tune and "Split Spirit" I'm weirdly optimistic about it, both those songs have so much going for them and they really do sound like what you'd hope a band full of so many great and creative musicians would sound like, nobody's stepping on anyone else's toes, and if you're familiar with the artists involved you can identify where some of the individual pieces come from. Obviously its just two songs but I can't stop listening to them, I'm definitely ordering this CD once I can figure out how.

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/WPCL-12294

haven't ordered from them for many years but have good experiences

I haven't ordered from them yet - the live disc I got off eBay for a surprisingly reasonable price (like $16 after shipping)

found the full tracklisting:
1.Don’t Move
2.Luv U Tokio
3.Maisie’s Avenue
4.Albore
5.Gravetrippin’
6.Anodyne
7.Disaster Baby
8.Radio (META Version)
9.W.G.S.F.
10.Split Spirit (META Version)
11.Whiteout h
12.Threads

"Radio" was previously released by Towa Tei, featuring YT, probably my favorite song he's ever done. Looks good so far.

make sure u wish YT a happy birthday on facebook today

i know it's heresy but "hear say i", if you will: i'll take solo takahashi over hosono any day of the week

so many long stretches of both what me, worry and neuromantic are just siiiiiiick

like i just listened to "it's gonna work out" while watching sheryl crow's band rock out on mute at farm aid, and it made it seem like they were slaying the crowd with a journey of rhythm

and i like hosono a lot, too! he can't be denied! but i just feel like takahashi also cannot be denied

when people talk about takahashi's voice, it's often about the bowie/ferry thing, but too often it is left unmentioned that he really had a great ear for melody. i think they're infectious and have a way of sounding very familiar while also kind of unpredictable at the same time.

I am 100% waving my Hosono san Ichiban!! giant foam finger most of the day, but I've come to really like YT's vocals over the last year. His voice nowadays though is a lovely mature thing.

Afraid the download link from Frogbs has really expired this time. Anyone want to do a re-up?

I believe I've mentioned this on one of the other YMO threads but this asami kado album produced by mr. YT is one of my fave things he's done:
https://www.discogs.com/Asami-Kado-La-Fleur-Bleue/master/1102921
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFIJtZjISWo

as for YT's solo stuff, those two records are solid. but generally... I feel like his albums are really patchy? I prefer hosono myself. um, very strongly.

awww man this is great

I actually know who this DJ is! Towa Tei did a song with them and the video is mesmerizing. YT appears...as the robot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lgUz4t9fJw

Thanks listening now!

Right now it's "River in the Ocean" by The Beatniks. idk how many ILXors know this record but it's really great, this song in particular is great. and to think it wasn't even on the original version!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y-Rvgtgfjk

(also worth mentioning: this album came out the same year as BGM, Technodelic, and Neuromantic...what an insane year that was for him)

Really enjoyed that! Tracklist normally gets added when the show is archived, will post a link when it goes up

could someone please re-up the poisson d'avril movie?
i always enjoyed the soundtrack and came too late for the link posted a few posts up...

best ymo members with a better solo output: takahashi and hosono

XP - Here y'go - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/eg69fi25suep02a100xmn/h?dl=0&rlkey=8613qupgg3bl7btlitu8qmzzq

whoa!
1000 Dank!!!
(̶◉͛‿◉̶)

Cheese & wine party w/Yuki (and eng subs) count me in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll86KLqZFTg

A master of French cuisine!

its recently occurred to me how many of his lyrics I absolutely love. I know they're translated by Modell and Barakan but they kinda try to keep the structure of the original which results in a lot of cool and odd phrases. "Feel like I've been through a washing machine", "It doesn't take a genius to know", "I think I'm out on a winning streak", "This must be the ugliest piece of bread I've ever eaten", pretty much everything on "It's All Gonna Work Out", etc.

the strangest of the strangers...secondhand teenagers

Finally watched the movie. it is insane! highly recommended.

The link from poster visiting is fine if you've got an ad blocker

oh yeah, I forgot to report back but watched that basically immediately after grabbing it. a total blast! the kind of thing I'd picture grabbing at the video store and seeing a quote like "a truly delightful romp!" on the cover.

re: movie + the wine and cheese vid - was mr. yt known for being a francophile or something? or maybe everyone was in the 80s...

also recently watched obayashi's the island closest to heaven, he's in that one too, tho briefly. loved it, in any case.

back cover of his first album
https://i.discogs.com/YG39ydbuIyKovYS8vw5CTfGfyolRrPKJeY7YgTv5QcI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTc3NjMx/MC0xMzk0MDY5MjM4/LTIzMzguanBlZw.jpeg

was mr. yt known for being a francophile or something?

well Keiichi Suzuki (the other half of Beatniks and one of his best friends) for sure was. plus there's the whole first album thing.

well, here's where I admit I've never listened to the first YT record...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASxctAzCKkE

Also 71 today!

lol he calls Steve Jansen "Steve-O"

The Alfa YT channel is v underrated, so much great stuff in there.

Here's a translation of Sayonara, one of the two Japanese songs on What, Me Worry?

...

(spoken)
It's really such good, bright weather...
The sun's glare casts a shadow behind the two of us.

(sung)
You swing your hand so broadly it seems it's about to fall off.
I close my dazzled eyes.
Such nice weather
and I'm going to say goodbye...

A bright goodbye
A bright goodbye

(spoken)
In such good, quiet weather,
the cicadas are singing a little too loud...

(sung)
You swing your hand so broadly it seems it's about to fall off.
I'll be alright -- for sure I'll be alright.
I'm going to say goodbye sadly to you,
bathed as you are in the bright light.

A bright goodbye
A bright goodbye

...

This song could bring me to tears before I even attended to the lyrics; how much more so, now? I love you forever, YT.

And the other, Flashback (Sakamoto's music, Takahashi's words). Didn't quite cry while translating this one, but a couple times I had to stop and say, "Holy fuck." There are elegant elements of the Japanese that I couldn't get across in English -- places where Takahashi's text is poignantly succinct, or beautifully vague, or drifts off in just the right way.

...

A phantasm drifts at the edge of the water,
rustling faintly and sadly in the weeds.
Back then every day was like a dream.
That fragrance always flooding everything.

In the full light of a lovely morning,
my heart cracked. Come, let's find somewhere to throw it away.

And honestly, I didn't understand any of it,
any of the absurd falsehoods spoken over and over and over again.
To this day, I try and summon the faded images of what I witnessed --
though, where...? I can't remember.

Deep in the tender twilight,
my heart cracked. Come, let's find somewhere to throw it away.

[instrumental verse]

To this day, I try and summon the faded images of what I witnessed --
though, where...? I can't remember.

Deep in the tender twilight,
my heart cracked. Come, let's find somewhere to throw it away.

To this day, I try and remember
the fading colors, the timeworn tale, the customary scene.

A phantasm drifts at the edge of the water,
rustling faintly and sadly in the weeds.
Back then every day was like a dream.
Always that faint fragrance in the shadow of the flowers.

Love this. Hosono looks so happy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzIpofcS3e0