Pretsy 1343 Posted February 8, 2016 Most audiophiles and enthusiasts alike are usually interested in discovering acts and/or releases that may have predicted future fads and genres many years or even decades before. Whereas the staff might think this could belong to the global music discussion, I thought that we'd try to bring up Japanese choices (as well). What kind of artists/albums do you monochromiums consider to be "ahead of their time" - as in defining/creating a specific sound or style which would be implemented by many others only years/decades later? You don't need to be accurate about "whether X influenced Y or not" - feel free to assume/presume/theorize, but with detailed/constructive arguments! Ps. feel free to mention western choices if you feel like it - but the main purpose here is to see whether Japan has managed to produce a fair gamut of albums/acts that live up to the title of this thread. e.g. Yellow Magic Orchestra - s/t (1978) Whereas Kraftwerk or such have been usually cited as the actual pioneers of electronic mumblejumble (Silver Apples or even those chaps from Phillips should deserve such credit but lol), I still consider YMO (from my personal stance) to be one of the major, essential first-wave acts the whole electronic scene ever had. The cold, oscillated sounds of Kraftwerk's heartland combined with exotic, fun flavors of YMO's own vision regarding different implementations of electronic music - definitive and direct precursor to your fav video game OSTs (e.g. the sample song reminds me of Earthbound), more dancable electronic acts, synthpop, trance etc. By defining similar aspects between otherwise distinct genres a la exotica and Kraftwerk-ian electrojumble, YMO gave electronica a new, more human and cheerier face, albeit with vintage cheesiness but that's certainly given. Highly regarded art and practice exists in campy, tongue-in-cheek expressionism after all, right? 2 Jigsaw9 and desparejo86 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desparejo86 160 Posted February 8, 2016 Cool thread. YMO is excellent (as is almost anything Sakamoto's done). In the same vein, here's Japan. Duran Duran directly admitting to stealing their outlandish sound and repackaging it as something more commercial, and then in the midlate-eighties, a whole generation of Japanese youths who were adolescents when Japan broke up made up the classic visual kei era. Notable "offenders": Sugizo (Owns Masami's Japan-era guitar, had Mick on his solo records, etc), Morrie and Kiyoharu were obv influenced by Sylvian's vocals, Die in Cries was a shameless Japan copy band in look and sound. Japan started as a shit glam band out of place in the punk scene, but at some point they discovered Roxy Music, Brian Eno, synthesizers and world music. Just as they were finally hitting the charts they broke up due to the vocalist stealing the bassist's Japanese girlfriend, but their influence on the 80s music scene and later the VK movement was already cemented. 3 Pretsy, TetsuAkira and Jigsaw9 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desparejo86 160 Posted February 8, 2016 YMO's own vision regarding different implementations of electronic music - definitive and direct precursor to your fav video game OSTs (e.g. the sample song reminds me of Earthbound), Did you just namedrop EARTHBOUND???? The greatest videogame with the greatest soundtrack ever? Let's be friends. And shit, it totally does sound like Earthbound. 2 Tetora and Pretsy reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TetsuAkira 289 Posted February 8, 2016 Cool thread. YMO is excellent (as is almost anything Sakamoto's done). In the same vein, here's Japan. Duran Duran directly admitting to stealing their outlandish sound and repackaging it as something more commercial, and then in the midlate-eighties, a whole generation of Japanese youths who were adolescents when Japan broke up made up the classic visual kei era. Notable "offenders": Sugizo (Owns Masami's Japan-era guitar, had Mick on his solo records, etc), Morrie and Kiyoharu were obv influenced by Sylvian's vocals, Die in Cries was a shameless Japan copy band in look and sound. Japan started as a shit glam band out of place in the punk scene, but at some point they discovered Roxy Music, Brian Eno, synthesizers and world music. Just as they were finally hitting the charts they broke up due to the vocalist stealing the bassist's Japanese girlfriend, but their influence on the 80s music scene and later the VK movement was already cemented. SHUT THE ENTIRETY OF MY FRONT DOOR Sorry. That is just amazing information to me as a huge Duran Duran fan. I love what I hear and must admit I've never heard them before. Could you recommend a good album to start from of theirs? The more Duran the better 1 desparejo86 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desparejo86 160 Posted February 8, 2016 SHUT THE ENTIRETY OF MY FRONT DOOR Sorry. That is just amazing information to me as a huge Duran Duran fan. I love what I hear and must admit I've never heard them before. Could you recommend a good album to start from of theirs? The more Duran the better Huge Duran Duran fan as well, hi! I think the consensus is that Japan's "Quiet Life" album is the album that had a huge impact on Duran Duran (you can Google this debate and seeing it played out on countless message boards if you like). Songwriting-wise, Japan and Duran Duran have little in common because Japan's songwriting style was experimental/outlandish to say the least, while DD went on to strive for the perfect pop song. But sonically, in terms of their playing style and sound, they were heavily influenced. The look too, of course! Check out the Quiet Life single and album, as well as incredible stuff like Ghosts (UK #5), Life in Tokyo, Still Life in Mobile Homes, and Art of Parties (4:33 was probably the moment a normal Japanese kid died and Sugzio was born, haha). 1 TetsuAkira reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TetsuAkira 289 Posted February 8, 2016 Huge Duran Duran fan as well, hi! I think the consensus is that Japan's "Quiet Life" album is the album that had a huge impact on Duran Duran (you can Google this debate and seeing it played out on countless message boards if you like). Songwriting-wise, Japan and Duran Duran have little in common because Japan's songwriting style was experimental/outlandish to say the least, while DD went on to strive for the perfect pop song. But sonically, in terms of their playing style and sound, they were heavily influenced. The look too, of course! Check out the Quiet Life single and album, as well as incredible stuff like Ghosts (UK #5), Life in Tokyo, Still Life in Mobile Homes, and Art of Parties (4:33 was probably the moment a normal Japanese kid died and Sugzio was born, haha). Thank you so much for all the detail you put in! Much appreciated! I'll get my hands on all that stuff straight away, love the sound of Ghosts & Art of Parties! Feel like I've been missing out completely! Thanks again 1 desparejo86 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pretsy 1343 Posted February 9, 2016 Did you just namedrop EARTHBOUND???? The greatest videogame with the greatest soundtrack ever? Let's be friends. And shit, it totally does sound like Earthbound. I cited Earthbound here since Mother/Earthbound's composer, Keiichi Suzuki was/is an avid fan and colleague of YMO (e.g. a duet with YMO's Takahashi as "The Beatniks" - see: their "Exitentialism"-album). His involvement and enthusiasm might explain why there are tons of common elements between YMO's melodic sense and how Suzuki interprets them in his games. PS. you have to note how big of a Sylvian fanboy HYDE was during poppier days of L'arc/his solo career, lol. Seems like not that many peeps are bothering, so I might go with something MORE palatable this time! This Heat - This Heat (1978) > sample highlight above Revolutionary, aesthetically significant album in the experimental genre, and its long-forgotten but still vast legacy: you could hear first steps of breakcore, d'n'b, a little bit of Autechre, glitch stuff etc. in the sample song - and yet 'twas straight outta 70s?!!! The full album: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desparejo86 160 Posted February 9, 2016 I cited Earthbound here since Mother/Earthbound's composer, Keiichi Suzuki was/is an avid fan and colleague of YMO (e.g. a duet with YMO's Takahashi as "The Beatniks" - see: their "Exitentialism"-album). His involvement and enthusiasm might explain why there are tons of common elements between YMO's melodic sense and how Suzuki interprets them in his games. PS. you have to note how big of a Sylvian fanboy HYDE was during poppier days of L'arc/his solo career, lol. Seems like not that many peeps are bothering, so I might go with something MORE palatable this time! This Heat - This Heat (1978) > sample highlight above Revolutionary, aesthetically significant album in the experimental genre, and its long-forgotten but still vast legacy: you could hear first steps of breakcore, d'n'b, a little bit of Autechre, glitch stuff etc. in the sample song - and yet 'twas straight outta 70s?!!! The full album: Runaway Five, baby! And oh yeah, Roentgen was totally his "I am Secrets of The Beehive-era David Sylvian" phase. Again, totally shameless, but it's awesome. I actually asked Steve Jansen (Japan Drummer, Sylvian's brother) if he was aware/irritated by the heavy Japan copying in the VK scene; he was polite and diplomatic and may have thrown just the slightest bit of shade at a VK band or two. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
