Kevin + YouTube + Japan = An Evening Wasted.
I spend far too much time on YouTube and am quite sure it's going to shut down real soon unless they figure out how to monetize it tout suite. Anyway, I thought I'd inflict upon you give you all the chance to check out some of my favorite Japanese music, which is a difficult and expensive thing to get into, in convenient internet video form.
I rate "Technopolis" by Yellow Magic Orchestra (Japan's poppier answer to Kraftwerk) very, very highly. The video for the song is approved because of my affection for analogue video effect futurism.
My other favorite YMO song, "Behind The Mask," performed at the Budokan:
Here's YMO's Ryuichi Sakamoto playing "Merry Christmas, Mister Lawrence" live. No, I can't find a version with David Sylvain singing "Forbidden Colours," which is a song that is guaranteed to make me cry.
Fans of Jiang Xiao-Qing can see her perform the song with Sakamoto at an awards show in 1987 here. The piano blends with the Koto beautifully.
I freely admit that there's probably no reason to like the Kick The Can Crew as much as I do, but if you tell me that the backing on "Sayonara, Sayonara" is not brilliant, I will have you stabbed and beaten and then stabbed again.
An insane number of MCs pass the mic on "Planet Of The Bapes," a showcase track for Nigo's BAPE label. Produced by The Neptunes, the tune lets YTR, Ignition, Boy-Ken, and others just go kind of crazy. Itchy, fun stuff.
Rainstick Orchestra make this minimal, click-hop I am addicted to. Here's the beautifully-shot promo for "Trick."
The promotional video for Denki Groove's "Shangri-La," a song that I love with a burning passion. It's got so many elements that say "Kevin, you should really like me," and I listen to those elements and, indeed, love the song.
Here's another Denki Groove clip. This time, the band performs "N.O." on Music Journal. No, I don't know what the hell is up with those chickens. Or the guy with the pottery wheel.
What the hell, here's a third chunk of footage featuring Denki Groove. If you don't want to sit through entertainment chat nonsense (though there is one bit around 3:10 where the host plays with a 303 and I got a bit jealous,) jump forward to 7:20 when the band performs a cover of Hot Butter's song "Popcorn".
To take you down from your techno and hip-hop high, here's a pleasant JPop song with guitars. The Planit B Remix of the English version of Utada Hikaru's "Simple And Clean" plays over the opening of Kingdom Hearts. The original Japanese version has a very nice, hooky melody and the video is charming in its simplicity:
And for those of you wanting something in English, here's Depeche Mode's "Master And Servant," with animated accompaniment by the Thundercats.
I rate "Technopolis" by Yellow Magic Orchestra (Japan's poppier answer to Kraftwerk) very, very highly. The video for the song is approved because of my affection for analogue video effect futurism.
My other favorite YMO song, "Behind The Mask," performed at the Budokan:
Here's YMO's Ryuichi Sakamoto playing "Merry Christmas, Mister Lawrence" live. No, I can't find a version with David Sylvain singing "Forbidden Colours," which is a song that is guaranteed to make me cry.
Fans of Jiang Xiao-Qing can see her perform the song with Sakamoto at an awards show in 1987 here. The piano blends with the Koto beautifully.
I freely admit that there's probably no reason to like the Kick The Can Crew as much as I do, but if you tell me that the backing on "Sayonara, Sayonara" is not brilliant, I will have you stabbed and beaten and then stabbed again.
An insane number of MCs pass the mic on "Planet Of The Bapes," a showcase track for Nigo's BAPE label. Produced by The Neptunes, the tune lets YTR, Ignition, Boy-Ken, and others just go kind of crazy. Itchy, fun stuff.
Rainstick Orchestra make this minimal, click-hop I am addicted to. Here's the beautifully-shot promo for "Trick."
The promotional video for Denki Groove's "Shangri-La," a song that I love with a burning passion. It's got so many elements that say "Kevin, you should really like me," and I listen to those elements and, indeed, love the song.
Here's another Denki Groove clip. This time, the band performs "N.O." on Music Journal. No, I don't know what the hell is up with those chickens. Or the guy with the pottery wheel.
What the hell, here's a third chunk of footage featuring Denki Groove. If you don't want to sit through entertainment chat nonsense (though there is one bit around 3:10 where the host plays with a 303 and I got a bit jealous,) jump forward to 7:20 when the band performs a cover of Hot Butter's song "Popcorn".
To take you down from your techno and hip-hop high, here's a pleasant JPop song with guitars. The Planit B Remix of the English version of Utada Hikaru's "Simple And Clean" plays over the opening of Kingdom Hearts. The original Japanese version has a very nice, hooky melody and the video is charming in its simplicity:
And for those of you wanting something in English, here's Depeche Mode's "Master And Servant," with animated accompaniment by the Thundercats.
