Artist: Yellow Magic Orchestra ( Yukihiro Takahashi (vo, d), Ryuichi Sakamoto (k, voice), Haruomi Hosono( b, k, voice)) Title: BGM Production Co: ALFA Cat#: 32XA-141 Release: 1981 Price: 3200yen Length: 10 tracks Track Data: 1 Ballet 4'33" 2 Music Plans 4'32" 3 Rap Phenomena 4'32" 4 Happy End 4'31" 5 1000 Knives 5'22" 6 Cue 4'32" 7 U.T. 4'31" 8 Camoflage 4'34" 9 Mass 4'30" 10 Loom 5'21" Comments: Early '80s experimental synth-pop album by Japan's 80's supergroup YMO. Some good pop songs, with more interesting than average arrangements (Ballet, Cue), some interesting experimental songs that are a bit unmelodic for my tastes (Music Plans, Rap Phenomena). Note that Hosono and Sakamoto are credited for "voice" for spoken parts and rap. "Camoflage" even today sounds progressive and is IMHO a great song. Finally some electronic experimentation (Happy End, Loom) + Sakamoto's quirky instrumental 1000 Knives. Don't know who to compare this to other than (very) early Human League before the Heaven-17 Split. Interesting album with some great tracks, but a bit patchy. Interesting to note that most of the styles on this album were done better by the members in later, solo, albums. (Apart from Cue which is an excellent simple pop song). (Ross Clement: ross-c@scs.leeds.ac.uk) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Yellow Magic Orchestra (Yukihiro Takahashi (vo,d), Harumoi Hosono (b,k,vo), Ryuichi Sakamoto (k)) Title: YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA Production Co: ALFA Cat#: 32XA-138 Release: 1979 Price: 3200yen Length: 36'15 (9 tracks) Track Data: 1 Computer Game 1'47" 2 Firecracker 4'51" 3 Simoon 6'29" 4 Cosmic Surfin' 4'28" 5 Computer Game 1'01" 6 Yellow Magic (Tong Poo) 6'18" 7 La Femme Chinoise 5'58" 8 Bridge Over Troubled Music 1'18" 9 Mad Pierrot 4'05" Comments: Debut album by the Yellow Magic Orchestra and pioneering synth-pop album (predating similar work by Depeche Mode and others). Songs are reasonably catchy and interesting pop songs (vocal and instrumental), with a few gems (Tong Poo, La Femme Chinoise). Album spawned one minor international hit. (either Computer Game or Firecracker - I can't remember which). Instrumentation is very progressive for its' time, but sounds a bit dated now. Rumour has it that this started out as a Haruomi Hosono solo album, certainly his songs predominate. Some "Sexy Female voices" in the background were overdubbed onto a previous version of the album that had one extra song. Apart from a few acoustic instruments, 95% of the album was computerised. (Ross Clement: ross-c@scs.leeds.ac.uk) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: Yellow Magic Orchestra (Yukihiro Takahashi (vo,d), Harumoi Hosono (b,k,vo), Ryuichi Sakamoto (k)) Title: Reconstructions Production Co: Internal (dist. in UK by RTM/Pinnacle) Cat#: LIECD 2 (UK) Release: ??/Nov?/92 Price: L3.99 Length: 4 tracks Track Data: 1 Multiples Altern 8 Remix (edit) 2 Light in Darkness 808 State Remix 3 Tong Poo The Orb Remix 4 Firecracker The Shamen Remix Goodies: none Comments: EP of remixes of instrumental YMO songs by well-known UK techno artists. (Ross Clement: ross-c@scs.leeds.ac.uk) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist: YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra) Title: Technodon Production Co: Toshiba EMI Cat#: TOCT-8010 Release: 93/5/26 Price: Y3000 Length: 63'33" Track Data: 1 Be a Superman 2 Nanga Def? 3 Floating Away 4 Dolphinicity 5 Hi-Tech Hippies 6 Tremerli 7 Nostalgia 8 Silence of Time 9 Waterford 10 O.K. 11 Chance 12 Pocketful of Rainbows Goodies: Clear jewelbox with vertical moire pattern printed on front. Insert card includes lyrics beside _other_ vertical moire patterns which, when combined with the one on the cover, reveal various messages. Comments: Quite an album. This, after years of inactivity, YMO's return. Interesting return too, with guest vocals by William S. Burroughs and William Gibson, some very dance-oriented techno, as well as more of YMO's humorous sensibilties. Cover: Three members stretched vertically over white background. Moire-revealed message: "SLIPPING INTO MADNESS IS GOOD FOR THE SAKE OF COMPARISON" Grade: A- Genre: Techno Purchased by my former Japanese teacher from somewhere in Osaka. (Benjamin List: list@scf.usc.edu) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Artist: YMO & the Orb Title: Technodon Remixes II Production Co: Toshiba EMI Cat#: TOCT-8070 Release: 93/7/14 Price: Y2500 Length: 47'49" Track Data: 1 Waterford (a23 Diversion Mix) 2 Waterford (a303 One Lane Closed Mix) 3 Hi-Tech Hippies (Ground Plan for Perfection Mix) 4 Hi-Tech Ambience (Ariel Implosion Mix) 5 Nanga Def? (Hope You Choke on Your Whale Meat Mix) Goodies: Standard jewelbox. Comments: This is the second of several remix albums released after Technodon. There's very little of YMO in this one, this album, which has been possessed by the soul of "Dr. Alex Patterson," and now it doesn't remember its mother. The Orb changes everything it touches, and with lots of remix credit to their credit, they do it well, but completely. Now and then the original melody will poke its head through the aural layer of ambience and samples, but all in all, these are different songs. For Orb fans first. Cover: "technodon remixes II" "YMO" "Techy-design" with flat color areas, predominately yellow, light green and blue. Grade: A Genre: Techno, Ambient (Benjamin List: list@scf.usc.edu) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Artist: YMO Title: Kyouretsu na Rhythm Production Co: Restless Cat#: 7 72574-2 Release: 1991 Price: ?? (bought used for $8.00) Length: 58'12" Track Data: 1 Lotus Love 2 Chaos Panic 3 Key 4 Cue 5 Computer Games 6 Pure Jam 7 Nice Age 8 Tighten Up 9 Rydeen 10 Megamix Goodies: Standard jewelbox. Comments: A "best of" compilation from Restless Records in the US. A decent collection of songs, including a "Megamix" medley of YMO hits in House Music style. Points down for inclusion of "not-so-great" songs. Cover: "kyouretsu na rhythm" "YMO" Silver and grey painted pattern. Grade: B Genre: Techno Bought used at Aron's Records (Benjamin List: list@scf.usc.edu) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Artist: YMO Reconstructed Title: Hi-Tech/No Crime Production Co: Moonshine Music Cat#: M50088-2 Release: 1993 Price: $14.00 Length: 69'40" Track Data: 1 Camouflage (Mark Gamble Micro-Mix) 2 Light in the Darkness (808 State Remix) 3 Behind the Mask (The Orbital Remix) 4 Multiples (The Altern8 Syncopated Mix) 5 Loom (Mark Gamble Micro-Mix II) 6 La Femme Chinois (The LFO Remix) 7 Firecracker (Zero B Mix) 8 Tighten Up (The Robert Gordon Remix) 9 Rydeen (The Graham Masey Remix) 10 Firecracker II (Addl. Prod. and Remix by the Shaman) 11 Tong Poo (The Orb Remix I) 12 Castalia (Mark Gamble Micro-Mix III) 13 Tong Poo (The Orb Remix II) 14 Light in the Darkness (808 State Ambient Reprise) Goodies: Standard Jewelbox Comments: The world's best techno artists remix Japan's best techno artists' best... to iu kanji... Cover: "HI-TECH/NO CRIME" CG YMO symbol floats in center. Remixers names radiate out on yellow bands. "YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA RECONSTRUCTED" Grade: A Genre: Techno, Dance, Ambient (Benjamin List: list@scf.usc.edu) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------