Yellow Magic Orchestra | Artist
Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) was a Japanese electronic music band formed 1978 in Tokyo by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, electronic, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, electronics, vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, electronics, vocals). For their early recordings and performances, the band was also accompanied by programmer Hideki Matsutake, who was formerly the assistant of electric music pioneer Tomita. YMO is considered highly influential and innovative in the field of popular electronic music and was the launching point for prominent solo artists Harry Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto. All the band members were pioneers in their use of synthesizers, samplers, sequencers, drum machines, computers, and digital recording technology, and effectively anticipated the synth-pop boom of the 1980s. They released the surprise global hit "Computer Game" in 1978, reaching the UK Top 20 and selling 400,000 copies in the US. Their debut album Paraiso (1978) was credited to Harry Hosono and The Yellow Magic Orchestra, and was more of a Hosono solo album, than a group work. By the time of their next album Yellow Magic Orchestra (1978) and certainly the superb follow up Solid State Survivor (1979), the band had found their characteristic sound, and become recognised on the world stage. The band released eight studio albums, plus some remixes and several excellent live albums. Standouts include Yellow Magic Orchestra (1978), Solid State Survivor (1979), BGM (1981), Technodelic (1981), Naughty Boys (1983) and YMO World Tour Live (1991). Discussing the band's formative years, Ryuichi Sakamoto acknowledged the influence of European electronic bands such as Kraftwerk who employed a very "formalised" style, They were impressed with Kraftwerk's highly "formalised" style, however YMO's template for electronic pop was less minimalistic, making more varying use of synthesiser lines and introducing "fun-loving and breezy" sounds, with a strong emphasis on melody.
Artist Website: ymo.org
Featured Albums: Yellow Magic Orchestra
Related Artists: YMO, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono, Akiko Yano, Sadistic Mika Band, Yukihiro Takahashi
Video Clips: Rydeen, Cosmic Surfin', Music Plans
