Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Just wondering if anyone listen any music from bands from Japan. One group that I like is called Yoshida Brothers. They play a shamisen(a japanese three-stringed instrument) which is pretty cool to play sometime just for the heck of it.
Oh here is a video of them playing with Monkey Majik(their a band as well and have done songs for "BLEACH" and many others) so you know who they are:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnwaS4TDyDk

I like Yellow Magic Orchestra. It's a group Ryuichi Sakamoto formed with Yukihiro Takahashi and Harumi Hosono back in the 70s. They're sort of a rock/disco/techno group; I remember someone describing them as "Vangelis meets Jean-Michel Jarre meets Kraftwerk," and I don't think that's a bad description. They've recently gotten back together for some shows, including the Tokyo LiveEarth concert a few months back.

I love their 1979 concert at LA's Greek Theater:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GznecDBMPFk

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q8IMbm4apE0

There's another Japanese band I like called Ego-Wrappin', which is sort of a jazz/ska band. They have a song on the soundtrack of the film Pistol Opera, which I highly recommend.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WsyFRFA1osU

I first heard of YMO mainly through Rydeen, as it was covered for the loading music of a well known computer game in the 80s

Some other bands I've been exposed to have come through Japanese rhythm action games and the soundtracks within, especially the two Ouendan games...

Mayhem wrote:I first heard of YMO mainly through Rydeen, as it was covered for the loading music of a well known computer game in the 80s

Here's a clip of the game Super Locomotive:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vGO9cixj_0g

and here's YMO's performance of Rydeen from the 79' Greek Theater concert:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RBeS6jefFrE

I also found a clip from an old computer game I've never heard of that also uses a chiptune version of Rydeen:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lkPeDQKRpEk

Kodo is the only Japanese group I have listened to any time recently, and I even had a chance to see one of their shows a couple years back.

And just to date myself, I used to have a couple albums (those round vinyl thingies which music used to come on) by a Japanese heavy metal / hair band called Loudness, way back in the eighties.

Jet_Jaguar wrote:Here's a clip of the game Super Locomotive:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vGO9cixj_0g

I also found a clip from an old computer game I've never heard of that also uses a chiptune version of Rydeen:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lkPeDQKRpEk

Didn't realise the music was used in Super Locomotive. That game was cloned for the C64 by Tony Crowther as Loco. And I'd forgotten the music was used in Stryker's Run, though no surprise as the musician was Martin Galway whom two years earlier had used the track as the loading music to Daley's Thompson's Decathlon (which is the piece I was refering to above, sadly no UTube to show).

Steve Hubbell wrote:Kodo is the only Japanese group I have listened to any time recently, and I even had a chance to see one of their shows a couple years back.

And just to date myself, I used to have a couple albums (those round vinyl thingies which music used to come on) by a Japanese heavy metal / hair band called Loudness, way back in the eighties.

I love them, I got their 25th aniversery CD and had chance to see them live where I live

THE PILLOws is one of my favorites music bands
thers some link fron his videos

RIDE ON SHOOTING STAR:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9rrVZIlpJA

Hybrid Raimbow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWIrPL4IhZ0&feature=related

Little Busters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbvSLvn2cOg&feature=related

Jet_Jaguar wrote:I like Yellow Magic Orchestra. It's a group Ryuichi Sakamoto formed with Yukihiro Takahashi and Harumi Hosono back in the 70s. They're sort of a rock/disco/techno group; I remember someone describing them as "Vangelis meets Jean-Michel Jarre meets Kraftwerk," and I don't think that's a bad description. They've recently gotten back together for some shows, including the Tokyo LiveEarth concert a few months back.

I love their 1979 concert at LA's Greek Theater:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GznecDBMPFk

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q8IMbm4apE0

There's another Japanese band I like called Ego-Wrappin', which is sort of a jazz/ska band. They have a song on the soundtrack of the film Pistol Opera, which I highly recommend.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WsyFRFA1osU

I second your opinions on Yukihiro Takahashi and Ego Wrappin', both great. My favorite band out of Japan, hands down, is Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. They've been on the scene since the late 80's and have put out 15 records so far. With the death of their original singer, they took some years to find themselves, but with a few new players and guest singers, they are getting better and better every year. I reommend anyone who is interested check out their latest effort, Wild Peace. Amazing record.

I also dig Tamio Okuda, not so much for his music but the guy has such a great voice that carries in any style of music he puts it to.

If we want to alk about the most talened band to ever come out of Japan, it HAS to be The Seatbelts. They provided all the music for the great anime Cowboy Bebop. With Yoko Kanno's direction, they just cook.