Yellow Magic Orchestra

Yellow Magic Orchestra formed in Tokyo in 1978 when Hosono, fresh off collaborating with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi on his album Paraiso (1977), went looking for musicians who could handle the synthesizers—Yamaha CS-80, ARP Odyssey—driving his exotica experiments. Sakamoto brought conservatory training and avant-garde instincts; Takahashi brought a drummer's pocket from his time in the rock band Sadistic Mika Band. The trio recorded their debut in a matter of weeks, fusing synthesizer pop with an arch, ironic detachment that had more in common with Kraftwerk than with anything on Japanese radio at the time. Hosono's genre-hopping curiosity, the same instinct that had taken him through folk-rock and exotica, found its most influential outlet here. His subsequent solo work and YMO's catalog have since been cited by artists as different as Mac DeMarco, Vampire Weekend and Harry Styles.

At a glance

Active

1978–1984, 1993, 2007–2023

From

Tokyo, Japan

Listening guide track

“RYDEEN”

Listen

In the Japanese City Pop listening guide: “RYDEEN”

In the issues

• 003
  Japanese City Pop

  Supporting cast · 1973-1989

  Japanese City Pop is a genre from Tokyo, Japan, 1973–1989. Its principal artists include Tatsuro Yamashita, Mariya Takeuchi and Haruomi Hosono. This issue covers 10 essential albums and 15 dated events.