I love Japan’s Pizzicato Five. I have as stand-alones Made in USA 1994, the sound of music 1995, Antique 96 1995, (as mp3) Sister Freedom 1996, Happy End of the World 1997. I first heard a track from Made in USA on a CMJ compilation & loved its cheerful bouncy sensibility. Most of their US releases have been compilations from the Japanese releases.
Their sound is a curious mix of styles – a touch of latino, a helping of house music, sweet electronica put though a Japanese blender of cultural distance & reverence. Lead singer Maki Nomiya reminds me of Astrid Gilberto with her easy playful singing. Each album has a slightly different sensibility & all are a delight.
Antique 96 is their most ‘traditional’ pop synthesis of tracks recorded before they broke into the North American market. I love their house music work – Hey DJ is a track that’ll make you want to dance. Some tracks have been used in movies & even TV shows – often to create sense hipness on behalf of the film makers lol. I’m always happy when I recognize them is background music. Made in USA or Sound Of are great introductions to this mercilessly cheerful group.
A couple of recent Japanese additions are some mp3’s by Minoru ‘Hoodoo’ Fushimi: Kenka Oyaji, In Praise of Mitochondria. Hoodoo is a mid-80’s milestone creator in Japan’s early hip hop and electro-funk history. The sound is sampled, drum-machine, electronica & some wild guitar with occasional vocals. Think Herbie Hancock Future Shock. A Facebook friend posted a link to one of the tracks & I was smitten.
Another Japanese discovery is Takeshi Terauchi: Mr. Electric Guitar the Terry World. Terry was a dynamic guitarist – some his playing is breathtaking – a cross between Roy Buchanan and The Ventures. This is a double cd – the first being original work, the second rock interpretations of classical music – Beethoven’s 5th, Orphan Aux Enfers etc. An over-all garage band aesthetic that I love. Amazing & worth checking out on YouTube.
Underwear
I didn’t mean to laugh
as your dropped your pants
but after four weeks of email
msn and webcam smiles
long phone calls
meeting face-to-face
twice
to keep from rushing from hi to bed
first at starbucks for latte
again two days later for dinner
followed by drinks in a dark bar
groped delirious in the warm night
<>
finally we had enough trust
to enter your apartment
(yours because it was closest)
we knew what each was into
plans for the future
expectations of relationships
expectations for this relationship
which we both approached as adults
eager for long term commitments
<>
in the empty elevator to the 19th floor
we two men in our forties
were like teenage horn dogs
yanking shirts up
pushed one another to the wall
fell as the doors unexpectedly opened
<>
we got to your place
giggled wrestling to the couch
in our groping we knew
how solid one another’s
engorged members were
members trapped too too long in jeans
<>
at this point
after teasing weeks of tentative explorations
when you dropped your pants
I burst into laugher
not at you
no no not at you
but those jokey jockeys
<>
who knew
I’d get caught short by your shorts
your identity undone by those undies
I was unaware underwear
could make such a big difference
<>
next time I won’t waste four weeks
2007
TOpoet 