Yellow Magic Orchestra, also known by the abbreviation YMO, is a Japanese group formed in Tokyo in 1978 and originally composed of Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
The group released their eponymous debut album the same year, an album that was to experience a significant and above all global level of success. In particular thanks to the success of the Single "Computer game", Single which propels them on the front of the international scene in a shattering way.
Success confirmed and amplified a year later in 1979 with the release of the album "Solid state survivor", album which will sell more than 2 million copies worldwide and which will produce several titles of great caliber including “Technopolis” and “Rydeen”. But also "Behind the mask", Single which will surely meet the most favorable fate of all the Singles taken from the album and remains to this day one of the flagship titles of the group. In particular thanks to the luxury covers that will be made by Greg Phillinganes, Eric Clapton and other Michael Jackson…!
The great adventure continued in 1980 with the release of the album "X∞Multiplies", a very successful album which mainly produced the flagship Single "Tighten up".
A year later in 1981, the album "BGM" was released, an album which allowed the group to remain in the big league thanks to the Single "Rap phenomena", a forerunner of what one might call electronic rap. The year 1981 saw the release of a second album "Technodelic", an album from which two major Singles "Taiso" and "Pure jam" were extracted.
New year to 2 albums in 1983 with to start "Naughty boys", album which will be extracted the flagship Single "Kimi ni Mune Kyun". Then it will be the turn of "Service" to be released at the end of the year, an album that will experience its heyday with the Single "Ishin Denshin (You’ve got to help yourself)".
A year 1983 which will be the last year of official activity of the group, group which will see its members resume their freedom the following year in 1984. We will witness an improbable reformation of the group ten years later in 1993, reformation which will see the release of a final album "Technodon". A rebirth that paid off anyway, as it gave them two recent notable successes with the titles "Pocketful of rainbows" and "Be a Superman".
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
70s Decade :
Firecracker 1978
Tong poo 1978
Computer game 1979
Behind the mask 1979
Technopolis 1979
Rydeen 1979
80s Decade :
Nice age 1980
Tighten up (Japanese gentlemen stand up please) 1980
Cue 1981
Taiso 1982
Kimi ni mune kyun 1983
Ishin denshin (you’ve got to help yourself) 1983
90s Decade :
Pocketful of rainbows 1993
Be a Superman 1993
Tracks :
1978 ... a first 100 % instrumental track. Difficult at this stage to assess the real potential of the group. We will therefore have to wait a little longer before getting an opinion ...
1978 ... clearly it won't be with this one either. What is certain, however, is that Asian influences are indeed predominant ...
1979 ... then THIS title comes ! Like an aftertaste of Super Mario, normal, we are not in Japan for nothing. Despite a totally improbable style and sound, the group got his first ranked hit here. And not just any since this title will remain as their most emblematic. HU-GE !
1979 ... the beginning of his career will remain mainly instrumental. Even if the vocals make their appearance on this track, it will not change their style in depth ...
1979 ... plethora of titles in the year 1979. New title classified but only in Japan. It's always better than nothing as they say ...
1979 ... same for this one. The group is struggling for the moment to break into the international market and must be satisfied with recognition essentially focused on the country of the Rising Sun ...
1980 ... the sonic evolution is obvious. The group finally sticks to the latest trends of the moment and it shows. Above all, it can be heard !
1980 ... hunt the natural, it comes back at a gallop ! They sign here a new delirious title which sends them straight back to the category of 'nice barjots' ...
1981 ... there is madness and above all talent in this group, that's for sure. Ah, if all their titles could have been like this, their fate would have been much different ...
1982 ... on the production level of titles, there is quantity, that's for sure. But on the quality side, it fluctuates a lot between songs. As much the precedent was inspired, as this one would rather do in the all-comer ...
1983 ... the group will shine mainly on Japan. And yet, they really won't have lacked much to do great things on a planetary level ...
1983 ... a UFO group with an unclassifiable profile and a unique style. This is also the magic of the 80s, a decade where anything was possible in excess as much as in musical creativity. The proof !
1993 ... they will disappear from the radar for almost 10 years and reappear in this year 1993. Unfortunately, the 10 years of wanted or forced break will not have changed much in their style ...
1993 ... a group that played the originality card to the end. Unfortunately, originality and eccentricity will have cost them a high price in terms of global fame. Frankly shame ...
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