Search - Yellow Magic Orchestra :: Technodelic

Early sampling genius

Valquerie | 07/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This beautifully composed suite of songs is YMO's best; a solid set of compositions, mostly in a pop song format, using the early sampler technology of the Emulator. These songs transcend the sounds and rhythms of their day (1981). It's a groundbreaking electronic album that has, in my opinion yet to be matched in production quality and feel, even with today's huge variety of techno music. The translated lyrics are odd and beautiful poetry to start with, but also have the magical charm of Engrish. The musical sounds and lyrics combine to create a totally unique sonic world. The two instrumentals at the end use industrial sounds to great effect. A great pedagogical tool for composers and a real rare gem for lover's of the difficult to describe."

A real classic

Lovblad | Geneva, Switzerland | 08/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Now this is something. YMO remain a personal favourite even though they have released some stuff of really varying quality I must say. However this is their best disc in my opinion and ranks up there along with early Kraftwerk as a pioneering work of modern electronic music. It is also the least eastern (even if in some instances mabe thier most!) of their records and therefore the most understandable. YMO were apparently huge in Japan which one can understand. All their records have something that you can recommend them by. The only problem is that these japanese imports used to be hyper-expensive at the time. But they were definitely worth it."

Gradated Grey (Addendum)

06/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"--YMO did take their cues from Kraftwerk on this (and earlier items). But certainly, this album achieves its own greatness by virtue of their japanese musical roots. As the review below suggests, Ryuichi Sakamoto is in finest form at this time (1981), but on the matter of that golden track "Gradated Grey", its actually Haruomi Hosono, the bassist and actual founder of the YMO project who offered up this classic (as well as another lesser known 'ambient / electronic' watermark : "Cochin Moon", the earliest hint of "technodelics" to come, circa 1978). Since then, Hosono hasn't concerned himself with movie soundtracks and NYC house/jazz (as Sakamoto has), but rather forged ahead through the 90's leaving behind him yet more proof that he, more than Sakamoto or Takahashi, had conceived and birthed the Yellow Magic aesthetic. Most notably, projects with Uwe Schmidt (aka Atom Heart), Tetsu Inoue and even Bill Laswell are worth a listen--if you can find them ; sometimes, greatness is so far ahead of its time its left to the ages. In Japan, however, Hosono's legacy is secure--check him out."