Asobi Seksu...

[Mulboyne]

[Mulboyne]

Pitchfork Interview:

Pitchfork: Most people tend to focus on you, Yuki. Has it been positive or negative-- that weird, nerdy male music fan attention?

Yuki: Not so much. Maybe they're too shy to make themselves visible. I've had my fair share of weirdos. I think with any female musician, or female singer, front person, they're going to attract a certain amount of creepy guys. And most of them, they're harmless. They'll shyly come up to you and maybe say something weird. But that's the extent of it.

Pitchfork: What is the weirdest thing that you've heard from someone approaching the band?

Yuki: Someone talking to me about anime. That was weird. And I think I was surrounded by three of them at once, and they were all calling me Asobi. That definitely creeped me out.

Pitchfork: No one tries to go up to you and speak Japanese, do they?

Yuki: Sometimes it's someone who's like, "I'm learning how to speak Japanese, do you mind if I practice?" And I'm like, "Yeah, I mind." I'm not too fond of that, especially because I obviously speak English very well. I was born here. But I figure it comes with the territory.

[Kuang_Grade]

I was thinking about thise band when the Captain was talking about NYC based "japanese" bands in the shibuya-kei thread last week.

They do have three songs you can download off their myspace page
http://www.myspace.com/asobiseksu

I sort of like them, although I have a big soft spot for shoe-gazers in general. But I do agree with a review on itunes that say something along the lines of "they are OK, but velocity girl did this better a decade ago". That said, my inner marketer couldn't help but to think that some A&R folks had been charged to find a band that would appeal to those who really liked the My Bloody Valentine/Kevin Shields heavy "lost in translation" soundtrack, and when they realized that the singer was of Japanese decent (although born in the US), they told the band "you totally have to work the Japenese angle". I don't think they would be getting as much ink if they were named 'marty's muffin dumptruck'

[Mulboyne]

Asobi Seksu



Deerhoof



Enon



Deerhoof and Enon are two other Pitchfork favourites with Japanese girl vocalists. They've also given good reviews to UK-based duo Mu who, now that I've remembered they are married, will shortly be appearing in the Japanese Spouses thread.

It's ironic that Pitchfork would refer to the disproportionate focus on Yuki and her Japanese background in Asobi Seksu when they are guilty of that for all of these acts. One of the most successful Japanese musicians in a "foreign" band is Taka Hirose, bass player with Feeder. There aren't many interviews that focus on his nationality. That's probably partly because he isn't the lead singer but you have to think it's also because he is a bloke.

[Mulboyne]

"I'm Happy But You Don't Like Me" by Asobi Seksu set to Gamera

[Mulboyne]

Ptyx reminded me in this thread of another foreign band with a Japanese connection - Blonde Redhead. Here's the title track of their new CD:



I noticed the other day that half-Japanese singer Angela Aki (her father founded the Aeon English school) has migrated from the overseas CD section in HMV to the J-Pop section. 100% Japanese Yoko Ono's is still an overseas artist.

[Mulboyne]

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First single "Me & Mary" from the new Asobi Seksu album "Hush" which is due out shortly.

[Mulboyne]

From Daytrotter back in 2007:

Here's what I'm guessing: Yuki Chikudate gets asked about sex a lot. Not in a dirty, romping, rated X way by lust mongering droolers, but in a way that could be genially struck up at a hoity-toity tea party or anywhere in fading light. She's exotic and beautiful and all of the things that lend themselves to stumbling and mental undressing - the lascivious nature of the species coming into a fullness of lighting - but it's not the physical action of sex or the extras that she truly sparks in the casual or intimate listener. From the time that she opens her mouth, Chikudate takes you as her property. With glazed but dizzy eyes, you hand over the keys, the title and the deed. They kind of fall limply from you to her and she doesn't even have a need for your things, no matter how much you might value them...

Yuki Chikudate:

[Mulboyne]

King Midas Sound is another band featuring a Japanese singer. Kevin Martin says he heard a track by her band Dokkebi Q when he was in Tokyo and it turned out she was based in London. He went along to see her and subsequently asked her to join his most recent project:



Here's one of the tracks from their album "Waiting For You", which has picked up good reviews:



Here's Hitomi with Dokkebi Q:

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[Mulboyne]

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The lead singer with Dig jelly is "Rock 'n' Roll wild child Rayko".

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[Mulboyne]

Asobi Seksu new video:

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And here's a new, vaguely Japan-themed video from Deerhoof:

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[Christoff]

Deerhoof, awesome! I know the drummer Greg. Our bands use to play shows together in San Francisco. Now they are a super huge and shit. They are pretty rad, no hate here.