Fujiya & Miyagi
Encyclopedia
Fujiya & Miyagi are an English
band formed in Brighton
in 2000. They are currently signed to Full Time Hobby Records in the United Kingdom.
bands, Can
and Neu!
as well as the early 1990s electronic music
artist, Aphex Twin
. The origins of the band's name come from a character in the film
, The Karate Kid as well as the brand of a record player. The lines "We're not a couple of shadowboxers/Oh/Oh/Just two Anglo-Saxons" from the 2008 track Butterfingers and "We were just pretending to be Japanese" from Photocopier may be comments on the band name and how it is perceived.
The first several years after the band's formation were spent in relative obscurity; however, they began to see a drastic spike in popularity between 2003 and 2006 thanks in large part to very favorable reviews from prominent music publications such as NME
and Pitchfork Media
. They were also the subject of an episode of the MTV2
documentary series This Is Our Music in 2006. The song "Collarbone" has been featured in ads for both Jaguar's 2007 "Gorgeous" campaign as well as Miller Lite
's "Bar Stool" directed by Tarsem Singh
. The song was also featured in EA's Skate 2
Their song "Uh" was also featured in season 1 of Breaking Bad
Fujiya & Miyagi recorded the track Butterfingers with Bomb the Bass
for the latter's 2008 album, Future Chaos.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
band formed in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
in 2000. They are currently signed to Full Time Hobby Records in the United Kingdom.
Career
They are self-described as being heavily influenced by KrautrockKrautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
bands, Can
Can (band)
Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968. Later labeled as one of the first "krautrock" groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music.Can constructed their music largely...
and Neu!
Neu!
Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
as well as the early 1990s electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
artist, Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
. The origins of the band's name come from a character in the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, The Karate Kid as well as the brand of a record player. The lines "We're not a couple of shadowboxers/Oh/Oh/Just two Anglo-Saxons" from the 2008 track Butterfingers and "We were just pretending to be Japanese" from Photocopier may be comments on the band name and how it is perceived.
The first several years after the band's formation were spent in relative obscurity; however, they began to see a drastic spike in popularity between 2003 and 2006 thanks in large part to very favorable reviews from prominent music publications such as NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
and Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
. They were also the subject of an episode of the MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
documentary series This Is Our Music in 2006. The song "Collarbone" has been featured in ads for both Jaguar's 2007 "Gorgeous" campaign as well as Miller Lite
Miller Lite
Miller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager brand sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life.-History:...
's "Bar Stool" directed by Tarsem Singh
Tarsem Singh
Tarsem Dhandwar Singh , known professionally as Tarsem, is an Indian director who has worked on films, music videos, and commercials.- Life and career :...
. The song was also featured in EA's Skate 2
Skate 2
Skate 2 is a sandbox skateboarding video game developed by EA Black Box and distributed by Electronic Arts as a sequel to the 2007 game, Skate. Skate 2 was released in January 2009 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.-Plot:...
Their song "Uh" was also featured in season 1 of Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is an American television drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White , a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series...
Fujiya & Miyagi recorded the track Butterfingers with Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass is the umbrella title for the output of British musician and producer, Tim Simenon. The band, which has evolved its style over the years, has been classed as electronic or dance....
for the latter's 2008 album, Future Chaos.
Members
- Steve Lewis (Fujiya): 2000–present (synths, beats, programming and backing vocals)
- David Best (Miyagi): 2000–present (vocals and guitar)
- Matt Hainsby (Ampersand): 2005–present (bass guitar and backing vocals)
- Lee Adams: 2008–present (drums)
Discography
- Electro Karaoke in the Negative StyleElectro Karaoke in the Negative StyleElectro Karaoke in the Negative Style is an album by Fujiya & Miyagi released in 2003.-Track listing:# "New Accounts Analysts"# "Rot"# "King Holer"# "Simeone Slides"# "Skinny Punk"# "Tarr's White Collar"# "Skeleton Phone Cover"# "Uptight"...
· 2002, reissued 2008 - Remixes · 2003
- Transparent Things · 2006
- LightbulbsLightbulbs (album)Lightbulbs is the third album by Fujiya & Miyagi released in 2008. This is their first album with their new band member, Lee Adams. The first song on the album, Knickerbocker, was also the first single for this album. The single has been released in August...
· 2008 - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#187 - VentriloquizzingVentriloquizzingVentriloquizzing is the fourth album by Fujiya & Miyagi released in 2011. It is the first album on which the band chose to share producer credits, bringing in Thom Monahan to assist on the project...
· 2011
External links
- Official Website
- Butterfingers promo - Bomb the Bass featuring Fujiya & Miyagi http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RF8lcGoS9Yc
- Interview with David Best by Greg Szeto at Aural States (2007.09.04)
- Interview with Fujiya & Miyagi on Brightest Young Things
- Live from SXSW 2007 on 89.3 The Current
- Interview with David Best in Rocker Magazine 2011