Lullatone
Encyclopedia
Lullatone is a popular music group based in Nagoya, Japan
, whose music is characterized by an innocent, child-like quality and spare, lo-fi sounds. Although the group refers to their style of music as "pajama-pop", it is commonly included in such musical subgenres as Twee pop, Indie pop
and Electronica
. It draws influence from such diverse sources as Bossa Nova
, French pop music of the 1960s, children's songs and Musique concrète
.
, Kentucky
. Its other principal member is Japanese native Yoshimi Tomida (Tomida Yoshimi, in traditional Japanese name order). Seymour began musical experimentation during his high school years in the late-1990s, using keyboards and cassette tape recorders. He and Tomida met while both were attending Bellarmine University
; she as an exchange student from Japan. They soon became romantically involved and when Tomida's visa was due to expire, Seymour decided to return with her to Japan. In the small apartment they shared in Japan, Seymour began composing music late at night while Tomida slept. So as not to disturb her, the songs he created were lullabies. This was the origin of the name "Lullatone", which is also a reference to Raymond Scott
's 1963 record "Soothing Sounds for Baby". Seymour and Tomida married in 2005.
With Seymour playing a variety of instruments, from the inexpensive Casio
Casiotone SK1 sampling keyboard to the glockenspiel
, melodica
, recorder
s and other compact and simple instruments, and Tomida providing the vocals in both Japanese and English, they recorded their first album in 2003, titled "Computer Recital" (on the AudioDregs subsidiary of Darla Records). The record was immediately greeted with critical acclaim, garnering considerable attention and reviews from music magazines and influential independent music blogs such as Pitchfork Media
. Lullatone followed "Computer Recital" with "My Petit Melodies" on Japan's Childisk Records, "Little Songs about Raindrops" in 2005, "Plays Pajama Pop Pour Vous" in 2006 (both on AudioDregs), and a self-produced tour EP in 2007 to celebrate their first US tour.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, whose music is characterized by an innocent, child-like quality and spare, lo-fi sounds. Although the group refers to their style of music as "pajama-pop", it is commonly included in such musical subgenres as Twee pop, Indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
and Electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
. It draws influence from such diverse sources as Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova may refer to:*Bossa nova, a style of music*Bossa Nova , a dance form associated with the music*Bossa Nova , a 2000 film*Bossa Nova - album by John Pizzarelli...
, French pop music of the 1960s, children's songs and Musique concrète
Musique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
.
History
Lullatone's founder was Shawn James Seymour, a native of LouisvilleLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Its other principal member is Japanese native Yoshimi Tomida (Tomida Yoshimi, in traditional Japanese name order). Seymour began musical experimentation during his high school years in the late-1990s, using keyboards and cassette tape recorders. He and Tomida met while both were attending Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. The liberal arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert...
; she as an exchange student from Japan. They soon became romantically involved and when Tomida's visa was due to expire, Seymour decided to return with her to Japan. In the small apartment they shared in Japan, Seymour began composing music late at night while Tomida slept. So as not to disturb her, the songs he created were lullabies. This was the origin of the name "Lullatone", which is also a reference to Raymond Scott
Raymond Scott
Raymond Scott was an American composer, band leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor....
's 1963 record "Soothing Sounds for Baby". Seymour and Tomida married in 2005.
With Seymour playing a variety of instruments, from the inexpensive Casio
Casio
is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company founded in 1946, with its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Casio is best known for its electronic products, such as calculators, audio equipment, PDAs, cameras, musical instruments, and watches...
Casiotone SK1 sampling keyboard to the glockenspiel
Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
, melodica
Melodica
The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
, recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
s and other compact and simple instruments, and Tomida providing the vocals in both Japanese and English, they recorded their first album in 2003, titled "Computer Recital" (on the AudioDregs subsidiary of Darla Records). The record was immediately greeted with critical acclaim, garnering considerable attention and reviews from music magazines and influential independent music blogs such as 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...
. Lullatone followed "Computer Recital" with "My Petit Melodies" on Japan's Childisk Records, "Little Songs about Raindrops" in 2005, "Plays Pajama Pop Pour Vous" in 2006 (both on AudioDregs), and a self-produced tour EP in 2007 to celebrate their first US tour.
Members
- Shawn James Seymour - KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, percussion, vocals, miscellaneous instruments - Yoshimi Tomida - VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, percussion, miscellaneous instruments
Discography
Albums and EPs- Computer Recital, 2003
- My Petit Melodies, 2003
- Music For Apartments, 2003
- Little Songs about Raindrops, 2004
- Plays Pajama Pop Pour Vous, 2006
- Tour EP, 2007
- The Bedtime Beat, 2008
- Songs That Spin In Circles, 2009
- We Will Rock You... To Sleep: An Introduction to Lullatone, 2009
- Looping Lullabies, 2010
- Soundtracks for Everyday Adventures, 2011