Orange Pekoe (band)
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese music duo which formed in 1998, and had its first major debut in 2002, with the single "Happy Valley". The band is named for orange pekoe
, a type of tea.
The pair, both originally from Hyōgo prefecture
, began working together as graduate students at Kwansei Gakuin University
in Osaka
. They began performing in cafes and small venues in Osaka and Kobe
in 2000, and released their first mini-album, self-titled, in April 2001, under an independent label. After having their music played on a local radio station, and gaining popularity locally, the pair were picked up by major music label BMG Japan, releasing their first single, "Happy Valley", in April 2002. The single entered heavy rotation on radio stations across Japan, and the duo's first album, Organic Plastic Music, was released the following month.
, they reflect the influence of other musical styles and elements as well. Fujimoto has said that he draws influence from the Beatles, Stevie Wonder
and Milton Nascimento
, and makes use of the acoustic sound as well as drawing from bossa nova
and samba
styles.
Nagashima's vocal register is alto
. The duo's lyrics often make use of English as well.
Orange Pekoe
Orange pekoe , also spelled "pecco" is a term used in the Western tea trade to describe a particular genre of black teas . Despite a purported Chinese origin, these grading terms are typically used for teas from Sri Lanka, India and countries other than China; they are not generally known within...
, a type of tea.
Background
Orange Pekoe is composed of Kazuma Fujimoto, who plays guitar and does the composition, arrangement, and programming of the music, and Tomoko Nagashima, who writes the lyrics and performs vocals.The pair, both originally from Hyōgo prefecture
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
, began working together as graduate students at Kwansei Gakuin University
Kwansei Gakuin University
, colloquially abbreviated to , is a non-denominational Christian private and coeducational university located in Nishinomiya, Sanda, Osaka City, and Tokyo, Japan....
in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. They began performing in cafes and small venues in Osaka and Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
in 2000, and released their first mini-album, self-titled, in April 2001, under an independent label. After having their music played on a local radio station, and gaining popularity locally, the pair were picked up by major music label BMG Japan, releasing their first single, "Happy Valley", in April 2002. The single entered heavy rotation on radio stations across Japan, and the duo's first album, Organic Plastic Music, was released the following month.
Style
Though Fujimoto's compositions draw strongly upon jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, they reflect the influence of other musical styles and elements as well. Fujimoto has said that he draws influence from the Beatles, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
and Milton Nascimento
Milton Nascimento
-Biography:Nascimento's mother was the maid Maria Nascimento. As a baby, Milton Nascimento was adopted by his mother's former employers: the couple Josino Brito Campos, a banker employee, mathematics teacher and electronic technician; and Lília Silva Campos, a music teacher and choir singer...
, and makes use of the acoustic sound as well as drawing from bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
and samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
styles.
Nagashima's vocal register is alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
. The duo's lyrics often make use of English as well.
Singles
- "Happy Valley" (April 24, 2002)
- "Honeysuckle" (July 24, 2002)
- "Beautiful Thing" (November 6, 2002)
Full albums
- Organic Plastic Music (May 22, 2002)
- Modern Lights (July 2, 2003)
- Poetic Ore ; Invisible Beautiful Realism (July 7, 2004)
- Live2004 (February 23, 2005)
- Grace (December 14, 2005)
- Best Remixes(& Clips) (November 22, 2006)
- Wild Flowers (November 21, 2007)
- Crystalismo (July 8, 2009)
Mini-albums
- orangepekoe (April 20, 2001)
- orangepekoe in autumn (November 4, 2004)
External links
- Official Site
- Fan Site:Ore Style
- Onsuijin|PLUG IN (an interview with the duo; Japanese)
- museum music style|PLUG IN (interview; Japanese)