Pizzicato Five
Encyclopedia
Pizzicato Five was a Japan
ese pop
group best known to audiences in the West
in their later incarnation as a duo of Maki Nomiya
and Yasuharu Konishi
. The group, widely credited (along with Flipper's Guitar
) with spearheading the shibuya-kei
movement of Tokyo in the 1990s, is known for eclectic and energetic compositions that often sound like "new" releases from the late 1960s hipster
scene. The catchphrase "A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular" captured the group's ironic stance and eager attitude. The group broke up in March 2001.
Pizzicato Five was a hugely prolific group during its 16-year-long existence, usually releasing at least an album each year in addition to various EPs and remix albums. Their music has appeared in numerous movies, television episodes, and video games.
's Non-Standard label (Teichiku Records
), a 12-inch called "Audrey Hepburn
Complex" which was produced by Hosono in 1985. They released two 12-inch singles.
In 1986, Pizzicato Five signed with CBS/Sony (now Sony Music Entertainment Japan
). In 1987, the band released their first all-new album, Couples. It was a commercial failure, and the record company began pressuring the band to find a new lead singer. Kamomiya and Sasaki decided to quit. Takao Tajima, Original Love's frontman, joined the band soon as the new vocalist. He decided to work at these two bands. With Tajima, the band released its second album, Belissima! in 1988.
The next two albums, 1989's On Her Majesty's Request and 1990's Soft Landing On The Moon were also commercial failures.
Following 3 EPs showcasing Nomiya's vocals, Pizzicato Five released This Year's Girl. Inspired by the advent of sampling (De La Soul
's 3 Feet High and Rising
is said to have been a major influence), the group put together a sound which would help start the burgeoning Shibuya-kei
scene. The album would spawn two of their most loved songs: "Twiggy Twiggy" and "Baby Love Child" (the latter song finding its way onto the Futurama
episode "Leela's Homeworld
" as well as Adam Curtis' 2011 documentary series "All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace
", in which it serves as title music.)
1992 saw a change in direction as the clubby Sweet Pizzicato Five was released.
The band began to get increasing exposure via the theme songs it recorded for television dramas (a common practice for pop bands in Japan) achieving widespread fame with the 1993 single "Sweet Soul Revue", which was featured in a major spring advertising campaign for Kao Corporation (Kanebo Cosmetics). The single became a smash hit and number 1 hit in the Philippines.
In June of the same year, Pizzicato Five released the album Bossa Nova 2001. Produced by fellow Shibuya-scenester Cornelius
, it reached number seven on the charts. In December, the single (literally, 7 p.m. in Tokyo) became another smash hit after it was used as the opening theme of the children's television programme Ugo Ugo Lhuga.
The band's American debut came in 1994 with the release of the EP
Five By Pizzicato Five on Matador Records
. This was quickly followed by a full-length album, Made in USA, a compilation of tracks from their last three Japanese albums which sold 200,000 copies worldwide.
Shortly before the release of the next album Overdose in the same year, Keitarō Takanami quit the band, leaving Konishi and Nomiya as the only remaining members. In February 1995 the two set off on a successful 14-stop tour of Europe and America. Another compilation, The Sound of Music was released in October 1995, again featuring various tracks from the Maki-era albums.
After the 1996 release of the album Romantique 96 and several singles including the hit Baby Portable Rock, in 1997 the band formed its own label, *********(Readymade) Records, Tokyo, and released the commercially successful album Happy End of the World - the only album to be released unchanged in both Japan and the rest of the world.
In 1998, the band released The International Playboy & Playgirl Record in Japan. It would be released a year later with US and the rest of the world with a slightly different track-listing and the shortened title (which was also its Japanese title) of "Playboy & Playgirl".
1999 came and Pizzicato Five released the "JBL Maxisonic" series of EPs, followed by their self-titled album Pizzicato Five. It included songs from each of the 3 EPs in very different forms: "Darlin' of Discothèque" is shorter and instrumental, "A Perfect World" is a lounge-style rearrangement sung by guest vocalist Mieko Hirota
and the new song "20th century Girl" is based on the B-side "Room Service", originally written by Masumi Arichika of TV Jesus.
2001 saw the Japanese release of the album Çà et là du Japon
and the announcement that the band was to break up, followed by a series of live events featuring guest performances by old members and two further "Big Hits and Jet Lags" albums - Pizzicato Five R.I.P. (1998–2001) and Singles (1993–2001).
Maki Nomiya (1990–2001)
Mamiko Sasaki (1984–1987)
Ryō Kamomiya (1984–1987)
Takao Tajima (1987–1990)
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...
ese pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group best known to audiences in the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
in their later incarnation as a duo of Maki Nomiya
Maki Nomiya
is a Japanese singer and musician. She released her first solo album in 1981, and worked through the 1980s as the lead vocalist of the New Wave band Portable Rock. In 1991 she became the lead singer of the band Pizzicato Five. When the group disbanded in 2001 she embarked on a solo career...
and Yasuharu Konishi
Yasuharu Konishi
is a Japanese musician, composer and DJ. He was a founding member of Pizzicato Five and the only founding member to stay with the group until its breakup in 2002...
. The group, widely credited (along with Flipper's Guitar
Flipper's Guitar
Flipper's Guitar were a Tokyo-based Japanese pop band led and later duo by Keigo Oyamada and Kenji Ozawa. The band were influenced by the chirpy sound of British 80s pop groups like Haircut One Hundred, Exhibit B, The Style Council and Aztec Camera, as well as the fashionably eclectic sounds of...
) with spearheading the shibuya-kei
Shibuya-kei
is a sub-genre of Japanese pop music which originated in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. It is best described as a mix between jazz, pop, and electropop.- Overview :...
movement of Tokyo in the 1990s, is known for eclectic and energetic compositions that often sound like "new" releases from the late 1960s hipster
Hipster
Hipster may refer to:* Hipster * Hipster * Hipster PDA, a paper-based personal organizer* Low-rise * Hipsters * Hipster...
scene. The catchphrase "A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular" captured the group's ironic stance and eager attitude. The group broke up in March 2001.
Pizzicato Five was a hugely prolific group during its 16-year-long existence, usually releasing at least an album each year in addition to various EPs and remix albums. Their music has appeared in numerous movies, television episodes, and video games.
1980s
The group was formed in 1985 by Konishi and fellow founding bandmates Keitarō Takanami, Ryō Kamomiya, Mamiko Sasaki, and Shigeo Miyata. Miyata left the group almost immediately but the four remaining members kept the name Pizzicato Five (The notation was "Pizzicato V" from their debut to 1987). The band released its first single on Haruomi HosonoHaruomi Hosono
, also known as Harry Hosono, is a Japanese popular musician, best known internationally as a key member of the rock band Happy End and the pioneering electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra.-Biography:...
's Non-Standard label (Teichiku Records
Teichiku Records
Teichiku Records is a Japanese record label, run by the Teichiku Entertainment company, that specialises in enka, kayōkyoku, and similar music. Teichiku is an abbreviation for , the former name of the company...
), a 12-inch called "Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
Complex" which was produced by Hosono in 1985. They released two 12-inch singles.
In 1986, Pizzicato Five signed with CBS/Sony (now Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....
). In 1987, the band released their first all-new album, Couples. It was a commercial failure, and the record company began pressuring the band to find a new lead singer. Kamomiya and Sasaki decided to quit. Takao Tajima, Original Love's frontman, joined the band soon as the new vocalist. He decided to work at these two bands. With Tajima, the band released its second album, Belissima! in 1988.
The next two albums, 1989's On Her Majesty's Request and 1990's Soft Landing On The Moon were also commercial failures.
1990s
In 1990, Maki Nomiya, who had previously released one solo album, joined as the third lead vocalist. Takao Tajima left to concentrate on his own band "Original Love." In 1991, Pizzicato Five signed with Nippon Columbia/Seven Gods (later Triad Records).Following 3 EPs showcasing Nomiya's vocals, Pizzicato Five released This Year's Girl. Inspired by the advent of sampling (De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
's 3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising is the debut album from American hip hop trio De La Soul, released in 1989.The album marked the first of three full-length collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. It is consistently placed on 'greatest...
is said to have been a major influence), the group put together a sound which would help start the burgeoning Shibuya-kei
Shibuya-kei
is a sub-genre of Japanese pop music which originated in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. It is best described as a mix between jazz, pop, and electropop.- Overview :...
scene. The album would spawn two of their most loved songs: "Twiggy Twiggy" and "Baby Love Child" (the latter song finding its way onto the Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
episode "Leela's Homeworld
Leela's Homeworld
"Leela's Homeworld" is the second episode of the fourth production season of Futurama. It originally aired as the fifth episode on the Fox network in the United States on February 17, 2002. "Leela's Homeworld" was written by Kristin Gore and directed by Mark Ervin. The episode reveals Leela's true...
" as well as Adam Curtis' 2011 documentary series "All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace
All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace (television documentary series)
All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace is a three part BBC documentary series by filmmaker Adam Curtis, well known for other documentaries including The Century of the Self, The Trap and The Power of Nightmares...
", in which it serves as title music.)
1992 saw a change in direction as the clubby Sweet Pizzicato Five was released.
The band began to get increasing exposure via the theme songs it recorded for television dramas (a common practice for pop bands in Japan) achieving widespread fame with the 1993 single "Sweet Soul Revue", which was featured in a major spring advertising campaign for Kao Corporation (Kanebo Cosmetics). The single became a smash hit and number 1 hit in the Philippines.
In June of the same year, Pizzicato Five released the album Bossa Nova 2001. Produced by fellow Shibuya-scenester Cornelius
Cornelius (musician)
Cornelius is a Japanese recording artist and producer.-Career:Oyamada's first claim to fame was as a member of the pop duo Flipper's Guitar, one of the key groups of the Tokyo Shibuya-kei scene...
, it reached number seven on the charts. In December, the single (literally, 7 p.m. in Tokyo) became another smash hit after it was used as the opening theme of the children's television programme Ugo Ugo Lhuga.
The band's American debut came in 1994 with the release of the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Five By Pizzicato Five on Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
. This was quickly followed by a full-length album, Made in USA, a compilation of tracks from their last three Japanese albums which sold 200,000 copies worldwide.
Shortly before the release of the next album Overdose in the same year, Keitarō Takanami quit the band, leaving Konishi and Nomiya as the only remaining members. In February 1995 the two set off on a successful 14-stop tour of Europe and America. Another compilation, The Sound of Music was released in October 1995, again featuring various tracks from the Maki-era albums.
After the 1996 release of the album Romantique 96 and several singles including the hit Baby Portable Rock, in 1997 the band formed its own label, *********(Readymade) Records, Tokyo, and released the commercially successful album Happy End of the World - the only album to be released unchanged in both Japan and the rest of the world.
In 1998, the band released The International Playboy & Playgirl Record in Japan. It would be released a year later with US and the rest of the world with a slightly different track-listing and the shortened title (which was also its Japanese title) of "Playboy & Playgirl".
1999 came and Pizzicato Five released the "JBL Maxisonic" series of EPs, followed by their self-titled album Pizzicato Five. It included songs from each of the 3 EPs in very different forms: "Darlin' of Discothèque" is shorter and instrumental, "A Perfect World" is a lounge-style rearrangement sung by guest vocalist Mieko Hirota
Mieko Hirota
is a Japanese popular singer. Her nickname is Mico .Hirota was born in Setagaya, Tokyo. She grew up listening to pops and jazz in places like Tachikawa frequented by Occupation troops. She made her debut in 1961 at age 14...
and the new song "20th century Girl" is based on the B-side "Room Service", originally written by Masumi Arichika of TV Jesus.
2000 and beyond
In 2000, Matador Records released Pizzicato Five under the somewhat less confusing name of The Fifth Release From Matador. The CD version of this left out the first song "Love Again" but made up for it with three additional tracks (one from each of the JBL Maxisonic EPs), while the LP version shared the same title but deviated still further from the original track-listing. It would also be Pizzicato Five's last American release.2001 saw the Japanese release of the album Çà et là du Japon
Çà et là du Japon
Çà et là du Japon was the last original studio album by Pizzicato Five. It was released by ********* Records on the first day of the first month of 2001, and re-released with different artwork and a lower price in 2006...
and the announcement that the band was to break up, followed by a series of live events featuring guest performances by old members and two further "Big Hits and Jet Lags" albums - Pizzicato Five R.I.P. (1998–2001) and Singles (1993–2001).
The last members
Yasuharu Konishi (1984–2001)- SongwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, 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...
, vocals. - was the only founding member to stay with the group until the end. He is a music producer now.
Maki Nomiya (1990–2001)
- Lead vocal.
- was the third vocalist of this group. She is also a solo singer, a narratorNarratorA narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
, a fashion model and a dress designerDesignerA designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
now.
Former members
Keitarō Takanami (1984–1994)- Guitar, keyboards and vocals.
- was one of the founding members, and he is a guitaristGuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and a music producer now. He changed his name to 高浪敬太郎 (Keitarō Takanami) later, and was also known as "K-taro."
Mamiko Sasaki (1984–1987)
- Lead vocal.
- was one of the founding members and was the first vocalist of this group.
Ryō Kamomiya (1984–1987)
- Keyboards.
- was one of the founding members, and is a composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and an arrangerArrangerIn investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
now.
Takao Tajima (1987–1990)
- Lead vocal, guitar, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
. - was the second vocalist of this group. He had already come out as Original Love's vocalist then. He is a solo singer and is also a music producer now.
See also
- PizzicatoPizzicatoPizzicato is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of stringed instrument....
, a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument