Yunioshi
Encyclopedia
Yunioshi are an electro rock
band from Nottingham
, England
, formed in October 2006. They describe their sound as "robot funk". The name Yunioshi came from I.Y. Yunioshi
, a character in Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's
.
Their sound has been described as 'the exact place where found sounds and breakbeats merge with left of centre indie pop
; all lilting Beck
-style rhythms and hummable hooks' (TuneTribe.com) or maybe "Think Beck
dry humping the Flaming Lips with the robot from Lost In Space
looking on and filming all the action for his own personal collection. The perfect pop band. They're as catchy as hell." (LeftLion
Magazine)
for the soundtrack to their UK television advertising campaign Cube for the Kia Carens model between December 2006 and February 2007.
Other tracks that have been used in advertising include "Thunderbird", which was used to advertise South Park
on Comedy Central
as well as being used numerous times by Sky Sports
and Setanta Sports
. "Leisure Rules" was also used as part of Vauxhall
Astra campaign.
Yunioshi have been selected by BBC Introducing
as a band to look out for. They have recorded sessions at BBC Maida Vale Studios
as well as performed on various BBC Introducing festivals stages in the UK. They have appeared live on Tom Robinson
s BBC 6Music show as well as further airplay on Steve Lamacq
, Huw Stephens
and local BBC radio shows. There was even a quiz about us on Stephen Merchant
s BBC 6music show.
They played the Bloom, Summer Sundae
Weekender and Splendour Festivals, during July and August 2009. In 2010 the band played numerous live events in the UK to a growing fan base. Later in the year they went to Reykjavik to play the Iceland Airwaves Festival. Upon their return from Iceland they headlined the Hockley Hustle festival at Nottingham Contemporary
.
They provide cake for their audiences at live shows. They refer to the Yunioshi Catering Corporation as the provider of the cake. There is normally a link to the event or venue in some tenuous way.
Electro rock
Electronic rock, also commonly referred to as synthrock, electro rock or digital rock, is rock music generated with electronic instruments...
band from Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, England
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...
, formed in October 2006. They describe their sound as "robot funk". The name Yunioshi came from I.Y. Yunioshi
I.Y. Yunioshi
I.Y. Yunioshi was a character in Truman Capote's 1958 novella Breakfast at Tiffany's. Mickey Rooney's portrayal of I.Y. Yunioshi in the 1961 film version of Breakfast at Tiffany's has been subject of extensive critical commentary and review since 1990....
, a character in Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's
Breakfast at Tiffany's (novella)
Breakfast at Tiffany's is a novella by Truman Capote published in 1958. The main character, Holly Golightly, is one of Capote's best-known creations and an American cultural icon.-Plot:...
.
Their sound has been described as 'the exact place where found sounds and breakbeats merge with left of centre 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...
; all lilting Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
-style rhythms and hummable hooks' (TuneTribe.com) or maybe "Think Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
dry humping the Flaming Lips with the robot from Lost In Space
Lost in Space
Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968...
looking on and filming all the action for his own personal collection. The perfect pop band. They're as catchy as hell." (LeftLion
LeftLion
LeftLion is a printed and online culture and listings magazine which covers Nottingham, with a specific focus on the local music and arts scene. It was originally set up by Alan Gilby, Tim Bates and Jared Wilson and the website was launched on 1 September 2003. The first issue of the Magazine came...
Magazine)
Members
- Rob Yunioshi (vocals, guitar, keyboards)
- Anna Suzuki Yunioshi (vocals, keyboards, stylophone and additional instrumentation)
- James Yunioshi san (bass, roland 303)
- Hakushi Yunioshi san (drums, additional percussion).
History
Their single, "Mymo", was used by KiaKia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
for the soundtrack to their UK television advertising campaign Cube for the Kia Carens model between December 2006 and February 2007.
Other tracks that have been used in advertising include "Thunderbird", which was used to advertise South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
as well as being used numerous times by Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
and Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
. "Leisure Rules" was also used as part of Vauxhall
Vauxhall
-Demography:Many Vauxhall residents live in social housing. There are several gentrified areas, and areas of terraced townhouses on streets such as Fentiman Road and Heyford Avenue have higher property values in the private market, however by far the most common type of housing stock within...
Astra campaign.
Yunioshi have been selected by BBC Introducing
BBC Introducing
BBC Introducing is the brand for new music programmes across the BBC radio stations, showcasing unsigned, self signed and other emerging musical talent primarily from the UK. Launched in 2007 the Introducing brand brings programming from across the BBC under a unified brand with each show retaining...
as a band to look out for. They have recorded sessions at BBC Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present...
as well as performed on various BBC Introducing festivals stages in the UK. They have appeared live on Tom Robinson
Tom Robinson
Tom Robinson is an English singer-songwriter, bassist and radio presenter, better known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson Band...
s BBC 6Music show as well as further airplay on Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq , sometimes known by his nicknames Lammo or "The Cat" is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio stations BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.-Early career:He was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire...
, Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens is a radio presenter currently broadcasting shows on BBC Radio 1.-Early life and career:Stephens was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of the author and literary journalist Meic Stephens...
and local BBC radio shows. There was even a quiz about us on Stephen Merchant
Stephen Merchant
Stephen James Merchant is an English writer, director, radio presenter, comedian, and actor. He is best known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais, as the co-writer and co-director of the popular British sitcom The Office, as the co-writer, co-director and a co-star of Extras, and as the...
s BBC 6music show.
They played the Bloom, Summer Sundae
Summer Sundae
Summer Sundae is an annual music festival held in Leicester, England which focuses on indie, alternative, and local music...
Weekender and Splendour Festivals, during July and August 2009. In 2010 the band played numerous live events in the UK to a growing fan base. Later in the year they went to Reykjavik to play the Iceland Airwaves Festival. Upon their return from Iceland they headlined the Hockley Hustle festival at Nottingham Contemporary
Nottingham Contemporary
Nottingham Contemporary is a contemporary art centre in the Lace Market area of Nottingham...
.
They provide cake for their audiences at live shows. They refer to the Yunioshi Catering Corporation as the provider of the cake. There is normally a link to the event or venue in some tenuous way.
Discography
| EPs | Year Of release |
|---|---|
| EP1 | 2006 |
| Welcome to the fifties | 2007 |
| EP2 | 2008 |
| How to survive a robot uprising | 2010 |
| Singles | Year Of release |
|---|---|
| Mymo | 2007 |
| Compilations | Year Of release |
|---|---|
| Leap-autumn/winter | 2006 |
| Leap-winter/spring | 2007 |
| Kind Assult | 2008 |
Television and advertising
- Kia Carens Cube UK TV Campaign (2006/2007) - "Mymo"
- Vauxhall Astra campaign (2007/2008) - "Leisure Rules"
- Setanta Sports - Harry Redknapp Montage (December 2008) - "Thunderbird"
- Comedy CentralComedy Central (UK)Comedy Central in the United Kingdom and Ireland is a localised version of Comedy Central which first began in the United States in the 1990s. The television channel is available through the Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk TV in the United Kingdom, Sky Ireland, UPC Ireland and Magnet Networks in the...
South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
UK TV Campaign (September 2009) - "Thunderbird"