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Savage Imagination
silly experimental pop by Takako Minekawa (J-pop diva) + Dustin Wong (Hawaiian born half-Chinese / half-American guitarist)
She He See Feel
from their second album Savage Imagination
on Thrill Jockey (US) and Plancha Records (Japan)
More info about them + album review +
short Takako Minekawa interview here
Keith Moonshine Show
The Japanese experimental electro pop musician Takako Minkewa,
and American Chinese experimental guitar player Dustin Wong’s
brand new common album Savage Imagination is out now on Thrill Jockey Records.
It’s such as great pleasure for me that I have taken out Takako’s old records.
Some classic, funny, abstract electro-pop songs by her from the second half of the 90s,
except for the first song, which has been taken from the brand new album.
Savage Imagination
songs of Takako Minekawa
1. She He See Feel 2. Micro Mini Cool 3. Milk Rock 4. Cat House 5. Brioche 6. Fabie (1,2,3 Excercise) 7. Mimi 8. Kangaroo Pocket Calculator 9. Spin Spider Spin 10.T.T.T. (Turntable Tennis) 11. Fantastic Voyage 12. Fantastic Cat 13. Lullabby of Gray 14. Flash 15. Telstar
Chat Chat (1995): 7
Roomic Cube (1996): 10, 12
Athletica (1997): 6
Cloudy Cloud Calculator (1997): 2, 3, 4, 8, 15
Fun 9 (1999): 9, 11, 14
Maxi On (2000): 5, 13
Savage Imagination (with Dustin Wong, 2014): 1
About Takako Minekawa, her brand new album with Dustin Wong,
and a short interview
Takako Minekawa & Dustin Wong & Cats
Dustin Wong & Takako Minekawa – Savages Imagination. Album review.
Let’s see my notes! Well, at first, who is Takako Minekawa?
Do you remember the J-pop explosion in the 90s? Exactly I think the members of shibuya-key movement, e.g. Pizzicato 5, Cornelius, Kahimi Kane, Fantastic Plastic Machine, Towa Tei, Maki Nomiya and others. Among them Takako Minekawa made the wittiest music. Her particular experimental electro-pop was influenced by the 60s French Yé-Yé and Brazilian Tropicalia movements, Pet Shop Boys and Kraftwerk, house and the fashionable electronic dance music of the 90s, for instance the Ninja Tunes’ artists. And her music was nevertheless unmistakeable Japanese. It was very playful and silly parade of sounds and moods. Between two catchy pop songs always was something peculiar, but funny abstraction, but often also inside the catchy pop melodies. Her records were released between 1995 and 2000, and there was a hit in 1996, Fantastic Cat
After 13 years silence she came back last year with a common album with Dustin Wong. He is a Hawaiian born half Chinese/half American guitarist. He grew up in Japan and went to college to the US. There he founded an experimental guitar duo with Matthew Papich (nowadays: Co La): Ecstatic Sunshine (2004-07), and a Deerhoofesque art rock band: Ponytail (2005-11). After the break-up he has begun solo career, and makes experimental guitar albums. And now here is the next Minekawa & Wong album. And it’s (or at least, I like it) better than the previous one. The music is very playful and silly parade of sounds and moods. Inside the songs, between two peculiar, but funny abstract electro-pop melodies, always are catchy pop tunes. Unfortunately many people averse to the phrase „pop”, and same time they consider „rock”, „metal” and „punk” as positive things, when there are many load of shit under the label of „rock”, „metal” and „punk.” This is pop, because this is not rock. Rather alternative disco a la Mouse on Mars.
And here is another strange thing. The „Savage Imagination” comes the Beastie Boys in my mind, while this is almost entirely instrumental album. And this fact has been observed after I listened to it many times! Well, their rate of creativity is equivalent with the mentioned boys.
LP and CD out on 22 September by Thrill Jockey Records (US)
CD and digital on Plancha Records (Japan)
And finally let’s see the cats!
A rabbit tail long interview with Takako Minekawa Tovább / Read more »
From New Records
Second common work of Hawaiian born half Chinese/half American experimental guitarist Dustin Wong (was in Ponytail) and Japanese pop star Takako Minekawa. It’s more playful than the previous one, because there are more J-pop moments. Takako sings about quantum physics, human consciousness, and flying above a desert all within the framework of Japanese puns in the song “She He See Feel”
„Savage Imagination” LP, CD on Thrill Jockey Records (US)
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Obnox is Bim Thomas Lamont, the drummer of raw blues band Bassholes. He has plenty of drive because he is working on two albums at the same time now. But before everything else he has thrown out an EP which is stuffed his basement jams. Harsh distorted rock and roll sometimes is like a strange Ministry.
„The Juke That Sat By The Door” EP on Chunklet Records (US)
Toropical Circle (After Roomic Cube)
I have heard of him already, but didn’t know about him too many things until this album that he has made with Takako Minekawa. I have caught sight of her name and pounce on the record immediately so I had to know him:
Dustin Wong is a Hawaiian born half Chinese/half American guitarist. He grew up in Japan and went to college to the US. There he founded an experimental guitar duo with Matthew Papich (nowadays: Co La), the Ecstatic Sunshine (2004-07) and the Deerhoofesque art rock band, Ponytail (2005-11). After the break-up he has begun solo career and made experimental guitar albums. He lives in Japan again.
Takako Minekawa is a Japanese musician. She was active in the 90’s as the most interesting shibuya-kei artist. The term comes from Tokyo’s Shibuya ward. The district is the centre of the Japanese fashion and pop culture. Shibuya-kei (literally: Shibuya system) is described as a mix of jazz, pop and synthpop. Takako Minekawa’s music is experimental shibuya-kei. She loves cats, clouds, Kraftwerk, French pop and vintage instruments.
They have met in Tokyo in 2011 after a Dustin Wong gig and become working together. The outcome of their labour is the recently born Toropical Circle album. It’s Takako Minekawa’s first work for 13 years. Her weird synth sounds and dreamy singing voice meets his strange guitar sounds
The record is rather experimental with ambient, gamelan and oriental moods than pop, but there are some shibuya-kei moments too. It’s a really nice, pleasant album.
Released by Plancha Records, Vinyl from Thrill Jockey
Some useful links
Free Music Archive Dustin Wong Ponytail
Live at Shea Stadium Dustin Wong Ecstatic Sunshine