YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA posted with DAVID

Country :
Japan
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Synth-pop

Members:
Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yukihiro Takahashi

































YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA (1978)

Notes :
this was the Japanese release of their first album (1978).

Credits:
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Keyboards, Electronics, Percussion, & Orchestration
Yukihiro Takahashi: Drums, Percussion, Electronics, & Vocals
Haruomi Hosono: Bass, Electronics, Keyboards, & Arrangements
Hidrki Matsutake: Micro Composer Programming
Shunichi Hashimoto: Vocal on Somoon
Masayoshi Takanaka: Electronic Guitar on La Femme Chinoise & Cosmic' Surfin'
Tomoko Nunoi: Sexy Voice on La Femme Chinoise

Tracklist:

01 Computer Game (Theme From The Circus) – 1:48
02 Firecracker – 4:50
03 Simoon – 6:27
04 Cosmic' Surfin – 4:51
05 Computer Game (Theme From The Invader) – 0:43
06 Tong Poo – 6:15
07 La Femme Chinoise – 5:52
08 Bridge Over Troubled Music – 1:17
09 Mad Pierrot – 4:20
10 Acrobat – 1:12

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29835397/78.rar.html

or:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29179745/yellow_magic_orchestra.rar

Other version of covers:
together with the covers of TECHNODELIC 1981 (see below) !




















YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA USA (1979)

Notes:
Remixed version and USA released of their first album with new cover art.

Tracklist:

01 Computer Game (Theme From The Circus) – 1:46
02 Firecracker – 4:50
03 Simoon – 6:27
04 Cosmic Surfin – 4:26
05 Computer Game (Theme From The Invader) – 1:01
06 Yellow Magic (Tong Poo) – 6:17
07 La Femme Chinoise – 5:55
08 Bridge Over Troubled Music – 1:18
09 Mad Pierrot – 4:04

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29837623/ymo_usa.rar.html

"What can I say? This album is simply pure joy. I remember first seeing YMO on the Old Grey Whistle Test more years ago than I wish to remember playing Cosmic Surfin' live and on the strength of that one performance I brought the whole album/cassette and it did not dissapoint at all. For anyone not familar with YMO's music just think of Jean Michel Jarre/Vangelis/Kraftwerk all rolled in together and you get some sort of idea what to expect. I love this album and was delighted to see it on CD with the tracks for the USA market just about different enough to make it interesting. Buy if you want the very best in synthesier music, believe you me you won't be dissapointed !"






















SOLID STATE SURVIVOR (1979)

Credits:
Ryuichi Sakamoto: keyboards, voices
Yukihiro Takahashi: Drums, vocals
Haruomi Hosono: bass, kayboards, voices
Computer Programming by: Heideki Matsutake
Makoto Ayukawa: electronig guitar on "Day Tripper", "Solid State Survivor"
Sandii: voices on "Absolute Ego Dance"

Tracklist:

01 Technopolis - 4:14
02 Absolute Ego Dance - 4:37
03 Rydeen - 4:26
04 Castalia - 3:31
05 Behind The Mask - 3:36
06 Day Tripper - 2:40
07 Insomnia - 4:57
08 Solid State Survivor - 3:58

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29835779/solid_state.rar.html

or:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29187942/YMO_-_1979_-_solid_state_survivor__192_.rar

"This, in my humble opinion, is the best YMO album of them all. The record is loaded with glorious tunes which most other bands would give their back teeth for. 'Technopolis' has a melodic refrain which has had me humming it since release in 1979! The crystal clear pure momentum of 'Rydeen' is just gorgeous and is so fresh in comparison to some of the unfocused techno of the last few years.
Eric Clapton covered 'Behind the Mask' such is the strength of the songwriting. YMO also experiment with darker material on tracks such as 'Castalia' and 'Insomnia'. Overall the album still sounds excellent. There are moments which sound dated or a bit glib but overall this is a well worth hearing."

"This is Yellow Magic Orchestra's 2nd and probably most famous album. The first vinyl version came out in 1979, and YMO was awarded the annual grand prize for the best album of the year in Japan (1979) when the rest of the world didn't know much about computer electric pop music, something YMO called 'Techno Pop'. Germany's Kraft Werk was one of only a few other groups of this kind.
This album contains famous pieces, including 'Technopolis', which starts with a computerised voice saying 'TOKIO', written by Ryuichi SAKAMOTO ('The Last Emperor', 'Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence'); 'Absolute Ego Dance' (by Harry HOSONO); and probably the most famous YMO number 'Rydeen' (by Yukihiro TAKAHASHI). I personally love the YMO version of the Beatles 'Day Tripper' and the main theme 'Solid State Survivor (SSS)', in which the guitarist of Sheena & the Rokkets, Makoto AYUKAWA, takes part. By the way, SSS contains some strange electric 'coughs' and 'laughter', and a Japanese expression 'Moshi Moshi? (Hello Hello?)' can also be heard a few times. 'Rydeen' contains some 'horse running' noises too. The sound of synthesizers (especially 'Prophet 5'), synthe-drums and the futuristic melody are all amazing! But the most amazing thing is that this album was released in 1979! YMO came to London in 1979, even before they became famous in their home country of Japan."


























PUBLIC PRESSURE -Live (1980)

Notes:
Tracks 1-4 Live at The Venue, London Track 5 Live at The Greek Theatre, L.A.
Tracks 6-8 Live at The Bottom Line, New York

Tracklist:

01 Rydeen – 5:08
02 Solid State Survivor – 4:01
03 Tong Poo – 6:01
04 The End Of Asia – 6:51
05 Cosmic Surfin – 4:35
06 Day Tripper– 2:42
07 Radio Junk – 4:19
08 La Femme Chinoise – 6:15
09 Back In Tokio – 1:52

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29836103/public_pressure.rar.html

or:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29195074/y.m.o_-_1980_-_public_pressure.rar

Covers:
also together with the covers of SOLID STATE SURVIVOR 1979 (see above) !




































XOO MULTIPLIES (1980)

Notes:
("times infinity multiplies", although this phrase does not appear to make sense; it is sometimes mistyped as "Xoo Multiplies") was a mini-album.
It contains a mixture of songs and instrumentals by YMO (including humorous reworking of Archie Bell & the Drells' "Tighten Up"), interspersed with comedy sketches. These sketches are performed by the 'Snakeman Show' in Japanese and English, with YMO participating in some of them.
Confusingly, a compilation album of the same title but with completely different tracks was also released in the USA (and Australia) and a subsequent single.

Tracklist:

01 Jingle: YMO
02 Nice Age
03 Snakeman Show
04 Tighten Up (Japanese Gentlemen Stand Up Please)
05 Snakeman Show
06 Here We Go Again - Tighten Up
07 Snakeman Show
08 Citizens Of Science
09 Snakeman Show
10 Multiplies
11 The End of Asia

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29837181/xoo.rar.html

or:
http://www.uploading.com/?get=CPUXYX7S

the covers also run with BGM 1981 (see below) !

"This one is showcase of the diversity of japanese music.Popular music, this band has been seen as an milestone for electricmusic.Good humor is allso a way 2 descripe this album."

"One of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO)'s earliest records which contain some funny dialogues and jokes between their excellent pieces of, what they call, Techno-Pop music such as 'Nice Age'. The dialogus, played by a separate group called 'Snakeman Show', I don't quite understand what exactly is going on, but it's definitely funny Ha-Ha. I'm enjoying this comical and relaxed nature of YMO. In this sense this album is slightly different from some earlier records like 'Solid State Survivor', but I recommend this for all YMO fams and late '70s & early '80s techno & electic music fans."




































BGM (1981)

Tracklist:

01 Ballet
02 Music Plans
03 Rap Phenomena
04 Happy End
05 1000 Knives
06 Cue
07 U.T
08 Camouflage
09 Mass
10 Loom

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29836794/bmg.rar.html

or:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29201416/Yellow_Magic_Orchestra_-_Bgm.rar

Covers:
together with the covers of XOO MULTIPLIES 1980 (see above) !


"What can you say about YMO that hasn't already been said? The little group that started out as a self-professed Japanese rip-off of Kraftwerk quickly took on a life and fandom of their own that is literally unparalelled in the history of international pop music. BGM is one of their most groundbreaking efforts, a mixed bag of ultra-high technology (for the early 1980's), atmospheric ambient noodling, and unselfconsciously overblown corniness. YMO was always more diverse and much more imaginative than their German inspiration, and BGM is a case in point. Kraftwerk built a legacy of bland, yet mindnumbingly catchy similitude, every song essentially a variation, both stylistically and musically, of 'Autobahn' and 'Trans-Europe Express'. The Japanese trio, however, were never afraid to shake loose from the self-imposed, neo-gothic duldrums of European electronic music. It is no wonder that YMO was, and still is, cited by the more creative forces in 90's techno and and ambient trance, like Orb and 808 State, as a stronger influence than the mighty Kraftwerk. Ironically enough, this album, along with its 1981 co-release 'Technodelic', is their most Teutonic sounding effort. Execept for the despicably kitschy 'Rap Phenomena', which from its very intro makes me nauseous with nostalgia, this is a rather dark little collection of "songs", rising from the depths of some electronic unconscious like a sonic, cybernetic raven. The back of the album displays the list of electronic wizardry (and gimmickry) that Harry, Ryuichi, and Yukihiro used to create this modern classic, complete with then state-of-the-art PC's, sequencers, and of course YMO's trademark arsenal of digital samplers. The most impressive array of electronic instrumentation I have ever seen or heard yet, on either side of the 21st century. The "music", for lack of a better description, produced by all these gizmos is magnificent. Everywhere there are the digitally sampled and regurgitated echoes of helicopters, machine guns, drills, chainsaws, and disembodied human voices. Yukihiro Takahashi's loping percussion holds it all together, more efficiently and precisely than any pre-programmed drum machine (although a couple of those are employed as well, apparently for good technological measure).
BGM is a classic of early electronic pop music. It is daring, unique, at times light years ahead of their European competition, with its mix of excess and success. In that sense it is the consummate YMO album, a musical resume of their all too short time together as a cohesive unit. "

























TECHNODELIC (1981)

Tracklist:

01 Pure Jam – 4:30
02 Neue Tanz – 4:58
03 Stairs – 4:14
04 Seoul Music – 4:46
05 Light In Darkness – 3:40
06 Taiso – 4:21
07 Gradated Grey – 5:33
08 Key – 4:32
09 Prologue – 2:31
10 Epilogue – 4:21

Link to download:
http://www.uploading.com/?get=V05P5HEP

"Now this is something. YMO remain a personal favourite even though they have released some stuff of really varying quality I must say. However this is their best disc in my opinion and ranks up there along with early Kraftwerk as a pioneering work of modern electronic music. It is also the least eastern (even if in some instances mabe thier most!) of their records and therefore the most understandable. YMO were apparently huge in Japan which one can understand. All their records have something that you can recommend them by. The only problem is that these japanese imports used to be hyper-expensive at the time. But they were definitely worth it."

"I'm a huge fan of YMO I first heard of them back in 1983 and was lucky enough to get a hold of 1981 BGM one of my favorires next to "Technodelic" There sound was different then a lot of Electronic bands at the time but was just as good if not better than other well known releases like Depeche Mode-"Speak&Spell"Human Leagues-"Dare" and Kraftwerks-"ComputerWorld"."

"I can't believe this was released in 1981. It is a technopop masterpiece. 99% of the synth junk from that time sounds *hopelessly* dated today. That's right, even J.M.JARRE! Not this gem. Very unique, even cinematic."





















NAUGHTY BOYS (1983)

Tracklist:

01 Kimi Ni Munekyun (Uwaki Na Vacances) - 4:07
02 Expected Way - 4:34
03 Focus - 3:41
04 Ongaku - 3:25
05 Opened my Eyes - 3:40
06 You've Got To Help Yourself - 0:30
07 Lotus Love - 4:05
08 Kai-Koh - 4:27
09 Expecting Rivers - 4:37
10 Wild Ambitions - 5:10

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29834274/naughty.rar.html

or:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29292953/Yellow_Magic_Orchestra_-_Naughty_boys.rar

"This is one of the greatest synthpop albums I've ever heard, and I've heard quite a few. Every song is great...there are no duds here. Naughty Boys has stood the test of time as well...a dj could play this and Ladytron back to back and I doubt many would realize that Naughty Boys is over 20 years old. Most of the songs on Naughty Boys are poppy and irresistably dancey. Yukihiro Takahashi's drumming is top notch. There are darker moodier (though still dancable) moments with the brilliant 'Lotus Love'. Some songs feature the dreamy e-bow guitar by Bill Nelson, which just adds to its brilliance. Some exceptional songs are Lotus Love, Kimi Ni Mune Kune, Ongaku, Wild Ambitions. But make no mistake, there are NO bad songs on the cd. Most of the lyrics are in Japanese. There is also an interview with all the members in the cd booklet but it too is in Japanese. The 2nd cd (see below!) features all the songs instrumental versions, except for Kimi Ni Mune Kune which is replaced by Chaos Panic. I myself prefer the cd with lyrics. Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, Ultravox and The Human League have gotten a lot of recognition for their music over the years, but YMO deserve just as much. "

"The first thing you notice about this album on first listen is how dissimilar it is to most mid-80s synth pop; it sounds rich and complex, with beautiful, glassy multi-layers of harmony that contain an almost acoustic fullness. Drawing on an unmistakeably Japanese sense of melody, Naughty Boys also possesses an intricate tunefulness that is light years ahead of the tinny arpeggiated bleeps that characterized too many electronic acts of the decade. It's clearly the work of serious musicians with a knowledge of forms beyond their immediate pop environment.
The songs themselves are, it must be said, fairly weak and the combination of the thin oriental vocal style and pidgin English that appears on a few tracks don't really help. You may prefer the instrumental CD, as I initially did. But lately I've listened more and more to the original album, for the simple reason that it sounds so much more atmospheric: the mix is cool, translucent and misty, like a Kyoto dawn (I don't care how much a twerp that makes me sound, it really is that gorgeous to behold).
The instrumental remixes are, in comparison, somewhat less subtle, primary colours to the original's eggshell blue tones. But who cares? Two CDs of quality material at this price is hard to argue with. If, like me, you were intrigued by comparisons of YMO to a 'Japanese Kraftwerk' there's no better place to start than this. Futuristic, pastoral and impenetrably exotic, either CD will entrance you."


NAUGHTY BOYS INSTRUMENTAL (1983)

Tracklist:

01 Chaos Panic - 4:12
02 Expected Way - 4:34
03 Focus - 3:43
04 Kai-Koh - 4:26
05 Expecting Rivers - 4:37
06 You've Got To Help Yourself - 4:19
07 Lotus Love - 4:05
08 Ongaku - 3:25
09 Opened My Eyes - 3:43
10 Wild Ambitions - 5:11

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29837179/instrum.rar.html

Covers:
together with the covers of Y.M.O USA 1979 (see above) !






















EXTRACT FROM SERVICE (1984)

Tracklist:

01 Limbo
02 The Madmen
03 S.E.T
04 Chinese Whispers
05 You've Got To Help Yourself
06 Shadows On The Ground
07 See-Through
08 Perspective
09 S.E.T

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29836604/extract_from_service.rar.html


















SERVICE (1984)

Tracklist:

01 Limbo (3:32)
02 S.E.T. (4:23)
03 The Madmen (4:41)
04 S.E.T. (1:24)
05 Chinese Whispers (4:29)
06 S.E.T. (4:17)
07 You've Got To Help Yourself (4:45)
08 S.E.T.+YMO (5:55)
09 Shadows On The Ground (4:21)
10 S.E.T. (3:26)
11 See-Through (3:39)
12 S.E.T. (4:10)
13 Perspective (5:14)
14 S.E.T. (:50)

Link to download:
http://www.uploading.com/?get=YE63U7X7

"In this era of YMO, they tried to be pop and more entertained. The title of this album "Service" means that this album is for the general audience, so they made it easy to understand, that's what I'm guessing. You can notice that there are short comedies which are like interlude thing between song and song. That is quite funny, if you understand Japanese. The music is very popish and catchy, especially Ryuichi's "Perspective". That has very catchy piano riff that makes his song shine. Also their Drum work is fantastic. There is one more thing that is quite good is Hosono's Bass. That has very rhythmic and hopping line. You'll like it."



















AFTER SERVICE vol 1.-2 (1984)

Notes:
was the fifth live album by Yellow Magic Orchestra (1984). The album was entitled After Service because it directly followed their album Service.

CD 1.

01 Propaganda
02 Tong Poo
03 Behind The Mask
04 Solid State Survivor
05 La Femme Chinoise
06 Ongaku
07 Focus
08 Ballet
09 Wild Ambitions
10 Kai-Koh

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29834300/after_1.rar.html

Covers:
together with extract from service covers

CD 2.

01 Expecting Rivers
02 See-Through
03 Key
04 Technopolis
05 Rydeen
06 You've Got To Help Yourself
07 Kageki Na Syukujo
08 Kimi Ni Munekyun-Uwaki Na Vacances
09 Firecracker

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29835549/after_2.rar.html

Covers:
together with the covers of NAUGHTY BOYS 1983 (see above) !




















KYORETSU NA RHYTHM - Best of (1992)

Tracklist:

01 Lotus Love
02 Chaos Panic
03 Key
04 Cue
05 Computer Games
06 Pure Jam
07 Nice Age
08 Tighten Up
09 Rydeen
10 Megamix - Ymo In The 90's
DJ Mix - Peter Lorimer

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/30229755/kyroatsu_na.rar.html

"If you are a die hard ymo fan this is a useless compilation of your faves...albeit CD quality and all in one place. If you are curious about ymo, this is a pretty good starting point. I usually loan out this copy to people who are curious. Ymo is YUMMY-o"




















HI-TECH NO CRIME (1993)

Tracklist:

01 Camouflage (Mark Gamble Micro-mix)
02 Light In Darkness (The 808 State Remix)
03 Behind The Mask (The Orbital Remix)
04 Multiplies (The Altern 8 Syncopated Mix)
05 Loom (Mark Gamble Micro Mix Ii)
06 La Femme Chinoise (The Lfo Remix)
07 Tighten Up (The Robert Gordon Remix)
08 Firecracker (Zero B Mix)
09 Castalia (Mark Gamble Micro Mix Iii)
10 Shadows On The Ground (The Sweet Exorcist Remix)
11 Rydeen (The Graham Massey Remix)
12 Firecracker (Additional Production, Reconstruction And Mix By The Shamen)
13 Tong Poo (The Orb Remix I)
14 Tong Poo (The Other Orb Remix Ii)
15 Light In Darkness (...spark) (The 808 State Ambient Reprise)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/29837459/hi-tech_no_crime.rar.html

"These remixes add not only a 90's feel to many YMO favorites, but add the flair and style of the many contributors. Especially enjoyable are the remixes by 808 state, which keep an overall chord structure from "Light in the Darkness" but embellish the song to a point where it is barely recognizable. YMO helped pioneer the Techno music revolution, along with Kraftwerk. The artists on this remix album are the children, brothers, and sisters of the movement. Thoroughly enjoyable, and hard to get tired of."


















TECHNODON (1993)

Tracklist:

01 Be A Superman
02 Banga Def?
03 Floating Away
04 Dolphinicity
05 Hi-Tech Hippies
06 Tre Merli
07 Nostalgia
08 Silence Of Time
09 Waterford
10 O.K.
11 Chance
12 Pocketful Of Rainbows

Link to download:
http://www.uploading.com/?get=OXWR2YSK

Biography:
Y.M.O. (Yellow Magic Orchestra) are probably the most influential and commercially successful group in Japanese rock history. The group's main style is electronic/techno but you can't pin them down exactly. They are often referred to as the Japanese Kraftwerk but that is unfair - Y.M.O. have a much wider musical vocabulary. They are also known for their involvement in the comedy scene and this is reflected in the content of the videos here, which should not be taken seriously. The full story of the group is too long to go into here (the three members have all been active in the music scene since the early 70's), but rest assured they have as high a profile in Japan now as The Beatles do in the UK and US. The group were popular with the press in the UK and USA, and sold a million copies of "Solid State Survivor" in Europe, but never became that famous. The best known member in the West is Ryuichi Sakamoto, who has recorded many film soundtracks and had several hit albums. Y.M.O. never really split, but stopped working together on group projects in 1984, before recording again in 1992, following that up with some lucrative stadium gigs and then disappearing again. In the last year there has been increased activity from Toshiba EMI on the Y.M.O. re-issue front as the group plan to reform again in 2001. (Paul Rymer)


More info:
http://www.ymo.org/ The official site

http://chaospanic.tripod.com/ Yellow Magic Orchestra Un-Official Web Site

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ymo&search=Search video clips

Next time : solo albums

Many thanks David!!