Yellow Magic Orchestra – live at Shiba Yuki Chokin Hall, Tokyo – October 18, 1978 – Tokyo FM –
As promised, continuing our tribute to the memory and artistry of Ryuichi Sakamoto, an early broadcast performance by Yellow Magic Orchestra, a group he founded and performed with all through his life. This one was recorded at Shiba Yubin Chokin Hall in Tokyo on October 18, 1978 and broadcast by Tokyo-FM. It’s significant because this marked the first concert of Yellow Magic Orchestra together as a band and it also marked the release of their debut self-titled album which was released in July of that year.
Yellow Magic Orchestra, or YMO as they were sometimes known, represented more than just a revolutionary take on electronic music, they also created an entire artistic and emotional aura around the music itself. It wasn’t just about the notes, it was about style, art and expression – a whole new approach that struck chords on so many levels. YMO represented something of a new lifestyle. Something very Asian but universal at the same time. It’s difficult to actually pinpoint what influenced what at the time – it WAS the 70s after all and just about everything in music was up for revision. In the UK we had Punk which morphed into New Wave, which may have gotten pointers from Yellow Magic Orchestra. They were very popular with a mass audience very early on – and through imports, it was possible to gain a broader taste in music because access was infinitely better than it was even five years earlier.
Before Yellow Magic Orchestra came on the scene, most everyone in America thought Asian Electronica went only as far as Tomita, whose “Snowflakes Are Dancing” album was a huge seller in the U.S. – taking it several steps further seemed almost unheard of at the time. But thanks to a burgeoning Import market, Yellow Magic Orchestras first albums were eagerly sought after by collectors here and in Europe.
It’s further testimony to the far-reaching vision of Ryuichi Sakamoto (and his bandmates in YMO) and the inventive nature of their music that brought a flood of positive critical reaction which in turn became much in demand by the import market, which then landed them a label deal in the U.S. by A&M.
Ryuichi Sakamoto went on the blaze new trails as a solo artist, but always stayed active with Yellow Magic Orchestra. It speaks volumes to the profound and ultimately lasting affect Ryuichi Sakamoto has had on our world view of music – how the notes and the sentiments are universal and understood everywhere. It’s the glue that holds us all together as a species.
But for a reminder of the earlier incarnation of Yellow Magic Orchestra, here is a concert performed in Tokyo in October of 1978.
Enjoy and repeat.
