February 2010
15 posts
“That Perfume are not like other Japanese manufactured idol groups is evident from the trio’s popularity among not only traditional pop fans but also large numbers of indie and electronic music fans. One of the most striking points about Game, the group’s debut album (not including 2006’s Complete Best compilation) and certainly their first since becoming bona fide stars, is the tightrope it walks between the varying tastes of their diverse fan base. Within the first four tracks, they serve up hit single “Polyrhythm,” directly referencing Daft Punk’s “One More Time” in the process; the cheap, cheerful, retro techno-pop of “Plastic Smile”; the harsh, jagged synths of the electro-tinged title track; and the comparatively inoffensive and characterless J-pop of “Baby Cruising Love.” It’s not perfect, and at 55 minutes Game is far too long for a simple pop album, with ideas starting to repeat themselves as you get into the second half of the album. There are also a number of occasions where the production completely overwhelms the sometimes flimsy melodies on offer, and it’s hard to escape the impression that producer Nakata Yasutaka’s attitude to the three members’ vocal contributions is basically one of damage limitation. Nevertheless, for the most part Game is successful in the way it navigates its various genres and influences, largely thanks to the deft touch and glossy sheen of Nakata’s production. Vocoders and synths abound and the album maintains a coolness and detachment that sets it apart from Perfume’s usually irrepressibly cheerful contemporaries in the Japanese pop idol scene. ~ Ian Martin, All Music Guide”
—Game 2008: Album review and songs from Answers.com (via tanaka3) (via hyperf)
バイオグラフィーJapanese all-girl idol pop trio Perfume’s roots go back to 2001 when Kashiyuka (Kashino Yuka), Nocchi (Omoto Ayano), and A~chan (Nishiwaki Ayaka) were brought together in their hometown of Hiroshima. The trio members were only 11 and 12 years old at the time, and their activity was at first limited to their local area; however, their unusual route to pop stardom really began in 2003 when they were introduced to producer Nakata Yasutaka, until then best known as the creative force behind Shibuya-kei-style indie pop unit Capsule. A trio of singles on indie label Bee-Hive Records followed, which combined a cute, fan-friendly image with a sound that drew on elements of anime music, lounge-pop, and 1980s Japanese techno-pop.
Despite the limited chart impact of the group’s indie singles, the buzz around Perfume was enough to land them a major-label contract with Tokuma Japan Communications in 2005. Accompanying the change in label was a shift to a slicker, more sci-fi-oriented image and a change in musical style, with Nakata adopting a vocoder-heavy production style strongly influenced by European electro and house, particularly Daft Punk. The 2006 singles and B-sides collection Complete Best was a respectable chart hit and in many ways can be considered the group’s debut album, confirming Perfume as both a viable pop group and unlikely darlings among indie scenesters.
Perfume chalked up their first Top Ten hit, “Polyrhythm,” in September 2007, which confirmed them as major stars and celebrities. The group’s sold-out national tour in 2008 culminated in two shows at Tokyo’s famous Budokan concert hall/martial arts venue. When their actual debut album, Game, came out in April 2008, it entered the charts at number one, revealing a further refined version of the template of cute idol pop coupled with the more sophisticated dance music influences that had made them so successful.
