Shibuya-kei
| Shibuya-kei | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 渋谷系 |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1990s in Shibuya, Japan |
| Typical instruments | |
| Other topics | |
Shibuya-kei (渋谷系, [ɕi̥bu͍ja-keː]) is a subcategory of alternative/indie rock[1] which originated in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, Japan. It emerged as a kitsch revival of 1960s culture and revisited the trend of foregrounding instruments like strings and horns.[2]
Overview
Shibuya-kei gained popularity from the Japanese music corner of some foreign-affiliated retail music chains in Shibuya (Tower Records, HMV[3]) early in the 1990s and it spread through Japan rapidly.
The term was applied to bands strongly influenced by a blend of notable performers and studio auteurs of the 1960s, which include the French yé-yé music of Serge Gainsbourg (particularly "Yume Miru Shanson Ningyō", the Japanese version of the France Gall big hit Poupée de cire, poupée de son), Brazilian bossa nova singer/songwriters Astrud & João Gilberto, the Wall of Sound productions of Phil Spector, and the orchestral pop of Brian Wilson.
Typical artists are Flipper's Guitar, Pizzicato Five, and Original Love. As the style's popularity increased at end of the 90s, the term began to be applied to many bands whose musical stylings reflected a more mainstream sensibility. Although some artists rejected or resisted being categorized as "Shibuya-kei," the name ultimately stuck, as the style was favoured by local businesses, including Shibuya Center Street's HMV Shibuya, which sold Shibuya-kei records in its traditional Japanese music section. Increasingly, musicians outside Japan, such as Britain's Momus, France's Dimitri from Paris, and the US artists Natural Calamity and Phofo are labelled Shibuya-kei.
Terminology
The term "Shibuya-kei" comes from Shibuya (渋谷), one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo known for its fashion stores, night life, and being an epicenter of Japanese pop culture, and the Japanese word kei (系), which literally means "system"[4] or, in this context, "style".[5] So, Shibuya-kei translates to "Shibuya style".
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Anon. (n.d.). "Shibuya-Kei". AllMusic.
- ↑ Tonelli 2004, p. 3.
- ↑ HMV opened the first store in Japan in Shibuya on November 16, 1990.
- ↑ http://eow.alc.co.jp/系/UTF-8/?ref=sa
- ↑ W. David Marx. Shibuya-kei vs. Akiba-kei
Bibliography
- Tonelli, Christopher (2004). Shibuya-kei? O-kei Desu!: Postmodernism, Resistance, and Tokyo Indie Culture. University of California, San Diego.
Further reading
- Michael, Patrick St. (June 11, 2016). "Cornelius: Fantasma Album Review". Pitchfork.
External links
- Keikaku - Independent and little known Japanese Artist profiles, reviews, interviews and articles in English.
- Shibuya-kei on CDJournal.com (Japanese)