May 4, 2005 | Posted by Blair at 4:00 PM

Popu Blastu!

zippy!
"gymnopedie 0.1" by PINE*am

Wow, talk about amazing pop music run through an electronic filter... or is it amazing electronic music run through a pop filter? I don't exactly know really, but PINE*am, from Osaka, Japan, really really know their pop-chops.

The band, Tsugumi Takashi (main vocals, bass, production), Chizuko Matsubayashi (vocals & guitar) and Taeca Kinoshita (vocals & keys), formed in 1999 while the girls were in art-school - they've actually been playing together in one form or another since they were teenagers - they released a self-titled EP in 2000 and toured all over the world. They then put out their first full-length album, titled Playing Intense Neutral Electronica ad nauseAM (ah ha! PINE*am is an acronym!), in late 2003.

Now their second LP, Pull The Rabbit Ears, is about to be released by LA-based Eenie Meenie records. The album is extremely lush, with electronics and traditional pop/rock elements trading hands efforlessly. Interesting factoid: the recording process had to be tackled a little differently for this album because since their last tour, they physically split up! Tsugumi lives in Tokyo, Taeca in Osaka and Chizuko in Vancouver, BC. However, thanks to the power and magic of the Internet, they were able to record different parts of songs and send the demos and edits back and forth across the world. I think that's super cool (that's the computer-nerd in me).

The whole Rabbit Ears CD is really damn cool, but this particular song really gets me going - its like the girls figured out the perfect pop melody, key, chorus and structure and ran it through an "Awesome Increaser" box, because, quite seriously, this song really kills it. I don't usually go for bubble-gum pop, and I have a fairly low tolerance-level for J-Pop in general, but PINE*am definitely manages to transcend those narrow genre-bounds and make something pretty magical instead.

I very much suggest you buy the album (direct from the label) when it comes out on May 31st. Also, the ladies are on tour all month long to support the new CD - they're hitting Silverlake Lounge in LA on the 12th, hitting Tonic and Pianos in NYC, then back to the west coast for Seattle, Portland, San Fran and a bunch of LA dates. I'm definitely curious to check out their live-set, so maybe I'll see some of you at Pianos?

Comments

blair, you've turned up the "awesomer" knob way past 10 today.

Posted by: jc at May 4, 2005 5:37 PM

That's amazing! The vocals in the song are based on the Eric Satie piano piece "1st Gymnopedie", one of the greatest songs of all time. (It's also one of the best named songs of all time because Gymnopedie means "Spartan dance of naked youths and men".)

Posted by: ian at May 4, 2005 6:32 PM

Just delightful! I love a song that can turn your whole day around. Thanks!

Posted by: White Mike at May 4, 2005 9:43 PM

So there I was just finishing up duck taping my girlfriend's hands and feet. I then busted out my .38 Special with the intention of ending her pathetic existence. When she suddenly hopped to her computer and clicked the play button with her nose. When this song came on I instantly lowered my gun and wept like a little girl. It was the prettiest thing I have ever heard and I started to think. What am I doing? I'm not a murderer, just a dude who found his girl in bed with his brother. I just got a little heart broken. I'll get over it. Then the song stopped and it was like coming out of a coma because the last thing I remembered was holding a gun to my girlfriend's head. So just when she was about to play the song again I shot her in the back and finished with 2 shots to the back of the head....But that was a good song and I hear they're playing AMOEBA HOLLYWOOD later this month. I'll check them out if I'm not in prison.

Cheers,
D. Dagger

Posted by: D. Dagger at May 5, 2005 7:38 PM

that is hands down the weirdest comment we've ever had.

Posted by: robot mark at May 5, 2005 7:51 PM

omg thats so fucking hillarious

Posted by: another robot at May 5, 2005 10:55 PM

I dream of making a song like this. It's all I've ever wanted to do. I give up!!!

Posted by: man versus nature at May 7, 2005 3:21 PM

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AWESOME track, i really really like it.
gary numan also did a cover of this song.
check it if you can find it.

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Posted by: noisemutator at May 9, 2005 10:17 AM
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