Music
The Internet is a great way to discover new music, especially if your taste tends to be less than radio-friendly. There are sound files available for almost every artist or group in the world, so it's easy to "try before you buy". Here are some of the Asian artists that I enjoy, and links to help you make your own discoveries.
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Ryuichi Sakamoto -- This man is a genius. I first became aware of him when he collaborated with David Sylvian, formerly of the British band Japan, on the soundtrack for the movie "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence", in which he also co-starred with David Bowie. Since then he has composed soundtracks for many films, including his Academy Award-winning soundtrack for "The Last Emperor", and released albums of electronic, pop and classical music. He recently gave a free multimedia concert in New York City that was also broadcast live (and free) over the Internet. Visit his official website, sitesakamoto, for the latest on the greatest, or my own Sakamoto page (which will be updated soon).
Cibo Matto -- These two Japanese girls, Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda, moved to New York City separately and joined up to create some pretty funky songs about food, with titles such as "Birthday Cake", "Artichoke", "White Pepper Ice Cream", "Know Your Chicken", and "Spoon". Their band includes Sean Lennon on bass guitar. They have just released a new album (June 8, 1999) named Stereo*Type A, which I am anxious to hear. You are strongly advised to check out their first full-length CD, Viva La Woman, or either of their two EPs, Cibo Matto and Super Relax. Get a taste of the official Cibo Matto website at Warner Brothers or my little Cibo Matto page.
Faye Wong -- Faye is a singer from Hong Kong who is very influenced by Western alternative music. She has covered songs by the Cocteau Twins (who also wrote songs specifically for her), the Sundays, the Cranberries, and Tori Amos, and also created her own style of Eastern alternative. You certainly don't need to understand the language to enjoy her music. To hear some samples and buy her CDs, visit Hong Kong Pop. To see her in action, rent the movie "Chungking Express" (if you don't mind subtitles). To keep up with all the news on Faye, visit this dedicated fan's site and be patient while it loads - it's worth the wait.
Amuro Namie -- She's only 21 years old and has been a superstar in Japan since her debut album at age 19. Her official website, Am-Glam, lets you listen to clips of all her songs instantly with no downloading, and has clips from her videos (to download or not).
ACO -- Another 21 year old Japanese singer, who started when she was 17, I think. Unfortunately, I know very little about her since I can't read Japanese and can't find her CDs anywhere, so any information would be greatly appreciated. Her official homepage has sound and video clips from each of her albums and singles. Here's a 30-second RealMovie clip (182kb) of her song Yureru (I think).
Miho Asahi -- A very promising new discovery found while browsing the Sony Music Japan website. They have some nice small RealAudio files to download (start here). Her official homepage is more interesting, though. I hope she will follow in the footsteps of Cibo Matto and sign a record deal in the US soon. Here's a 30-second RealAudio clip (178kb) of her song Kuchibiru ni.
Download RealPlayer 5.0 to play RealAudio and RealVideo files (free!).Want to find more Asian artists?
Bonsai's Jpop Pages will help you discover many Japanese artists and groups. Or, if you know who you're looking for, do a search of Bonsai's Jpop Pages here:
Check back soon for more music suggestions!
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