"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."

The music that moves me

(Please note: this list has not been updated since early 2006. It's only here for historical purposes)

Favorite bands/performers

The Smiths/Morrissey

KLF/JAMS/Timelords/K Foundation/etc.

St. Etienne

The Clash

Big Audio Dynamite

U2

Duran Duran

Crowded House

X Japan

Tetsuya Komuro/Tomomi Kahala/Komuro Family/TMN

Nokko

Miles Davis

Thelonius Monk

Dizzy Gillespie

Maynard Ferguson

T.Rex/Marc Bolan

(The London) Suede

Men at Work

Ennio Morricone

various 80's songs, especially the first half of the decade

various other J-pop (see below)

Recently (since June 1998), I've sampled some:

T.Rex/Marc Bolan (The Essential Collection:3)

Puffy (AmiYumi)

Cornelius (Fantasma)

Suede mix tape compiled by Daisuke Chew

T.Rex (The Slider)

TM Network (Carol: A Day in a Girl's Life)

Judy and Mary (The Power Source)

Men at Work (Brazil)

Morrissey (My Early Burglary Years)

Pocket Biscuits (Rapturous Blue and Yellow Yellow Happy video)

David Bowie (ChangesBowie)

V2 (SPECIAL LIVE / 1991.12.5 VIRGINITY video)

T.Rex (Great Hits 1972-1977 The A-Sides)

Big Audio Dynamite (Megatop Phoenix)

TMN (Time Capsule: All the Singles)

T.Rex (Electric Warrior)

Roxy Music (For Your Pleasure)

Puffy (Jet CD)

Tamio Okuda (Matatabi)

Macross (Macross 1998 Single Collections)

Macross 7 (ZZNKQ8/Zola Radio Fire!!)

Tomomi Kahala (Nine Cubes)

Shazna (Gold Sun and Silver Moon)

Hideaki Matsuoka (Eyes of the Einstein Zoo)

Ennio Morricone (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly--Original Soundtrack)

The Clash (The Story of the Clash: Volume 1)

Nokko (call me nightlife)

To-Y (The (Almost) Perfect Collection)

Macross (Macross [Best One] Song Collection)

Macross (Macross: Do You Remember Love? Original Soundtrack)

True Kiss Destination (Africa)

Nokko (Hallelujah)

Tomomi Kahala (Kahala Compilation: TV Mix) plus Tetsuya Komuro singles

Shazna (Tokyo Ballet Reprise)

The Smiths (The World Won't Listen)

Ennio Morricone (The Ennio Morricone Anthology: A Fistful of Film Music)

Spanova (Apollo)

Tamagawa Records

The London Suede (Headmusic)

Nokko (Colored)

Tetsuya Komuro (Single Collection)

Globe (Cruise Record)

Tomomi Kahala (Save Your Dream video)

The Clash (The Clash: UK Version)

The Clash (From Here to Eternity)

The Clash (Rockers Galore)

Nakaido "Chabo" Reichi (A Cry to Fade/Signal of Solitude)

TM Network (Rainbow Rainbow)

globe (sweet heart)

Nokko (Antenna, i no chi)

the lightning seeds (cloudcuckooland)

Carol Compilation CD--various artists (Blue)

Nadia (The Secret of Blue Water Vol.3)

Ennio Morricone (Music from the Motion Picture Once Upon a Time in America)

Big Audio Dynamite (BAD I+II video)

Big Audio Dynamite (Super Hits)

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros (Rock Art and the X-Ray Style)

Mix CD compiled by Daisuke Chew (JPOPMIX.01--woofer girl)

Compilation CD (Grammy Nominees 2001)

Tetsuya Komuro (Hit Factory)

Tetsuya Komuro (Digitalian is Eating Breakfast)

Polecats (The Best Of)

The KLF (The White Room/Justified and Ancient)

Marc Almond (12 Years of Tears)

Dr. Dre (2001)

Tomomi Kahala (miscellaneous singles compilation)

Hayley Mills (Let's Get Together with Hayley Mills)

Neil Finn & Friends Live at the St. James (7 Worlds Collide DVD)

Morrissey (Oye Esteban! DVD)

The Clash (Westway to the World DVD)

The Clash (Sandinista!)

X Japan (X Clips)

Kirsty MacColl (Electric Landlady)

duran duran (GREATEST)

Tetsuya Komuro (tk-trap VCD)

H Jungle With t (Wow War Tonight and Going Going Home VCD)

Tetsuya Komuro (Digitalian Is Eating Breakfast LD)

Cooler Kids (Punk Debutante)

serial experiments lain (serial experiments lain sound track - music by nakaido "chabo" reichi)

No Doubt (The Singles 1992-2003)

Nokko (Rhyming Cafe)

The Clash (The Essential Clash DVD)

X Japan (Singles)

B-boy Crumbs (Brainstorm DVD)

Morrissey (You are the Quarry)

Morrissey (Irish Blood, English Heart CD single)

Morrissey (First of the Gang to Die CD single)

Brigitte Bardot (French import compilation CD and booklet)

Nadia (Nadia TV OST 1)

Nadia (Nadia TV OST 2)

Nadia (Nadia TV OST 3)

Morrissey (Who Put The 'M' in Manchester? DVD)

Various CDs that belong to my wife

Various anime songs (compilation album)

Various anime, J-pop, videogame, and brit-rock/pop MP3s

Various SIDs

Southern California's greatest radio station. Do you remember?
At least we have Groove Radio.

J-pop

J-pop refers to Japanese popular music. The Japanese music industry is very large (second only to the United States). Very few J-pop acts, however, have been successful in the United States, whereas American music sells very well in Japan. Only recently (within the last 20 years) having been influenced by western pop and rock sensibilities, J-pop has started to develop its own distinctive sound, blending western and traditional folk influences.

Japanese pop music is kind of quirky and eccentric, highly energetic, and lots of fun, even if you don't understand the lyrics. Japan has plenty of bands with real talent, but J-pop is better known for its idol singers--whose good looks and stage presence overshadow (or mask) their musical ability. The King of J-pop, the idol-maker, is Tetsuya Komuro (often referred to as "TK").

Tetsuya Komuro

Here is a paper my friend James Kao wrote about Komuro. It's a good introduction and analysis--I know, I was there when he wrote it.

Tetsuya Komuro: The Phenomenon of the J-pop Mega-Hit Writer/Producer/Composer

Love him or hate him, TK is a pop music genius, and his marketing strategies have been flawless. I have a nagging suspicion that he was influenced by Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty of the KLF, the brilliant duo from Britain. Therefore...

Did TK read The Manual (by the KLF) cover to cover?

Read the article and decide for yourself: TK Joins the Jams

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