Pizzicato Five
Pizzicato Five, a Japanese pop group best known to American audiences in their later incarnation as a duo of Maki Nomiya and Yasuharu Konishi, are widely credited to have spearheaded the shibuya-kei movement of Tokyo in the 90s, along with Flipper's Guitar. They are known for their eclectic and energetic compositions, which often sound like "new" releases from the late 1960s hipster scene. Their catchphrase--"A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular"--captured the group's ironic stance but eager attitude. The group, formed in 1985, broke up in March 2002.
The P5's style matured over the years. They gradually eschewed covers of 60s standards like the Beatles' "Day Tripper" or "The Girl from Ipanema" in favor of original compositions like "The World is Spinning at 45 RPM." Some of their "original" work was little more than remixes of earlier songs; in their later albums, the group (trying to break into the U.S. market) occasionally reissued tracks with Japanese lyrics translated into English.
Discography
- Couples (1987)
- Belissima! (1988)
- On Her Majesty's Request (1989)
- Soft Landing on the Moon (1990)
- Hi Guys! Let Me Teach You (1991)
- Sweet Pizzicato Five (1992)
- Instant Replay (live album, 1993)
- Expo 2001 (1993)
- Made in USA (compilation, 1994)
- Romantique 96 (1995)
- A Quiet Couple (1995)
- The Sound of Music by Pizzicato Five (1995)
- Big Hits & Jetlags 1991-1995 (compilation, 1995)
- By Her Majesty's Request (compilation, 1995)
- Great White Wonder (1996)
- Antique 96 (1996)
- Combination Spaciale (1997)
- Sister Freedom Tapes (1997)
- Happy End of the World (1997)
- Remix Album: Happy End of You (1998)
- Pizzicatomania! (1998)
- Playboy & Playgirl (aka The International Playboy and Playgirl Record, 1998)
- Overdose (1999)
- Pizzicato Five (TM) (1999)
- Big Hits & Jetlags: 1994-1997 (compilation, 1999)
- Bossanova 2001 (2000)
- The Fifth Release From Matador (2000)
- This Year's Girl (2000)
- Special Vinyl Box (compilation, 2000)
- Remixes 2000 (2000)
- Ca Et La Du Japon (2001)
- Pizzicato Five 85 (2001)
- Pizzicato Five R.I.P.: Big Hits & Jetlags 1998-2000 (compilation, 2001)
- In the Mix (2002)
- Band of the 20th Century: Sony Years, 1988-1990 (compilation, 2004)
Trivia
Their song "Baby Love Child" is used as a backing track for the montage sequence at the end of the Futurama episode "Leela's Homeworld".