Tomoyuki Tanaka (musician)
Encyclopedia
is an electronic music
artist/DJ, better known by his stage name of Fantastic Plastic Machine. Tanaka is considered to be part of the Shibuya-kei
movement, drawing heavily from bossa nova
, lounge music
, soft rock
, and French pop, but he also incorporates many other types of music. Tanaka was born in Kyoto
, Japan.
In the late 1980s, Tanaka played as the bassist in a rock band called Margarine Strikes Back. Then in the early 1990s, Tanaka became a regular club
DJ in the Kansai
area, working as part of a DJ team known as Sound Impossible. While playing with Sound Impossible, fellow artist and friend Towa Tei
convinced Tanaka to go back to recording music, and in 1997 Tanaka created his solo project Fantastic Plastic Machine under the Readymade Records (a Columbia Music Entertainment sub-label) label in Japan. His first two albums, The Fantastic Plastic Machine (1997) and Luxury (1998), were critically acclaimed and gained him international recognition. The albums were distributed in the United States under the Emperor Norton
label, and in Europe on the Bungalow label. In Japan, he is currently under the Cutting Edge label.
At one point, Tanaka hosted a pop culture show on national radio, and in 2004 he hosted another radio show called "Sound Concierge". He also once served as the editor
for the Japanese fashion magazine
Brutus.
Tanaka's song "Electric Lady Land" has been featured on the movie soundtrack of The Girl Next Door. He has also been featured on some of DJ Stephane Pompougnac
's Hôtel Costes
CD series. His song "Bachelor Pad (f.p.m. edit)" was featured on the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
soundtrack. A short edit of his song "Beautiful Days" is featured on the Japanese music game beatmania IIDX 6th style
. Also, "Theme of Luxury", "S'Il Vous Plait" and "There Must Be an Angel" are heard in the British sitcom Spaced
as well as on the accompanying soundtrack CD
. In 2003, his "Different Colors" was featured in a Louis Vuitton commercial created by superflat
artist Takashi Murakami
. The commercial featured a panda that eats a girl and her cell phone; the three are then transported into an ethereal Louis Vuitton world. This commercial played in Louis Vuitton
stores in Japan.
Tanaka is currently involved in Ravex
, a collaboration with fellow Avex DJs Shinichi Osawa and Taku Takahashi
established to mark 20 years of the label. Their debut album Trax was released on April 8, 2009, and follows the release of the singles I Rave U and Believe in Love - feat BoA.
Compilations and remixes
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
artist/DJ, better known by his stage name of Fantastic Plastic Machine. Tanaka is considered to be part of the Shibuya-kei
Shibuya-kei
is a sub-genre of Japanese pop music which originated in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. It is best described as a mix between jazz, pop, and electropop.- Overview :...
movement, drawing heavily from bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
, lounge music
Lounge music
Lounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
, soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
, and French pop, but he also incorporates many other types of music. Tanaka was born in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan.
In the late 1980s, Tanaka played as the bassist in a rock band called Margarine Strikes Back. Then in the early 1990s, Tanaka became a regular club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
DJ in the Kansai
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
area, working as part of a DJ team known as Sound Impossible. While playing with Sound Impossible, fellow artist and friend Towa Tei
Towa Tei
is a DJ, artist and record producer in Yokahoma, Japan.Tōwa debuted as a member of Deee-Lite, from the U.S. label Elektra Records in 1990, and shot to fame via their international hit single, "Groove Is In the Heart"...
convinced Tanaka to go back to recording music, and in 1997 Tanaka created his solo project Fantastic Plastic Machine under the Readymade Records (a Columbia Music Entertainment sub-label) label in Japan. His first two albums, The Fantastic Plastic Machine (1997) and Luxury (1998), were critically acclaimed and gained him international recognition. The albums were distributed in the United States under the Emperor Norton
Emperor Norton Records
Emperor Norton Records, was a Los Angeles-based electronica, hip-hop, and dance-music record label. Among the artists featured on the label were Ladytron, Arling & Cameron, Money Mark, Ugly Duckling, and Fantastic Plastic Machine...
label, and in Europe on the Bungalow label. In Japan, he is currently under the Cutting Edge label.
At one point, Tanaka hosted a pop culture show on national radio, and in 2004 he hosted another radio show called "Sound Concierge". He also once served as the editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
for the Japanese fashion magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Brutus.
Tanaka's song "Electric Lady Land" has been featured on the movie soundtrack of The Girl Next Door. He has also been featured on some of DJ Stephane Pompougnac
Stéphane Pompougnac
Stéphane Pompougnac is a French house DJ, and also a musician, composer and producer. He is famous for mixing the Hôtel Costes series - a series of compilations of downtempo style tracks.-Biography:...
's Hôtel Costes
Hôtel Costes
The Hôtel Costes is a famous hotel in Paris, France. Located in 239 rue St-Honoré, it is perhaps best known for its bar and courtyard café.The hotel was commissioned by the Costes brothers to the designer and architect Jacques Garcia in 1991...
CD series. His song "Bachelor Pad (f.p.m. edit)" was featured on the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series that began with 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
soundtrack. A short edit of his song "Beautiful Days" is featured on the Japanese music game beatmania IIDX 6th style
Beatmania IIDX
is a series of rhythm video games and the sequel to Beatmania that was first introduced by Konami in Japan on February 26, 1999. IIDX has since spawned over 19 arcade releases and over 13 console releases on the Sony PlayStation 2...
. Also, "Theme of Luxury", "S'Il Vous Plait" and "There Must Be an Angel" are heard in the British sitcom Spaced
Spaced
Spaced is a British television sitcom written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and directed by Edgar Wright. It is noted for its rapid-fire editing, frequent pop culture references and jokes, eclectic music, and occasional displays of surrealism and non-sequitur humour...
as well as on the accompanying soundtrack CD
Spaced: Soundtrack to the TV Series
Spaced: Soundtrack to the TV Series is a 2001 soundtrack accompanying the first series of the Channel 4 situation comedy Spaced. It was released in tandem with the first series on DVD and VHS...
. In 2003, his "Different Colors" was featured in a Louis Vuitton commercial created by superflat
Superflat
Superflat is a postmodern art movement, founded by the artist Takashi Murakami, which is influenced by manga and anime. It is also the name of a 2001 art exhibition, curated by Murakami, that toured West Hollywood, Minneapolis and Seattle....
artist Takashi Murakami
Takashi Murakami
is an internationally prolific contemporary Japanese artist. He works in fine arts media—such as painting and sculpture—as well as what is conventionally considered commercial media —fashion, merchandise, and animation— and is known for blurring the line between high and low art...
. The commercial featured a panda that eats a girl and her cell phone; the three are then transported into an ethereal Louis Vuitton world. This commercial played in Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
stores in Japan.
Tanaka is currently involved in Ravex
Ravex
Ravex is a Japanese electronic music group, consisting of Shinichi Osawa, Tomoyuki Tanaka and Taku Takahashi. Established to mark the 20th anniversary of the Avex label, their productions are usually based on collaborations with other artists on the label...
, a collaboration with fellow Avex DJs Shinichi Osawa and Taku Takahashi
Taku Takahashi
is a Japanese DJ and record producer, who debuted in 1998 as a member of the group M-Flo. The group rose to prominence in the early 2000s, with hit singles such as "How You Like Me Now?" and "Come Again." Takahashi was also a member of Avex's 20th anniversary dance music project Ravex, and has...
established to mark 20 years of the label. Their debut album Trax was released on April 8, 2009, and follows the release of the singles I Rave U and Believe in Love - feat BoA.
Discography
Albums- The Fantastic Plastic Machine (1997)
- Summer Review EPSummer Review EPSummer Review EP is a 1998 Fantastic Plastic Machine EP.-Track listing:# "There Must Be an Angel " - 4:57# "Electric Lady Land " - 4:21# "Bossa For Jackie " - 3:44...
(1998) - Luxury (1998)
- Beautiful.Beautiful.beautiful. is the third album from Fantastic Plastic Machine. It is the follow-up to Luxury, as well as the first album after moving from Readymade Records to avex trax. beautiful. is generally regarded as one of his most critical works, signaling a maturation from his previous Shibuya-kei style...
(2001) - Too (2003)
- ImaginationsImaginationsimaginations, the fifth album by Fantastic Plastic Machine was released on February 22, 2006. The album features the song "Tell Me " previously released on vinyl, and also features guest performances by Clazziquai Project, Bonnie Pink, Tahiti 80, Ugly Duckling and others.-Miscellanea:The cover...
(2006) - FPM (2009)
Compilations and remixes
- International Standard FPM Luxury Remixes [F] (1999)
- International Standard FPM Luxury Remixes [P] (1999)
- International Standard FPM Luxury Remixes [M] (1999)
- Style #09/Dancing at the Disco at the End of the World (1999)
- Very Best of FPM in the Mix (mixed by Tatsuo Sunaga) (2000)
- Contact (2001)
- Les Plus (2001)
- Space Program (2001)
- Why Not? (2002)
- Zoo (2003)
- Sound Concierge #401 Do Not Disturb (2004)
- Sound Concierge #402 Four Kicks Adventure (2004)
- Sound Concierge #403 Air Conditioning (2004)
- Sound Concierge #404 Electric Carnival (2004)
- Dimension Mix: A Tribute to Bruce HaackDimension MixDimension Mix is a compilation album from indie record label Eenie Meenie Records released on August 23, 2005. The CD is a tribute to Dimension 5 Records and the music of electronic sound pioneers Bruce Haack and Esther Nelson....
(2005) Track: "I'm Bruce" - Sound Concierge #501 Blanket (2005)
- Sound Concierge #502 Tell Me for Your Delightful Moment (2005)
- Sound Concierge Annex Contemporary Love Songs (2005)
- FPMB: Fantastic Plastic Machine Best (2007)
- Sound Concierge #701 Super Romantic for your moments in love (2007)
- Sound Concierge #702 Electric Heaven for hyper discotheque (2007)
- Sound Concierge Japan "Japanese Lyric Dance" (2008)
- "RavexRavexRavex is a Japanese electronic music group, consisting of Shinichi Osawa, Tomoyuki Tanaka and Taku Takahashi. Established to mark the 20th anniversary of the Avex label, their productions are usually based on collaborations with other artists on the label...
Trax" (2008) - House☆Disney (2009)
- Versus. Japanese Rock vs. FPM (2010)
Trivia
- Tanaka takes his "Fantastic Plastic Machine" stage name from a 1969 soundtrack to a documentary about surfing.
- The song "There Must Be an Angel" is a cover from EurythmicsEurythmicsEurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
' fifth studio album Be Yourself TonightBe Yourself Tonight- Credits :Eurythmics* Annie Lennox - vocals, keyboards , keyboard sequencers on "It’s Alright "* David A...
(1985).
- Another cover is "French KissFrench Kiss (song)"French Kiss" is a 1989 house-music single that became a European and American hit for American artist Lil Louis. The song also was a hit in dance clubs around the world, and it spent two weeks at #1 on the American dance chart in October 1989. It was a crossover pop hit as well, peaking at number...
" originally recorded by Lil LouisLil LouisLil Louis is the stage name used by Chicago-born house-music producer and DJ Louis Sims. He scored a number of hits on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the 1980s and 1990s, three of which hit #1....
(1989).
- The track Whistle Song, from the album Beautiful.Beautiful.beautiful. is the third album from Fantastic Plastic Machine. It is the follow-up to Luxury, as well as the first album after moving from Readymade Records to avex trax. beautiful. is generally regarded as one of his most critical works, signaling a maturation from his previous Shibuya-kei style...
, is a cover of the Frankie KnucklesFrankie KnucklesFrankie Knuckles is an American DJ, record producer and remix artist. He played an important role in developing house music as a Chicago DJ in the 1980s and he helped to popularize house music in the 1990s, with his work as a producer and remixer...
track of the same name from 1991.
- Tanaka collaborated with clothing label UniqloUNIQLOis a Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer and retailer.The company was originally a division of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.. On November 1, 2005, it was restructured as a separate wholly owned subsidiary called Uniqlo Co., Ltd. , which is listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock...
, providing music for a flash web clock that displays Uniqlo's fashion lines.
- The album art of the “sound concierge” albums where designed by the studio Groovisions