Frontlady of 東京事変 Tokyo Jihen and sometimes solo artist, Shiina Ringo has made music that can only be described as avant garde. The J-pop star has challenged genres of music, by way of infusing her music with obscenely distracted melodies that ranged from distorto-rock to off-putting hybrids of ska and lounge jazz, starring Ringo’s ever-present pitchy, rolling vocals (1).
Ringo's work with Tokyo Jihen differs from her solo albums which have more melodic tones and less distracted melodies. In other words, not so much jazz. Less... mixture. [Less] cerebral musicality of Jazz mixed with the visceral groove of funk. - Howard Moon, (see what I did there? Sneaked in a Mighty Boosh reference.) Her album Utaite Myori is my favorite with a compilation of various covers such as The Beatles and Frank Sinatra in which she sings in German, French, and English. And she doesn't sound that predominately asian when she sings, unlike many other Japanese singers attempting to sing in other languages.
The video Killer Tune has been one of my long-standing anthems of reclaiming my independence after a certain bad breakup of a bad relationship. The words don't matter as much as the way it made me feel. I guess I found a lot of symbolism in emerging into the open rain then breaking into dance!
季節を使い捨て生きて行こう
What are they working on now? Ringo is taking a hiatus from her solo stuff. They just released Sports in December, and they're releasing a new single this February. More info is all available for viewing on their official site (don't worry, it's available in English also)
- http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/j-pop_will_eat_itself/shiina-ringo.htm
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