Music Archive - Picopop

Info

A subgenre of Shibuya-kei (itself a subgenre of J-Pop) that blends J-Pop sensibilities with chiptune-esque beeps and arpeggios.

History

• 1980s and earlier
  • (I assume that early attempts to incorporate electronic instruments into pop music, such as Hans Edler – Elektron Kukeso (1970), don’t really count)
  • Yellow Magic Orchestra
    • They pioneered the use of electronic instruments within popular music, and they were drawing influence from the nascent field of video games since their debut
    • Japanese VGM composers were especially influenced by YMO, completing the circle of influence
  • Lio – Lio (1980): French chanson pop with plenty of early electronic use
    • I can’t tell how much influence this one ended up having, despite French pop being a large influence on Shibuya-kei in general – still, I remember some album or other having a cover of one of this album’s tracks (Amoureux Solitaires?).
    • Still, the fact that there is some connection makes me feel OK with including it here, compared to other bleepy synthpop artists of the day like, e.g., early Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.
• 1990s:
  • The rise of Shibuya-kei
• 2000s:
  • Plus-Tech Squeeze Box
    • Plus-Tech Squeeze Box – Fakevox (2000)
    • Plus-Tech Squeeze Box – CARTOOOM! (2004)
  • Sonic Coaster Pop and Usagi-Chang Records
    • I see them as the prototypical Picopop band
    • Sonic Coaster Pop – Future Electro Star (2001)
    • Usagi-Chang Records – ウサギチャンスーパースター!! Vol.0001 (2002)
    • Sonic Coaster Pop – SUPER MIRACLE CIRCUIT (2004)
  • The Mojipittan series
    • NAMCO – Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Original Soundtrack (2003)
      • Its style is described by Kousaki Satoru in the soundtrack’s booklet as “cheap cute pop.”
    • NAMCO - Xenosaga Freaks Reservation Privilege CD (2004)
    • NAMCO – Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Daijiten Original Soundtrack (2006)
  • capsule
    • capsule – CUTIE CINEMA REPLAY (2003)
    • capsule – phony phonic (2003)
    • capsule – LDK Lounge Designers Killer (2005)
    • Side-projects:
      • NAGISA COSMETIC – NAGISA COSMETIC (2004)
      • COLTEMÖNIKHA – COLTEMÖNIKHA (2006)
  • YMCK
    • They use a Famicom as the primary (if not sole?) source of their instrumental backing, and the techniques used are congruent with those used by Famicom VGM composers of the time
    • YMCK – Family Music (2004)
• 2010s and beyond…
  • nobonoko
    • Beepbox, as a song creation program, is very amenable to this style

Discography

Cover		Release	Artist	Year	Format	Tags
	🌠	ウサギチャンスーパースター!! Vol.0001	Various Artists	2002	Compilation	3★ 4★
	🌠	SUPER MIRACLE CIRCUIT	Sonic Coaster Pop	2004	Album	physical album-art idyllic future 3★ 4★
	🌠	Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Daijiten Original Soundtrack	Satoru Kousaki, Hiroshi Okubo	2006	Album	pawtism formative 3★ 4★
	🌟	Wonderful Tangent	Misswonda	2005	Album	3★
	⭐	Future Electro Star	Sonic Coaster Pop	2001	Album
-	⭐	Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Original Soundtrack	NAMCO Ltd.	2003	Album	3★ 4★
-	⭐	CARTOOOM!	Plus-Tech Squeeze Box	2004	Album
	★	CUTIE CINEMA REPLAY	capsule	2003	Album
-		Fakevox	Plus-Tech Squeeze Box	2000	Album
-		Superb!	Various Artists	2003	Compilation
		Crazy Kilt	Strawberry Machine	2004	Album
		Family Music	YMCK	2004	Album
-		THE GENESIS SONGBOOK	Macdonald Duck Eclair	2005	Album
		L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer	capsule	2005	Album
		パビリオン	pLumsonic!	2006	Album