2 Cornelius (Indie Pop, Electronic, Shibuya-Kei)

Taking #10 on Rolling Stone Japan’s Best Japanese Albums of All Time, and #15 on HMV Japan’s list of “Top Japanese Pop Artists”, Cornelius is perhaps one of the most influential modern Japanese musicians. An influence which is not limited to just Japan, as Cornelius has enjoyed an incredibly fruitful, decades long relationship with Beck, and has been an incredibly sought after remixer, working for the likes of MGMT, and Blur.

During the mid 90’s, his oddball and experimental approach to production was hailed as the crowning achievement of one of Japan’s biggest indie scenes, shibuya-kei. Along with his contemporaries, he birthed an incredible mixture of electronic textures, classic 70’s samples, and Beach Boys inspired walls of noise. From those scene defining beginnings he carved out a solo career that has constantly transcended “genre”.

His music contains all the markings of “pop music”, from the catchy and sweet refrains, to the vibrant tones, but it somehow manages to still retain a strong sense of identity, with hard stereophonic panning, abstract/challenging sampling, and a deeply playful nature.

The Essential Album: Fantasma