How Influential Were The Yellow Magic Orchestra?

US Overview of boundary-pushing electronic group 27/03/24

Yellow Magic Orchestra, who formed in 1978 were influential for many electronic artists and preceding musical genres - from the New Romantic movement to Hip Hop and soundtracks to the biggest video games. The band was made up principally of Haruomi Hosono (bass), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards); now considered to be pioneers of the electronic sound and live performance of it. This documentary shares the story and influence of the band, and seeks the recognition they deserve as one of the most underrated bands of all time. Here's the synopsis in his word: .

Yellow Magic Orchestra are an essential listen for any fan of music. As one of the pioneers of electronic music, they helped develop and master a sound that would act as the blueprint for the implementation of electronics in music. By utilizing the cutting edge technologies of their time, they were able to minimize human error and create a new type of sound that simply wasn't possible before, a bright and electric sound filled with funky bass lines, punchy drums patterns, and highly calculated and tightly woven synth melodies.

This innovative sound would go on to inspire the music of some of the most iconic video game soundtracks of all time, from Sonic, to Mario, and to Animal Crossing, and in addition, it even helped influence the development of entirely new genres, like synth pop, techno, and even hip-hop.

However, despite all they have contributed to the music world, their popularity and recognition among the average music fan today isn't exactly as strong as I think it deserves to be, making them one of the most underrated bands of all time.

In this video, I want to give a complete overview of everything YMO. I will be introducing all the members of the group, analyzing their debut album, and discussing their wide influence on music culture, so hopefully by the end of the video you will have a deep appreciation for their work, and everything they have contributed to the music world.

More from Rhythmnic Reason here: https://www.youtube.com/@RhythmicReason

About the author [midierror]: midierror makes nifty Max For Live devices, innovative music hardware, award winning sample packs and hosts a podcast speaking to people in the music world.