When one of the main characters in the series is an idol singer, you need a composer who can craft both score and songs. Kanno did both on Macross Plus. The other issue was that the idol was popular because she could sing any kind of song and appeal to any kind of listener. So the variety of songs is pretty interesting and impressive. Now keep in mind this was made in 1994, so much of the pop sound in these tracks is very grounded in the 90s.
The song I'm featuring is Pulse, which should remind listeners of the group Enigma who shot to fame in the early 90s with Sadeness Part 1. The opening music is actually used in the opening title card for Macross Plus, and the rest of the song appeared in various forms throughout the series. So here is Sharon Apple singing Pulse with a little help from Akino Arai.
Yoko Kanno. Always excellent. Prime mover behind the sounds of Cowboy Bebop too right?
ReplyDeleteAnd, I was just listening to Enigma - Return To Innocence the other day. I like that whole album that Sadeness Part 1 was from. Good effort from Michael Cretu there.
Yep, Kanno was the creator of all the music on Bebop, as well as "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex".
DeleteYeah I was a big Enigma fan back in the day. I had the first three Enigma CDs. Good stuff. :)
Vaguely disco, but a better sound.
ReplyDeleteYeah. A lot of J-pop in the 90s used disco backbeats, but then took current electronic styles over it. Kanno does a lot of mixing and matching in her pop stuff.
DeleteIf you enjoy that type sound, you might check out some Kate Bush albums, particularly her Hounds of Love, which is my favorite one from her. I find a similarity in the range of their vocals.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation! Glad you liked this one.
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