17 thoughts on “Horrible & Awesome Japanese Girl Group Synth Band Jam

  1. There's something about the jittery camera-work that suggests the work of either a proud parent or an excitable older camera-man. There's something about the overall stage set-up that shouts '1980's chat show'. There's a bizzarely repressed sexuality in the girl-with-the-breath-controller. Most bands would raunch this asset up to the max. So, overall, a deeply curious proposition. Was this actually made in, say, some provincial Japanese city c. 1979? If so, all is explained. But if this was filmed just the other day, then it's an incredibly knowing pastiche which is absolute in its intentions to demonstrate that it isn't 'knowing' about 'knowing'. For comparison, check out the video to 'true romance' by Golden Silvers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9o1gEhaE8
    which is concerned about 'showing' that it's 'knowing'. For me, the plain truth is – whatever it does or doesn't do deliberately, it doesn't work. Musically and visually, it's out of date and not of sufficient intrinsic merit to make it a 'timeless classic'. But damned interesting, nonetheless…

  2. There's something about the jittery camera-work that suggests the work of either a proud parent or an excitable older camera-man. There's something about the overall stage set-up that shouts '1980's chat show'. There's a bizzarely repressed sexuality in the girl-with-the-breath-controller. Most bands would raunch this asset up to the max. So, overall, a deeply curious proposition. Was this actually made in, say, some provincial Japanese city c. 1979? If so, all is explained. But if this was filmed just the other day, then it's an incredibly knowing pastiche which is absolute in its intentions to demonstrate that it isn't 'knowing' about 'knowing'. For comparison, check out the video to 'true romance' by Golden Silvers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9o1gEhaE8
    which is concerned about 'showing' that it's 'knowing'. For me, the plain truth is – whatever it does or doesn't do deliberately, it doesn't work. Musically and visually, it's out of date and not of sufficient intrinsic merit to make it a 'timeless classic'. But damned interesting, nonetheless…

  3. There's something about the jittery camera-work that suggests the work of either a proud parent or an excitable older camera-man. There's something about the overall stage set-up that shouts '1980's chat show'. There's a bizzarely repressed sexuality in the girl-with-the-breath-controller. Most bands would raunch this asset up to the max. So, overall, a deeply curious proposition. Was this actually made in, say, some provincial Japanese city c. 1979? If so, all is explained. But if this was filmed just the other day, then it's an incredibly knowing pastiche which is absolute in its intentions to demonstrate that it isn't 'knowing' about 'knowing'. For comparison, check out the video to 'true romance' by Golden Silvers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9o1gEhaE8
    which is concerned about 'showing' that it's 'knowing'. For me, the plain truth is – whatever it does or doesn't do deliberately, it doesn't work. Musically and visually, it's out of date and not of sufficient intrinsic merit to make it a 'timeless classic'. But damned interesting, nonetheless…

  4. There's something about the jittery camera-work that suggests the work of either a proud parent or an excitable older camera-man. There's something about the overall stage set-up that shouts '1980's chat show'. There's a bizzarely repressed sexuality in the girl-with-the-breath-controller. Most bands would raunch this asset up to the max. So, overall, a deeply curious proposition. Was this actually made in, say, some provincial Japanese city c. 1979? If so, all is explained. But if this was filmed just the other day, then it's an incredibly knowing pastiche which is absolute in its intentions to demonstrate that it isn't 'knowing' about 'knowing'. For comparison, check out the video to 'true romance' by Golden Silvers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9o1gEhaE8
    which is concerned about 'showing' that it's 'knowing'. For me, the plain truth is – whatever it does or doesn't do deliberately, it doesn't work. Musically and visually, it's out of date and not of sufficient intrinsic merit to make it a 'timeless classic'. But damned interesting, nonetheless…

  5. There's something about the jittery camera-work that suggests the work of either a proud parent or an excitable older camera-man. There's something about the overall stage set-up that shouts '1980's chat show'. There's a bizzarely repressed sexuality in the girl-with-the-breath-controller. Most bands would raunch this asset up to the max. So, overall, a deeply curious proposition. Was this actually made in, say, some provincial Japanese city c. 1979? If so, all is explained. But if this was filmed just the other day, then it's an incredibly knowing pastiche which is absolute in its intentions to demonstrate that it isn't 'knowing' about 'knowing'. For comparison, check out the video to 'true romance' by Golden Silvers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9o1gEhaE8
    which is concerned about 'showing' that it's 'knowing'. For me, the plain truth is – whatever it does or doesn't do deliberately, it doesn't work. Musically and visually, it's out of date and not of sufficient intrinsic merit to make it a 'timeless classic'. But damned interesting, nonetheless…

  6. There's something about the jittery camera-work that suggests the work of either a proud parent or an excitable older camera-man. There's something about the overall stage set-up that shouts '1980's chat show'. There's a bizzarely repressed sexuality in the girl-with-the-breath-controller. Most bands would raunch this asset up to the max. So, overall, a deeply curious proposition. Was this actually made in, say, some provincial Japanese city c. 1979? If so, all is explained. But if this was filmed just the other day, then it's an incredibly knowing pastiche which is absolute in its intentions to demonstrate that it isn't 'knowing' about 'knowing'. For comparison, check out the video to 'true romance' by Golden Silvers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9o1gEhaE8
    which is concerned about 'showing' that it's 'knowing'. For me, the plain truth is – whatever it does or doesn't do deliberately, it doesn't work. Musically and visually, it's out of date and not of sufficient intrinsic merit to make it a 'timeless classic'. But damned interesting, nonetheless…

  7. Reminds me of the Runaways in the 80’s everyone was so busy taking about them being girls than listen to their music They were really very good I like these guys

  8. Shame on you. This makes me feel butthurt.

    This is not “horrible” music. This is a fine example of japanese fusion of the era. It has that same j-fusion aesthetic that you find in a lot of like-minded bands of the time and place. Dry, high energy, positive. This same style was incorporated into the music of early YMO and Casiopea. The same aesthetic was used in the west within the synth fusion cult. Download Zebulon’s 1980 self titled album and George Duke’s “The Aura will Prevail.”

    ps – the woman using the breath controller is Keiko Matsui, who went on to forge a very, very successful compositional career. Her work is well known and she’s far from obscure.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzqsWxau_gI

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otXPz2Z1RAM

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0uoqrzwWYw&feature=related

  9. Horrible? How musically ignorant do you have to be to classify this as horrible?

    Keiko Matsui is a very successful Japanese musician and composer. As for this band, Cosmos, it remains as one of the most iconic names in Japanese Jazz Fusion.

    As for the video itself, look up any live TV performance from any band in the late 70s and early 80s, specially from the US or anywhere in Europe, and realize how this is actually much classier and pleasing to watch than most acts of the time.

    My two cents…

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