Taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term taiko refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called wadaiko and to the form of ensemble taiko drumming more specifically called kumi-daiko. The process of constructing taiko varies between manufacturers, and the preparation of both the drum body and skin can take several years depending on the method.
Chiptune, also called 8-bit music, is a style of electronic music made using the programmable sound generator (PSG) sound chips or synthesizers in vintage arcade machines, computers and video game consoles. The term is commonly used to refer to tracker format music using extremely basic and small samples that an old computer or console could produce, as well as music that combines PSG sounds with modern musical styles. It has been described as "an interpretation of many genres" since any existing song can be arranged in a chiptune style defined more by choice of instrument and timbre than specific style elements.
In Japan, music includes a wide array of distinct genres, both traditional and modern. The word for "music" in Japanese is 音楽 (ongaku), combining the kanji 音 on (sound) with the kanji 楽 gaku. Japan is the world's largest market for music on physical media and the second-largest overall music market, with a retail value of US$2.7 billion in 2017.
Taiko: Drum Master, also known as Taiko no Tatsujin: Taiko Drum Master in Japan, is a rhythm game developed and published by Namco for the Sony PlayStation 2 as part of the popular Japanese video game franchise Taiko no Tatsujin. It was released in North America in 2004, and Japan in 2005.
Benjamin Michael Lee is an Australian musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but he focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appeared as the protagonist in the Australian film The Rage in Placid Lake (2003). He has released eleven solo studio albums.
Combichrist is an American aggrotech / industrial metal band formed in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua, who also founded the bands Icon of Coil, Panzer AG, Scandinavian Cock and Scandy. Combichrist was formed in Atlanta, Georgia. The band consists of only LaPlegua in the studio, with a changing lineup of live performing members. Releases by the band have been very successful in terms of sales and charted in top positions for dance and alternative charts worldwide.
Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite, Barry Burns, Dominic Aitchison, and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwai typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects.
65daysofstatic are a post-rock band from Sheffield, England. Formed in 2001, the band is composed of instrumentalists Paul Wolinski, Joe Shrewsbury, Rob Jones and Simon Wright.
Taiko no Tatsujin is a Japanese video game series created by Namco. In the games, players simulate playing a taiko drum in time with music. The series has released games for the arcade and for console and mobile platforms including PlayStation 2, Advanced Pico Beena, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android and Japanese feature phones.
Sébastien Akchoté-Bozović, known mononymously as Sebastian, is a French musician, composer, producer, mixer, engineer, vocalist and DJ affiliated with Ed Banger Records. He has worked as a solo electronic musician and as a remixer for bands and singers such as Charlotte Gainsbourg, Daft Punk, Beastie Boys, Bloc Party, and Nero. He has also composed and produced songs for Charlotte Gainsbourg, Katerine, Juliette Armanet, Kavinsky, Frank Ocean, Uffie and Woodkid, and he has composed soundtracks for the films Our Day Will Come, The World Is Yours and Steak. Many of his tracks have been used on television and in video games.
Gocoo, or GOCOO (ゴクウ) are originally seven female and four male Taiko drummers from Tokyo (Japan). On stage Gocoo performs with up to 16 artists. Gocoo performed at major Music & Arts, Blues & Roots, Rock & Pop and alternative Rock festivals, in live clubs, classic theatres and concert halls or at techno events. Lead drummer, Kaoly Asano (浅野香), attracts much attention as a female Taiko artist. Whenever not performing with Gocoo on stage, she teaches the art of playing the Taiko at her Tawoo Taiko Dojo in Tokyo.
James Nicholas Righton is a British musician. As well as singing, he was the keyboard-player of the London-based new rave band Klaxons, which disbanded in 2015. In March 2016, Righton announced his new project Shock Machine with a video directed by Saam Farahmand. Righton released his first solo album The Performer on Soulwax's Deewee label in March 2020.
Joel Thomas Zimmerman, known professionally as deadmau5, is a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ. Zimmerman has received seven Grammy Award nominations for his songs. He mainly produces progressive house and electro house music, though he also produces and DJs other genres of electronic music, including techno under the alias Testpilot. Zimmerman is well known for wearing custom helmets for performances and appearances, similar to Daft Punk and later inspiring Marshmello.
Arnaud Rebotini is a French musician. He is a member of the band Black Strobe, which released their debut album Burn Your Own Church in 2007.
Marcos Ortega, better known by his stage name Lorn, is an American electronic musician.
Simon Delacroix, better known by his stage name the Toxic Avenger, is a French DJ, songwriter, and record producer.
Furi is a 2016 action shoot 'em up video game developed and published by indie studio The Game Bakers available for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Amazon Luna. The game takes place on a planet in a colorful, retro, science fiction setting and consists entirely of boss fights.
Daniel Rosenfeld, known professionally as C418, is a German musician, producer and sound engineer. Known for his minimalistic ambient work, he rose to fame as the former composer and sound designer for the sandbox video game Minecraft (2011). Acclaimed for its nostalgic value and relaxing quality, his music for the game is considered one of the greatest video game soundtracks composed.
The Idolmaster Must Songs Presented by Taiko no Tatsujin is a PlayStation Vita rhythm game, released by Bandai Namco Entertainment on December 10, 2015. Though a title of The Idolmaster series, its game system is drawn from Taiko no Tatsujin. Must Songs was released in two versions, each featuring different music: Aka-ban and Ao-ban. Aka-ban features earlier music in the original The Idolmaster series, and Ao-ban features music from the 2nd Vision games; both versions contain 40 songs. The game received a score of 32 out of 40 from the Japanese video game magazine Famitsu.
Franck Hueso, better known by his stage name Carpenter Brut, is a French darksynth artist from Poitiers, France. He has released three EPs, EP I (2012), EP II (2013) and EP III (2015), which were collected and released together as the album Trilogy (2015). He later released three additional studio albums, Leather Teeth (2018), Blood Machines OST (2020) and Leather Terror (2022), along with one live album, CarpenterBrutLive (2017). He has also contributed original music to a variety of soundtracks, both for film and video games.
