The Fantastic Plastic Machine (album)

Last updated
The Fantastic Plastic Machine
Thefantasticplasticmachine1997.png
Studio album by
Fantastic Plastic Machine
ReleasedOctober 10, 1997 (1997-10-10)
Genre
Length49:23
Label Readymade
Producer
Fantastic Plastic Machine chronology
The Fantastic Plastic Machine
(1997)		 Summer Review EP
(1998)
Singles from The Fantastic Plastic Machine
  1. "L'Aventure fantastique"
    Released: August 30, 1997 [1]

The Fantastic Plastic Machine is the debut studio album by Japanese musician Fantastic Plastic Machine. It was released on October 10, 1997, by Readymade Records. [2] The album was subsequently released in Germany on April 24, 1998, by Bungalow Records [3] and in the United States on September 15, 1998, by Emperor Norton Records. [4]

Contents

His debut album drew influence and inspiration from music styles—including baroque pop, bossa nova, beat, and europop, as well as his dance music roots. [5] The album's cover art was illustrated by French-Armenian cartoonist and illustrator Edmond Kiraz. [6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [5]

Steve Huey of AllMusic described The Fantastic Plastic Machine as "a delightful, infectious album that's not only hooky as all get-out, but also rewards repeated listening", deeming it "one of the best albums to come out of the Japanese club-pop movement". [5]

In 2007, Rolling Stone Japan placed The Fantastic Plastic Machine at number 67 on its list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time". [7] In 2011, the album was included in LA Weekly 's "beginner's guide" to Shibuya-kei music. [8] Tokyo Weekender writer Ed Cunningham later cited it as a "groundbreaking" Shibuya-kei release, noting: "Some post-Shibuya-kei artists would follow in the footsteps of the guitar-driven indie pop of Flipper's Guitar, but many more significant acts, in genres such as picopop and electropop, would expand upon the electronica initiated by [Fantastic Plastic Machine]." [9]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bon Voyage" Tomoyuki Tanaka 0:42
2."L'Aventure fantastique"
  • Tanaka
  • Takeo Sasada
3:03
3."Steppin' Out" Joe Jackson 5:30
4."Bachelor Pad" (F.P.M. edit)
4:47
5."Fantastic Plastic World"
  • Tanaka
  • Laila France
  • Mikado Koyanagi
5:51
6."Dear Mr. Salesman"
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
  • Tetsushi Hiruma
  • Toshiyuki Yasuda
4:14
7."Allen Ginsberg"
3:58
8."First Class '77"
6:44
9."Philter (In viaggio attraverso l'Australia)" Piero Piccioni 5:19
10."Please, Stop!"
  • Tanaka
  • Yukihiro Fukutomi
4:41
11."Pura saudade (Nova bossa nova)"
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
  • Pat Cerqueira
4:34
Total length:49:23
German CD edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bon Voyage"Tanaka0:42
2."L'Aventure fantastique"
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
3:03
3."Steppin' Out"Jackson5:30
4."Bachelor Pad" (F.P.M. edit)
  • Tanaka
  • Cameron
4:47
5."Fantastic Plastic World (Voice 'n' Baroque)"
  • Tanaka
  • France
  • Koyanagi
5:51
6."Dear Mr. Salesman"
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
  • Hiruma
  • Yasuda
4:14
7."Allen Ginsberg"
  • Tanaka
  • Shimizu
3:58
8."First Class '77"
  • Tanaka
  • Sunahara
6:44
9."Philter (In viaggio attraverso l'Australia)" (vocal version)Piccioni5:50
10."Please, Stop!"
  • Tanaka
  • Fukutomi
4:41
11."Pura saudade (Nova bossa nova)"
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
  • Cerqueira
4:34
12."L'Aventure fantastique (Recycled Soft Rock)"
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
4:49
13."Pura saudade (Nova bossa nova) (Laxmikant)"
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
  • Cerqueira
6:32
Total length:61:15

The German LP edition (total length: 45:25) follows the track order of the original Japanese edition, but substitutes "Fantastic Plastic World" with "Fantastic Plastic World (Voice 'n' Baroque)" and omits "Allen Ginsberg".

US edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bon Voyage"Tanaka0:42
2."L'Aventure fantastique"
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
3:03
3."Dear Mr. Salesman"
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
  • Hiruma
  • Yasuda
4:14
4."Bachelor Pad" (F.P.M. edit)
  • Tanaka
  • Cameron
4:47
5."Fantastic Plastic World (Voice 'n' Baroque)"
  • Tanaka
  • France
  • Koyanagi
5:51
6."Steppin' Out"Jackson5:30
7."Allen Ginsberg"
  • Tanaka
  • Shimizu
3:58
8."First Class '77"
  • Tanaka
  • Sunahara
6:44
9."Philter (In viaggio attraverso l'Australia)"Piccioni5:19
10."Please, Stop!"
  • Tanaka
  • Fukutomi
4:41
11."Pura saudade (Nova bossa nova)"
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
  • Cerqueira
4:34
12."Dear Mr. Salesman (Remix 4 Ya by DJ Me DJ You)"
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
  • Hiruma
  • Yasuda
3:45
13."Pura Saudade" (Optiganally mix)
  • Tanaka
  • Sasada
  • Cerqueira
5:02
Total length:58:10

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References

  1. ↑ "L'aventure Fantastique | Fantastic Plastic Machine" (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  2. ↑ "the Fantastic Plastic Machine | Fantastic Plastic Machine" (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  3. ↑ "The Fantastic Plastic Machine". fpmnet.com. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  4. ↑ Hanks, Matt (October 1998). "Fantastic Plastic Machine: Fantastic Plastic Machine". CMJ New Music Monthly . No. 62. p. 48. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Huey, Steve. "Fantastic Plastic Machine – Fantastic Plastic Machine". AllMusic . Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  6. ↑ The Fantastic Plastic Machine (liner notes). Fantastic Plastic Machine. Emperor Norton Records. 1998. EMN 7008.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ Lindsay, Cam (November 14, 2007). "Finally! 'The 100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time' Listed". Exclaim! . Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  8. ↑ Ohanesian, Liz (April 13, 2011). "Japanese Indie Pop: The Beginner's Guide to Shibuya-Kei". LA Weekly . Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  9. ↑ Cunningham, Ed (March 31, 2020). "A Complete Guide to Shibuya-kei: Tokyo's '90s Music Revival". Tokyo Weekender . Retrieved December 10, 2020.
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