09/15/08
Text: Nik Mercer
Japan's renowned, respected, and popularly hailed electronic group of the 1970s and 1980s, Yellow Magic Orchestra, has sort of gotten back together with its original lineup (including keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto). The only difference is that, after the trio's twenty-five-year-long hiatus (save for a micro reunification in 1993), Y.M.O. decided it inappropriate to return with just three letters, so they've re-dubbed themselves HASYMO. (This move is slightly creepy to us... it's like naming your second child Not-Billy after your first kid, Billy.)
Regardless, we couldn't be happier since we love us some Y.M.O., no matter what the three electronic innovators choose to call themselves.
HASYMO just put out a four-track EP, The City of Light/Tokyo Town Pages, that's being promoted in part with a user-generated music video contest (read: cop-out). If you're interested in participating in helping HASYMO, a band that's probably awash with cash, anyway, promote themselves for nothing but the blood, sweat, and tears of its fans, get the full scoop here. Otherwise, just download a clip of "The City of Light" right here.
