Jpop: Una - Juicy Juicy

Well, I just had to share Una's debut as it just makes my eyes water from garishness and an general visual overload. Its obviously 80s retro which should attract me who grew up then, and it *is* in some sense fun, but a bit to much even for a fan of Japanese culture (even though some of it is explained as it will feature as an ad for Menthos candy).

• Una - Juicy Juicy

Jpop/Tokyo pop: Amiaya (アミアヤ)

Twin models/music artist Ami and Aya Suzuki made me think of the swedish duo Fiona and Rebecca somehow in attitude and approach to music, coming somehow from a less used road into music. (This may be unfair to F&R as they are much more in control of the music process, but at the same time that also holds true for the artistic expression of A&A). Now, one could argue in the case of the Tokyo based twins that they are just repeating what Kyaru Pamyu Pamyu have done before (and really many other jpop artist), by mixing fashion and general curiousity into the musical expression, but it somehows feels a little fresh too.They have also said that they want to create a whole new genre called Tokyo pop. That may be as it is, but at the same time, I think they may be an indicator of a new generation jpop artists who wants to reach the whole world. If you want a basic introduction to the Japanese phenomena of getting into music through modelling (dokusha models) here is a very nice interview by MTV81 with the Amiya sisters.

• Amiaya - Star Line
• Amiaya - Magic Color (マジックカラー)
• Amiaya - Play that music
• Amiaya - Dreamer's Dream (making-of-video here)

If this isn't an unintentional(?) and interesting comment on the fashion industry I dont know what is...

Jpop/Kpop: PSY precursor - Kyary's (きゃりー) Pon Pon Pon

Before PSY brought kpop into every each corner of the (musical) world, we hade a smaller version of asian viral hit through the song "Pon pon pon" by japanese artist Kyaru Pamyu Pamyu (actual name Kiriko Takemura). The video, because the thing with Pon pon pon was very much its visual expression in combination with its music, a look that you would get if you mixed wildly japanese culture, street fashion and psycadelic eyeglobes to a mildy hypnotic/enervating nonsensical refrain. It may never have really have reached more people than those with their interest in asian culture or ear against the ground, but it still reached millions of views (over 56 million views ATM) and showed the impression that the east could make on the world, which then PSY fullfilled to the maximum.
For more on the fashion of Harajaku, se for example here, here, here.
Update: Latest video is Furisodeshon which I think is about long-sleeved kimonos(?)

• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Yume no Hajima Rin Rin (ゆめのはじまりんりん)
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Pon pon pon (ぱみゅぱみゅ)
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Mottai Night Land (もったいないとらんど)
• Kyaru Pamyu Pamyu - Ninjari Pang Pang (にんじゃりばんばん)
• Kyaru Pamyu Pamyu - Invader Invader (インベーダーインベーダー)
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Mondai Girl ( もんだいガール)
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Kira Kira Killer (きらきらキラー)
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Family Party (ファミリーパーティー)
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Furisodeshon (ふりそでーしょん)
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Fashion Monster (ファッションモンスタ)
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Candy Candy
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Tsukematsukeru (つけまつける)
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Advertisement (why dont we have ads like this at home? Or not...)