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]
The music on The Fantastic Plastic Machine draws from styles such as baroque pop, bossa nova, and British and French pop, as well as Fantastic Plastic Machine's dance music roots.[5] The album's cover art was illustrated by French cartoonist and illustrator Edmond Kiraz.[6]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [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. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bon Voyage" | Tomoyuki Tanaka | 0:42 |
| 2. | "L'Aventure fantastique" |
| 3:03 |
| 3. | "Steppin' Out" | Joe Jackson | 5:30 |
| 4. | "Bachelor Pad" (F.P.M. edit) |
| 4:47 |
| 5. | "Fantastic Plastic World" |
| 5:51 |
| 6. | "Dear Mr. Salesman" |
| 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!" |
| 4:41 |
| 11. | "Pura saudade (Nova bossa nova)" |
| 4:34 |
| Total length: | 49:23 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bon Voyage" | Tanaka | 0:42 |
| 2. | "L'Aventure fantastique" |
| 3:03 |
| 3. | "Steppin' Out" | Jackson | 5:30 |
| 4. | "Bachelor Pad" (F.P.M. edit) |
| 4:47 |
| 5. | "Fantastic Plastic World (Voice 'n' Baroque)" |
| 5:51 |
| 6. | "Dear Mr. Salesman" |
| 4:14 |
| 7. | "Allen Ginsberg" |
| 3:58 |
| 8. | "First Class '77" |
| 6:44 |
| 9. | "Philter (In viaggio attraverso l'Australia)" (vocal version) | Piccioni | 5:50 |
| 10. | "Please, Stop!" |
| 4:41 |
| 11. | "Pura saudade (Nova bossa nova)" |
| 4:34 |
| 12. | "L'Aventure fantastique (Recycled Soft Rock)" |
| 4:49 |
| 13. | "Pura saudade (Nova bossa nova) (Laxmikant)" |
| 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".
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bon Voyage" | Tanaka | 0:42 |
| 2. | "L'Aventure fantastique" |
| 3:03 |
| 3. | "Dear Mr. Salesman" |
| 4:14 |
| 4. | "Bachelor Pad" (F.P.M. edit) |
| 4:47 |
| 5. | "Fantastic Plastic World (Voice 'n' Baroque)" |
| 5:51 |
| 6. | "Steppin' Out" | Jackson | 5:30 |
| 7. | "Allen Ginsberg" |
| 3:58 |
| 8. | "First Class '77" |
| 6:44 |
| 9. | "Philter (In viaggio attraverso l'Australia)" | Piccioni | 5:19 |
| 10. | "Please, Stop!" |
| 4:41 |
| 11. | "Pura saudade (Nova bossa nova)" |
| 4:34 |
| 12. | "Dear Mr. Salesman (Remix 4 Ya by DJ Me DJ You)" |
| 3:45 |
| 13. | "Pura Saudade" (Optiganally mix) |
| 5:02 |
| Total length: | 58:10 | ||
References
- ^ "L'aventure Fantastique | Fantastic Plastic Machine" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "the Fantastic Plastic Machine | Fantastic Plastic Machine" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "The Fantastic Plastic Machine". fpmnet.com. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ Hanks, Matt (October 1998). "Fantastic Plastic Machine: Fantastic Plastic Machine". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 62. p. 48. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ a b c Huey, Steve. "Fantastic Plastic Machine – Fantastic Plastic Machine". AllMusic. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ The Fantastic Plastic Machine (liner notes). Fantastic Plastic Machine. Emperor Norton Records. 1998. EMN 7008.
- ^ Lindsay, Cam (November 14, 2007). "Finally! 'The 100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time' Listed". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
- ^ Ohanesian, Liz (April 13, 2011). "Japanese Indie Pop: The Beginner's Guide to Shibuya-Kei". LA Weekly. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
- ^ Cunningham, Ed (March 31, 2020). "A Complete Guide to Shibuya-kei: Tokyo's '90s Music Revival". Tokyo Weekender. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
External links
- The Fantastic Plastic Machine at Discogs (list of releases)