You got to move fast in Tokyo…

June 11, 2007

I’ve been linked and interviewed today in a great New York Times article about the iPhone and people’s reaction to the latest TV ads. So, in an effort to grab the attention of the (hopefully) hundreds of users making their way to my site from the article today, here’s a mix that I’ve had on my mind for a while – songs inspired by Tokyo.

If you’re looking for the iPhone post that got me into the New York Times you can find it by clicking here.

Geography is often used as inspiration for songs (check out basically every Sufjan Stevens or Mountain Goats song), and there are certain specific cities that I have found are often used (I have about 50 songs attributed to New York City alone). Some of the most interesting city-inspired tracks I’ve encountered lately, have been about the Japan’s capital and most populous city, Tokyo. Here’s a few of my favorites:

MP3 Headlights – Tokyo

I believe this song is the best summation of Tokyo in music that I’ve heard. The song begins as a colorful description of the city ( So many little red lights / It’s so alive here) which then in turn, causes the singer to reflect on his personal relationships. The use of static during the intro/outro and the bleeps/blips just add to the incredible beauty of this song.

MP3 Anathallo – Dokkoise House (With Face Covered)

Although this track never directly mentions Tokyo, the song and album it comes from are inspired by a form of Japanese art called Ukiyo-e, that originated in the city. The Japanese lines in the song translate to: “The color of the flower / has already faded away.” There is so much to love about this song but my favorite part has to be the hand claps, the clapping pattern is incredibly unique.

MP3 Windmill – Tokyo Moon

I featured this song very recently on this site and I still stand by my statement that it’s a a “perfectly-executed pop masterpiece”. It’s an incredibly otherworldy tune focusing on drugs and relationships all taking place with the surreal imagery of a Tokyo Moon looming over. Windmill creates very stimulating fantasy with this song, using the aura and mystery of Tokyo as a lift-off to the journey.

MP3 Arrah and the Ferns – Tokyo, Tokyo

It’s interesting to go from a song with such an outlandish setting to a very down-to-earth, realistic track about a group of friends who would like to see Tokyo but only have the money to travel to Chicago. It’s an adorable song of a longing, complete with twee vocals and one of the best ukulele solos ever put on record.

MP3 Death in Vegas – Girls

While this instrumental song has nothing to do with Tokyo by itself, when put to the images of the city of Tokyo at night, seen in the opening of the film Lost In Translation, it paints a wonderful picture of a fantastic buzzing city. While the whole soundtrack is full of songs that paint a picture of being in an otherworldy and awe-inspiring place , I think this song is the one that best captures that feeling.

MP3 The Books – Tokyo

The Books are a band that many of my friends listen to but I haven’t paid too much attention to. One song that I do thoroughly enjoy from them though, is this frantic Tokyo-inspired track played mostly on classical guitar with some electronic sounds added in for good measure. I imagine myself in a busy Tokyo marketplace while I listen to this song, being bombarded with pirated DVD’s and Hello Kitty purses.

Posted by Taylor in Mix