Yellow Magic Influence: How Yellow Magic Orchestra Changed the Face of Modern Music

The year 2023 has been devastating enough for the music world as both Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi have passed away.

While the reality is hard to accept, the artistic contributions of Yellow Magic Orchestra [YMO] and its three members have inspired and influenced countless artists and musicians, and will continue to do so for generations to come. 

Originally formed as part of a one-off project by Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto, YMO emerged during a period in Japan’s pop culture when the music and styles were shifting to emulate a more western look. So much to the extent that the traditional details of what set them apart began to slowly disappear.

Although Kraftwerk [a very distinct German band] was an influence upon the group, YMO decided to take the reverse method by basing their sound on an exaggeration of stereotypical eastern music from a western perspective. Thanks to this approach, the innovative blend between tradition and modernity helped to restore a unique Japanese identity to a national genre, which attracted fans; at home and overseas.  

By utilizing the cutting edge technology for their time, the innovative usage of electronics in music came over the barriers of human error. A distinctively bright and electric sound that was filled with funky bass lines, punchy drum patterns and calculated synth melodies, this innovative sound would go on to inspire countless genres across music spectrums, and even assist in the development of completely new and emerging genres; including techno, new romantics, techno, synth-pop, ambient house, acid house, J-pop, video game music and even hip-hop. 

It’s a no brainer to any listener on just how paramount YMO is to modern music. As early pioneers of their usage of synthesizers, samplers, sequences, digital recording technology, drum machines and computers, resulted in developing and mastering a sound that served as the blueprint for the implementation of electronic music as we know it today.