5/25/2007

Tomoyuki Tanaka (田中知之, Tanaka Tomoyuki?) is a J-pop artist/DJ, better known by his stage name of Fantastic Plastic Machine. He is considered to be part of the Shibuya-kei movement, drawing heavily from bossa nova, lounge music, house music, and ’60s movie soundtracks, but he also incorporates many other types of music. Tanaka was born in Kyoto, Japan.

In the late 1980s, Tanaka played as the bassist in a rock band called Margarine Strikes Back. Then in the early 1990s, Tanaka became a regular club DJ in the Kansai area, working as part of a DJ team known as Sound Impossible. While playing with Sound Impossible, fellow artist and friend Towa Tei convinced Tanaka to go back to recording music, and in 1997 Tanaka created his solo project Fantastic Plastic Machine under the Readymade Records label in Japan. His first two albums, The Fantastic Plastic Machine (1997) and Luxury (1998), were critically acclaimed and gained him international recognition. The albums were distributed in the United States under the Emperor Norton label, and in Europe on the Bungalow label. In Japan, he is currently under the cutting edge label.

At one point, Tanaka hosted a pop culture show on national radio, and in 2004 he hosted another radio show called “Sound Concierge.” He also once served as the editor for the Japanese fashion magazine Brutus.

Tanaka’s song “Electric Lady Land” has been featured on the movie soundtrack of The Girl Next Door. He has also been featured on some of DJ Stephane Pompougnac’s Hôtel Costes CD series. His song “Bachelor Pad (f.p.m. edit)” was featured on the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack. A short edit of his song “Beautiful Days” is featured on the Japanese music game beatmania IIDX 6th style. As well, “Theme of Luxury”, “S’Il Vous Plait”, “There Must Be an Angel” and “Warm Up Music” are heard in the British sitcom Spaced.

Check out his official website: Fantastic Plastic Machine

All you electronica fans out there of FPM, here are some videos for your viewing pleasure … we love pleasing you at 3yen :P

Title: Beautiful Days

Title: Don’t you know?

Title: Electric lady land