Cornelius’s Keigo Oyamada was in his mid-twenties when he dropped his debut album of lightly psychedelic sophisti-pop informed in equal amounts by Yellow Magic Orchestra and Tokyo’s Shibuya scene exactly 30 years ago. Yet long before the moniker was born, Oyamada had had his life changed by Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yukihiro Takahashi, and their orbiting set of peers within Tokyo’s synth music scene, with the guitar-based rock of The Ventures and Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant additionally helping to shape his sonic sensibilities well before his 1997 LP Fantasma launched him into the global spotlight.
All these years later and this set of influences can still be heard in Cornelius’ work—most recently within his Bad Advice / Mind Train double single released back in August. While the former track was created in collaboration with art-pop icon and Downtown 81 scene staple Arto Lindsay, the epic latter single feels a bit like a full-circle moment bringing him back to the eclectic energy of Fantasma. Despite clocking in at under 15 minutes, the two tracks together encapsulate both ends of Cornelius’ discography while invoking the sounds of the late-’70s and ’80s that have long inspired him, both in his choice of collaborators and with the avenues of sound they opted to pursue.
Following the recent release of these tracks, we caught up with Cornelius to discuss some of his biggest musical influences over the years, with the songwriter frequently referencing the music that most greatly affected him at an impressionable age. “There’s so much music that has influenced me that I can’t narrow it down to 10 songs,” he clarifies. “I just happened to come up with this today, but the truth is that I was influenced by a hundred times more songs than this list.”
Check out his picks below, and stream Bad Advice / Mind Train here.
HASYMO, “The City of Light”
In the 2000s, the three members of Yellow Magic Orchestra briefly reunited under the name HASYMO. This track is officially credited to HASYMO, but it is essentially a YMO song and marks the last recording featuring all three members together. While there’s audio treatment and post-production, it’s interesting that this final recording from a band that started as techno-pop is mostly live performance. I had the privilege of spending a considerable amount of time with these three. I love their mature songs from this era. I hope to cover this song someday.
Plastics, “Robot”
Today, I had a little free time in Los Angeles, so I decided to check out Freak Beat Records, a store run by a friend of my manager, Blaine. The shop was lovely, with records beautifully organized across a wide range of genres—you could really feel the love for music in the way they handled the records. While I was there, I found a beautiful copy of a record by the Japanese band Plastics, complete with a press kit from their recording at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas. I’m on friendly terms with Hajime, the leader of Plastics, as we live nearby. They also released a single through Raftree. Around the same time YMO began their overseas activities, Plastics connected with the international music scene in Tokyo with a more alternative and DIY style. They’re a band that resonates with our own approach to music and feel like seniors in the Tokyo scene.
As I was leaving, the store owner noticed the record I bought and told me he saw them perform at Whisky a Go Go long ago. It felt like something had come full circle, and I was really happy about it.
Robert Plant, “Big Log”
I was reminded of this song when it was playing in an Uber ride in Los Angeles on the day I received this [playlist prompt]. The day before that, I’d just heard that a Japanese friend of mine living in LA named Yohei had recently toured with Robert Plant’s band as an instrumental technician. I think I was about 13 years old when this song was often played. I have a strong impression of the music video, which shows an impressive landscape reminiscent of the American countryside, and it overlaps with the landscape of LA, where I am now. The simple rhythms and dry guitar sounds of TR808 were completely different from those of Led Zeppelin, and seemed very mature to me at the time—but when I listen to it now, it sounds just right. The other songs on this album, such as “In the Mood,” have a minimal music feel to them. I like this album very much.
The Durutti Column, “Jacqueline”
I think I first heard this album when I was in high school. Since then, it’s been my all-time favorite for almost 40 years. The songs are simple—just clean electric guitar with delay, brushed drums, and a few keyboard instruments—but the sound is endlessly imaginative. “Sketch for Spring” and “Too Pure” on my latest album are tributes to Vinny Riley.
Melon, “O.D.”
Melon is the band of Toshio Nakanishi, Chika Sato, and others after Plastics disbanded. Do You Like Japan? was their 1982 album featuring Yukihiro Takahashi and Haruomi Hosono of YMO, Percy Jones, and Bernie Worrell of Funkadelic/Parliament. I had the pleasure of getting to know Mr. Nakanishi a bit before his death. I love this album, which mixes the exotic sounds of Martin Denny and others with Remain in Light–era Talking Heads, early hip-hop, and 1980s Tokyo flair.
Hajime Tachibana, “Guitar Genius”
After the dissolution of Plastics, Hajime Tachibana released an album featuring participation from YMO’s Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto. His style, which incorporates self-made sound sculptures and offers a unique pop interpretation of contemporary music, still feels very fresh today. We live in the same neighborhood and have become quite close; I absolutely adore him, including his wonderfully cute personality.
Yann Tomita, “Memories of Tape Recorder”
It’s hard to explain Yann Tomita’s music to someone who doesn’t know him. He has a unique style that mixes a variety of music from John Cage, Sun Ra, and psychedelic to musique concrète, dub, field recordings, electronic music, and the beautiful steelpan he plays. I think this album represents the cultural maturity of Japan in the 1950s (he’s also the mentor of Yumiko [Ohno] of Buffalo Daughter, who plays bass in my band, and I’ve been playing with his band a lot lately). In recent years, there have been many phenomena of Japanese music being rediscovered abroad, such as ambient, city pop, and Japa-noise, but truly great music like his has yet to be recognized.
Ben Watt, “North Marine Drive”
I first heard this album when I was in high school. Since then, it’s been my favorite album for almost 40 years. It’s a beautifully melancholic album, full of emotion and lyricism, and was the soundtrack to my adolescence.
Scritti Politti, “Bibbly-O-Tek”
I first discovered them through a music video show hosted by the former manager of YMO. Their second album, Cupid & Psyche, had just been released in Japan and was a hit. The polished electronic funk sound felt incredibly fresh and innovative. From there, I began to explore their earlier recordings and became completely captivated. Their early music featured a rawer post-punk sound infused with reggae, unexpected song structures, and an experimental spirit, offering something I’d never heard before.
The Ventures, “Bulldog”
The Ventures first came to Japan in 1965 and have visited over 60 times since, creating movies and sparking the electric guitar boom in the country. Even today, there are numerous cover bands featuring older musicians, making them a rock group that’s had an even greater influence than The Beatles. I’ve even seen them perform live at a park run by my local ward, highlighting their popularity in Japan. When I started playing guitar, I naturally gravitated towards their songs. Their performances in 1965 showcased the Mosrite guitar plugged into a tube amp, producing a loud and intense sound that was tight, powerful, and truly remarkable. I learned the joy of guitar-playing through their music, including techniques like bending and bridge picking.
