Classic Album: Yellow Magic Orchestra - Solid State Survivor

Sometimes an album is greater as a collective work than as an individual collection of songs, and these albums deserve praise, as complete works of art. This feature will review and analyze great albums, see what made them great, and their enduring influence and legacy.

In tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, true legends of the music world.

Year Released: 1979

When the greatest and most influential albums of all time are mentioned, some of the most common names to hear are The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Radiohead's Ok, Computer, Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, or Joni Mitchell's Blue. While these all, and many more, are classic albums, I think that one of the most influential and legendary albums ever released would be Yellow Magic Orchestra's Solid State Survivor.

Let's set the stage. In the late '70s, disco was still the dominant sound, with a strong undercurrent of rock consisting of the alternative scene. The perception of many music fans of the era was the more electronic-oriented sound of disco was "inauthentic," and that electronics were a dead end. At that same time in Japan, a young trio of talented musicians rose to challenge that perception. These three were Harry Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Now, each one of those names embodies so much meaning for fans of Japanese music, but that wasn't the case in 1978, when the trio released their first album under the name Yellow Magic Orchestra, also calling the album Yellow Magic Orchestra. The album may now seem a little undercooked, but it was revolutionary for the time, creating an electronic sound more akin to the technology of computers. More than anything, the album felt like it came from a tomorrow that had yet to come, and there was great potential for the sound, and the future would undoubtedly sound much like YMO's new world. 

To this new world, the opening of Pandora's Box would be their second album, released in 1979; Solid State Survivor. If the group's debut album was a statement of the future, Solid State Survivor was a time machine. The future was now, and the band knew it. Even conceptually and visually, the album did not harken to the '70s or the '80s, it looked and sounded like it was out of a futuristic sci-fi space opera. That was the concept and the band fully immersed themselves in this sound through eight classic tracks.

Technopolis

The first and best track in the entire album, Technopolis might be one of the most influential tracks ever. The "techno" in the title refers to Tokyo within the title, but also lead to the creation of techno as a genre. Derrick May, one of the founders of techno music in the West, noted YMO as an inspiration for the genre, particularly member Ryuichi Sakamoto, who composed Technopolis. It is not only within the genre of techno, however, that Technopolis' influence can be seen. Anyone familiar with video game music can see Technopolis' footprint, from Koji Kondo's 8-bit NES anthems to C418's Minecraft anthems. In fact, it might not be false to call Technopolis the predecessor to the gaming music we all know and love.

So how does Technopolis hold up against its successors; it rivals, and sometimes reigns supreme, over them. The central melody in the chorus is both classy and timeless, you can hear an entire sci-fi planet within so few notes in the chorus. Kudos to the vocoder vocals and diverse productional synths, they create an entire world for you to explore and enjoy, and a great setting for the rest of the album. Each and every moment of Technopolis is worth an entire essay, and it makes Solid State Survivor what it is,

Absolute Ego Dance

If you can ignore the occasionally annoying chirpy synth squiggles in the background, Absolute Ego Dance might be one of the most stirring musical experiences you have heard in ages. It is hard not to get enveloped in Harry Hosono's stirring production on Absolute Ego Dance. If you have ever heard a hyper anime track, or a soundtrack for a Kirby game, you have heard a track influenced by Absolute Ego Dance. It is also in this song we see YMO expand their influences, bringing dark Phrygian melodies to play along with the joyous Okinawa chords, all within a peppy and futuristic nightclub track from another planet. Each turn in this song is such a wonderful delight, especially with its upbeat tempo.

Rydeen

If Technopolis transported you to a fictional world, and Absolute Ego Dance gave you a tour of some of its locations, Rydeen is an intense ride or action setpiece through the said world. Rydeen might be YMO's best-known song, and it is hard to ask why once you hear the stunning melody. Using an updated Moong III-C machine, the trio crafted a song that feels just as futuristic and fresh now as it did about 44 years ago. It seems we left the future in the past with Rydeen, and we still have to catch up to it.

The high treble synths do wonders here, capturing the natural soundscape of an organic flute, without ever losing the band's sci-fi edge. It all culminates in an incredible chorus of epic proportions. Once Yukihiro Takahashi's melody rips into the song, there is no hope of getting the melody out of your head.

Castalia

If the first three tracks of Solid State Survivor showed us how fun synth-pop could be if done right, Castalia shows how moving synth-pop could be. It is hard to hear Castalia without breaking inside in sheer awe at how the song makes you feel. You are both in dread and awe of what has come, and what is to come. Sakamoto's production here is melancholic and grim, yet intensely abstract and inexplicably emotionally moving here is a preview of his own solo career's darker trajectory and sounds. Few songs sound like Castalia, despite many attempting such an atmosphere.

Behind the Mask

What. A. Song. If you live in the Western world, Behind the Mask is perhaps the YMO song you'd be best acquainted with, having been remade by both Eric Clapton and Michael Jackson. If the first three songs of Solid State Survivor made you fall in love with this futuristic world, Castalia, and more than any other song, Behind the Mask, reveals the dark truth. Much has been made about how Radiohead's Ok, Computer, predicted the communication-less, consumerist world we live in now, but lyricist Chris Mosdell arguably did that first with Behind the Mask. Every line of the song reeks of a tragedy from a world that cannot communicate, but also has lost any identity of an individual left. The fact that the song gained prominence through a commercial is a bizarre case of life imitating art.

Musically, Behind the Mask is one of Sakamoto's best compositions, merging the dystopic fears of Castalia with the bright futurism of Technopolis. There is an intense paranoia through Behind the Mask's electronic instrumental, quite literally masked by the monochrome robotic vocals. It all is unleashed, however, in a futuristic refrain that might be one of the greatest pieces of synth-pop ever.

Day Tripper

As much as the East influenced the West, the West influenced the East. Day Tripper is a remake of The Beatles song and interlopes from Otis Redding's cover of said song. Additionally, the vocal style is reminiscent of Devo. YMO takes all these influences and mixes them together into a unique package. Of all of the songs on Solid State Survivor, Day Tripper sounds the most out-of-place, and it's not the rock melodies alone. The track is best when it incorporates classic YMO sheen, such as the various electronic bursts at the beginning and end of the song. This is worth listening just for the sheer fact is somehow exists.

Insomnia

Inspired by a personal bout of insomnia Harry Hosono faced, Insomnia sounds like a sleepless night wandering a hotel on our sci-fi planet/moon. Chris Modell once again tells a story in a few lines, while the dread of every passing second is felt as Hosono's production wraps around the melody in every way possible, with no escape. Insomnia is eery, as the second half of Solid State Survivor is intended to be.

Solid State Survivor

Yukihiro Takahashi heads the finale of Solid State Survivor with its eponymous ender. From Everything Everything-esque lyrics. The song never finds the settled footing that let the best YMO songs become classics, but its eery rendition of cheeky Saturday Night Live soundalikes makes sure the song will stick out in your head for ages after the initial listen. Special points to the creepy laughs and haunting finale.

When it comes to it, Solid State Survivor is an incredible album on its own. If you remove its legacy and influence, it still is one of the best albums ever made. Add its influence, and it shines brighter due to the many albums that it influenced, some classics and others are forgotten before its predecessor. It is a classic that stands the test of time and is more than worth listening to. You will be missed, Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Image Source: Wikimedia