Fantastic Plastic Machine

by Steve HueyLike the best Shibuya-kei, Fantastic Plastic Machine's self-titled debut is a bright, bubbly pop confection that reconfigures classic pop and cocktail lounge idioms for the '90s dancefloor. Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka is the FPM, and his obsessions -- bossa nova, French pop, baroque pop, and the sound of swinging-'60s London -- are beholden to his mentors the Pizzicato Five. There's some similar vocal work as well: lots of female-voiced wordless melodies, a few tunes sung in French, and a semi-smug lounge lizard take on Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out." The big difference comes from Tanaka's DJ background. His incorporation of techno, house, and chattering drum'n'bass rhythms kicks up the energy of many of his productions; more than a few tracks also benefit from weird little synth flourishes that frequently pop up in the background. The music is more complex than it seems on first listen, which is easy to miss given the relentlessly cheerful melodies; in the end, it also helps keep the self-conscious kitschiness of some tracks from getting overbearing. The result is a delightful, infectious album that's not only hooky as all get-out, but also rewards repeated listening. Along with Matador's Pizzicato Five compilations and Cornelius' brilliant Fantasma, Fantastic Plastic Machine ranks as one of the best albums to come out of the Japanese club-pop movement.