Firecracker

by Yellow Magic Orchestra

“Haruomi Hosono was a relatively ordinary kid who loved the culture, art, and his chosen music path. The Hosonos lived in Tokyo, Japan, and Haruomi had come of age.”

He was heavily involved in music, so much that he had been in at least several bands by his late 20s. The economic climate was ripe for an artist of any pursuit or discipline to thrive, and Haruomi was wise not to let the opportunity go to waste.

Japanese folk music was a major musical influence for Haruomi early in his youth. He played electric bass keyboards and sang. The cultural and social changes, at the time, going on in nearby China, were felt to some degree over in Japan. These and other elements would be the backdrop for Haruomi's artistry.

He got together two musicians from the local area - themselves occupied with other musical projects - and formed the Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Like the rest of the world, Japan has followed American culture and trends.

With that, there is a close following of American music. Japan has its answer to Jazz, simply called Japanese Jazz; its response to Pop music, called J-Pop (not to be mistaken with K-Pop, from Korea); there is also Japanese Rap, and now even Trap music. This phenomenon is found in almost every country.

Haruomi loved a variety of musical styles and genres. This translated into the musical bodywork of the YMO or Yellow Magic Orchestra.

“Admittedly, Hosono says his band was “heavily influenced” by Kraftwerk - an electronic dance group from West Germany at the time. After introducing the music to his bandmates, “they immediately became huge fans,” he says.”

Kraftwerk is said to have significantly influenced Pop music, especially that of the 1980s era. This includes the familiar sounds made famous by musical acts such Eurythmics and their hit "Sweet Dreams" or Blondie's "Heart of Glass," amongst others.

Yellow Magic Orchestra would release their self-titled album in 1978. The first single was "Firecracker," it was a mega success in Japan, later conquering other parts of the world. The album leans considerably on the musical framework of Kraftwerk. YMO was not particularly prideful about this, but for purposes of some semblance of originality - and longevity - Yellow Magic Orchestra added other elements.

They explored themes of Asianness, Orientalism, and also Exoticism. The latter two are particularly interesting because they both entail Western perceptions of the East and the Pacific, respectively. Hosono characterized Kraftwerk's style as being "very German." By that, he may have meant not only of a different musical tradition but also serious in nature.

Kraftwerk's music and art were rather dystopian, likely reflective of their environment in West Germany. YMO's music departed from their idols - temperamentally - and created music that emphasized 'joy' and 'liberation.'

Japan is the land of classic video games - that many have known and loved growing up. Nintendo, originally from Japan, has dominated the global video game industry in terms of the highest of revenues. Super Mario, also a Japanese product, is recognizable in all corners of the world. The sounds of these beloved video games, or just video game sounds generally, were sampled into music by YMO, predating much of the sampling that's come to define today's many subgenres of electronic music, including Hip Hop.

Computer and video game sounds can be heard in YMO's single "Firecracker." This laid one of the most critical foundations in Hip Hop music; Afrika Bambaataa would joke that YMO was singularly responsible for Hip Hop's birth. Yellow Magic Orchestra had become the most prominent musical act in Japan at the time - more so than even the Beatles. A rise in the R&B charts initiated their crossover to the American music market.

The band managed to secure a spot on the popular tv show Soul Train to perform in-studio in late 1980. They performed "Firecracker" before a very enthusiastic, dancing crowd that was predominantly African American.

"Firecracker" was later sampled by Afrika Bambaataa and popularly became known as a treasured Bronx - birthplace of Hip Hop - anthem. The song was later again sampled by Bronx native Jennifer Lopez, Hip Hop group De La Soul, and countless others.