Music Sound

Shibuya-kei (渋谷系 Shibuya-style; also 渋谷系サウンド "Shibuya-kei sound") is a variety of Japanese pop music which combines elements of jazz, fusion, traditional music, and other styles. Shibuya-kei music first gained popularity in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, from which it took its name. Despite under-marketing, it enjoyed enormous success in this region.

Initially, the term was applied to Flipper's Guitar, Pizzicato Five, and Schar Dara Parr, bands strongly influenced by French Ye Ye Music and its most notable proponent, Serge Gainsbourg. Other influences include Lounge, Bossa Nova and Hip-Hop. As the style's popularity increased at end of the 90s, the term began to be applied to many bands, such as Puffy, whose musical stylings began to reflect a more mainstream sensibility.

Some artists rejected or resisted being categorized as "Shibuya-kei," but the name ultimately stuck. The style was favoured by local businesses, including Shibuya Center Street's HMV Shibuya, which sold Shibuya-kei records in its traditional Japanese music section.

Increasingly, musicans outside of Japan, such as Britain's Momus, France's Dimitri from Paris, and the US artists Natural Calamity and Phofo are labelled Shibuya-kei. Many consider this a sign of the genre's acceptance far beyond its original anime and dance music audience.

Notable artists

Buffalo Daughter
capsule
Cibo Matto
Cornelius
Dimitri from Paris
Fantastic Plastic Machine
Flipper's Guitar
Kahimi Karie
Miniflex
Momus
Original Love
Ozawa Kenji
Phofo
Pizzicato Five
Schar Dara Parr
Takako Minekawa
Yoshinori Sunahara
Yukari Fresh

External links

• allmusic Guide to Shibuya-kei
   
• ShibuyaLink