Fantastic Plastic Machine

The most producer-driven act in the Japanese pop movement known as Shibuya-kei, Fantastic Plastic Machine was formed by Tomoyuki Tanaka. Though he has the basic stylistic tastes requisite of the Shibuya-kei artist (namely lounge music, bossa nova, French pop, and soft rock), Tanaka has more of a club mentality, driven by his long experience as a DJ. At one of his DJ appearances, longtime Deee-Lite turntablist Towa Tei convinced Tomoyuki Tanaka to record, and Fantastic Plastic Machine was born. Tanaka signed to Pizzicato Five's Readymade Records. His self-titled debut album was released in 1998, and Luxury followed one year later; Beautiful and Take Me to the Disco appeared in early 2001. Many other Fantastic Plastic Machine albums followed during the 2000s. ~ John Bush