Ep. 19 – Trattoria Tastes

Keigo Oyamada’s vibrant Trattoria Records, a Polystar-owned imprint that lasted from 1991 to 2002, stood out among the core labels of Tokyo’s Shibuya-kei scene. It also provided a home to Oyamada’s brilliant Cornelius project, in which counterpoint, syncopation and sampling invaded — nay, parasitized — the sunny alt-rock sound of the ‘90s. If Cornelius could encapsulate Shibuya-kei’s eclectic, hyper-pastiche type of retro-chic and its flair for experimentalism on a single record, Trattoria reflected a broader vision where sounds like baroque pop, noise rock, psych, shoe-gaze, trip-hop, lounge and J-pop soccer anthems would all live on one roster. This mix pairs Cornelius tracks with Oyamada’s production work, while setting aside Trattoria’s Western artists — and its more overt J-pop, alt-rock and avant-garde sounds — in favor of the label’s most inclusively adventurous (adventurously inclusive?) Japanese material (save for two terrific covers of Western songs), showing off what Shibuya-kei was truly capable of. Tracklist: Cornelius - 1969, Cornelius - The Micro Disneycal World Tour, Dots + Borders - 7 Juillet, Salon Music - Golden Brown, Cornelius - Smoke, Indian Rope - Lovely Dada, Flipper’s Guitar - Southbound Excursion, Yasuharu Konishi - Opening Theme, Takako Minekawa - Plash, Cornelius - Star Fruits Surf Rider, Hideki Kaji - Kanojyo Ga Yoko Wo Muku Riyuu, Citrus - Your Building, Kahimi Karie - Son of a Gun, Cornelius - New Music Machine, Venus Peter - Walk Out, OOIOO - Be Sure to Loop, Salon Music - Wanna Be Tied, Takako Minekawa - Lullaby of Gray, Yoshie - Espacio Verde, Cornelius - Point of View Point, Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her - Sister Sister, Indian Rope - Go West, Citrus - Everysong Landed Near by His Fire Place, Cornelius - How Do You Feel, Kahimi Karie - Le Roi Soleil, Hideki Kaji - Ivy Ivory Ivy, Hiromix - Yume Wo Yoku Miru Hito No Hanashi, Luminous Orange - Ken-Ban, Cornelius - 69/96 Girl Meets Cassette, OOIOO - Asozan, Salon Music - Sleepers, Buffalo Daughter - Great Five Lakes (Cornelius Remix), Yoshie - 7 Colobe 8 Oqui, SKYEYE - 7EYE7, Rovo - KNM!, Cornelius - Fly, Indian Rope - Purple Mania, OOIOO - Mountain Book, Citrus - Big Day Coming from Northwest, Cornelius - Thank You for The Music