Inspiration, like lightning, could strike anywhere. For Michiko Yoshinari, the bubbly vocalist of Modern Girl & Sniper, a techno-pop sensation she fronts with Juri Goto, it struck when they were riding the Yamanote Line, one of Tokyo’s busiest commuter trains. “Some of the passengers just sleep there, others look really angry, and others are simply strange,” said Michiko. A few more investigative rides later, the duo gave birth to a track titled, “Okashikunachauyo,”(I’m Going Bananas), a lyrical and tuneful meditation on the Tokyo commuters the two had encountered of late. The track is featured on their debut album, Let’s Modern Hyper, which was released on August 18, 2010.
It’s a bit jazzy, a bit pop, and a bit of some other kind of nameless wonderful. There’s nothing forced about the music, no flashy percussions or self-involved sonic convolutions---just a girl and a boy reveling in the here and now of hyperreal Tokyo.
For more on Modern Girl & Sniper, visit their artist page at Nippop, where you can check out their profile and music video, Baby Boom.
