Flipper's Guitar

Flipper's Guitar (フリッパーズ・ギター) was a Tokyo-based indie pop band led by (and later a duo of) Keigo Oyamada and Kenji Ozawa. The band was influenced by the chirpy sound of British 80s pop and post-punk groups like Haircut 100, Exhibit B, Orange Juice, The Style Council and Aztec Camera, as well as the fashionably eclectic sounds of early 90s Britain, from alternative dance to acid jazz.

The group was an important part of the Tokyo Shibuya-kei scene in the late 1980s to early 1990s, and Oyamada went on to produce work for Pizzicato Five and his close friend Kahimi Karie.

The band wears their influence on their sleeves, their song titles often citing their British artists' influence — Goodbye Our Pastels Badges, Haircut One Hundred, The Colourfield.

Following the demise of the band in 1991, the two members pursued solo careers. Ozawa released the album The Dogs Bark But The Caravan Moves On under his own name, and Oyamada began recording under the name of Cornelius. It was as Cornelius that Oyamada gained a minor cult following outside Japan, as well as remix work for the likes of Blur, Beck, and the Manic Street Preachers.

History

Lollipop Sonic and formation (1987–1988)

Flipper's Guitar formed in 1987 and were originally known as Lollipop Sonic. The group formed in junior high school as a five-piece consisting of Keigo Oyamada (vocals, guitar), Kenji Ozawa (guitar, vocals), Shusaku Yoshida (bass), Yasunobu Arakawa (drums) and Yukiko Inoue (keyboards).

In 1988, prior to signing with Polystar records, the group released material on a pair of independent cassettes. The first Favorite Shirts, the title is a reference to Haircut One Hundred's song of the same name, was a self-released 11-track cassette. The majority of the songs were re-recorded for the release the following year as the band's debut album. The second cassette, Akko-Chan's Anorak Party!, was a split-compilation that also included songs by the obscure Japanese groups; Penny Arcade and Debonaire. Some of Lollipop Sonic's tracks had already appeared on Favorite Shirt.

Three Cheers for Our Side (1989)

The group was 'discovered' by Zin Yoshida of the cult-Japanese new wave duo Salon Music. In 1989, Yoshida helped arrange for the group to sign with the major-record label Polystar. Still a five-piece they re-recorded the majority of their early material for release as their debut album. The album was produced by Zin N. Summer (a.k.a. Zin Yoshida), Hitomi T. (a.k.a. Hitomi Takenaka) (also of Salon Music) and Kenichi Makimura. Lead guitarist Ozawa wrote the lyrics for all songs. Music was written by Oyamada and Ozawa with arrangements by the band, Zin N. Summer and Hitomi T.

The resulting album Three Cheers for Our Side (海へ行くつもりじゃなかった), the title a homage to an Orange Juice song, was released in August 1989. While a fairly straightforward guitar-pop album, "Young, Alive, In Love" was featured as the main theme song to the popular drama Youbikou Bugi (Cram-school Boogie). The duo kept busy in the studio releasing the extended-play Camera! Camera! Camera! in September and the non-album single "Love Train" b/w "Slide" in November. The title-track of Camera! Camera! Camera! is an alternate 'guitar pop' recording of the Camera Talk album track with John "Segs" Jennings and David Ruffy.

Doctor Head's World Tower (1991)

1991 found the group pursuing their interest in the British alternative scenes of House, Madchester/Baggy and an extensive use of sampling.

"Groove Tube", their first single of 1991 and a primer for their third album had a new sound that combined pop accessibility with shoegaze and Madchester/Baggy styles. The single bears a similarity to "Fool's Gold" by The Stone Roses, "Soon" by My Bloody Valentine and "Come Together" by Primal Scream.

Camera Talk (6 June 1990) JPN #6
Camera! Camera! Camera! (25 September 1990) - EP
"Love Train" b/w "Slide" (21 November 1990) JPN #40