Keigo Oyamada's Cornelius turned Shibuya-kei experimentation into a sound American critics likened to Brian Wilson and Beck.
MOODS · experimental · playful · dissonant yet melodic · pop-collage · exploratory · dreamy · meticulous studio craft · genre-blending · nostalgic · surreal
BIOGRAPHY
Cornelius is the solo project of Japanese musician Keigo Oyamada, who took the name after his pop duo Flipper's Guitar disbanded in 1991. He became a key figure of Tokyo's Shibuya-kei scene, blending dissonant textures with melodic, harmonically rich pop.
His 1997 album Fantasma sold over 500,000 copies in Japan and earned him comparisons to Brian Wilson and Beck from American critics, opening the door to a deal with New York's Matador Records. Rolling Stone Japan later ranked it 10th on its list of the 100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums. After a lengthy gap, he returned in 2017 with Mellow Waves, his first album in 11 years.
WHY THEY'RE COOL
Cornelius built a reputation as both a boundary-pushing solo artist and an in-demand collaborator, remixing and working alongside Blur, Beck, MGMT, James Brown, and Yoko Ono. His breakthrough album Fantasma drew comparisons to Brian Wilson's studio ambition and Beck's genre-hopping, helping introduce Shibuya-kei's playful, collage-like pop to international ears via Matador Records. Decades later, Mellow Waves marked a notable return after over a decade of silence, showing his continued relevance in experimental pop circles.
GEORGE'S PLAYS
First time on the station.
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