Original Love

The band began its career as Red Curtain, a name that refers to a member of XTC, in 1985. It changed its name to Original Love as it changed its musical direction in 1987. The new band name was taken from the title of a song by the Feelies, an American alternative rock band from the early 80s. With its well-informed musical styling, arrangements and solid live performances, the band built up a solid fan base. In these early days, Original Love claimed among its fans the members of Flippers Guitar and Yasuharu Konishi of Pizzicato Five, who asked Tajima to join P5 as a vocalist (Tajima obliged and worked on two titles with P5: On Her Majesty's Request and Bellissima!). In this compilation, the song "Orange Mechanic Suicide" is taken from this era and shows the band in its most indie-pop color. For just one song, they sound almost like the jangly guitar pop of Belle & Sebastian and Oasis with a bit of Style Council.

The band debuted in 1991 from a major label, and word quickly spread that Original Love is the band to follow for the trend-chasing fashionistas in Tokyo. The songs from this time — the first half of this album — are catchy, slick and have a jazz-lounge feel. The slick production was typical of J-pop acts, but the tight and kinetic groove found here was not what Japanese pop audiences had become familiar with up to that point. The band clearly was playing with the kind of calibre and ambition that powered earlier giants such as Happy End and YMO. The groovy rhythms and catchy hooks are infectious; I remember readily warming up to these songs when I heard them for the first time in 1995.

Tajima is also known for his penchant for changing up his musical style (the title of this collection itself refers to this). His voice sounds at times like Curtis Mayfield ("Seppun ~Kiss"), Leonard Cohen ("Ryuuseitoshi") or even slightly like Liam Gallagher of Oasis ("Stars"). Although his music is largely jazz-influenced acid rock/pop, he brings in pieces of various genres into his songs, ranging from world music ("Hum a Tune"), electronica ("Dear Baby") to jive ("Never Give Up"). He apes fellow Japanese musicians, too; the hit song "Primal" has Dreams Come True written all over it. What is fascinating is that he somehow manages to make all this meshing of influences seem natural and the outcome sound like his own.

Original Love's latest work, out this January, is a collection of American pop songs from the 60s. Tajima selected songs from the Rolling Stones, the Doors, the Ronettes and other U.S. pop bands, translated the lyrics and performed them. Sound far-fetched? Sure, but somehow, I am not surprised.