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Cornelius; Hilarie Sidney (vocals, drums); Sean O'Hagan (banjo, samples, background vocals); Kinbara (strings); Robert Schneider (bass); Yoshie Hiragakura (drums); Mooog Yamamoto (turntables); Yuki Yano (Theremin); Kazumichi Fujiwara.
Like many of his counterparts in the 90's wave of Japanese rockers, Keigo Oyamada (a.k.a. Cornelius) is well-versed in the history of pop as it leads up to the here and now. And for the most part, the likable genre-jumping antics of FANTASMA, his third full-length that works as a US debut, pigeonhole him as a somewhat more schizophrenic Beck. He gets crazy with not just the cheeze wiz, but 3D microphones, Meredith Monk-like vocal overlays, drum'n'bass beats, kitschy keyboards, and a mound of samples, ingredients for a pop-cult salad nonpareil.
Where Cornelius dazzles though, is in his musical default function, which is wisely set on psychedelic indie-pop. The droney, driving "New Music Machine," for instance, cobbles together a bleeding lo-fi aesthetic out of 48 tracks worth of background vocals, analog synths and, above all else, drums 'n' guitars. And "Seashore and Horizon" shuttles between such a seamless Pet Sounds vibe of acoustic guitars and choral arrangements and kooky magical mystery pop burn-out, that you can almost smell the members of the Elephant 6 collective molding with envy.
3rd Rel;Rel In Japan Last YearSpin (5/98, p.134) - 6 (out of 10) - "...an exuberant kaleidoscope of hip-hop, noisecore, film soundtracks, cheesy listening, indie rock, even Sesame Street....an endearing music-obsessive-comes-of-age tale--from Saturday morning TV to arena rock to bootleg Jean-Jacques Perrey reissues..."
Magnet (p.78) - "FANTASMA sounded like PET SOUNDS made anime....It left all contemporaries in a cloud of crate-digging dust."
The Wire (1/99, p.27) - Included in Wire's "50 Records Of The Year [1998]"
CMJ (1/11/99, p.7) - "...With its ground-breaking collage of beats, Beach Boys-style harmonies, lounge-y fluff and noisy guitars, the record revisited and re-examined the pop music's storied history..."
Vibe (5/98, p.144) - "...FANTASMA is brilliant. Cornelius's innovations will definitely excite futuristic B-boys and rockers alike..."
Option (5-6/98, p.81) - "...a visionary, visual sound that's as generous as it is lavish..."
Cornelius - Fantasma Songs
| 1 | Mic Check See All 2  | | | |
| 2 | Micro Disneycal World Tour See All 2 | | | |
| 3 | New Music MacHine See All 2 | | | |
| 4 | Clash See All 2 | | | |
| 5 | Count Five or Six | | | |
| 6 | Magoo Opening | | | |
| 7 | Star Fruits Surf Rider See All 4 | | | |
| 8 | Chapter 8- Seashore and Horizon | | | |
| 9 | Free Fall See All 2 | | | |
| 10 | 2010 | | | |
| 11 | God Only Knows | | | |
| 12 | Thank You For The Music | | | |
| 13 | Fantasma | | | |
Fantasma Music Review
Average Rating: (5 out of 5 stars)   cornelius' best
a solid cd the whole way through
Submitted by peter7431 (maryland) 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 2 found this helpful. Awesome
Cornelius brings a brilliant and multi-sound texture album with "Fantasma". It's soft in tracks like "Chapter 8" and noisy in "Count 5 or 6". All the styles (rock, pop, electronic, lounge, even polka) mixed up in one superb cd. It's not quite commercial, but "Fantasma" represents a different musical proposal nowadays.
Submitted by vfalcon (Lima, Peru)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 2 found this helpful. brilliant
truly a desert island disc, one of those recordings that's essential in the actual meaning of the term. fantasma takes you on a trip across an imaginary pop radio dial and into the mad-scientist audio laboratory of its creator. styles and pastiches ranging from brian wilson to arena rock to hardcore punk to psychedelia swarm over you intoxicatingly, seducing you into a bit of musical paradise. while the initial 4 or 5 songs alone are fantastic, the entire cd is an euphoric joy. if you're looking for simple signposts and "influences", be ready for a torrent of synaptic connections and recollections: brian wilson, beck, cheap trick, david bowie, tv cartoons, science fiction movies are just a taste of what this "planet of the apes"-obsessed genius references in the fine fantasma.
Submitted by alterego100usa (somewhere in michigan)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 2 found this helpful. | Have you heard this album? |  |
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