REVIEW: Perfume “GAME”
PERFUME
GAME
(Tokuma Japan)
Availability: CD only
Rating:
Perfume, a three-piece J-pop girl group (the members - Nocchi, Kashiyuka, and A-chan - all use nicknames professionaly a-la TLC), on outward appearance do not seem to have much to distinguish themselves from other, similarly sized girl groups. Yet, with several singles to their name (all of which appeared on a compilation that preceded this album), this is only their first proper studio album. And it debuted at #1 on Oricion’s daily album chart this past Tuesday. What’s the deal?
Musically, Perfume are backed by arrangements heavy on all manner of analog synthesizers - often presenting harsher textures that recall early Polysics - and digital keyboards, married mostly to house and slower Eurobeat rhythms. That is the good part - all 12 of the songs on GAME are well written and well arranged, sometimes cleverly (the sequencers on “Bufferfly” easily evoke the winged creature of the same name) and its easy to see why songs like “Baby cruising Love” and “Polyrhythm” have made the pop charts in Japan. However, the instrumentation does not vary until the closing track, “Puppy Love”, comes in with a “Linus And Lucy” left-hand bass line and a choppy, artificial-sounding acoustic guitar.
Vocally, however, Perfurme are marred by heavy use of vocoders and other ProTools plug-ins. Used as a compositional device on the appropriate song (think Buono!’s “Internet Cupid”, Bob Mould’s “(Shine Your) Life Love Heart”, Panic! At The Disco’s “Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks”), or even in select places within a song (think Cher’s “Believe” and Snoop Dogg’s “Sensual Seduction”), it makes for variety within the confines of an album. Used heavily on every track without a break… well, think of current American R&B sensation of the moment, T-Pain, and his heavy reliance on vocoder-like vocal effects (a recent live TV performance that circulated on YouTube revealed how poor of a singer he is without the ProTools plug-ins).
The end result? An otherwise good album is marred by a production that casts doubts about the talent of its vocalists. They may have a number one album and a couple of hit singles to their credit, but on subsequent trips to the studio they’ll have to leave the vocal plug-ins deactivated in ProTools and use more varied musical arrangements if they even expect to see Morning Musume’s taillights from at least eight blocks away (by which time Morning Musume will have probably racked up another five or ten Top 10 hits). Like George Clinton sang on Parliament’s “Sir Nose D’Voidoffunk”, “Better luck next time.”
April 18th, 2008 at 4:17 am
“hey may have a number one album and a couple of hit singles to their credit, but on subsequent trips to the studio they’ll have to leave the vocal plug-ins deactivated in ProTools and use more varied musical arrangements”
Well they certainly aren’t going to abruptly change styles for a formula that’s been proven popular. Maybe when their sales are falling then they will change styles… In fact, it’d be more likely that other producers and groups will be trying to imitate Perfume (Internet Cupid) than Perfume abandoning what has made them popular. Granted, you can hold your opinion of them - but to argue that they should dump the special effects just doesn’t make any sense. But hey, if you don’t want this DVD anymore, I’ll gladly take it off of your hands.
April 18th, 2008 at 7:49 am
@Brian: Response #1: There’s no disc to take off of my hands - I reviewed this off of a download.
Response #2: *in a Ralph Kramden accent* Shaddap.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:00 am
[...] Review: Perfume - Game (Japanator) REVIEW: Perfume “GAME” (Stuck in a Pagoda with Motoko [...]
April 18th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
I have no problem with Perfume’s usage of a vocoder or other synthetic effects, personally. I view singing as just another instrument to a song, and seeing as they’ve been firmly resting in a technopop/electronica style since Nakata picked them up, the extensive modifications made to the way their vocals sound just jives well with it. I’ve heard them sing naturally without the use of a vocoder, and really, A~chan is the only one with any actual talent. The other two owe a lot to the “overuse” of effects and the rather robotic, non-emotive way Perfume tends to sing on all their tracks.
Of course, I’d love a song without a vocoder. It would just make it all the more special.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
To elaborate on what Yoshimi said, the voice really is just another instrument, and since their idol gimmick is that they are like robots, they should sing like that. Idol music in general isn’t meant to showcase great singers. You mention Morning Musume, but beyond Takitty and Reina, everyone in the current group is either a)terrible (Koharu, Sayu) or b)started out terrible and is now passable (Eri, Risa). On the other hand, the most vocally talented group currently in H!P, Melon Kinenbi, barely gets any promotion. The point of idol music is catchy, if occasionally unoriginal, songs performed by cute young girls. MoMusu, with its trendy sound and average age about seventeen, fits that mold, while Melon Kinenbi, with its mostly experimental songs and average age of twenty-six, does not and is less popular. And look at what happened with the amazingly talented T&C Bomber! Idol music is mainly promoted by how cute the girls are, how catchy the song is, and by their gimmick (MoMusu’s rotating members and loli, Perfume’s roboticness, etc.) Typical idol music fans do not care about how the girls sing-look at all of Sayumi’s fans!
Also, just because a voice isn’t technically perfect doesn’t mean it can’t be interesting-just look at Koharu’s limited range and inability to hold a note for more than a couple of beats. However, her odd pronunciation and infectious energy make up for that and her music can still be interesting and catchy. To go even older, Joey Ramone had what many would consider to be a “bad voice,” but his voice is so distinct and unique to him that it is an asset (not to compare Koha to the legend that is Joey Ramone, obviously- my Ramones-obssesed/H!P-hating little brother would have a fit! xD)
I’m not telling you to change why you enjoy idol music-I actually appreciate that you look at the music before the eye-candy, as I do as well. But I think you are looking at Perfume in the wrong light. The point of their group is not if they are good or bad singers, is that the vocoder is mainly a gimmick, regardless or not if they can sing well. To suggest that they stop using the vocoder is like to suggest to MoMusu to stop rotating its members-it’s what they are known for. If it annoys you, simply don’t listen to their music. Suggesting that they change that is suggesting that they drop everything that made them who they are.
Though I do agree that T-Pain is annoying as hell, if simply because he is another misogynistic, greedy, empty hip-hop star of today that has more in common with Alex Rodriguez than Public Enemy.
@Yoshimi: Where did you find this clip of them singing naturally? I’m curious…
April 19th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
As a highly respected internet-professional I have to say you have gotten this all wrong. Perfume is -supposed- to be kitchy and overly electronic. That includes vocoders.
And Jesus christ this album delivers. I’m still waiting for the proper thingie to get to my mailbox and checking out the “live” performances on the DVD, as these girls have a habit of making live-perfs of static content into something more.
In my opinion MUCH more so than MM.
They may not be regular idols, even though the Japanese tabloids have started to pick up on that idea, but still… They have their own gig, and their album has so far stayed within the top -3- on daily oricon rankings.
To say that they are doing things wrong and that MM is doing better when UFA is pretty much eating their entire budget to spend on Buono, C-ute or whatever is just plain stupid.
These girls are just ready to eat Japan and I can’t wait to for their tour this May.
April 19th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
@Hanachan: Great comment. I need to disagree with you on one thing, re: Joey Ramone. He had a great voice. I would never have called it bad, even when he was alive. Joey’s voice was real, as are those of Rollins, Iggy, and the members of MoMusu.
I also think, speaking of “bad voices” and Koharu, is that she’s getting a bad rap over her vocals. Her two “solo” albums are still basically character albums (granted, her second album seems to be mroe of a character album than the first) since her anime character is supposed to be an aspiring idol singer who can’t sing worth a shit, whereas Koharu on the MoMusu material is a pretty decent singer.
@Jostein: I have gotten nothing wrong. If Perfume expects to have a long career, eventually they’ll have to stop with the vocoders and learn to stretch out musically. One of the reasons Morning Musume is still around after 11 years is because they are not restricted to just one musical style. Yes, the Perfume album is good, but the gimmicks they hide behind grow old real quick. Do you really think they’ll have a long career riding this gimmick? Because I sure don’t.
April 19th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Perfume has non-vocoder songs, been around since 2001 and they -are- produced by Nakata Yasutaka which has shown over the years to be capable trough lots of different styles.
While I don’t think Perfume will have the same success as MM had back in the late 90s, I don’t think they are doomed anytime soon.
Also, their new TV-show rocks
April 19th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Thanks! I guess I didn’t make it clear the first time, what I was trying to say was the Joey and Koharu don’t have conventionally great voices. I actually really love Joey Ramone’s voice- it’s very unique and powerful, though it’s odd-sounding and henceforth unconventional.
As for Koharu, she seems to lack much vocal range or power. She sounds okay in MoMusu songs, but there she is singing less lines and is part of a group that usually includes many girls harmonizing together. When she stands on her own, her vocal weaknesses stands out more. Also, her character is a professional singer-typically she would get vocal training of some sort so that she could sing better, especially if she is a solo artist, and especially by the second album. I love Koharu’s voice- in this age of idol who all sound the same, her voice is unique and helps define who she is as an idol.
I don’t believe the point of Perfume is for them to have a long-lasting idol career, as most idols don’t. The only idol group that really has “survived” and is still successful is MoMusu, and they don’t have any of their original members left. So if this gimmick works for them now, then that’s all that matters. The point of an idol is to come in quick, grab attention, and then quickly fade away after a couple of years. Even the amazing ace Gocchin got slaggy sales after awhile to the point where they tried, unsuccessfully, to Koda Kumi-fy her, which still didn’t increase sales!
April 20th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
@ Hanachan: I enjoyed reading your expansion on what I commented with. This should be the video in question where you get to hear Perfume’s natural voices.
April 20th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
@Yoshimi: Thanks