Technodon is the eighth and final studio album by Yellow Magic Orchestra and released in 1993, a decade after the band's original breakup. Because the name Yellow Magic Orchestra was owned by former record label Alfa Records, the band were forced to release the album under the name YMO (typically stylized as the "YMO" initialism crossed out by a large "X"). For the tour that followed, they were billed as Not YMO. Future releases by the band would be made under the names Human Audio Sponge and HASYMO.
At the time of recording, Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto were incorporating many world music elements into their sound, which is still evident on Technodon, though slightly pared down and featuring simpler technopop arrangements. Yukihiro Takahashi mainly used drum machines for the record as opposed to a drum kit.
Track listing
All songs arranged by YMO.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Be a Superman" | Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yukihiro Takahashi | Sakamoto, Takahashi | 5:21 |
| 2. | "Nanga Def?" | Sakamoto | 5:10 | |
| 3. | "Floating Away" | William Gibson | Takahashi, Haruomi Hosono | 6:46 |
| 4. | "Dolphinicity" | Hosono | 5:12 | |
| 5. | "Hi-Tech Hippies" | 4:24 | ||
| 6. | "I Tre Merli" | 6:05 | ||
| 7. | "Nostalgia" | Sakamoto | 4:48 | |
| 8. | "Silence of Time" | Sakamoto | Sakamoto, Takahashi | 5:41 |
| 9. | "Waterford" | Sakamoto, Takahashi | 5:38 | |
| 10. | "O.K." | Hosono | Hosono, Takahashi | 4:29 |
| 11. | "Chance" | Sakamoto | 4:57 | |
| 12. | "Pocketful of Rainbows" | Fred Wise, Ben Weisman (Japanese translation: Reiko Yukawa) | Wise, Weisman, | 5:00 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Pocketful of Rainbows (English Version)" | Wise, Weisman | Wise, Weisman, | 4:36 |
Personnel
- Ryuichi Sakamoto: keyboards, vocals
- Yukihiro Takahashi: drums, vocals
- Haruomi Hosono: bass, keyboards, vocals
Additional Credits
- William S. Burroughs: Voice on "Be a Superman" & "I Tre Merli"
- Ruriko Kamiya: Voice on "Be a Superman"
- William Gibson: Voice on "Floating Away"
- Hirofumi Tokutake: Guitar on "Floating Away"
- John C. Lilly: Voice on "Dolphinicity"
Charts
| Release | Title | Chart (1993) | Peak position | Weeks | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Album | Technodon | Oricon Albums Chart[6] | 2 | 9 | 248,000 |
| Technodon Remixes | Oricon Albums Chart[6] | 18 | 4 | 32,000 | |
| Technodon Remixes II | Oricon Albums Chart[6] | 18 | 3 | 18,000 | |
| Single | Pocketful of Rainbows | Oricon Singles Chart[7] | 13 | 4 | 80,000 |
| Be a Superman | Oricon Singles Chart[7] | 76 | 1 | 4,000 | |
| Total | Japan | 382,000 |
References
- ^ a b c Lui, Malachi (20 August 2021). "Yellow Magic Orchestra: Explorations, Part 2 (1983-Present)". Analog Planet. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Ryuichi Sakamoto". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on August 17, 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
- ^ a b c Technodon at AllMusic. Retrieved 22:08, 8 November 2015 (UTC).
- ^ "YMO* – Technodon (2011, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
- ^ "Yellow Magic Orchestra – Technodon (2020, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Yellow Magic Orchestra" (in Japanese). Yamachan Land (Oricon archives). Archived from the original on November 11, 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
- ^ a b "Yellow Magic Orchestra (Singles)". Yamachan Land (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
