| Fantastic Plastic Machine | |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Date: | 1966 7, df=yes |
| Origin: | Kyoto, Japan |
| Occupation: | Musician, DJ |
| Years Active: | 1988-present |
| Associated Acts: | Ravex |
| Website: | FPMNet.com |
Fantastic Plastic Machine is the stage name of, a Japanese musician and DJ born in Kyoto, Japan. Tanaka was considered to be part of the Shibuya-kei movement.[1]
In the late 1980s, Tanaka played as the bassist in a rock band called Margarine Strikes Back.[2] Then in the early 1990s, Tanaka became a regular club DJ in the Kansai area, working as part of a DJ team known as Sound Impossible. While playing with Sound Impossible, his friend Towa Tei convinced Tanaka to return to recording music, and in 1997 Tanaka created his solo project Fantastic Plastic Machine under the Readymade Records (a Columbia Music Entertainment sub-label) label in Japan.
His 1997 self-titled debut album was described by Stevie Huey as a "bright, bubbly pop confection that reconfigures classic pop and cocktail lounge idioms for the '90s dancefloor."[3] His following album Luxury (1998) "[explores] more down-tempo territory and [concentrates] more on creating texture with his mixes".[4] These albums would go on to give him international recognition.[5] The albums were distributed in the United States under the Emperor Norton label, and in Europe on the Bungalow label. In Japan, he is currently on the Cutting Edge label.
Tanaka hosted a pop culture show on national radio, and in 2004 he hosted another radio show called Sound Concierge. He also once served as the editor for the Japanese fashion magazine Brutus.
Tanaka's song "Electric Lady Land" is featured on the movie soundtrack of The Girl Next Door.[6] He has also been featured on some of DJ Stephane Pompougnac's Hôtel Costes CD series. His song "Bachelor Pad (f.p.m. edit)" was featured on the soundtrack. A short edit of his song "Beautiful Days" is featured on the Japanese music game beatmania IIDX 6th Style. Also, "Theme of Luxury", "S'Il Vous Plait" and "There Must Be an Angel" (the last song features Lorraine Bowen) are heard in the British sitcom Spaced as well as on the accompanying soundtrack CD. In 2003, his song "Different Colors" was featured in a Louis Vuitton commercial created by superflat artist Takashi Murakami. The commercial featured a panda that eats a girl and her cell phone; the three are then transported into an ethereal Louis Vuitton world. The commercial played in Louis Vuitton stores in Japan.
Tanaka is currently involved in Ravex, a collaboration with fellow Avex DJs Shinichi Osawa and Taku Takahashi established to mark 20 years of the label. Their debut album Trax was released on 8 April 2009, and follows the release of the singles I Rave U and Believe in Love - feat BoA.