Fun 9 Explained
| Fun 9 |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Takako Minekawa |
| Cover: | Fun 9 Japanese version Cover.JPG |
| Border: | yes |
| Studio: | Burning Trailer |
| Label: | Polystar |
| Prev Title: | Ximer... C.C.C. Remix |
| Prev Year: | 1998 |
| Next Title: | Maxi On |
| Next Year: | 2000 |
Fun 9 is the fourth studio album by Japanese musician Takako Minekawa. It was released on July 7, 1999 by Polystar.[1] The album was released on November 16, 1999 in the United States by Emperor Norton Records.[2]
The album's title is pronounced "fun-kyū", the latter half of the title referring to the Japanese equivalent of the numeral 9, and is intended to sound similar to the word "funk".[3] [4]
Critical reception
Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote that Minekawa had produced a "more eclectic and polished" record while retaining her "playful musical vision", "[fashioning] a wide array of lush, lighthearted songs into an album that is as self-assured as it is fun".
Drowned in Sound writer Samuel Rosean cited Fun 9 as a key Shibuya-kei release in a 2018 retrospective article.[5] Tokyo Weekenders Ed Cunningham recommended Fun 9 to fans of Cornelius' album Fantasma (1997).[6]
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[7]
Musicians
- Takako Minekawa – vocals, acoustic guitar, guitar, turntables, arrangement
- Craig Borrell – analog synthesizer, MTI Auto-Orchestra synthesizer, trumpet, turntables, vocals, backing vocals
- Michiko Endo – additional vocals on "Flow in a Tide", acoustic guitar on "Soft Graffiti"
- Ross Harris – analog synthesizer, bass, Boss SP-303 sampler, drum machine, guitar, turntables
- Toyoaki Misha – sound manipulation
- Keigo Oyamada – acoustic guitar, bass, drums, guitar, Stylophone keyboard, turntables
- Takahiro Unno – French horn on "Spin Spider Spin"
Production
- Takako Minekawa – production
- DJ Me DJ You – production
- Tadashi Matsuda – mixing, recording
- Michifumi Onodera – mixing
- Keigo Oyamada – production
- Tohru Takayama – mixing
Notes and References
- Web site: fun9 嶺川貴子. Oricon. September 13, 2020. ja.
- Upcoming Releases. CMJ New Music Report. 60. 9. November 15, 1999. September 13, 2020. 34–35.
- Milk Rock. Level. March 5, 2018. Basford. Lee. 24–25.
- News: Tell JB to get a new bag -- this girl's got her own funk. The Japan Times. October 15, 1999. September 13, 2020. Tartan. Suzannah.
- Web site: A Beginner's Guide: Shibuya Kei. Drowned in Sound. December 29, 2018. September 13, 2020. Rosean. Samuel. June 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210618084829/https://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4152186-a-beginners-guide--shibuya-kei. dead.
- A Complete Guide to Shibuya-kei: Tokyo's '90s Music Revival. Tokyo Weekender. March 31, 2020. September 13, 2020. Cunningham. Ed.
- Fun 9. Takako Minekawa. Emperor Norton Records. 1999. EMN 7022. liner notes.
