Here we have Cosmic Invention's 1981 album Cosmorama. As far as I can tell this is their sole release aside from a 7" single of "Yakimori" which is found on the full-length album. There is very little information to be found online about the group, especially since there's another Japanese band of the same name, from the 90s, which features Michio Kurihara and Masaki Batoh.
If you like the Cosmos material I've posted, you'll like Cosmic Invention. Cosmorama has that same sort of whimsical, synth-driven New Wave "fusion" sound. I don't have much information to share, but I at least have a full members list, which is something I don't have for Cosmos. Cosmic Invention supposedly started out as a YMO cover band, and their signature tune, "Computer Obaachan (Grandma)" was originally written by Sakamoto and performed by someone either named Shuko Sakai or Yuko Sakaitsukasa, though I can't find this original version online. The track was produced for a radio program called "Sound Street" on NHK-FM and eventually released on vinyl with "Photo Musik" as the B-side. The song remains relatively popular and has been covered by several other groups since.
Cosmic Invention:
森岡みま Mima Morioka：Vocals, Drums
井上能征 Yoshimasa Inoue：Keyboards
佐藤克巳 Katsumi Sato：Keyboards
橋本かんな Kanna Hashimoto：Bass, Keyboards
Album producer: Hiroyoshi Oda
Tracklisting:
01. Space Fighting
02. 愛Love Come On
03. ちょっとホントあとはウソ/ Chotto Honto Ato Wa Uso
04. ゆでたまごちゃん/ Yudetamagochan
05. Yakimoki
06. コンピューターおばあちゃん/ Computer Obaachan (Grandma)
07. Trouble
08. Little Darling
09. Cosmic Fantasy
10. ひこうき雲/ Hikoukigumo
11. それはシークレット/ Sore Wa Shiikuretto (Secret)
"Note" from Discogs:
"This LP was released to celebrate the take-off of Firstman synthesizers."
ENJOY
Correction on Computer Obaachan: It was originally their song, then Sakamoto produced an arrangement of it with vocals by Yuko Sakaitsukasa which was used on the NHK Minna no Uta (みんなのうた) program - this version was also released as a single (this one: http://odaka3121.exblog.jp/7113662/). There is another recording too, not sure of the details, it sounds like Sakamoto's arrangement but not with his synths and with a different singer (maybe Shuko Sakai?). Minna no Uta songs are frequently deleted on YouTube, so it'll hard finding it (don't try uploading it either ;) ), but it is on the "Techno Kayō: Digita Love (Toshiba EMI Hen)/デジタラブ～東芝EMI編" compilation.
ReplyDeleteCosmic Invention were also the opening act for YMO on the 27th December 1980 in Nippon Budokan; they played Technopolis. There is a video of this doing the rounds, not sure what tape it was on.
Thanks once again for enriching the story. I've found so many videos I've favorited on Youtube deleted... Japanese record companies seem even more prohibitive of their material than American ones... even if the song is way out of print and likely will not be re-released.
ReplyDeleteZilog you should send me an email.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this album by the way, been looking for it for ages! First track is a complete knock-off of the disco Star Wars theme (by Meco) in case you're not familiar with that.
ReplyDeleteHuge thanks for this! Greatly appriciated!
ReplyDeleteI've been looking for it for ages too.
I just had to find your page to just say my thanks, though I found the rapid-link from some random linking page. :)
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ReplyDeletespace fighting, star wars whats the difference
ReplyDeletethat drummer girl was way cute
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting this up. I ran across Cosmic Invention by accident on YouTube (right after discovering Cosmos, which you also have up; thanks for that, too, by the way).
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of YouTube, a user made an oddball post on this video for Yakimoki:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmn1Mwy6Eac
Mima Morioka (at least it seems like he's talking about her) apparently died in a gun battle with police? O_o Highly doubtful, but still thought I'd bring it up as something to go on. I couldn't find anything about her, period, let alone something like that. News like that, even dating back to 1996, would still be easy to find.
Thanks AF! Yeah it's difficult finding credible info about this stuff in English sometimes. I'd email the Youtube user who left that comment for a source maybe?
ReplyDeleteThat's a really bizarre rumor regarding Mima Morioka. Wikipedia in Japanese has her as alive. My understanding was they were a young teenage band formed by Morioka who of course had the really attention getting skill of playing drums while singing vocals. They made no secret her dad ran an instrument company who's products were sold as Hillwood and Multivox brands and in specific Firstman who officially endorsed them which was sort of an entry level Boss to Hillwood who ironically are sometimes accused of copying Roland gear. They covered tracks like YMO's Cosmic Surfin, which as a single apparently did well and got YMOs attention and were invited to play at one of their biggest shows (televised) where as intermission Cosmic Invention replaced YMO and played their music. I think Morioka kept on with other music projects in the 80s but I guess she gradually faded out. I heard she did a few gigs playing drums for Sakamoto's live band
ReplyDeleteNever did hear back from that user that made the comment. If the Japanese Wiki page for her is listing her as alive, then we'll file this all away as 'crazy rumor' and leave it at that. lol
ReplyDeleteReupload, please!
ReplyDeleteThanks in advance.
Fixed.
ReplyDeleteMima-chan is still quite alive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzEXutSHQQg
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
ReplyDeleteIm glad you found this! I found this band back in fall '11 and I actually had a friend of a friend who works for tower records in Tokyo scour all of his resources to find this. He ripped it, emailed it to me, and I uploaded it for the world to enjoy!
ReplyDelete