''Sketch Show'' was a Japanese electronic rock duo formed in 2002 by two of the three former members of

Yellow Magic Orchestra Yellow Magic Orchestra (abbreviated to YMO) was a Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals, occasional keyboards) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, ...

Haruomi Hosono , sometimes credited as Harry Hosono, is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is considered to be one of the most influential musicians in Japanese pop music history, credited with shaping the sound of Japanese pop f ...

and

Yukihiro Takahashi was a Japanese musician, singer, record producer, fashion designer, and actor, who was best known internationally as the drummer, lead vocalist, & 2nd keyboardist of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, as the former drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band, ...

. In some live shows,

Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...

joined in band performances, which eventually led to the three readopting the YMO name in the latter half of the decade. "Similar to Yellow Magic Orchestra, Sketch Show's sound relies heavily on cutting-edge technology (synthesizers the first time, computers this time), but what sets the duo apart from thousands of other knob-twiddlers is the sense of songcraft and pop sensibility that they have consistently displayed over their careers. Both men sing and play traditional instruments .. While not genre-specific, Sketch Show's music is loosely categorized as electronica. The band released its debut album, ''Audio Sponge'', in 2002, shortly after a well-received appearance at Takkyu Ishino's massive rave event, WIRE02. In addition to Hosono and Takahashi, the record featured collaborations with former YMO member Ryuichi Sakamoto and

Towa Tei is a Japanese artist, record producer, and DJ. Born in Yokohama, Japan, Towa was a member of Deee-Lite, from the US label Elektra Records in 1990 and shot to fame via their international hit single, "Groove Is In the Heart". He made his solo ...

. Shows following the release of the record were instant sellouts. ..In February 2003, the band released the

mini-album A mini-LP or mini-album is a short record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A mini- ...

''Tronika'', which featured remixes by Cornelius. Early that summer, they played a show-stealing slot at SONAR 2003 in Barcelona, and CYBERSONICA 03 in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. These shows were the first European appearances for Hosono and Takahashi in two decades. September 2003 saw the release of a live DVD, Wild Sketch Show Live 2002, featuring footage culled from a string of December 2002 performances at the legendary

Shibuya-AX Shibuya-AX (stylized as SHIBUYA- AX) was a concert hall in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, near the Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Layout Shibuya-AX was the only purpose-built concert hall or "live house" in the Tokyo metropolitan area that could accommod ...

, and including a medley of YMO classics along with their new material. Toward the end of 2003, the band released their second album, ''LOOPHOLE''. The album again featured collaborations with Sakamoto, and remixes by Cornelius and Safety Scissors."Sketch Show: A Review (Nippop.com) In 2004, Sketch Show performed live shows with Sakamoto under the name "Human Audio Sponge", or "HAS". Since 2005, Sketch Show has wound down, and in 2007, Hosono, Sakamoto and Takahashi released the single " Rescue / Rydeen 79/07" under the name "HASYMO", which was made in the style of Sketch Show's music, with heavier incorporation of live instruments. Since 2008, the combination of Hosono, Sakamoto and Takahashi performed together as "Yellow Magic Orchestra", continuing with what was developed as Sketch Show/Human Audio Sponge/HASYMO. However, new recorded material was not forthcoming. On January 11, 2023, Takahashi died at the age of 70, following a case of pneumonia. He had undergone surgery to remove a brain tumor in 2020 but continued to have health troubles that interfered with his musical activities in the intervening years.

Discography

Albums

*'' Audio Sponge'' (2002) *''

Loophole A loophole is an ambiguity or inadequacy in a system, such as a law or security, which can be used to circumvent or otherwise avoid the purpose, implied or explicitly stated, of the system. Originally, the word meant an arrowslit, a narrow vertic ...

'' (2003)

EPs

*'' Tronika'' (2003)

Singles

*''Ekot''/''Chronograph'' (2003) *''Loopholes'' (2005)

Video albums

*'' Wild Sketch Show'' (2003)

Remix albums

*''Sketches & Notations'' (2004)

Appearances

*''

Space Invaders is a 1978 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Taito for Arcade video game, arcades. It was released in Japan in April 1978, with the game being released by Midway Manufacturing overseas. ''Space Invaders'' was the first fixed s ...

'' (2003) *''

Babel Babel is a name used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon and may refer to: Arts and media Written works Books *Babel (book), ''Babel'' (book), by Patti Smith * Babel (2012 manga), ''Babel'' (2012 manga), by Narumi Shigematsu * Babel (20 ...

'' (2006)

References

External links

Nippop: A Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sketch Show Japanese electronic music groups