Sketch Show (band)
Sketch Show was a Japanese electronic music duo formed in 2002 by two of the three former members of Yellow Magic Orchestra, Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi. In some live shows, Ryuichi Sakamoto 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. Shows following the release of the record were instant sellouts.[...] In February 2003, the band released the mini-album Tronika, which featured remixes by Cornelius. Early that summer, they played a show-stealing slot at SONAR 2003 in Barcelona, and CYBERSONICA