YMCK is a 3 person pop band from Japan with a familiar sound. Just take a look at the above image and you’ll have an idea. Remember those songs emanating from your NES that you used to hum as a kid walking back from school, excited to get home and pop in your copy of Super Mario Bros? Those songs are the inspiration for YMCK.

Since releasing their album Family Music in 2004, YMCK have gone on to join the massive underground Chiptune music scene, and have traveled the world to perform their uniquely saccharine sweet audio/visual show. Now their new album Family Genesis cements a place in the global gaming phenomenon, as those of us who have grown up with games begin to influence the larger cultural scene with our love for gaming. New York-Tokyo recently caught up with band leader Yokemura to find out what makes YMCK tick. Interview and music after the jump.

“Major Swing” from Family Genesis LP – MP3 Sample

New York-Tokyo: How did YMCK get their start with music making? Why did you choose to focus your music on the sounds of 8 bit games, and was it always this way?
Yokemura: There were no plans nor aims in beginning YMCK. Few years ago, Nakamura and I (Yokemura) were both the support members of a 60’s French flavored pop/rock band which one of my friends had formed. The band often organized their own live performance events, and one of those events they had got a sudden absence on the timetable. To fill the absence we (Nakamura and I) decided to form a band. Only two guys on the stage doesn’t look good, so we invite Midori to join. That’s how YMCK started.

The music style of the band at that time wasn’t 8 bit style. It was after few months that I conceived the idea of using 8 bit. I wanted to make a kind of light-touched “techno” music with slight jazz flavor. I tried some experiments with various kind of sounds and I finally found that the early Nintendo’s primitive sound fits my inner image most.

NYT: What computer equipment or software do you use to make music?
Yokemura: I use Macintosh with Logic (version 6 and 7 ) as the host software, and run the plugin that I myself developed (“Magical 8bit Plugin”) on it. Unlike the real 8 bit consoles, you can have as many polyphony as you want with my plugin, so I’m always aware not to overdub too much sounds so that the cheapness will not be spoiled.

NYT: How do you all work together in the studio? Is it a collaborative effort or is one of you the main songwriter?
Yokemura: I am the main songwriter. But when get started with making songs, each of us bring some motifs together and discuss which songs to choose , how the the theme of the album should be and so on. Incidentally, most of the work is done in our own rooms, not in studio. Vocals are also recorded at home.

NYT: Do you consider yourselves a part of the “chiptune” scene?
Yokemura: Yes. Our very first chance to let people know our music was being introduced in a article on the chiptune news site called VORC. After that, we are often invited to join chiptune parties, which keeps us aware that we’re a part of this scene.

NYT: What are your feelings on that scene?
Yokemura: I feel very interesting because it has the international network of the artists. Our first experience of performing overseas had been realized by the kind offer from a Swedish chiptune artist. Recently there increasing chiptune artists in Indonesia. We had got contacts with them actually. I feel the scene is getting wider and wider.

NYT: The visual aspect of YMCK seems often just as important as the musical aspect. How much are you involved with YMCK videos and artwork?
Yokemura: YMCK has several visual areas, including video art, CD jacket artwork, goods design, costume design, etc. With video art, Nakamura is mainly in charge of making them, with the basic ideas being discussed by us three. The costumes are designed by Midori herself. With other things, CD jacket artworks, goods for example, we sometimes collaborate with designers.

NYT: What is a YMCK live show like, for example what instruments or hardware do you use live? How has it changed over the years?
Yokemura: Our show is not something like ordinary music concerts that only play instruments on the stage, but an entertainment show with the elaborate combination of physical performance, video art and sound. We had been settling our main focus on video arts for years, but recently we’re putting more weight on the physical performance.

NYT: How do your live shows in Japan compare to shows in other parts of the world? Do you get more positive response in one place or the other?
Yokemura: I feel we’re welcomed very much in any countries. What’s interesting is the way of reaction is different between Asian and Western contries. Asian people say “kawaii!”(cute!) when seeing our performance, while Western people say “sugoi!”(awesome!). I feel it reflects that their focus is on what part of Japanese culture.

NYT: Do each of you have other jobs or does YMCK keep you busy full time? If not, what else do you guys do?
Yokemura: YMCK is the full-time job.

NYT: What was your favorite video game of all time?
Yokemura: Super Mario Brothers is the best. I played it hundreds of times, and still I can enjoy it.

NYT: What is your favorite song from a video game?
Yokemura: I like Ice Climber best. I was so impressed by its bluesy flavor when I was little. This was the source of my inspiration when I conceived the idea of YMCK.

NYT: If you could go back and make your own soundtrack to any video game, which one would it be?
Yokemura: Zunou Senkan GALG (GALG The Brain Battleship). It has good melodies in it, but the arrangements are terribly bad. What a waste! I’d like to rearrange it into more musical manner.

NYT: What is next for YMCK?
Yokemura: We’re now writing new songs for the next album!

YMCK Official web site

Buy YMCK music at iTunes Music Store

YMCK Myspace

By Jesse Mann