Biography

Introduction

Cornelius (born Keigo Oyamada (??? ??, Oyamada Keigo^?) January 27, 1969 in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese recording artist and producer.

He was ranked at number 43 in a list of Japan's top 100 musicians by HMV.

Career

Oyamada's first claim to fame was as a member of the pop duo Flipper's Guitar, one of the key groups of the Tokyo Shibuya-kei scene. Following the disbandment of Flipper's Guitar in 1991, Oyamada donned the "Cornelius" moniker and embarked on a successful solo career.

American music journalists often describe Cornelius's musical style as being similar to Beck's, whom he acknowledges as an influence along with The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream and the Brazilian band Kassin + 2, among others.

The music of Cornelius could be described as experimental and exploratory, and often incorporates dissonant elements alongside more familiar harmonically "pleasing" sounds. This tension, plus his practice of bringing in sounds and samples from mass culture, pure electronic tones, and sounds from nature (such as on his Point album), lead him to being sometimes categorized as an "acquired taste."

He chose his pseudonym in tribute to the character of the same name from the movie Planet of the Apes. He commissioned a song, about himself, on Momus' 1999 album Stars Forever.

Oyamada married fellow musician and collaborator Takako Minekawa in 2000 and they have one child, Milo, named after the son of Cornelius in Planet of the Apes. He is a second cousin of Joi Ito.

His song Wataridori 2 is available for download via the Creative Commons CD

As of September 2006, he was no longer signed to Matador Records.

In 2006 and 2007 respectively, the song "The Micro Disneycal World Tour" from the "Fantasma" album, was used for Nick Parks' "Creature Comforts" and Sky television's "See, Surf, Speak" advertisements in the UK.

Discography

Albums

The First Question Award (1994)
69/96 (1995)
Fantasma (1997)
Point (2001)
Sensuous (2006)

Remix Albums

96/69 (1996), remix LP of 69/96
FM (1998), various artists' remixes of Fantasma
CM (1998), Cornelius' remixes of artists contributing to FM
CM2 (2003), a Cornelius remix collection
PM (2003), various artist's' remixes of Point
CM3 (2009), a Cornelius remix collection

EPs

Holidays in the Sun EP (1993)
Cornelius Works 1999 (1999), rare CD-R promo from 3-D Corporation Ltd. (Japan)
Gum EP (2008)

Singles

The Sun Is My Enemy (1993)
Perfect Rainbow (1993)
(you can't always get) what you want (1994)
Moon Light Story (1994)
Moon Walk (1995), cassette only
Star Fruits Surf Rider (1997)
Freefall (1997), UK only
Chapter 8 (1997), UK only
Point of View Point (2001)
Drop (2001)
Music (August 23, 2006)
Breezin' (September 27, 2006)

DVD/VHS

EUS (2000), live performances
Five Point One (2003), a DVD package of music videos and PM
Sensurround (2008), a DVD version of Sensuous with accompanying videos and 5.1 surround sound

Compilations

Tribute Spirits (May 1, 1999)

Other works

Coloris (2006), a Nintendo bit Generations game for Game Boy Advance
Cornelius appeared on the TV show Yo Gabba Gabba! performing a version of his song "Count Five or Six" as a way to teach kids how to count (at least up to six). This can be seen on the episode titled "Share".

References

External links

SEEN: Download Cornelius
cornelius-sound.com - official website (in Japanese and English)
corneliusjapan.com - semi-official website (English)
Nippop Profile | Cornelius
Matador Records' Cornelius page
Cornelius rocks — Jaime Holguin from the Associated Press explores the allure of Japan's Keigo Oyamada. A May 2007 Associated Press/asap written and video piece about Cornelius.
Cornelius at Shepherd Bush Empire - Dominic Haley from Spoonfed Media writes about the intrigue of the unexpected in Cornelius' music.