Performer Notes

Cornelius; Hilarie Sidney (vocals, drums); Sean O'Hagan (banjo, samples, background vocals); Kinbara (strings); Robert Schneider (bass); Yoshie Hiragakura (drums); Mooog Yamamoto (turntables); Yuki Yano (Theremin); Kazumichi Fujiwara.
Like many of his counterparts in the 90's wave of Japanese rockers, Keigo Oyamada (a.k.a. Cornelius) is well-versed in the history of pop as it leads up to the here and now. And for the most part, the likable genre-jumping antics of FANTASMA, his third full-length that works as a US debut, pigeonhole him as a somewhat more schizophrenic Beck. He gets crazy with not just the cheeze wiz, but 3D microphones, Meredith Monk-like vocal overlays, drum'n'bass beats, kitschy keyboards, and a mound of samples, ingredients for a pop-cult salad nonpareil.
Where Cornelius dazzles though, is in his musical default function, which is wisely set on psychedelic indie-pop. The droney, driving "New Music Machine," for instance, cobbles together a bleeding lo-fi aesthetic out of 48 tracks worth of background vocals, analog synths and, above all else, drums 'n' guitars. And "Seashore and Horizon" shuttles between such a seamless Pet Sounds vibe of acoustic guitars and choral arrangements and kooky magical mystery pop burn-out, that you can almost smell the members of the Elephant 6 collective molding with envy.

Professional Reviews

Spin (5/98, p.134) - 6 (out of 10) - "...an exuberant kaleidoscope of hip-hop, noisecore, film soundtracks, cheesy listening, indie rock, even Sesame Street....an endearing music-obsessive-comes-of-age tale--from Saturday morning TV to arena rock to bootleg Jean-Jacques Perrey reissues..."

Magnet (p.78) - "FANTASMA sounded like PET SOUNDS made anime....It left all contemporaries in a cloud of crate-digging dust."

The Wire (1/99, p.27) - Included in Wire's "50 Records Of The Year [1998]"

CMJ (1/11/99, p.7) - "...With its ground-breaking collage of beats, Beach Boys-style harmonies, lounge-y fluff and noisy guitars, the record revisited and re-examined the pop music's storied history..."

Vibe (5/98, p.144) - "...FANTASMA is brilliant. Cornelius's innovations will definitely excite futuristic B-boys and rockers alike..."

Option (5-6/98, p.81) - "...a visionary, visual sound that's as generous as it is lavish..."

Pitchfork (Website) - "Cornelius's FANTASMA was a high point of the mid-'90s Shibuya-kei scene, an eclectic crate-diggers' subgenre that celebrated old sounds. Its vinyl reissue shows it still sounds fresh in 2016."

Album: Fantasma
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Mic Check
2)	Micro Disneycal World Tour, The
3)	New Music Machine
4)	Clash
5)	Count Five or Six
6)	Magoo Opening
7)	Star Fruits Surf Rider
8)	Chapter 8: Seashore and Horizon
9)	Free Fall
10)	2010
11)	God Only Knows
12)	Thank You for the Music
13)	Fantasma

Album: Fantasma
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Mic Check
2)	Micro Disneycal World Tour, The
3)	New Music Machine
4)	Clash
5)	Count Five or Six
6)	Magoo Opening
7)	Star Fruits Surf Rider
8)	Chapter 8: Seashore and Horizon
9)	Free Fall
10)	2010
11)	God Only Knows
12)	Thank You for the Music
13)	Fantasma