Fantastic Plastic Machine

Few bands are as aptly named as Tomoyuki Tanaka's one-man electro-band, Fantastic Plastic Machine. Sounding both utterly sublime and utterly synthetic, Tanaka's dancefloor-ready grooves are full of DJ-style slice 'n' splice action as he seamlessly mixes and matches genres like lounge, pop, and disco, among others. The result is a Japanese pop that can be as laid-back as it is danceable, as exciting as it is familiar. In fact, the only drawback to Beautiful is that it's often too reminiscent of Stereolab, the pop art pastiche of Pizzicato Five, and Tanaka's own 1999 release, Luxury. On this, his third album, he doesn't break new ground so much as retrace and retool his past turf, something which should more than please his longtime fans and followers. To those not familiar with Tanaka's style, however, Beautiful may seem overlong and monotonous, but a good time nonetheless -- often like nights at the club themselves. ~ Jimmy Draper, All Music Guide