[Column] Shibuya-kei sound from its origins to the present — 10 masterpieces, equipment, and recommendations

Column en 00s 90s Shibuya-kei

11 Sep 2025

[Column] Shibuya-kei sound from its origins to the present — 10 masterpieces, equipment, and recommendations

From the origins of Shibuya-kei sound to the present

Text: mmr｜Theme: Historical background of Shibuya-kei sound, famous records, and changes in equipment

Shibuya-kei sound is a Japanese music movement that spread around record shops and clubs in Shibuya, Tokyo in the early 1990s. It is characterized by a hybrid musicality that reinterprets Western music sensibilities in a Japanese style and incorporates various elements such as pop, jazz, bossa nova, soul, French pop, and electronica.

1980s — Eve (Shibuya style germination)

Historical background

In the 1980s, Japanese city pop and new wave began to receive acclaim both domestically and internationally.
Imported record stores such as ““CISCO” and ““HMV Shibuya” brought together the latest sounds from Europe and the United States, and cultivated the musical skills of young people.

Representative masterpiece

Equipment used

Synthesizers such as Roland Juno-60 and Yamaha DX7
Early drum machines such as Roland TR-808
Home recording culture using cassette MTR

Recommended 10 songs (1980s)

Song title	Artist	Comments
You are natural color	Eiichi Otaki	City pop monument
Sparkle	Tatsuro Yamashita	Sophisticated urban sound
September	Mariya Takeuchi	Light AOR pop
Telephone Number	Miki Matsubara	Masterpieces that have been reevaluated overseas
Love Talkin’	Tatsuro Yamashita	Fusion of boogie elements
Down Town	Sugar Babe	Origin of city pop
Sweet Soul Revue (original model)	Pizzicato Five	Seeds leading to the later Shibuya system
Boogie Woogie Train of Love	Anne Lewis	Fusion of dance and songs
Twilight BAY CITY	Junko Yagami	Popular songs with a jazz feel
Sad color	Masaki Ueda	The intersection of popular appeal and urban sensibility

1990s — Golden age of Shibuya style

Historical background

Pizzicato Five led by Yasuhi Konishi, Cornelius (Keigo Oyamada), and Flipper’s Guitar (Kenji Ozawa + Keigo Oyamada) are representative of the Shibuya style.
It was featured on “Oricon” and “MTV Japan” and became a major hit.
Links to overseas club scenes.

Representative masterpiece

Equipment used

Sampler (Akai MPC, Roland S-760)
Digital multitrack (ADAT, DAT)
Typing using Mac + Cubase

Recommended 10 songs (1990s)

Song title	Artist	Comments
Sweet Soul Revue	Pizzicato Five	A gorgeous number representing Shibuya Kei
Baby Love Child	Pizzicato Five	Famous songs that are popular overseas
Camera Talk	Flipper”s Guitar	Fusion of pop and indie
Young, Alive, in Love	Flipper”s Guitar	Youthful and Western music-oriented
Perfect Ray	Cornelius	Experimentality and pop feel
If You’re Here	Cornelius	Futuristic sound image
Strong feelings, strong love	Kenji Ozawa	The perfect form of Shibuya-kei pop
Lovely	Kenji Ozawa	Became a national hit
Until the world ends	WANDS (sphere of influence)	Pop-rock approach
Tokyo, Tokyo	Fantastic Plastic Machine	Symbolizing Shibuya club culture

2000s — Post-Shibuya-kei

Historical background

While Shibuya-kei died out commercially, it influenced electropop by Capsule and Yasutaka Nakata.
The development of club music, also known as neo-Shibuya-kei, will increase.

Representative masterpiece

Equipment used

DAW popularization (Logic, Cubase SX)
Soft synth (Native Instruments, Arturia)
Laptop DJ Culture

Recommended 10 songs (2000s)

Song title	Artist	Comments
More! More! More!	Capsule	Synonymous with neo-Shibuya style
Sugarless GiRL	Capsule	Fusion with electro
Beautiful Days	Fantastic Plastic Machine	Sophisticated Club Pop
Love Is Psychedelic	Tomoyuki Tanaka	Shibuya Sound Inheritance
Denki Bilibili	Perfume (produced by Nakata)	Evolution of Shibuya style
Polyrhythm	Perfume	Global hit
The Sound of Music	Cubismo Grafico	Latin and Shibuya Sense
Hello	Capsule	Neo Future Pop
Summer tension	HALCALI	Female rap and Shibuya sensation
Theme of Love	Kenji Ozawa	Symbol of Rebirth and Experimentation

2010s — Re-evaluation and expansion

Historical background

It was rediscovered by the internet generation and became a genre overseas as “Shibuya-kei”.
Revival in parallel with City Pop re-evaluation.

Representative masterpiece

Equipment used

Ableton Live and soft sampler
Introducing modular synths
Digital equipment for live streaming

Recommended 10 songs (2010s)

Song title	Artist	Comments
Someday / Somewhere	Cornelius	Mature experimentation
If You’re Here	Cornelius	Delicate acoustic sense
Sound of Music	Towa Tei	Neo Shibuya sense
Happy	Towa Tei	Colorful and modern
Orphans	cero	Neo-Shibuya style band sound
Summer Soul	cero	Soulful Revival
Tokyo Lights	Dorian	Modern Shibuya feel
Memories	Metafive	Fusion of techno and pop
Radio	Metafive	Sound experimentation
Timeless Melody	Shugo Tokumaru	Folk-pop inheritance

2020s — now

Historical background

The influence of “Shibuya-kei” is attracting attention again in the context of K-POP and city pop reappraisal.
Expand overseas listener base through YouTube, Spotify, TikTok, etc.

Representative masterpiece

Equipment used

Home recording/DTM environment assuming streaming distribution
Software-based production
Analog and digital hybrid

Recommended 10 songs (2020s)

Song title	Artist	Comments
Dream in Dream	Cornelius	Harmony of serenity and experimentation
Spark	cero	Intersection with contemporary jazz
e o	cero	The height of neo-Shibuya sense
Stay	Towa Tei	Minimal and sophisticated beauty
Ambience	Dorian	Neo-city pop inheritance
Neon Sign	Metafive	Future vision of clubs and Shibuya
Ryusei	cero	organic groove
Future Past	Cornelius	Experiments Across Generations
Groove Is In You	Towa Tei	The boundary between dance and art
Nostalgia	Young indie	Neo-Shibuya style budding

Global cultural icon

Shibuya-kei sound was born in the 1990s and became a global cultural icon, and has continued to influence the Japanese music scene in various forms ever since. Currently, it is being reevaluated through the internet generation, and is entering a new phase as it intersects with city pop and K-POP.