Cornelius
Fantasma

THE REVIEW

Who knows what the atmosphere was like in Tokyo, specifically in the Shibuya district, during the '90s when, under the leadership of a group like the Pizzicato Five, a genre with boundless creativity was thriving under the name Shibuya-kei. A “genre” that embodied an impossible balance between retromania and hypermodern, mixing in a melting pot sixties inspirations, lounge and easy-listening music, psychedelic rock, house sounds, yé-yé, and jazz, depending on the case. Inspirations that found an unprecedented and harmonious balance presented themselves under the names of, among others, Flipper’s Guitar, Kahimi Karie, and Cibo Matto.

Cornelius, a central figure of the movement, over time has emerged as a central figure in so-called Japanese alternative music and his “Fantasma,” released not coincidentally on August 6, 1997 (anniversary of Hiroshima), is at the same time an essential bible of this subculture and an album that stands out from colleagues for its originality and a forward-looking perspective.

Cornelius is a record hunter. One who is moved both by the most famous work of David Bowie and by the most obscure work of Austrian minimal wave. A curious and unstoppable sound enthusiast, who is not afraid to adhere to predefined labels and, just like a chameleon, skillfully moves between hard rock frenzies and relaxing downtempo compositions. In this sense, “Fantasma” is his pinnacle: an album full of a thousand colors and yet extremely balanced.

Able to surprise the listener with an irresistible and playful “Mic Check” right at the start, where a “test test” on the microphone gives way to the first round on the dizzying roller coaster that is this album. A thrilling ride that is naturally seamless, between clear acid Beatles-inspired tunes (“Chapter 8 Seahorse and Horizon”) and pounding syncopated rhythms (“Count Five Or Six”), between absolutely perfect melodies (the splendid “Star Fruits Surf Rider”, the dizzying “Free Fall”) and layered and ambitious compositions (“God Only Knows”).

Track after track, “Fantasma” proves to be an album overflowing with ideas and at the same time immediate. A nonstop journey that grows with each listen, still surprising even today more than twenty years after its release.

Kaleidoscopic and unforgettable, absolutely one to rediscover, “Fantasma” is served.