by Vina Zhang
Formed in 2000, the Japanese band Lamp consists of members Taiyo Someya, Yusuke Nagai, and Kaori Sakakibara. In 2003, they released their debut album Soyokaze Apartment Room 201 (そよ風アパートメント201).
Fans often debate Lamp’s genre since it's difficult to categorize them into a single group. Their style of music is inspired by Brazilian Bossa Nova artists, jazz, and 80s synth sounds. Some describe their other albums as Shibuya-kei, city pop, or café music. Shibuya-kei refers to a distinctive music genre that draws inspiration from kitsch or eccentric styles from the past. Their inspiration can come from fashion styles, artworks, or even architectural styling. City pop or café music usually features smooth jazz melodies and is targeted towards urban demographics. Popular artists include Taeko Ohnuki, Tatsuro Yamashita, and Junko Ohashi.
Arguably, the album that gave them mainstream popularity is Yume (ゆめ), which is pictured on the right. The cover of this 2014 album features the now iconic red poppy flower, drawn by illustrator Seichi Hayashi. Hayashi is known for his manga Red Colored Elegy and became an important figure within the avant-garde art scene in 1960s Toyko. Studio Ghibli filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki, has even cited Hayashi as a source of influence on his works. Lamp’s two most popular songs; ゆめうつつ (Yume Utsutsu) & 二十歳の恋 (Hatachi no Koi) went viral on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Users would use Lamp as their background music for short films, knick-knack collection compilations, and aesthetic edits. The band soon started to gain traction among younger audiences and has now reached over 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
This year, Lamp was my top artist on Spotify Wrapped for the second year. Personally, their music has a sense of calm and nostalgia, but I'm not quite sure what specific part of my childhood I'm remembering. It’s very reminiscent of early 2000s music when layering different sounds was more unconventional. I appreciate how much emphasis they put on instrumentals and the ambiance they’re trying to create through subtle differences in sound with each of their albums.
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