THE FIRST QUESTION AWARD

Pop · 1994 · 11 tracks

THE FIRST QUESTION AWARD

A kaleidoscopic explosion of Shibuya-kei pop, blending 60s sunshine melodies with surgical 90s sampling and brass-heavy soul.

February 25, 1994 · Warner Music Japan

The First Question Award is a technicolor explosion of sound that defines the Shibuya-kei aesthetic. It is an album that feels like a meticulously curated scrapbook of 20th-century pop culture, where Keigo Oyamada acts as both the artist and the archivist. From the very first track, the listener is thrust into a world where 1960s sunshine pop, Motown soul, and French Yé-yé are filtered through the lens of 1990s digital sampling and surgical production. It is breezy, optimistic, and relentlessly creative, offering a sonic playground that rewards deep headphone listening with its intricate stereo panning and hidden acoustic details.

Tracklist · 11 Tracks

01

THE SUN IS MY ENEMY

5:47

02

(YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET) WHAT YOU WANT

4:00

03

SILENT SNOW STREAM

6:32

04

PERFECT RAINBOW

4:21

05

BAD MOON RISING

5:28

06

CANNABIS

4:37

07

RAISE YOUR HAND TOGETHER

6:01

08

THE BACK DOOR TO HEAVEN

6:27

09

THEME FROM FIRST QUESTION AWARD

1:11

10

THE LOVE PARADE

3:34

11

MOON LIGHT STORY

4:10

Moments Worth Listening For

the transition from the bossa nova intro to the explosive brass of the sun is my enemy

the psychedelic phasing guitar solo in perfect rainbow that feels like a 60s throwback

the way moon light story uses a ticking clock rhythm that dissolves into a lush string arrangement

sudden genre shifts moving from heavy rock riffs to delicate acoustic strumming within a single track

Where This Album Departs

How does THE FIRST QUESTION AWARD sound next to the rest of Cornelius's catalogue?

Joyful+4.0σ

Joyful saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.

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