Log in to your account
Stats
Biography
The group is comprised of four former fashion design students Ary Warnaar, Luke Silas, Peter Berkman, and James DeVito. However three of its members actually got their bachelor’s degree in Music Technology at NYU. Before the four friends formed Anamanaguchi they all interned for fashion houses, which included Armani, Prada, and Gucci. Rumor has it that the band’s alias derived from melding the names of these three companies together; however, differing theories have stated otherwise.
The initial stages of the band’s formation took place in Chappaqua, NY, US. Members Peter Berkman and James DeVito went to the town’s high school and eventually started to collaborate on musical projects.
At Pulsewave NYC the two later came in contact with 8bitpeoples, the label through which they would release their debut EP “Power Supply”. During Berkman’s time at NYU he met fellow music technology major Ary Warner, who joined the band along with Luke Silas by the release of Anamanaguchi’s 2nd EP, “Dawn Metropolis”.
The group released this EP for free on their website and received almost instant recognition for their unconventional and innovative recording tactics. One technique they used involved programing sounds on their computer, throwing tracks built from traditional rock instruments over the previously existing mix and filtering it through a NES console.
Their eccentric style caught the attention of video game developer Ubisoft who requested that the group compose the soundtrack for the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: Game. The group accepted the challenge and issued the soundtrack on 24 August 2010. The album was a hit and entered at No. 3 on the Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. This was followed by a string of free mp3 releases through their website, which were accompanied by gif cover art created by animator Paul Robertson.
After this release the band was ready to record their studio debut “Endless Fantasy”. The members sought financial support through Kickstarter and though their goal was to raise $50,000, the campaign managed to bring in a sum total of $277,399. The album certainly lived up to its hype, peaking at No. 2 on the Dance/Electronic Albums Chart and No.1 on the Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums. The band promoted the release with an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and subsequently embarked on a US tour.
In the Summer of 2014, Anamanaguchi issued their single “Pop It” a bubble gum pop composition, which garnered comparisons to J-pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and demarcated a departure from the group’s chiptune style. The group announced that their next studio album would be released in 2015 and have stated that it will continue in the stylistic direction of “Pop It”.
Live reviews
I just recently saw Anamanaguchi open for Hatsune Miku for her North American Expo. While it was shorter than I would have wanted, I cannot think of more perfect band to open for her.
Anamanaguchi is a traditional four-piece band with a unique but unusual sound. Their claim to fame was writing music for the Scott Pilgrim vs The World soundtrack and so they launched chiptune as a genre into the mainstream world. When you hear their music, it's like a trip back to your childhood of 8- and 16-bit tracks filled with electronic beeps and boops. What Anamaguchi manages to do is create music that brings about nostalgia but establishes new melodies that will get stuck in your head and it will be impossible to sing aloud without sounding like you're a robot. At the HM Expo, only one of their tracks (Helix Nebula) from their first EP Power Supply delighted long time fans of the band and showcased their original sound.
In the years since Scott Pilgrim, Anamanaguchi has managed to move away from being just "that chiptune/video game music band." Their last full-length album Endless Fantasy is a combination of their old and new sound featuring collabs with vocalists on various tracks. These songs are among the ones that made it onto their set list for Hatsune Miku's opening act. In addition, their "release" of Capsule Silence XXIV, a video game created by the boys and the source of their new-new music shows a different side of each band member. More electronic in nature than chiptune, these were the other half of set list for the boys at the Expo.
This was my third time seeing Anamanaguchi live and the one thing I recognize and experience every time I hear them is how much more the "rock band" part of their music comes out. Thankfully, it doesn't take away from their electronic charm but moreso adds a little punch to their music where it doesn't feel out of place to headbang among the crowd that's there to dance or rave along. Their stage set up includes a really neat light build that syncs up with their music which makes them visually engaging to see as well.
If there was one thing I wish I saw at the Hatsune Miku Expo that was missing from their headline tour was the projector screen set up with random animations that matched their music and whole band aesthetic (check their Tumblr/IG pages for examples) along with their hologram cubes. I do understand if this tour limited their stage set up but that was one of the things I loved when seeing them in previous shows.
If you ever get a chance to see these boys live, do it. They've got the eye and ear candy to keep you hooked and have the ingenuity that makes you wonder what else they've got coming around the corner.
andrea-syukur
For many kids growing up in the 1980’s and 1990’s the soundtracks to their lives weren’t Guns ‘n Roses, Nirvana, Madonna or Michael Jackson. Rather it was the intricate 8-bit soundtracks that poured out of their TVs as they played Super Mario Bros, Sonic the Hedgehog, Tetris and/or Bubble Bobble.
Anamanaguchi are an electronic chiptunes music group that bring the soundtracks of video games of the past to the present in a unique and fascinating way. Anamanaguchi have gained immense popularity in the gaming scene thanks to performances during video game expos like PAX and for creating the soundtrack to the hit video game ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game.’
An Anamanaguchi concert is like a candy bar dipped in ice cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce, covered in gummy worms, drenched in whipped cream, and topped with a cherry. Their sound is sugary sweet and infectious to boot. While many chiptunes groups simply sample famous video games Anamanguchi create a world of their own with music that truly sounds like real songs as opposed to brief snippets and mashups.
Their live shows feature the band shredding away on their instruments while the baste in the glow of a thousand neon lights pulsating to the beat. Most tracks feature strictly instrumentals, but a few tracks from 2013’s ‘Endless Fantasy’ do feature vocals like the insanely catching “Prom Night” so you’ll have something to sing along to while bouncing in the crowd.
Step inside the world of 80s and 90s video games lead by Anamanaguchi. The New York electro outfit specialise in Bitpop and are inspired by the likes of Nintendo as they create the skeleton of their music with software such as Gameboys. It may sound as confusing as the band name yet it is an incredibly enjoyable live show and something that is undoubtedly different.
Showing a creative flair that is often missing from today's music industry, the group impressively manage to recreate their complex recorded work onstage with the help of exterior synths and intricate guitar work. The visual display is also frantic and relentless as though playing through some over saturated video game level from the 90s. It is nostalgic, entertaining and perhaps most importantly sounds really good. Tracks such as 'Japan Air' are ironically given a third dimension when performed live while 'Prom Night' allows the boys chance to demonstrate their instrumental capabilities. It is undoubtedly an acquired taste yet if you can get your head round the mind bending sounds, the rewards are better than a power up mushroom.
sean-ward
They honestly made my night. I was really excited to Hatsune Miku, but when I got the announcement that anamanaguchi was going to headline Hatsune Miku, I cried out of excitement.
Anamanaguchi is one of my favorite bands and their song prom night is honestly my favorite song ever. So when they performed Prom Night, I was crying out of pure joy.
They were fantastic live. They sounded amazing and I hope to attend their future shows soon! Keep up the amazing work Anamanaguchi. <3
alex-ballou
I didn't get to see their whole performance but Anamanaguchi was pretty good. I had the most fun seeing Hatsune Miku there and it was amazing how that even though she wasn't a physical being she interacted with the audience in a way. It was so awesome and it was definitely worth the money and the wait.
grace-marie-newhouse
Videos (3)
