Yellow Magic Orchestra

Yellow Magic Orchestra
YMO after playing a 2008 concert in London. From left to right: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yukihiro Takahashi, Haruomi Hosono
Background information
Also known as	YMO YMO Not YMO Human Audio Sponge HAS HASYMO
Origin	Tokyo, Japan
Genres	Electronic
Years active	1977–84 1992–93 2002–04 2007–present
Labels	Alfa Records (Japan) A&M Records Toshiba-EMI Restless Records Sony Music House (Japan) Commmons (Japan)
Associated acts	Hideki Matsutake Akiko Yano Sketch Show Sadistic Mika Band Happy End Sandii & the Sunsetz Sheena & The Rokkets Susan
Website	ymo.org
Members	Haruomi "Harry" Hosono Yukihiro Takahashi Ryuichi Sakamoto
Notable instruments
Fairlight CMI Fender Jazz bass Oberheim polyphonic Rhodes piano Prophet-5 Pollard Syndrum Various ARP, Korg, Moog, Roland, Yamaha synthesizers and drum machines (see below)

Yellow Magic Orchestra (abbreviated as YMO) is a Japanese electronic music band consisting of principal members Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, vocals). For their early studio albums and live performances, the band was often accompanied by music programmer Hideki Matsutake.

Each of its members were seasoned veterans of the music industry before Hosono formed the band as a one-off exploration of computerized exotica, initially paying tribute to performers such as Les Baxter and Martin Denny while also parodying Western conceptions of the orient. Over the course of YMO's career, the group continued to embrace new technologies, fusing them with classic pop forms, and indulging in sociopolitical, technological, or musical subversion.

They are often considered influential innovators in the field of popular electronic music. They contributed to the development of synthpop,ambient house,electronica,electro, contemporary J-pop,house,techno, and hip hop music. More broadly, their influence is evident across various genres of popular music, including electronic dance,ambient music,chiptune, game music, and pop music.