I've developed an ear for Yoko Kanno's brilliant, energetic soundtracks over the past few months. Readers will recall a prior Tunes for Tuesdays post featuring Ms. Kanno and her remarkable work with the Cowboy Bebop anime soundtrack—her searing blend of blues and jazz offered the perfect aural backdrop for a wayward group of space-age bounty hunters. In this week's Tunes for Tuesdays segment, I turn to a recent addition to my All-Time Favourite Films list to further reinforce my love of all things Kanno.
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Kamikaze Girls (2004) follows the misadventures of Momoko Ryugasaki (Kyoko Fukada), a young girl born near Kobe who wishes she'd been born into the grandiose, ruffled world of Rococo-era France. Her father, a former small-town gangster, finds himself in trouble with Universal Studios, Versace, and the yakuza after he produces a swath of brand-name knock-off goods—his deceit forces the family to relocate to Shimotsuma, a small rural town that will offer a safe haven. Momoko's all-consuming desire for Lolita-style fashion prompts the girl to trek to Tokyo to outfit her wardrobe; however, high travel costs and steep city prices thwart Momoko's efforts.
To fund her fashion obsession, Momoko turns to selling her father's appalling collection of Versace fakes Her new business venture attracts the likes of Ichigo Shirayuri (Anna Tsuchiya), a tough-as-brass girl who belongs to a local all-girl bōsōzoku (motorcycle gang). From that fateful meeting onward, the two girls become an unlikely pair of gal pals who help one another to become better (?) people.
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Kamikaze Girls is about as offbeat, brash, and absolutely fun as films come—and Yoko Kanno's electric blend of 60s swagger, riot grrrl punk, and dreamy piano/folk themes offers the perfect complement to this silver-screen gem. Not only does Kanno's soundtrack boast an explosive number of minute-long instrumentals, it also includes a premium selection of tri-lingual songs for cultured listeners. Singers perform in Japanese, English, and French, but the lure of catchy pop hooks proves to be a universal experience.
First, I will share the effervescent track "Lucie Est Amoureuse" performed by the evasive Valerie Hohn (serious, I could not find a single bit of information on this woman, and I've been scanning the Internet for about one month now).
Next up is the glitzy swagger of "Time Machine Ni Onegai" from the aptly named browny circus (I know—strange name, but I can assure you their music will kick your ass). This track acts as one of the two closing songs from the film, and I do believe it was used in a trailer for the movie…? Hmm—less talking, more listening.
And last, I thought I'd wrap this post up with the gentle, introspective "She Said" by Rin Oikawa—Kamikaze Girls fan videos borrow liberally from this tune for montage purposes. And, well, the queer undertones I like to read into the film lend themselves quite easily to this track as well…
I think my affinity for this soundtrack came from my sheer delight/surprise when I found out Yoko Kanno was the talent behind the project. I love being that in tune with a musician's sensibilities—I can recognize her influence on a subconscious level. Impressive, to say the least. So, make sure to give the rest of the soundtrack a spin, and catch the film while its English sub still exists on YouTube—queer gals shall not be disappointed, no matter your language of choice.