It almost feels unnecessary to introduce the Water Melon Group in detail. If you’re unfamiliar with the core members, the late Toshio Nakanishi and Yann Tomita, I highly recommend exploring my previous articles on their respective bands, Melon and Doopees. This duo might seem like an unlikely pairing for a project titled Cool Music. Toshio was deeply immersed in American urban soul, while Yann was known as an experimental electronic session musician, celebrated for his contributions to Ippu-Do and Masumi Hara. Yet, as Water Melon Group, they united to journey back in time, pre-rock and roll, crafting experimental… lounge music?
Yes, Cool Music is precisely that. It’s exotica reimagined for a modern audience. Envision it as the next evolution after Haruomi Hosono’s Tin Pan Alley, where Water Melon Group draws inspiration from the realms of Martin Denny, Petula Clark, Hoagy Carmichael, and Les Baxter. They cover and reinvent lounge, exotica, and schmaltz, elevating these genres far beyond their often-underestimated reputation. It’s a fusion of John Cage-esque tape experiments and neo-tropical electronics, interwoven with inorganic environmental sounds. Cool Music evokes an exotic atmosphere, much like Le Sacre du Sauvage, creating mood music for places that exist only in the imagination.
Water Melon Group began as a side venture, initially part of the Japanese comedian group Snakeman Show’s Pithecan Thropus Erectus album. However, this collaboration revealed Yann’s deep affection for easy listening music. Cool Music stands as a heartfelt tribute to Tomita’s musical foundations. This album fully showcases his electric steel pan, vibraphones, and his fascination with the music of Van Dyke Parks. “Jungle Flower,” originating from the Snakeman Show project, remains a highlight, now accompanied by inventive interpretations of iconic tunes such as “Quiet Village” and classic favorites like “Never On Sunday.” Driven by a passion to explore the boundaries of this genre, Cool Music resonates deeply with Yann’s distinctive musical identity.
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The album truly takes flight when they delve into the American songbook, uncovering Burton Lane’s “On A Clear Day,” famously sung by Streisand. They transform it into a spectral soundscape, blending bird sounds and mechanical electronica with delicate piano melodies. This track exemplifies the album’s captivating essence. This influence extends to the “Mild Side,” the album’s b-side, where romantic and sweeping musical explorations of exotic locales — reimagined versions of Nakanishi’s Melon tracks and compelling original compositions — strike a chord that remains powerful even two decades later. You don’t need a tiki cocktail or the last days of summer to appreciate the remarkably relaxed vibes of these electro-tropical gems. These are truly Cool Songs that transcend time and season.
