PLUS-TECH SQUEEZEBOX SHRINE
Welcome to the Plus-Tech Squeeze Box (PSB) Shrine!
Hello! This is a passion project by michikira. This page contains most of the information that is out there about PSB, their origins, and their appearances in media. It's also a comprehensive archive of all the footage and images linked to PSB. The site is still under construction, so some things might be broken and some of the writing might be CRINGE! Bear with me!
What's Plus-Tech Squeeze Box?
PSB (pronounced Plus "tick" Squeezebox) is a Japanese alternative rock/EDM duo consisting of Tomonori Hayashibe and Takeshi Wakiya that started around 1997. It's hard to describe their music, but most people will describe it as Shibuya Kei or Picopop. Hayashibe explained that he describes their music as "panic pop".
PSB is known for their chaotic, often maximalist style of music that shows through even in their calmest songs. Their energy ranges from the rapid fire barrage that is Starship.6 to the melancholy tones of Clover. Despite how different each of their songs are, they each have the cut-and-paste charm that shibuya kei was known for.
Appearances in Media
PSB was prominent on TV. Notable appearances are: Pucca, The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, and some commercials such as This Powerade One. (Click here for a full list of media appearances!) Many people comment on how nostalgic or familiar their music sounds. I personally think their style plays a huge role in the nostalgic aspect in their music. I'll elaborate more on that later!
Their Debut Album: FAKEVOX
FAKEVOX was likely developed between the group's conception until 2000 when the album officially released. Thanks to this tweet, we know for sure that A Day in the Radio and Test Room (tracks 03 and 04) existed in 1998. According to the tweet, a casette containing the two tracks was released to highline records, a store dedicated to indie music. This was two years before the official release of FAKEVOX. There are a few songs seen on compilations such as sabotage that sound to be demos of songs on FAKEVOX.
If I could describe FAKEVOX in two words, it would be nostalgic novelty. The songs are chaotic in their own right, but they also have a distinctly familiar atmospheres that come from the samples that were used. The vocals are done by Junko Kamada, who left the band before PSB released their second album for unspecified reasons. The tracks and Kamada's vocals go together like... milk tea and soft serve ice cream? (it's SUCH a good combination, i swear. MILK TEA brought back VIVID memories of eating these ((rip first kitchen you may have merged with wendys but i'll always love you for who you were before)). But I digress, FAKEVOX is an album that can't be fully experienced at first listen.
The radio-gone-haywire sound was was like nothing I had seen before, but at the same time, each song was like a snapshot of all the special moments I had growing up. It was summer when I first listened to White Drops, but i could feel the aching cold on my face as I experienced the flying sensation of gliding acorss ice for the first time again. Star made me relive the overwhelming sense of wonder I felt for the future as I first learned about computers and robots and their inner workings. FAKEVOX isn't for everybody, but for the few that do appreciate it, it's like a window that lets you re-experience the world as you did when you were young.
