PILLOW FIGHT

and drummer Shinichiro Sato. Initially, there was a fourth member of the group, Kenji Ueda, who wrote songs with Yamanaka, but he left after their second album in 1992. The band’s name was reportedly inspired by a British indie compilation album, Pillows & Prayers. Indeed, the band claims to be heavily influenced by British pop, including the Beatles and the Jam. The Pillows even recorded its second album in England in the early 1990s. This pop video seems to be shot in Blighty, complete with the band enjoying tea on a beach. The Pillows also played live in Britain, but Yamanaka felt they weren’t well received. He also claimed to have turned down an offer to open for Oasis when they appeared in Japan, apparently just so he could say that The Pillows turned down that kind of offer. It’s certainly consistent with Yamanaka’s initial scepticism about FLCL.And after The Pillows gave its music to the anime? “Our music got way more well-known than ever before,” Yamanaka said. That was especially true outside Japan where FLCL and its soundtrack became fan favourites; by the mid-2000s, The Pillows was touring America. Looks like there’s something to that media mix idea.

The FLCL soundtrack is available on vinyl, CD and digitally from Anime Limited