Anamanaguchi | |
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 Anamanaguchi at U Street Music Hall in Washington, D.C., in 2015. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City,New York,United States |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels |
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| Members |
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| Past members | |
| Website | Official website |
Anamanaguchi is an Americanchiptune-based pop and rock band from New York City.[4] The band has four members: lead songwriters and guitarists Peter Berkman and Ary Warnaar, bassist James DeVito, and drummer Luke Silas.[5]
Anamanaguchi combines digital electronic sounds such as those seen inchiptune andbitpop with traditional band instrumentation. As with other chiptune artists, they have created music using video game hardware from the mid- to late 1980s: namely aNES and aGame Boy.
Knowing each other through being classmates, Peter Berkman and James DeVito formed the band inChappaqua, NY after Berkman and his friends would learn how to create chiptune after discovering aWired article discussing the chiptune scenes in Sweden and New York.[6][7] The origin of the band's name is unclear. In one interview, Berkman said the name "Anamanaguchi" came about from a member in one of his former bands pronouncing gibberish in the style ofJabba the Hutt.[8] On several other occasions, the band has explained that their name came about after the members worked as interns atArmani (Berkman and DeVito),Prada (Warnaar), andGucci (Silas) while studying fashion atParsons School of Design (though three of the four majored in Music Technology atNew York University). People began calling them the "Armani-Prada-Gucci boys," which eventually waselided into "Anamanaguchi."[9] The band first performed on January 29, 2006 at Cake Shop[10] and through events such as Pulsewave NYC they formed a relationship with the netlabel8bitpeoples and subsequently released their debut the EPPower Supply in August 2006. The track "Helix Nebula" was featured as the theme song of the formerGamesRadar podcast TalkRadar.[11]
Peter Berkman met Ary Warnaar at New York University where they were studying Music Technology. In 2009, Ary Warnaar and Luke Silas joined the band for the release of their following EP,Dawn Metropolis. The album was released with an accompanying website that included animated videos for each of the songs, done in collaboration with artists David Mauro and Paris Treantafeles.
A song fromDawn Metropolis titled "Jetpack Blues, Sunset Hues" is the theme toChris Hardwick'sThe Nerdist Podcast.[12] On November 26, 2013, Anamanaguchi appeared as guests on the podcast itself.[13]
In 2010, Anamanaguchi were approached byUbisoft to compose music for the video game adaptation of theScott Pilgrimgraphic novels,Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game.[14] The soundtrack for the game was released onAmazon andiTunes byABKCO Records on August 24, 2010.[15] The soundtrack debuted at No. 3 on Billboard'sHeatseekers chart (akaSoundscan's New Artist Chart).[16] In the summer of 2010, Anamanaguchi began releasing a series of singles for free download on their website. These singles were released with animated gif cover art (featuring collaborations with artists such asPaul Robertson andRyder Ripps) and were printed as limited 7" vinyl with lenticular artwork to mimic the animated images.
On May 3, 2013, Anamanaguchi launched aKickstarter project for their albumEndless Fantasy. In just 11 hours, their funding goal of $50,000 was reached. At the end of its run, the project was backed by 7,253 people who contributed to raising a grand total of $277,399,[17] making it the second most-successful music project to be funded on Kickstarter at the time, behind that of singerAmanda Palmer.[18]
Anamanaguchi featured onLate Night with Jimmy Fallon on June 17, 2013, where they played their song "Endless Fantasy" from the album of the same name.[19][20] On June 19, 2014, they released a single titled "Pop It" featuring a then-unknown singer whose face was hidden from view.[21] The song was a stylistic departure for the group in that it did not feature any chiptune elements nor traditional band instrumentation, with a lead vocal.Entertainment Weekly described the song as having "glitchy electronic flourishes and relentlessly bubble gummy vibe", also drawing comparisons toKyary Pamyu Pamyu.[21] In September, the song was featured in aTarget TV advertisement, and in mid-2015 was also featured in a Taco Bell commercial for iced beverages.[22] On November 24, 2014, the singer's name, "Meesh彡☆", and her face were revealed to the public.[23]
On November 21, 2014, Anamanaguchi revealed they had been working on a new album titled[USA], which was set to release sometime in 2016.[24] The band also stated that the album would not be a chiptune album.[25] This album was later delayed for an undisclosed amount of time.[26]
On March 28, 2016, the band released arole-playingfirst-person shooter video game calledCapsule Silence XXIV which was designed by Ben Esposito along with Anamanaguchi,[27][28] alongside an original score containing over 30 songs. The band "leaked" the game for free online after staging a hoax Twitter dispute with the game's fictional developer, NHX. The game also contains an unreleased video for "Japan Air", among other hiddenEaster eggs.[29] In May 2016, the band was the opening act at the North AmericanMiku Expo tour, finishing at a two-show event at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. The band returned to the stage each night and performed their single "Miku" live withHatsune Miku for her encore. The official soundtrack ofCapsule Silence XXIV was released in two parts asCapsule Silence XXIV (Original Soundtrack Vol I) on December 21, 2016, andCapsule Silence XXIV (Original Soundtrack Vol II) on October 13, 2017.[citation needed]
On October 19, 2017, the band announced that they would be debuting music from their third studio album,[USA], at a live show on November 10 in Brooklyn, NY.[30] The performance waslive streamed on the band's officialTwitch page.[citation needed]
On October 18, 2018, Anamanaguchi headlined "Coalchella", a virtual music festival conducted entirely in aMinecraft server with sets broadcast live on an online radio.[31] On January 12 the following year, Anamanaguchi headlined Fire Festival, another Minecraft music festival by Open Pit Presents, the organizers of Coalchella.[32] Anamanaguchi also headlined Open Pit's third festival, MineGala, on September 14, 2019.[33]
In a YouTube video released on August 20, 2019, Anamanaguchi stated that the release date of[USA] would be October 25. It released on the labelPolyvinyl Records.[34] Later they announced that the "[USA] tour originally planned for 2020 will be rescheduled to 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic".[citation needed]
On November 12, 2021, the band announced the Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game Soundtrack: The Tour, taking place in January the following year.[35] Four days later, they released the song "Water Resistant" featuring 8485 on the labelMonstercat in celebration of the then-upcoming mobile game,Rocket League: Sideswipe. On the 30th, later the same month, the band released another song titled "Dreams" withFlux Pavilion for Rocket League: Sideswipe, with the game's official soundtrack releasing shortly after, including both "Dreams" and "Water Resistant".[36] During their Scott Pilgrim vs the World tour, they played a cover of the song "Hopes and Dreams" from the 2015 video gameUndertale.[37] They uploaded the cover to their YouTube channel on January 21, 2022.[38] In March 2023, it was announced that Anamanaguchi would be writing original songs and co-composing the score for theScott Pilgrim Takes Off animated series.[39] A free update to the video gameTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge in September 2024 added remixed tracks by several artists, including Anamanaguchi, who remixed the track "Panic in the Sky!"[40]
In January 2025, the band released a cover ofNirvana's "Territorial Pissings".[41]
On May 6, 2025, Anamanaguchi released the single "Darcie" and announced a new album,Anyway, which was written in theAmerican Football House. The album's sound diverges from their chiptune style and follows a more traditionalrock sound,[42] withPitchfork authors likening the album's sound to rock bandsOvlov andAngel Dust.[43]
Stylistically, Anamanaguchi is characterized aselectronic,[44] pop,[44][45] rock,[44][46][47]bitpop,[48][49][50]chiptune,[44][46][51][52][53][54][55]punk rock,[53]indie rock,[46]electronic rock[56] andelectropop.[57]
Berkman has stated that their music is not solely influenced by video game music and that much of it is inspired by "[s]imple pop stuff, likeWeezer and theBeach Boys,"[53] as well asJanet Jackson,[58]Yasutaka Nakata,[59]Koji Kondo,Elliott Smith andDragonForce.[2]
Berkman stated that his top three influences in order would be "Tim & Eric and thatabsurd comedy, Japanese music and video games."[60] "Ultimately, Berkman's interest in Japanese pop culture is at the root of his interest in video games."[60]
Anamanaguchi has collaborated with several musical artists including Meesh and Pochi.[61]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Album Sales [62] | US Dance [63] | US Heat. [64] | US Ind. [65] | ||||||||||
| Dawn Metropolis |
| — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Endless Fantasy |
| 102 | 2 | 1 | 21 | ||||||||
| [USA] |
| 63 | — | 3 | 7 | ||||||||
| Anyway |
| — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "—" denotes items which failed to chart. | |||||||||||||
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [66] | US Dance [63] | US Heat. [64] | |||||||||||
| Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (Original Videogame Soundtrack) | 180 | 7 | 3 | ||||||||||
| Capsule Silence XXIV (Original Soundtrack Vol I) |
| — | — | — | |||||||||
| Capsule Silence XXIV (Original Soundtrack Vol II) |
| — | — | — | |||||||||
| "—" denotes items which failed to chart. | |||||||||||||
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Power Supply |
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| Dawn Metropolis Preview |
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| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Airbrushed" | Summer Singles |
| "My Skateboard Will Go On" | ||
| "Aurora (Meet Me in the Stars)" | ||
| "Airbrushed" (RAC remix) | ||
| "Mess" | ||
| 2011 | "My Skateboard Will Go On" | Split w/ Starscream |
| 2013 | "Meow" | Endless Fantasy |
| "Endless Fantasy" | ||
| 2014 | "Prom Night"[71] | |
| "Pop It" (featuring Meesh) | Non-album single | |
| 2016 | "Miku" (featuringHatsune Miku) | Hatsune Miku Expo 2016 E.P. |
| 2019 | "Lorem Ipsum (Arctic Anthem)" | [USA] |
| "Air On Line" | ||
| "On My Own" (featuringHana) | ||
| 2020 | "Styla" | Summer Singles 2020[72] |
| "Kei" (featuring Pochi) | ||
| "Get Your Wish" (Anamanaguchi Remix) | ||
| "Vancouver" | ||
| "Everyday, Everynight" (featuringPlanet 1999) | ||
| "Pixel Candle" | ||
| "Jaime" (featuringJaime Brooks) | ||
| "Stay Home" (American Football cover)[73] | ||
| 2021 | "Water Resistant" (featuring 8485) | Rocket League: Sideswipe (Original Soundtrack), Vol. 1 |
| "Dreams" (withFlux Pavilion)[74] | ||
| 2022 | "'Hopes and Dreams" (Toby Fox cover)[37] | Non-album single |
| 2025 | "Territorial Pissings" (Nirvana cover)[41] | Non-album single |
| "Darcie"[42] | Anyway | |
| "Magnet"[75] | ||
| "Rage (Kitchen Sink)"[75] | ||
| "Buckwild"[75] |
| Year | Track | Original Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Rainbow in the Dark" | Das Racist | My Skateboard Will Go On |
| 2011 | "Too Dramatic" | Ra Ra riot | — |
| 2012 | "Sisterly" | Fang Island | Sisterly |
| 2013 | "Coming Home (featuring Neverstore)" | Futurecop! | Coming Home (Remixes) |
| "Overexposed" | Matt and Kim | Lighting Remixes | |
| 2014 | "Kill Your Radio" | HEARTSREVOLUTION | — |
| "Sad Machine" | Porter Robinson | Worlds(Limited Edition Box Set) | |
| "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"[76] | Cyndi Lauper | She's So Unusual: REMiXED | |
| "Pretty Green" | Spinee | Pretty Green | |
| 2015 | "Feel The Lightning" | Dan Deacon | — |
| 2017 | "ひゅるり" | Osaka✮Shunkashuto | — |
| "Not Mine" | Lil Miquela | — | |
| 2018 | "Always," | Meishi Smile / LLLL / U-Pistol | — |
| 2020 | "Get Your Wish"[49] | Porter Robinson | Nurture |
| 2021 | "My Agenda (featuring Village People and Pussy Riot)"[77] | Dorian Electra | My Agenda |
| Title | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Meow" | 2013 | Daniel Gray Longino and Eric Notarnicola with Anamanaguchi[78] |
| "Endless Fantasy" | Anamanaguchi[79] | |
| "Pop It (feat. meesh彡☆)" | 2014 | Unknown, possibly none |
| "Miku" (Japanese version) | 2017 | |
| "Air On Line" | 2019 | Anamanaguchi |
| "Up To You" | 2020 | Unknown, possibly none |
| "Kei ft. POCHI" | ||
| "Vancouver" | ||
| "Jaime (feat. Jaime Brooks)" | SCOTTY2HOTTY69[80] | |
| "Everyday, Everynight (ft. Planet 1999)" | 2021 | Unknown, possibly none |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012; 2017–18 | Bravest Warriors | Composer | Peter Berkman wrote the opening song with Jon Baken |
| 2013 | The Chris Gethard Show | Musical Guest | Episode 79: Race to the Top – performed "Meow" and "Space Wax America" |
| Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | Episode 854: Do Not Game List, "Xbox One" Demo – performed "Endless Fantasy" | ||
| 2023 | Scott Pilgrim Takes Off | Composer[39] | Wrote the opening song, sampling from "Bloom" byNecry Talkie[81] |
The game developed a cult following for its throwback gameplay, 2D pixel work from artist Paul Robertson, and the soundtrack by indie chiptune rock band Anamanaguchi.
The Lazerdisk homies are back with another uplifting 8bit remix in honor of their fanboy penchant for Anamanaguchi, the chiptune nintendocore band from NYC.
The group's style is noted for mixing in elements of chiptune, which takes samples from early videogame music, and blending it with live instrumentation.
Music outlets reached for terms like "chiptune," "nintendocore" and "bitpop," subgenres coined using half-truths and assumptions of the artist's provincially vintage interests.
It's been six years since the release of Anamanaguchi's last album, Endless Fantasy, but, in that time, the electronic-rock outfit hasn't been quiet.
| International | |
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| Artists | |
