| "GBI (German Bold Italic)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg) UK CD1 single cover | ||||
| Single byTowa Tei featuringKylie Minogue andHaruomi Hosono[a] | ||||
| from the albumSound Museum | ||||
| Released | September 10, 1997 (1997-9-10) | |||
| Recorded | 1996 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 6:59 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Towa Tei | |||
| Towa Tei singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Kylie Minogue singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "GBI (German Bold Italic)" onYouTube | ||||
"GBI (German Bold Italic)" is a song by Japanesemusic producerTowa Tei from his second studio albumSound Museum (1997). The song features vocals by Australian singerKylie Minogue and Japanese musicianHaruomi Hosono.[a] Tei produced the song and co-wrote it with Minogue. It was released as a single in Japan byElektra, Akashic, andEast West Records on September 10, 1997, featuring several remixes and an original typeface designed by Hiro Sugiyama and the design team Enlightenment. A year later,Arthrob and East West Records distributed the single in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Theminimalhouse,techno-pop andclub song contains an uncreditedsample from the introduction track ofThe Art of Belly Dancing, a 1969belly dancing instructional record. It portrays Minogue as a newly invented typeface titled "German Bold Italic".Music critics lauded thetongue-in-cheek song for its distinctiveness in Minogue's repertoire, regarding it as a highlight ofSound Museum and a defining moment in her career. "GBI (German Bold Italic)" had little success on the singles charts, peaking within the top 60 in Australia, Scotland, and the UK.
Minogue's then-boyfriend, French directorStéphane Sednaoui, directed the song's accompanyingmusic video. The video features Minogue dressed in a kimono and Tei walking through the streets of New York City and Tokyo. Minogue incorporated the track in herKylieFever2002 tour and made several live performances where she wore traditional Japanese costumes. Tei re-produced the track in 2017 and released another song with Minogue, titled "Sometime Samurai", in 2005.
Japanese record producerTowa Tei left the New York-based music groupDeee-Lite in 1994 after suffering an injury on stage.[1] He returned to Tokyo and did production work for various artists, including music groupsA Tribe Called Quest andYellow Magic Orchestra.[2] He released his debut solo studio album,Future Listening! (1994), underFor Life Music.[3] A mix ofbossa nova andelectronica tunes, the album was well-received and aided Tei's rise to fame in Japan.[3] That year, Australian singerKylie Minogue released herself-titled album to moderate commercial success.[4] TheR&B-influenced album was her first offering with the independent labelDeconstruction Records, following her split withPWL two years earlier.[5]
Shortly after releasing the album, Minogue began a romantic relationship with French photographerStéphane Sednaoui and went on a series of worldwide trips with him, including many trips to Japan, to gain inspiration for her upcoming record.[6] Tei, who was intolounge music after finishingFuture Listening!, wanted to return to hisdance roots on his next record.[7] In 1996, Tei received a hand-writtenfax from Minogue at hishome studio inSangenjaya.[8] He recalled the fax had a picture on it, with a message: "Music with you! Kylie. Call Me".[9] The producer was interested in working with her, whom he called "the ideal icon that appeals to both Japanese andWestern people."[10] He was aware of Minogue's intention to break away from the previousEurobeat material with PWL and her impact on theclub scene, particularly among the gay community.[11]
Minogue came to Tei's project studio in Sangenjaya and wrote the lyrics to hisinstrumental demos.[12] "She could instantly understand my ideas and direction," Tei recalled.[13] During their sessions, Minogue recorded two songs for her album with Tei: "GBI (German Bold Italic)" and "Sometime Samurai".[14] The producer felt that although the collaboration was smooth, their staff was not supportive.[15] Those tracks were ultimately left out ofImpossible Princess (1997), Minogue's sixth studio album.[16] Tei then saved "GBI (German Bold Italic)" for his second studio albumSound Museum (1997).[17] Fernando Apontemixed the audio atChung King Studios, New York.[18] Japanese producersHideki Matsutake and Takeshi Fujii conducted additionalsynthesizer control.[18]
.jpg)
.jpg)
"GBI (German Bold Italic)" is ahouse,techno-pop andclub track withminimal production.[19] The song is written in the key ofB♭ minor and has atempo of 127 beats per minute.[20] Its production draws influence fromsupermarket muzak andJ-pop, featuring retrodrum machines, quirkyriffs,jazz beats, bouncysynths, anddrone sound effect.[21] Building around thefour-on-the-floor rhythm, the track was compared to the work of German bandKraftwerk and Japanese bandPizzicato Five bymusic critics.[22] Simon Sheridan, the author ofThe Complete Kylie (2009), wrote the track is filled with random "blips, bumps, and scratches" and referred to it as an aural cartoon.[23] InWords and Music: A History of Pop in the Shape of a City (2003), English journalistPaul Morley called it a hybrid of "hip-happy techno and post-fashionable experimentalabsurdism".[24] "GBI (German Bold Italic)" opens with an uncreditedsample from the introduction track ofThe Art of Belly Dancing, a 1969belly dancing instructional record by Bel-Sha-Zaar, Tommy Genapopoluis, and The Grecian Knights.[25] The same sample was used on Deee-Lite's 1990 hit single "Groove Is in the Heart", co-produced by Tei.[25]
Lyrically, thetongue-in-cheek song sees Minogue playing the part of a newly inventedtypeface named "German Bold Italic".[26] She introduces the font's attributes: it fits well and looks good with a variety of colors, includingred, green, and blue.[27] She offers to assist the listener in crafting their own bold design, assuring them that they will appreciate her sense of style.[28] At one point, Minogue repeats the German words "Gut ja!" ("Yeah good!").[29] Music critics deemed "GBI (German Bold Italic)" to be the first ode to a specific typeface.[30] Morley compared the bizarre premise toAlvin Lucier's 1969sound art pieceI Am Sitting in a Room.[24] According to Yoko Kawaguchi, the author ofButterfly's Sisters: The Geisha in Western Culture (2010), the decorative font effects are analogous to a woman's allure.[31] Minogue seductively talks and giggles throughout the song.[32] Tei described her performance as an "expressivepoetry reading" and cited it as one of the things he liked best aboutSound Museum.[33] John Rowley, writing forJunkee, defined her delivery as "flirtatious, giggly, and self-assured".[34] Besides Minogue, Japanese producerHaruomi Hosono is also credited as a featured artist, contributing his vocals to the track.[a] In contrast to Minogue's eloquent performance, Hosono performed a softer background vocal delivery, as requested by Tei.[38]
.jpg)
"GBI (German Bold Italic)" was released in Japan as aCD maxi single on 10 September 1997 underElektra, Akashic, andEast West Records.[b] The cover art depicts a minipixel art portrait of Minogue.[40] The single features bonusCD-ROM programming including ascreensaver, the original German Bold Italic font, andsound bites from the song.[41] Hiro Sugiyama and his design group Enlightenment designed the font, which was made available for download on both Tei's and Minogue's official websites.[42] The single includes a brief intro produced by American bandThe Gentle People, as well as remixes by English DJsKrust (credited as Rekut) andShy FX (the Ebony Boogie Down Mix).[40] A remix of "BMT", an original track featuring American rappersBiz Markie andMos Def, was also included.[40] The Japanesedouble 12-inch single, released in October, displays the song title and Tei's website in the original German Bold Italic font on the front cover, with a specimen of the font on the back cover.[43] The vinyl also includes an original song penned by Tei named "Boldline".[43]
In October and November 1998, one year after its initial release in Japan, "GBI (German Bold Italic)" was issued in Australia and the United Kingdom.[44] In both regions, a sticker was added to the cover featuring Minogue as the featured artist.[44] The cover art for these 1998 releases was similar to that of the Japanese 12-inch single, featuring the title and Tei's website printed against different colored backgrounds.[44] In the UK, the song was initially scheduled to be released on October 5 by Coalition Records.[10] Acassette single and two CD versions were eventually issued on October 26 under the EastWest andArthrob labels.[45]
The track appeared in Tei's 1997 albumSound Museum, where the font was included for installation on the enhanced CD version.[46] Two remixes of the track made their appearances on Tei's Japaneseremix albumStupid Fresh (1997): the Krust remix and a Latin Narrow Light mix by German producerUwe Schmidt (credited under his alias "Lisa Carbon").[47] A year later, the remix album was released as the second disc toSound Museum in Europe.[48] The track was subsequently included in Tei's first compilation album, titledBest, in 2001.[49] 20 years after its initial release, Tei re-produced the track for his 2017 studio album,EMO.[50] The updated version, re-titled as "GBI", stripped off the four-on-the-floor rhythm, which Tei admitted was one of his big pillars when he recorded the original version but has since distanced from it.[50] The producer kept most of Minogue's original vocals, increased Hosono's vocals volume and added the guitar performance by suGar Yoshinaga, the guitarist from the Japanese rock bandBuffalo Daughter.[50] He felt revisiting the track was exciting and emotional.[50] A remix of "GBI" by Japanese DJTakkyu Ishino was made available as a bonus CD-R with the purchase ofEMO throughAmazon.[51] Ishino included the remix in his 2018 complication albumTakkyu Ishino Works 1983-2017.[52]
Music critics remarked on the distinctive nature of "GBI (German Bold Italic)".[53]The Independent's Fiona Sturges thought the track has a "significantly more exotic flavour" than Tei's typical club tracks.[10] Sheridan described it as "a witches' brew of hypnotic Japanese madness, but fabulous fun nonetheless."[23] Several critics picked the track as a highlight ofSound Museum.[54] John Everson ofSouthtown Star called it the album's "only real catchy moment", while Howard Cohen, writing forMiami Herald, found that Tei's rhythmic texture and Minogue's vocals keep the album danceable.[55]Thomas Conner [de] ofThe Tulsa World and Aidin Vaziri ofSan Francisco Examiner viewed the track as a demonstration ofSound Museum's unique and captivating blend of different cultures.[56] InKylie Song by Song (2022), Marc Andrews commented that the Shy FX and Krust remixes showcased Minogue's most stylish set of remixes, and the Sharp Boys Dub extended the connection with the original track even further.[57]
In their retrospect reviews, Andrews and Mayer Nissim fromDigital Spy considered the track to be one of Minogue's career-defining moments,[58] while Cameron Adams fromHerald Sun and Priya Elan fromNME listed it among her oddest and most fascinating collaborations.[59] Adams ranked "GBI (German Bold Italic)" among her best tracks, praising its hysterical yet charming production.[60] Sheridan believed the unconventional track signaled the conclusion of Minogue's bold phase of experimenting with various musical styles, which was followed by a string of more mainstream projects throughout the rest of 1998.[61] Sean Smith, the writer ofKylie (2014), pointed out that by the time of the single's release, Minogue had already moved on artistically.[62] Writing in his bookPlaylisted: Everything You Need to Know About Australian Music Right Now (2012), Australian journalistCraig Mathieson claimed that the track was a captivating precursor that provided a glimpse into the direction her music was about to take.[63] Sharing the same sentiment, Rowley considered "GBI (German Bold Italic)" to be one of Minogue's most innovative dance tracks, as it established a sonic foundation for what would eventually become her unique style of house-pop.[34]
Due to lack of promotion, "GBI (German Bold Italic)" had little success on the single charts worldwide.[64] In 1998, it peaked at number 50 inAustralia,[65] number 67 inScotland,[66] and number 63 in theUK.[67] The Sharp Boys Deee-Liteful Dub peaked at number 18 on the UKMusic Week's Club Chart, while the original track reached number 35 on the Pop Chart in October.[68] Despite being one of Minogue's most obscure singles, the track continues to be a favorite among fans.[69] Scottish DJCalvin Harris chose it as his favorite track from Minogue, while Irish singerRóisín Murphy ranked it among her favourite dance music collaborations.[70]
_Wall_Street_(1).jpg)
The music video for "GBI (German Bold Italic)" was directed by Sednaoui, who was Minogue's boyfriend at the time.[23] The couple often traveled to Japan and were heavily interested inanime and Japanese culture.[71] Minogue was drawn into the erotic and feminine work of Japanese photographerNobuyoshi Araki, which influenced her promotional photographs taken by Sednaoui for her albumImpossible Princess.[72] Their fascination withgeisha imagery was further fueled byArthur Golden's 1997 popular novelMemoirs of a Geisha.[72] Sednaoui previously directed the 1994 music video for English groupMassive Attack's "Sly", in which Scottish singer-songwriterNicolette walking down the streets in akimono costume.[73]
The low-budget video was partly shot inWall Street,New York City, during the winter, using a handhelddigital camera.[74] Minogue and fashion designerWilliam Baker selected an authentic kimono andobi at a small store inGreenwich Village, as well as a pink rubber whip from asex shop.[72][c] The singer also wore lacquered green Japaneseplatform shoes gifted by Sednaoui.[72] Minogue felt the video was authentic but the costume and heavy wig were quite a challenge for her to wear.[75] Her garish make-up was handled by artist Paul Starr.[72]
The video opens with Minogue in a bubble bath, wearing a red bikini and singing the refrain: "You will like my sense of style."[76] She dons a large silver-hued wig, adorned with sparkling spangles and pins topped with figures of flyingcranes.[31] In the following scene, she is seen exploring the streets of New York, dressed in a vibrant kimono with flowingfurisode sleeves and a meticulously tiedobi.[76] She occasionally pauses to strike angular Japanese poses with her hands, and bows respectfully to random strangers.[77] The video then alternates with scenes of Tei wandering through the crowded streets ofTokyo, wearing a pair of sunglasses and large headphones.[77] He participated in various activities such as eating noodles, visiting a fish market, and buying a drink from a vending machine.[78]
The camera subsequently shifts its focus to Minogue and Tei's feet as they navigate the subways in their respective cities.[77] Minogue can be seen striking poses, lounging on luxurious red silk bed sheets, and delivering her lines in front of a stylized pine tree painting.[77] As the video reaches its climax, Minogue is depicted being led on a leash by a Japanese man dressed in a business suit.[76] Meanwhile, Tei is shown sitting primly on a hotel bed accompanied by two young Japanese women who gradually undress, lean on his shoulders, and whisper in his ears.[77] Tei breaks into laughter as the video concludes.[77]
The music video has never been commercially released.[57] In August 2014, Tei uploaded the video on hisYouTube account as part of his94-14 releases.[79] Journalists and authors recognized the video as one of Minogue's most unconventional endeavors.[80] In his essayIntegrated and Intersected: Kylie Minogue, Baz Luhrmann and the use of popular song material in Moulin Rouge! (2013), Philip Hayward described it as the "most extreme audio-visual distance" from her role inNeighbours in the 1980s and her earlier music output.[81] Andrews called it a "mind-boggling Japanese surrealist live anime fest," while Sheridan described Minogue's character as "hyper-unreal".[82] Mathieson praised her performance as the pinnacle of her acting career, and Sturges appreciated her charming presence.[83]
In the photobookKylie: La La La (2002), Baker characterized Minogue's role as a deranged cyber creature that blends elements of traditional geisha andNew Romantic style.[72] The video is based on Sednaoui's perception of Minogue as a blend of geisha and manga superheroine, representing two contrasting Japanese portrayals of femininity.[72] However, she is masked and confined by the invisible constraints of her celebrity life.[72] Scholars have offered several interpretations of the music video.[84] Kawaguchi and Keaveney viewed Minogue's character as a depersonalizedsex doll in a kimono, which exaggeratesthe sexualized Western stereotype of the geisha, confines them within the realm of themale imagination, and symbolizes thesexual objectification of Minogue as a pop star.[77] Kawaguchi also noted a reversal of Western sexual stereotypes: a Western woman embodies the fantasy of being an Eastern sexual object, while the young Japanese woman takes on the role of an alluring office siren.[85] Tony Mitchell, writing inAlter/Asians : Asian-Australian Identities in Art, Media and Popular Culture (2000), viewed the fictional font as a metaphor for the unique hybrid of theGerman and CaucasianJapanese-Australian persona which Minogue had adopted in the video.[86]
Scholars have commented on Minogue's appearance in the video.[87] Kawaguchi observed that her attire did not adhere to the typical style associated with real geishas, and her extravagant wig created a resemblance to a fusion of two theatre characters: Madame Butterfly, a young Japanese woman froma 1904 opera byGiacomo Puccini, and the sexual Marschallin inRichard Strauss' 1911 operaDer Rosenkavalier.[85] Mitchell pointed out that even though Minogue portrayed a geisha, her use of rouge makeup and a blonde wig still accentuated her Western features.[86] He also drew a comparison between her appearance and that ofonnagata, male actors who traditionally take on female roles in theater.[88] He suggested that Minogue relinquishes her status as agay icon by adopting "transvestite-like representation which crosses borders of both race and gender."[88]
Authors have drawn comparisons between the video's depiction of Japanese culture and the work of other artists.[84] Kawaguchi and Keaveney compared the video to American singerMadonna's "Nothing Really Matters" (1999), in which she also dressed in a kimono.[77] Both of the authors suggested that Minogue and Madonna's choice to adopt geisha attire and mannerisms raised delicate questions aboutAsian representation in entertainment andcultural appropriation.[77] They also noted that by the end of each video, Madonna and Tei are seen having a laugh to the camera, suggesting that the geisha depiction is presented as a form of playacting andsatire.[77] Keaveney opined that their portrayal is "emancipated and empowered at the expense of the Asian woman who remains silent, bound, and deranged."[89] Mitchell pointed out that the use of the Tokyo subway and Japanese iconography in the music video of "GBI (German Bold Italic)" have influenced the visual work of American hip-hop groupBeastie Boys' "Intergalactic" (1998) and Australian electronic duoB(if)tek's "Japanese Game Show" (2000).[90] Smith perceived the video as a catalyst for future artists likeLady Gaga and a testament to Minogue's trailblazing contributions.[62]
.jpg)
Following the release of "GBI (German Bold Italic)", Minogue has made several live performances in Australia where she wore traditional Japanese costumes.[88] She wore a blue and white silk kimono, and a geisha-inspired brown wig designed by hairdresser Kevin Murphy, while performing a medley performance at the 25th Anniversary ofMushroom Records concert at theMelbourne Cricket Ground on November 14, 1998.[91] The performance later appeared on a live album titledMushroom 25 Live (1998).[92] Minogue filmed an interlude for herKylieX2008 tour wearing a bright pink kimono designed byJean Paul Gaultier, with a large blonde wig and porcelain makeup.[93] The interlude was part of the Japanese-inspired segment called "Naughty Manga Girl" in KylieX2008, during which Minogue performed in a kimono-style short dress, accompanied by dancers brandishing swords and a nude Japanese woman appearing on the screen.[94]
Minogue incorporated "GBI (German Bold Italic)" into herKylieFever2002 tour as a video interlude, playing while she temporarily left the stage and dancers took the forefront.[95] Tei was pleased with her decision to include the track in the tour, andBlu-ray.com praised it as one of the most impressive segments.[96] A show inManchester was filmed on May 4, 2002, and released on DVD titledKylieFever2002: Live in Manchester.[95] In 2005, Tei released "Sometime Samurai" as a promotional radio single from his 2005 studio album,Flash.[97] The track was initially recorded as a demo alongside "GBI (German Bold Italic)" in 1996 but remained unfinished for eight years until Minogue had the opportunity to re-record her vocals in 2004.[97] In 2015, American artistCory Arcangel utilized the original German Bold Italic font for a merchandising sweatshirt of the American indie pop groupWet.[98] In an interview withThe Fader, Arcangel described the font as a "sick classic vector techno font" that had become quite rare over the years.[98] He had a fondness for the font since its release in 1997 and had previously incorporated it into his artworks, including drawings showcased at his 2011 exhibition at theWhitney Museum of American Art.[98] Sugiyama and his design group Enlightenment, who designed the font for the 1997 single cover, released alyric video of the track in 2013.[99] The footage was screened at the Media Ambition Tokyo exhibition on February 15 atRoppongi Hills.[99]
|
|
Personnel are adapted from the 1998 CD single liner notes.[18]
Additional credits are taken from Tei's 2017 studio albumEMO, where the track is re-titled as "GBI":[106]
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[65] | 50 |
| Scotland (OCC)[66] | 67 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[67] | 63 |
| UK Club (Music Week)[68] The Sharp Boys Deee-Liteful Dub | 18 |
| UK Pop (Music Week)[68] | 35 |
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | September 10, 1997 | CD maxi single | [40] | |
| October 1997 | Double 12-inch single | Elektra | [43] | |
| Australia | November 16, 1998 | CD single | East West | [107] |
| United Kingdom | October 26, 1998 |
| [108] | |
| 1998 | Cassette single | [101] | ||
| 12-inch single | Arthrob | [109] | ||
| Japan | March 22, 2017 | CD-R | Mach | [51] |
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: year (link)