Features
Plastics Leader Sakuma Dies
Masahide Sakuma, the leader of the influential late ’70s Japanese new wave band The Plastics, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 61.
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The Plastics were “one of the defining acts” of the Japanese music scene and “pioneers of electronic pop,” according to the Japan Times.
Irreverent, arty, and musically perverse, The Plastics were often compared to Western groups like Talking Heads and Devo in that they constructed a multimedia performance style to go with their music.
They were famous for performing in secondhand clothes as an actual fashion statement.
Though they only released two complete albums, The Plastics’ influence can be seen in the underground Tokyo rock scene of the ’80s and ’90s. Sakuma went on to become a successful producer.