Jet Set Radio Future!

I don't play a lot of video games, but when the original XBOX came out when I was a kid, I became obsessed with the game Jet Set Radio Future. This amazing video game came free with the purchase of the console. In the game, you roller skate around different locations in Tokyo (like Shibuya!) and spraypaint and defeat the corrupt cops of futuristic Japan. I've been in love with JSRF for years and years, but the actual game isn't the only great thing about it - its music is just perfect. All throughout the game, you listen to a radio station that plays insanely cool music, while DJ Professor K clues you in on all the secrets of this Tokyo of the future.

The first JSRF song that I want to write about is "Like It Like This Like That" by Hideki Naganuma. Its lyrics are repetitive and some may say it's kind of simple, but I think that it's a masterpiece. Although I normally don't like uncomplicated lyrics, the simplicity of them in this song only enhances its quality, in my opinion. All I have to say, really, is Hideki Naganuma knows how to make really good music.

Another song from JSRF that I love is "Statement of Intent" by Bis. For some reason, this song always reminds me of my favorite location in the game, 99th Street. Maybe it's because they're both so damn awesome. "Statement of Intent" is the most rock song in the game, I think, so I've always been really interested in it. The guitar is really cool, the vocals are unique, and the drum beats are perfectly simple. Since the lyrics aren't easy to hear while listening to the song, I just looked them up and I found that they're confusing and awesome. My favorite lines would have to be:

'

"If we're your misplaced youth

And your lies are the truth,

Then mistakes are illusions.

A simple yes is confusion."

What I love about the lyrics is that they're really rebellious, especially the line "Careless children never die."

Being obsessed with Japan, especially Tokyo and, more specifically, Shibuya, I loved the game and the Japanese music in it like "Baby-T" by Guitar Vader. The song is so cute and catchy, so it's really fun to listen to while playing JSRF or just walking down the hallways at school. It's also mysterious in a way, since I can't find the lyrics for it ANYWHERE. It seems that no one knows what it being sung in the singer's high and one-of-a-kind voice. It's super-addictive and I love how some of the lyrics are in Japanese.

Also by Guitar Vader is "I Love Love You",  another super catchy and adorable song from the soundtrack.  It's so complex, with all of its interesting electronic aspects and insanely cool vocals. I have to say that I've never heard anything like these two songs by Guitar Vader. They're truly unique. The drums in "I Love Love You" are especially enjoyable to listen to because of their complex, yet repetitive beat.

The last song from Jet Set Radio Future that I'll be posting is Cibo Matto's "Birthday Cake." From the moment I began playing this game, I was instantly attracted to this song. With its screechy vocals and weird lyrics, it's perfect for anyone who likes one-of-a-kind music. I don't understand this song at all and that's one of the many reasons why I love it. Also, an interesting fact about Cibo Matto is that Sean Lennon, John Lennon's son, played bass with them for a while. 

So I hope you enjoyed listening to the music of Jet Set Radio Future for the original XBOX as much as I do. If you liked these songs, check out the rest of the soundtrack and, whether you liked the music or not, I definitely recommend trying out the video game, which you can probably buy on ebay. And, to conclude my post, here's Gum, the marvelous character that I always play on JSRF: