Shintaro Sakamoto is a highly influential Japanese musician, singer, and producer, first gaining renown as the frontman and creative force behind the legendary psychedelic rock band Yura Yura Teikoku, which was active from 1989 until its amicable disbandment in 2010. Following the end of the band, Sakamoto launched a solo career that saw him evolve his sound from raw psychedelia into a unique, sophisticated blend of soft rock, dub, city pop, and exotica, often described as a Japanese version of Steely Dan or tropicália. Operating his own label, zelone records, his solo work—including albums like How To Live With A Phantom and Let’s Dance Raw—is characterized by smooth, laid-back grooves, subtle wit, and a distinctive deadpan vocal delivery, establishing him as one of the most distinctive and internationally acclaimed voices in modern Japanese indie music.
