Ask John: Does Any Anime Use Techno Music?

Question:
I know that some anime series have soundtracks that are a major part of the show, such as Cowboy Bebop’s jazz or FLCL’s rock. Are there any titles that feature soundtracks composed of lesser known styles of music in this manner, such as techno?

Answer:
Especially for Americans, it seems difficult to believe that techno music isn’t intimately intertwined with anime, but that’s really the case. To the best of my knowledge, authentic techno and “house” style electronic ambient and dance music isn’t very popular or common in Japanese anime. American and European anime fans, I think, associate anime with cutting edge, post-modernism. Modern forms of electronic music are also associated with a “pomo” vibe. Pioneer LDCA, now known as Geneon, even tried to popularize the association of techno and anime several years ago by creating techno music videos for shows including Hakkenden and Amazing Nurse Nanako. “Eurobeat” and vocal trance music are relatively popular in Japan, and electronic music artists including m.o.v.e. and Globe have been very successful in Japan. Music performed by m.o.v.e. has been used in anime including Initial D and Ikkitousen. Globe performed the opening theme for the 2001 Cyborg 009 television series. And the songs “Information High” from Macross Plus, performed by Gabriela Robin, and Origa’s opening theme songs for the two Ghost in the Shell television series are among the most popular and well known electronica songs ever used in anime. But, as far as I’m aware, instrumental techno music has never caught on in Japan and has never been prominently featured in any anime.

Update October 4, 2005
Several readers, presumably more knowledgable about popular music than I am (which shouldn’t be difficult to achieve) have pointed out that anime titles including Interstella 5555, the Bubblegum Crisis 2040 and Area 88 television series, Armitage III, the CG Appleseed movie, the Sound Insect Noiseman short film, and Koji Morimoto’s animated music video for performer Ken Ishii’s song “Extra” all employ techno or music in styles very similar to techno music.