About Minikon…
ミニコン = Minikon = mini-computer
Minikon is an electro-pop celebration of love, brought to you by Florida-based melodyphile Denty One. Starting with his debut in 2002, Minikon has refined with each release a chimerical brew of 8-bit and new wave sounds with pop and shoegaze sensibilities. Tunes from Denty One’s ouvre have been spun by DJ’s worldwide from New York to Tokyo, where Denty himself headlined in Musashino.
Reviews
Minikon S/T
The sleeve of DJ/programmer Minikon’s debut, with its garish brightness and precise images of sparkles, clouds and cute aliens, bears a strong resemblance to Japanese animation and American cartoons from the 1980s. It’s a fitting design because Minikon’s progressive dance music sounds like it is from that decade and could easily have been used as the soundtrack to many of its cartoons.
This means there are lots of synthesizers and keyboards, ranging from Depeche Mode-derived steely tones to what may or may not be live piano. However, there is a paradox in this record’s overall sound, in that it is complex enough for the meditatively inclined listener, with about three or four different melodies typically harmonizing over each other in every track (making Minikon something like the progressive dance equivalent of simpler classical etudes), while also being bright, lucid and catchy enough for those who just want fun, swinging pop music. What makes the recipe just right rather than sacharrine sweet are the beats, which are short, sharp and aggressive in the positive sense and give the album a menacing (or at least rough) edge to make up for its otherwise easy going nature.
On a deeper level, though, Minikon’s songs are about innocence. Virtually all of his songs recall two absurdly naive teenagers from an ’80s TV show (animated or not) dancing and slowly falling in love at some idealized high school dance. Minikon is unabashedly romantic.
The songs are fairly short (10 go by in 33 minutes), which is a strength since nothing ruins progressive dance music as much as when a composition bores the listener with its repetition. Sure, Minikon’s music is repetitive, but since there are so many notes packed into his three-minute tracks they seem to breeze by. Which is to say his use of repetition is not going to annoy anyone. Heck, his music is warmer than most progressive dance music, so what’s not to like? Probably just the kitschiness that should be evident from the above description, but if you’re unconditionally against kitsch all the time, your sense of humor — or irony — might be a little lacking.
Jan Hrubin - Junkmedia - 2003
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Super Minikon
There’s a point late in “Cocoa-Pal” when you’ll realize that Super Minikon isn’t another batch of kiddie-friendly, melody-driven, videogame-inspired melodies like Minikon’s self-titled debut. Prior to that moment, you won’t be entirely certain; opener “Flying Hero” sounds like a twenty year-old arcade game MIDI chip with delusions of grandeur, and “Cocoa-Pal”, for most of its length, simply expands upon and accelerates its 8-bit inspiration. It’s not until four minutes in, after a tooth-rotting melodic/percussive jam and a stretch of sprawling ambience, that we get a clue: the tune takes an almost sinister turn, packing hours of doubt and uncertainty (as envisioned by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop) into a few seconds of glacial texture-play. It comes without warning, and may give you the creeps the first time you hear it — the jaunty melody just fails, giving us a glimpse at the real world beneath it, and it isn’t pleasant.
Of course, the menacing bit dovetails directly into “Shiver and Smile”, which sounds like a chorus of tipsy robots attempting to cover The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”, so you’ll be hard-pressed to stay creeped out. If you do, “Little Cloud“‘s merry-go-round waltz will put you back on the road to eccentricville; the song’s latter half borrows a few very recognizable notes from “Pomp and Circumstance”, creating an effect not unlike a Hello Kitty-themed graduation ceremony… God forbid.
Although “Tiger Dream“‘s jaunty melodies and repetitive sing-song lyrics are definitely rooted in Japanese synthpop, the song itself has more in common with keyboard-heavy new wave, as well as the round, resonant tones of early µ-ziq and Richard D. James Album-era Aphex Twin. “Whispering Hearts” sounds palpably lonely and insular at first, but radiates the same intangible comfort as the aforementioned Richard D. James Album — it’s like the reassuring hum of a shiny off-white appliance in the corner of a darkened kitchen. “Mellowbee“‘s good-natured burble gradually sinks into a languorous deep house bubble bath, while “Journey’s End” and “Wonder Planet” offers a melodic one-two punch that glitters like a disco ball, tight little beats snapping and popping and flickering around a sugary new wave melody.
Listeners who crave a little extra paranoia will enjoy Super Minikon’s hidden track, an extended spin on “Cocoa-Pal“‘s stretch of sci-fi gloom. That seems only fair — we’ve had a healthy serving of stark-but-warm electronica, and now we need to balance our account with a good long stare into the abyss. Minikon’s abyss, it seems, is full of incidental music from eighties sci-fi films.
Do we learn any valuable philosophical lessons from Super Minikon? Not really. Do we forge a meaningful connection with Denty One, the man behind the music? Not as such. Do we get to witness the evolution of Minikon’s music from 8-bit twee into expansive, brain-tingling electronic symphonies to the god of melody? Yes — if we want to. It’s a rare and unusual opportunity, if you’re prepared to make the effort.
George Zahora - Splendid E Zine - 2005
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Hope is Lighter Than Air
So much of the electronica-laced indie pop that I hear these days seems to strive for some measure of whimsy or childlike wide-eyed-ness. But oftentimes, it comes off as the sort of trite pop that may be catchy and neat to listen to, but offers little more after the first few listens. Minikon‘s Hope avoids that for the most part.
To be sure, Minikon’s music—which sounds like one of the more electronica-minded folks on the Darla label (e.g., Jonas Munk) taking a stab at remixing and covering Sufjan Stevens, with maybe a hint of Joy Electric’s analog bubbliness thrown in for good measure—is oftentimes cute and bubbly, and may not seem all that revelatory or groundbreaking. But there is a certain mixture of joy and melancholy, of frivolity and darkness throughout the album that is rather beguiling.
“Family Mountain” drifts along gracefully on strummed acoustic guitars, wistful flutes, and crunchy electronic beats, and conjures up a mood that is nostalgic without the navel-gazing. Meanwhile, the aptly titled “Fun” and “She Makes Me Happy” are packed with whimsical programming, 8-bit bleeps and bloops galore, and some subtle-yet-affecting melodic shifts.
The album’s highpoint, however, does contain an unmistakably revelatory moment or two. “Forever Loved” begins with gently swelling ambient textures and drum n’ bliss beats a la classic Color Filter or Junior Varsity KM. The track builds so easily that you don’t even realize it’s building at all, that is until the gorgeous climax of trilling flutes and exultant programming.
It’s the sort of moment that could sound trite if it weren’t actually so darn earnest, bright-eyed, innocent—and well-played. And the track’s mellow denouement is a nice touch, a reflective moment that lets you down nice and easy, a fine example of Minikon’s attention to those little details that provide the otherwise light and fluffy music with a surprisingly engaging amount of emotional heft.
Jason Morehead - Opus - 2008
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Super Minikon
Denty is treading in unusual territory. After all, how many modern artists create happy instrumental music…? Distinctly pleasant and instantly memorable, Super Minikon is a delightful spin from one of Florida’s best.
LMNOP - 2005
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Minikon S/T
For about six months, from my 12th birthday to the following spring, I was obsessed with Kirby’s Pinball Land. I had received the game and required Gameboy as a gift after much begging. Not only did I play Kirby at home, I snuck the portable console into my backpack and took it to school. Math, Science, World History – they meant nothing to me. I was more concerned with the seemingly real possibility that I might be able to not run out of extra Kirby pinballs. I imagined I would be able to keep Kirby afloat forever in the creamed spinach colored world in which he lived. And then there was the Kirby’s Pinball Land soundtrack. I had to have the music on in order to play well. The music would bounce along at a frenetic pace, allowing me (I believed) to be one with the Kirby’s pinball. The music guided me on my path to victory, a digital battle cry coming out of a square-inch speaker.
Like I said, this obsession lasted for six months, after which I sold my Gameboy to my cousin for 15 dollars. Though Kirby’s Pinball Land is in my past, I’ve never forgotten that music. I’ve often wondered allowed “Who could come up with that?”, ‘that’ being the seizure-inducing electronic blips and beeps found even on regular NES Kirby games.
Perhaps someone like James White, the mastermind behind Minikon. Minikon can best be described as electronic pop. It’s computer-based music that would be out of place in a club but right at home on the soundtrack of the latest (bloodshed free) PS2 game. If you were listening to Minikon on your headphones while walking down the street, you might find yourself jumping on random bricks, hoping to shatter them and collect precious gold coins. CHINNG!! 1500 POINTS!
Minikon is fun. There are no vocals (well, a snippet of Japanese) to speak of, which is good. Computer-based music with vocals often ends up creepy in a K.I.T.T. way. With song titles like “Hollywood Rabbits,” “Snowball,” and “Kitti-Kitti,” Minikon is all about the good times. Each song seems to bleed into the next, bopping up and down like a kindergartner on a sugar binge. There are some distinctions from track to track. For instance, while “Milk” has a lot of “bip bip bips,” “Champion Sound” has more “bup bup bupps.” Eh.
While I don’t know much about music of this genre, I can say I’m pleasantly surprised. If you are an old-school video game soundtrack fan, or a fan of light music intended to bring a smile to your face, you’ll dig Minikon.
bhuett - Adequacy - 2003
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Minikon S/T
More electronic music, but with a bit of a twist. The cartoon artwork and a mention of Japanese popular culture having made an impact on Mr. M might give one pause that we’re about to endure sounds too cutesy-wutesy for human ears, but not to worry; the Japanese musical exports that seem to have corrupted his mind at an earlier age seem to have been the sounds emanating from the game systems of yore and our good friends Yellow Magic Orchestra rather than the infamous j-pop. While this wouldn’t mix well with the “darker” discs of your collection, Minikon manages (if sometimes barely) to avoid the “novelty” tag, fun tunes with the feared sugar overdose.
David - Shredding Paper - 2003
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Super Minikon
ファーストでジャケ、音、共にある意味かなりのインパクトを残したミニコンのセカンド。
この盤は日本のレーベル「ベーシックス」からのリリース。US盤とはTR-8が差し替えられており、アートワークも大幅に異なる。彼の音楽はよく、ゲーム音楽に例えられる
（本人もその影響は認めている）。がしかし、セカンドでそのイメージは払拭されよう。
この作品には広大な世界観があり、音楽性はかなり高くなった。ジャーマンロック的ビート
に雄弁なメロディーのTR-7、徹底的に泣かしに入ってるTR-9,10（繋がっています）。
小粋にジャジーなTR-3も特筆すべき名曲だ。全体的に80年代テクノポップな香りは漂っている。彼はそこに留まらず、恐るべきスキルでアップデートを行ったのだ。まだその存在は
知られていないであろう。エレクトロニカ、テクノポップ等のジャンルの垣根はとっぱらって
頂き、ただ一つの「オンガク」として聞いてもらいたいです。ジブリが大好きだというのも
興味深い。
Janus CD Japan - 2006
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Minikon S/T
[解説 1] フロリダをベースとするキラキラ・ディスクの代表的アーティスト。 極親日派をうかがわせるアートワーク、ウェブサイト、そして曲のタイトルとメロディーライン。 曲調は実に雄弁なメロディーとシャープでユニークなリズムから構成される。 80年代をよく知る人間にとっては、「懐かしさ」さえ覚えるであろう。 インストのポップなエレクトロニカだが、誰でも聴ける人なつっこさがある。 Y.M.O 、クラフトワーク 、O.M.D. 、などエレクトロポップのオリジネイターに敬意を払いつつも彼等の音楽性をアップデートしている。
Oh!gui - Oops Music Japan - 2005
