In spring 2007, I had just discovered France Gall. While fiddling around to find her vids on YouTube, the Shiina version of "Jazz a Go Go" was a Related Video. I watched it, was kinda "meh" about it, but interested in the noisy arrangement. YUKI was a Related Video to that one, so I discovered both artists at the same time. I downloaded a few of their tunes ("Shuukyo" and HF "Gamble" were the first of SR) and threw them into my monster random playlists. Prior to that day, my knowledge of J-pop was that I didn't like it. Still don't, except for those two artists & their colleagues. I also find PUFFY tolerable & pleasant enough not to dislike.
Occasionally I would add to my Shiina collection of files, look at the videos on YouTube for the novelty of the sights & sounds, and left it at that. At this point I couldn't tell a qualitative difference between "Shiina Ringo" and "Tokyo Jihen", they were equally exotic to me on the surface. Then one day in Nov 08 "Kuki" really grabbed my attention, and I've been totally nuts for Shiina ever since.
Up until then, I had only listened to SR on my PC. I burned "Shouso Strip" mp3s->CD and played it on the big stereo. Quickly became apparent I would need the retail product...building collection now...goodbye money!
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