Interest

Japanese Musician Expresses Her Feelings About Effects Units with Doujin Anime

Effects units are electronic devices commonly used by musicians to alter the sound of their instruments to create those cool "wah-wah" sounds and fuzzy distortion you hear in concerts and studio recordings. Hikari Matsuda, a Japanese bassist and guitarist, uploaded a video about a shopping trip for one of these gizmos — in anime form.

In "High School Girls Go to Buy an Effects Unit," Metako attempts the classic guitar riff "Smoke on the Water," but is dissatisfied since it doesn't sound like the CD. Her friend Mafuyu appears to tell her she needs an effects unit, and they go shopping for one. Although Mafuyu hasn't actually gone to the music store before, she knows a lot about effects units from the Internet, and explains their different qualities. Eventually Metako picks a Metal Zone and buys it... only to discover shortly thereafter a nearby sale of Metal Zones. A narrator promises a sequel in which they buy a shielded cable. The doujin is entirely the work of Matsuda and her band partner Koichi — Matsuda voices both characters.

Matsuda has recently continued the high school girls and effects units theme by posting these four drawings of a girl throwing different units. They are, in order, Boss's DM-1, DM-2, and DM-3, followed by LINE 6's DM-4. She says that she wants the pictures to be used "to send a direct message."

Matsuda and Koichi are members of the band nakanoise, which was chosen in January for the special compilation Rising Artists ~Ima, Kitai-no Artist~ featuring up-and-coming musicians. Matsuda does vocals and guitar. She also plays bass in the band Deroppy Doroppy.

[Via Netlab and Kai-You]