Tokyo: Yukihiro Takahashi, drummer and vocalist of legendary Japanese electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra, has died, it was learned Sunday. He was 70.

A native of Tokyo, Takahashi joined Sadistic Mika Band, led by Kazuhiko Kato, as a drummer in 1972.

Takahashi formed YMO with Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto in 1978. He composed tunes including “Rydeen,” one of the most popular works of the band.

With its unique and innovative sounds from electronic music equipment, YMO sparked a “techno pop” boom at the time, releasing a number of works and holding concerts both in Japan and abroad including the United States and Europe.

Takahashi also performed solo while forming bands with other artists, including  The Beatniks with Keiichi Suzuki, Metafive with  musicians such as Keigo Oyamada, and “pupa” with actress Tomoyo Harada and others.

Furthermore, Takahashi worked as a producer and fashion designer, and starred in “Shigatsu no Sakana” (Poisson d’avril), a movie directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi.

Takahashi underwent brain tumor surgery in 2020.

JIJI Press