When Haruni Hasono hired Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto to do a shimmering cover of Martin Denny’s “Firecracker” in a 1978 session, nobody knew what was going to result, but their eventual first full self-titled album as Yellow Magic Orchestra became a sensation, transforming the careers of all three and establishing the trio as early synth-pop gods. Predominantly sparkling, energetic instrumentals with a few often robotically voiced numbers, all suffused with a knowing look at Western stereotypes of Japan in turn, it’s a striking debut.

– Ned Raggett