Seatbelts (band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Yoko Kanno |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Music albums, soundtracks |
is a Japanese musical group spearheaded by composer and multi-instrumentalist Yoko Kanno. Established in 1998, this global collective features a core ensemble supplemented by various guest artists to deliver the soundtrack for the anime series Cowboy Bebop. Their musical style encompasses an array of genres, with a strong emphasis on jazz, while also incorporating elements of rock music, electronic music, funk, blues, and orchestral pop.
Band history
The band's name originates from their practice of wearing seatbelts during vigorous jam sessions, a detail highlighted in their debut album Cowboy Bebop.
Over the years, they have released seven albums—featuring three new compositions on Cowboy Bebop Tank! THE! BEST!—alongside one live DVD, all focusing on the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Seatbelts reunited remotely to work on new material. Collaborating with Funimation, Sunrise, and composer Mason Lieberman, they re-recorded the closing theme "The Real Folk Blues" as a charitable effort to support COVID-19 relief initiatives.
Additionally, April 2020 saw the launch of the Session Starducks project on YouTube, where original members and guest musicians joined forces to reinterpret tracks from Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and Macross Frontier.
It was announced in April 2020 that Kanno would provide the score for Netflix's live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop. By November 2021, the Seatbelts were confirmed as performers for the soundtrack of this new series.
Studio albums
- Cowboy Bebop (1998)
- Cowboy Bebop Vitaminless (1998)
- Cowboy Bebop No Disc (1998)
- Cowboy Bebop Blue (1999)
- Ask DNA (2001)
- Future Blues (2001)
- Cowboy Bebop (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) (2021)
Live recordings
- Future Blues DVD (2001)
Remix and compilation releases
- Cowboy Bebop Remixes: Music for Freelance (1999)
- Cowgirl Ed (2001)
- Cowboy Bebop Boxed Set (2002)
- Cowboy Bebop Tank! THE! BEST! (2004)
- Space Bio Charge (2009)
Singles
- "TANK! Virtual Session 2020" (2020)
- "'Real Folk Blues' For These Days" (2020)
- "Don't Bother None 2020" (2020)
- "Space Lion Virtual Session 2020" (2020)
Featured artist appearances
- "The Real Folk Blues" (2020) (collaboration with Mason Lieberman)