Computer Game (Theme From The Invaders) – Yellow Magic Orchestra (1979)

An Individual, limited edition, example of vinyl record silhouette art made from a genuine, original, 45rpm, 7” single featuring Computer Game (Theme From The Invaders)  by Japanese electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). Released on the A&M record label in 1979, this vinyl single has been reworked into a silhouette of a vintage 80s space invader.

Computer Game (Theme From The Invaders)  was taken from the album Yellow Magic Orchestra which was intended to be a one-off project for producer and bass player Haruomi Hosono and the two session musicians he had hired: drummer Yukihiro Takahashi and keyboard player Ryuichi Sakamoto.  The project proved highly popular, culminating in successful careers for the three musicians.

Space Invaders is an arcade video game created by Tomohiro Nishikado and was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan. It was one of the earliest shooting games and its aim was to defeat waves of aliens with a laser cannon to earn as many points as possible.  In designing the game, Nishikado drew inspiration from popular media: Breakout, The War of the Worlds, and Star Wars.  It was one of the forerunners of modern video gaming and helped expand the video game industry from a novelty to a global industry.