Superorganism

Superorganism is a London-based indie pop group active since 2017. The line-up includes B, Harry, Soul, Orono Noguchi, Timothy Shann, Tucan, Mark David Turner and Chris Young. The group brings together members from different countries, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and England.

Formation and line-up

Superorganism forms in early 2017 in London. Orono Noguchi, a high school student from Maine who moves to the United Kingdom from Japan, first discovers the members through online recommendations and later meets them in person at a performance in Japan in 2015. The group becomes friends through a shared interest in internet memes and continues its early collaboration online, often using Skype.

After discovering that Noguchi can sing, the others invite her to add lyrics and vocals to a demo for a new project. She joins the group despite being significantly younger than the other members. The project develops into Superorganism, with Noguchi as lead vocalist and all members contributing vocals. The band later relocates to London to work together.

Home studio and working method

By late 2017, seven of the eight members live together in a large terraced house in East London that also functions as a 24-hour studio. Soul is the only member who lives separately, in Sydney, Australia. The group describes its writing process as starting with shared listening and conversation, then moving files back and forth as ideas are added and developed into finished songs. Harry describes the setup as a distorted version of a pop production house.

Members and roles

Orono Noguchi, also called OJ, handles vocals, writing and painting. Mark David Turner, known as Emily, contributes writing, production and synths. Christopher Young, known as Harry, contributes writing, production and guitar. Timothy Shann, also called Tucan or Dr. Tucan Taylor Michaels, contributes writing, production, mixing and drums. Blair Everson, known as Robert Strange, works on visual arts and staging. Ruby and B provide background vocals, background dancing and background musicianship; Ruby also plays strings. Soul provides background vocals, background dancing and background musicianship, and also records solo material under the name CHI, playing guitar and keyboard.

Releases and collaborations

The band’s first single, “Something For Your M.I.N.D.”, comes from the demo that begins the project and later appears on the soundtrack to FIFA 18. Its self-titled debut album, Superorganism, is released in 2018 through Domino Recording Company and Hostess Entertainment. In 2018, the group also covers Utada Hikaru’s “Phakchi no Uta” as promotion for the album Hatsukoi.

Musical style

Superorganism describes its music as internet-age electronically tinged indie pop. The group is also associated with alternative rock, indie rock, indietronica, psychedelic pop and synth-pop.