Sukimaswitch

Sukimaswitch entered the J-pop arena as a jazz-inflected duo when they issued the single "View" in 2003. The group’s core consists of Ohashi Takuya, born May 9, 1978, in Aichi, Japan, and Tokita Shintarou, born February 25, 1978, also in Aichi, Japan; both function as multi-instrumentalists within Sukimaswitch, supplemented only by occasional session players. Their first album, Natsugumo Noise, appeared in June 2004 and prompted widespread comparisons to Steely Dan, the celebrated jazz-pop outfit, extending to both sonic approach and album construction. A greatest-hits compilation reached stores in 2007.