Though she now resides in Paris, Japanese singer/songwriter Kahimi Karie is still linked with the stylish, ultra-hip look and sound of Tokyo's Shibuya district, which also inspired like-minded artists such as Fantastic Plastic Machine, Pizzicato Five and Cornelius. In particular, Cornelius (a.k.a. Keigo Oyamada) had a lot to do with jump-starting Karie's career in music; during the early '90s she was a music photographer and he was her boyfriend at the time. Oyamada asked her to sing with a band on his friend's label, and her sweet, sensual-yet-innocent vocal style was discovered. Almost immediately after the release of her first EP, Karie became a superstar in Japan, releasing several gold-status singles, hosting a radio program and recording the theme song to one of the nation's most popular animated shows. She also collaborated with members of Pizzicato Five, French indie-pop vocalist Katerine, and, most significantly, Scottish singer/songwriter Momus, who wrote and produced songs on several of her later singles and albums, including her 1998 self-titled US debut, which was released on Minty Fresh records. That year also saw her live debut in the States as the opening act for Momus' US tour; the following year they toured together again, and Karie released K.K.K.K.K. domestically on Le Grand Magistery, Momus' US label. Journey to the Centre of Me appeared in mid-2000. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide