(1) Cornel… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three bands/musicians using this name:
(1) Cornelius (born Keigo Oyamada (小山田圭吾 Oyamada Keigo) 27 January 1969 in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese recording artist and producer. His name is a reference to the Planet of the Apes chimpanzee character of the same name played by Roddy MacDowall. Oyamada's first claim to fame was as a member of the pop duo, Flipper's Guitar, one of the key groups of the Tokyo Shibuya-kei scene. Following the disbandment of Flipper's Guitar in 1991, Oyamada donned the "Cornelius" moniker and embarked on a successful solo career, while also producing for Pizzicato Five.
Cornelius's musical style is often described as being similar to Beck's, whom he acknowledges influenced him along with The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Primal Scream, among others.
The music of Cornelius could be described as experimental and exploratory, and often incorporates dissonant elements alongside more familiar harmonically "pleasing" sounds. This tension, plus his practice of bringing in sounds and samples from mass culture, pure electronic tones, and sounds from nature (see his Point album) lead him to being sometimes categorized as an "acquired taste."
He chose his pseudonym in tribute to the character of the same name from the movie Planet of the Apes. He commissioned a song, about himself, on Momus's 1999 album Stars Forever.
Oyamada married fellow musician and collaborator Takako Minekawa in 2000. The couple later divorced in 2012.
(2) Cornelius is also an emotional/blackmetal/hardcore band from Mainz, Germany.
(3) Cornelius was also a mid-90's hardcore / emo band from North Carolina. They released a Discography, "Sounds Like Summer," on Assorted Porkchops. Recorded 1994-1996, .
Mic Check
Cornelius Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah ah ah ah mic check ah ah ah ah
Can you hear me? Can you hear me?
Mic check ah ah mic check ah ah mic check ah ah mic check mic check ah ah
Mic check mic mic check ah ah mic check mic check ah ah mic mic mic
Check ah ah mic check mic check ah ah mic check mic mic check ah ah mic check
Mic check ah ah mic check mic mic check ah ah mic check mic check ah ah
Mic check ah mic mic check mic check ah ah mic check mic check mic mic check
Echo, echo, echo, echo
Reverb...
Mic check ah ah mic check ah ah mic check ah ah mic check mic check ah ah
Mic check mic mic check ah ah mic check mic check ah ah mic mic mic
Check ah ah mic check mic check ah ah mic check mic mic check ah ah mic
Check mic check ah ah mic check mic mic check ah ah mic check mic check
Ah ah mic check ah mic check mic mic check
Can you hear me?
One, two, three, four
Start, start, star...t
The lyrics of Cornelius's song "Mic Check" consist mainly of the phrase "mic check" repeated multiple times in different variations along with some other sounds such as "ah ah" and "echo". The purpose of a mic check is to test the sound equipment before a performance or speech. The repetition of the phrase in the song could represent the significance of checking the microphone before starting a performance or it can also symbolize the artist's readiness to start the show. The line "can you hear me?" could represent the artist's concern for the audience's reception of his message.
The rest of the lyrics are mainly made up of sounds such as "echo" and "reverb" which could depict the importance of sound quality in music performance. The counting "one, two, three, four" is also commonly used to signal the start of a song and it could be a symbolic representation of the artist's readiness to begin the performance.
The song itself is mainly instrumental with repeated samples of the "mic check" vocals. The overall sound of the song is a mix of electronic, lounge, and jazz, which is typical of the Shibuya-kei genre that Cornelius is associated with. The repetitive nature of the song mimics the testing of sound equipment during a mic check and could represent the technical precision and attention to detail that is necessary in creating music.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah mic check ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
Testing the microphone to ensure it's working properly
Ah ah ah ah mic check ah ah ah ah
Continuing to test the mic for any possible issues
Can you hear me? Can you hear me?
Asking if the audience can hear the singer's voice clearly
Mic check ah ah mic check ah ah mic check ah ah mic check mic check ah ah
Repeating the microphone test to make sure it's functioning as intended
Mic check mic mic check ah ah mic check mic check ah ah mic mic mic
Further testing the microphone and listening closely for any distortions or feedback
Check ah ah mic check mic check ah ah mic check mic mic check ah ah mic check
Confirming that the microphone is still working properly
Mic check ah ah mic check mic mic check ah ah mic check mic check ah ah
Continuing to test the mic and making sure there are no issues
Mic check ah mic mic check mic check ah ah mic check mic check mic mic check
Making sure that the microphone is consistent throughout its usage
One, two, three, four (vox voice)
Counting to four and adjusting the volume levels of the microphone
Echo, echo, echo, echo
Testing the acoustics of the room and listening for any echoes or reverb
Reverb...
Hearing any reverb in the microphone and adjusting levels accordingly
Start, start, star...t
Starting the speech or performance
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES CLEVELAND, JUELZ SANTANA, QAADIR ATKINSON, QUINCY III JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind