Musically, Tanaka is recognized around the world as a purveyor of 'new groove' thanks to his eclectic musical blend of Bacharach style samples, dance floor electronics and a unique sense of humor. Creatively, Tanaka carefully considers the complete aesthetic of each FPM release as a whole - from the lyrics and music to the artwork and packaging. His interests in everything, from rare whacked-out sounds of aging vinyl records to the works of cult graphic designers were all absorbed into his first two full-lengths: The Fantastic Plastic Machine released in 1998 and 1999's Luxury. Beautiful, Tanaka's third album, follows in these traditions and takes a step forward in the maturation of his collective ideas.

Commencing at Tanaka's private studio, Beautiful took shape over the course of eight months and included a host of international guest contributors and studio sessions. "I am a club DJ but I want to make music that moves all kinds of people - not only club kids," Tanaka says. "I want the audience to use this CD for any occasion - not only for dancing but also during make-up time in the morning or whenever."

In order to authentically capture the feel of vintage R&B style Philly strings Tanaka flew to Philadelphia to record at the legendary Sigma Sound Studios where the O'Jays, Patti Labelle and the Village People produced their famous hits. He even hired some of the original players who are now in their Seventies.

Another stop in the making of Beautiful was at NYC's Quad Studio where Tanaka recorded songs with a pair of legendary vocalists, jazz singer Bob Dorough on "God Save The Mona Lisa," and Hirth Martinez on "I'm Still A Simple Man". The 77 year-old Dorough has credits on over 70 albums including works with Miles Davis and Roberta Flack as well as writing and directing the educational children's TV program Schoolhouse Rock. Martinez's songs in the 70's happened to catch the ears of Robbie Robertson, Manfred Mann and Bob Dylan. During these sessions, John Simon, who¹s produced albums by The Band and Blood Sweat and Tears, visited the studio and offered Tanaka guidance on the song¹s arrangements.

Every FPM album has one cover song and for Beautiful, Tanaka chose "Whistle Song" the 80's hit by the father of house music, Frankie Knuckles. The US version of the album also includes a bonus song, Roger Joseph Manning Jr.'s (Beck, Moog Cookbook, Jellyfish) remix of "Take Me to The Disco." The remix is a hands-in-the-air anthem reminiscent of the Basement Jaxx's finest moments. After hearing the track on the limited edition US release of the "Take Me to the Disco" 12", Tanaka felt it was the best remix anyone had ever done of his music, so he decided to include it on Beautiful.