A collab between popular Japanese electronic artists leads to a touching tribute to the substance that unites us all.

As we have said many times, poo has become a hot commodity in Japan recently for its aesthetically pleasing coil shapes, endless source of cheap laughs, and its phonetic connection to the word “luck” (in Japanese).

And now, we have seen the emergence of possibly the most glowing tribute song about poo ever made called U.N.K.O. (“unko” being the Japanese word for poop).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA1PtJ0AVc4

The song was sponsored by the currently running Unko Museum in Yokohama which, rather than a dry scientific look at fecal matter, embraces the pure beauty of crap through interactive art exhibits.

Also, far from a cheaply slapped-together jingle for the museum, U.N.K.O. is made by some heavyweights of electronic music. Songwriting was handled by Frasco‘s Takanoshinya and bandmates Minelalu and Kentaro Nagata did the vocals and mixing respectively. Meanwhile, the track was put together by Kenmo Hidefumi of Wednesday Campanella fame.

Personally, the lyrics to this song left me especially impacted. Here’s a translation:

U – Universe
N – Nature
K – Kinetic
O – Outbreak

Pfffttt Pfffttt Pfffttt Plop Pfffttt Plop
Pfffttt Pfffttt Pfffttt Plop Pfffttt Plop
Pfffttt Pfffttt Pfffttt Plop Pfffttt Plop
Pfffttt Pfffttt Pfffttt Plop

Beautifully like poo
Gently like poo
Warmly like poo
Violently like poo

Poo Poo Poo Poo
Poo Poo Poo Poo
Poo Poo Poo Poo
Poo Poo Poo

Everyday good luck good luck good luck
Always good luck good luck good luck
Good luck good luck good luck good luck good luck good luck good luck good luck good luck good luck good luck good luck

Destiny, movement, wisdom, disparity, run, executive council
Elysium, skilful, pilgrimaging together and disperse

Yeah, this scenery
Yeah, this color
Yeah, this world is beautiful

U – Unity
N – Necessary
K – Knockout
O – Ouput

Pfffttt Pfffttt Pfffttt Plop Pfffttt Plop
Pfffttt Pfffttt Pfffttt Plop Pfffttt Plop
Pfffttt Pfffttt Pfffttt Plop Pfffttt Plop
Pfffttt Pfffttt Pfffttt Plop

Adorably like poo
Nobly like poo
Hardily like poo
Fleetingly like poo

Poo Poo Poo Poo
Poo Poo Poo Poo
Poo Poo Poo Poo
Poo Poo Poo

Granted, a lot of the musicality of it gets lost in translation. For example, the onomatopoeic “Pffft” sound of a particularly gaseous and loose bowel movement used in the refrain is a delightful “buree” sound in Japanese.

Also, that completely unintelligible string of words in the bridge all contain the sound “un” in Japanese, which is the word for luck in the same language.

Nevertheless, the message of the song still comes across; that the humble substance often the source of our scorn is so much more than we realize. Poo is natural and warm. It can be both gentle and violent, both hardy and fleeting. These are undeniable facts of nature.

What we are supposed to do with these facts, I have no idea, but at least now there’s a catchy electro-pop tune that encapsulates them.

Source: YouTube/UNKO MUSEUM, M-On! Music
Top image: YouTube/UNKO MUSEUM
Insert image: SoraNews24