I don't know if you've ever heard of her, but if you are looking for something a little different in music, you should check out Akiko Yano. Once married to Ryuichi Sakamoto, she's broken down many barriers in the field of jazz in Japan because of the male dominatedness of the genre. And, although I am not really a fan of jazz music, I still really enjoy her music. She is both unique and very talented.

I found an article on the Japan Times online edition entitled "Jazz icon Akiko Yano finds her electronic muse". It was an interesting read.

I'll have to go out and find the cd to add to my collection...