Well: Susumu Hirasawa is perhaps the only living musician one might call a "genius". He's been doing music for about 50 years now, starting with prog rock (MANDRAKE, 1972-1978 ), then technopop (P-MODEL, 1979-1999), his
sui generis solo music (misc. projects on and off in the 80s, then 1989-present), and techno/electronic (KAKU P-MODEL, 2004-present).
He made his name as a vocalist and guitarist (preferred guitar: his custom Talbo "PHOTON"), but he also designs his own assortment of MIDI instruments for use in live performances. For much of his career he had a sort of technologist/mad scientist type image - "Computer Age Charisma" is how it was once memorably and accurately termed. In his personal life he's a technology enthusiast, being an early adopter of synthesizers, Amiga, CGI, internet, digital distribution, and so on. He also has a notable affinity for Thailand and spends much leisure time there.
In terms of performance his most famous innovation is the "Interactive Live" where graphics are projected on a semitransparent screen to tell a story with the concert, and the audience can choose how the story (and the concert) goes by voting or playing games.
Career-wise he spent 1979-1999 signed to various major labels along with a shifting roster of bandmates, before throwing up his hands in disgust at JASRAC and becoming an independent artist. Currently he works solo, releasing music under his own name as well as under the KAKU P-MODEL project, though he often invites friends and former collaborators as guest musicians for his lives.
If I had to pick a sampler:
P-MODEL
美術館で会った人だろ ("IN A MODEL ROOM", 1979)
This is probably the song anyone knows if they know any P-MODEL song, their breakout entry into the world of punk-inflected technopop.
いまわし電話 ("potpourri", 1981)
This was the last hurrah of the technopop style that they had already started turning away from by this point.
ATOM-SIBERIA ("ANOTHER GAME", 1984)
From their transitional style. The most famous song from this album, though, is フ・ル・ヘッ・ヘッ・ヘッ
サイボーグ ("KARKADOR", 1985)
From the height of the avant-garde era. I picked the most famous and enduring hit but everything from this album is up there with the classics.
SPEED TUBE ("P-MODEL", 1992)
After the dissolution of the original P-MODEL Hirasawa reformed it with new members in 1992. This opening track sets the tone well enough, but this is another album of classics.
ASHURA CLOCK ("電子悲劇~ENOLA", 1997)
From the final P-MODEL lineup, perhaps the best of their late style.
Solo
ソーラ・レイ ("時空の水", 1989)
"Haldyn Hotel" is the most famous from this album and the most conventional pick, but I'm picking one of the many other gems on offer here.
ヴァーチュアル・ラビット ("ヴァーチュアル・ラビット", 1991)
Delightful. And has some unexpected fans in high places
舵をとれ ("AURORA", 1994)
The final evolution of Hirasawa's first period before the turn to Thailand. A reworked version of this became the theme to "Berserk".
Sim City ("SIM CITY", 1995)
A conventional and iconic pick here introducing the new forceful Thai-influenced style.
時間の西方 ("白虎野", 2006)
A long-form classic inaugurating Hirasawa's symphonic style. It was at its best on this album.
聖馬蹄形惑星の大詐欺師 ("点呼する惑星", 2009)
A rare aggressive track. I was at the world premiere performance of this and it was incredible.
アヴァター・アローン ("ホログラムを登る男", 2015)
The symphonic style was rather hit-or-miss but on this 2015 album there were still some hits to be had.
論理的同人の認知的別世界 ("BEACON", 2021)
The most dynamic track from his latest release. This album also has his cover of Henry Purcell's "Cold Song" but that
is just a cover XD
KAKU P-MODEL
Big Brother ("Vistoron", 2004)
гипноза ("гипноза", 2013)
遮眼大師 ("回=回", 2018 )
If you're still reading this far down you can evaluate them for yourself XD