[3] She then performed under the alias Mamene Kirerie in the duo Fancy Face Groovy Name with Kahimi Karie, backed by Flipper's Guitar.

[3] It increased her popularity in Japan, while also crossing over to listeners in North America,[4] where it received airplay on college radio stations.

[3][4] In 2000, Minekawa released the EP Maxi On, a collaboration with American experimental pop band Dymaxion, after which she took an extended break from her musical career.

[7] The duo also collaborated with American experimental music band Good Willsmith on the album Exit Future Heart, recorded in Chicago and released in 2018.

[8] Minekawa's musical skills set her firmly outside of the J-pop "idol" tradition: she writes and composes most of her own material, singing about subjects such as clouds, cats, and the color white (her personal favorite).

"[citation needed] Another influence is Yellow Magic Orchestra member Haruomi Hosono, whom she paid tribute to with cover versions of his song "Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa" (1984) in 1995 and again in 2007 with Ryuichi Sakamoto.