United Future Organization

United Future Organization (also known as UFO) is a nu-jazz trio made up of Japanese-born Tadashi Yabe (矢部 直, Yabe Tadashi), Toshio Matsuura (松浦 俊夫, Matsuura Toshio) and Frenchman Raphael Sebbag (ラファエル セバーグ). In 1994, the group appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African-American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time Magazine. One of the three original founding members, Toshio Matsuura, left the group in 2002 to work with Universal Japan on a remix album project. Yabe Tadashi died on 25 July 2024, at the age of 59.