― b'angelo, Friday, 13 May 2005 15:32 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Dominique (dleone), Friday, 13 May 2005 15:54 (8 years ago) Permalink
― b'angelo, Friday, 13 May 2005 16:05 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Dominique (dleone), Friday, 13 May 2005 16:11 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Beta (abeta), Friday, 13 May 2005 19:16 (8 years ago) Permalink
Patrick; Dleone's correct about the ReR connection, I grew up as a Recommended Records fanboy, buying anything they'd put out... Though I didn't finally hear Wha-Ha-Ha until researching backwards from the first Haniwa All-Stars record, which blew my mind in the early 90's. My interest in Senba's early Haniwa records & Wha-Ha-Ha is precisely because they're so eccentric & hard to figure out. I don't imagine they're particularly representative of early 80's JPop.
― milton parker (Jon L), Friday, 13 May 2005 19:37 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 13 May 2005 23:19 (8 years ago) Permalink
the yesasia site is listing this album in hosono searches, the title is killing me... have you heard it?
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=FHCF-2344
― milton parker (Jon L), Friday, 13 May 2005 23:23 (8 years ago) Permalink
The easiest way for me to get this stuff to you is through Soulseek. My name on their is Magazine, so message me if you use that program. The only other way I can think of is YSI, which will take a little while (though it's not too much trouble really).
B'angelo has some requests too. Whatever you guys request, I'll get it to you some time this weekend (or now if you have slsk).
― Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 13 May 2005 23:36 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 13 May 2005 23:50 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Dave Segal (Da ve Segal), Saturday, 14 May 2005 00:04 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Friday, 17 June 2005 17:58 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Dominique (dleone), Friday, 17 June 2005 18:52 (8 years ago) Permalink
Cochin Moon, way closer to mid-70's Cluster than I would have ever expected (though I do prefer Cluster). A surprise, even given Dominque's Tangerine Dream reference -- definitely in the 70's trance/synth records pantheon.
Bon Voyage & Tropical Dandy much more tin-pan-alley than electronic, but Paraiso is off-kilter, lays the way out for the first YMO. Omni Sight Seeing, thumbs up if you like late YMO. I like Hosono's solo mainstream pop records much more than Sakamoto's, no contest.
Miharu Koshi's Boy Soprano, wow.
And the Mishio Ogawa & Chakra stuff is eye-opening after a lifetime of Haniwa fandom. Chakra's much more straightforward / less quirky, but I'm very happy just to be able to place Haniwa in context with, well, _anything_.
Boy Soprano, the Mishio Ogawa debut, & Cochin Moon are the three I ordered online after hearing the mp3's.
― milton parker (Jon L), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:18 (8 years ago) Permalink
Am I correct that this has Sakamoto on it?
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 21 November 2005 03:11 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Dominique (dleone), Monday, 21 November 2005 15:58 (7 years ago) Permalink
I dunno though... even though his pop is weirder than Sakamoto's, Sakamoto's pure experimental albums (B-2 Unit & Esperanto) are 1000% more bizarre and advanced than Hosono's, those albums are timeless.
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 21 November 2005 23:06 (7 years ago) Permalink
― original plagiarist, Tuesday, 22 November 2005 01:47 (7 years ago) Permalink
http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/pid-1004088657/code-j/section-videos/
(this should probably go on the noise board's wha-ha-ha thread but too late)
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 28 November 2005 01:43 (7 years ago) Permalink
Kiyohiko Senba and his Haniwa All Stars
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 28 November 2005 02:19 (7 years ago) Permalink
BTW, what exactly did Andy Partridge do on B-2 Unit?
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 28 November 2005 02:34 (7 years ago) Permalink
I dunno Matthew, you heard Esperanto?
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 28 November 2005 03:02 (7 years ago) Permalink
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 28 November 2005 03:09 (7 years ago) Permalink
You mean that electric guitar in the right-channel that's barely audible and sounds as if it's unplugged? If so, that's...odd.
Most of it — I just re-listened again this morning (have about 6 tracks downloaded). Assuming they aren't remixes, I'd say it's good but no B-2 Unit — lots mallet-y textures and ambience. But if you think I'm missing something, maybe I should re-download to verify that I'm listening to the right tracks.
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 28 November 2005 16:58 (7 years ago) Permalink
ha, I first heard it with "members of the Vas Deferens Organization" too. My member was Eric
news you can use: japanese CDs are too damned expensive
― Dominique (dleone), Monday, 28 November 2005 18:51 (7 years ago) Permalink
I am beginning to miss the days when people were relatively certain they were talking about the same record. A few days ago at a dinner party someone put on something interesting, and when I asked what it was he said it was the new Boards of Canada. He didn't believe me when I told him that it wasn't, he just brought over to his iPod to show me the tags.
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 28 November 2005 19:30 (7 years ago) Permalink
I put on Omni Sight Seeing last night, that is definitely my favorite Hosono pop album, every song...
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 28 November 2005 19:35 (7 years ago) Permalink
And I first read that as "tripping on acid with members of Van Der Graaf Generator.
I am beginning to miss the days when people were relatively certain they were talking about the same record.
No kidding — but I think Dom's "news you can use" is the culprit in this instance. And actually, that's one of the 2 tracks I don't have. Still, p2p's are great for finding rarities...
Is there a good Hosono comp, btw?
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 28 November 2005 20:26 (7 years ago) Permalink
I had both Matt and Eric in the room, with running commentary and interpretive facial expressions. THAT is a proper introduction to Cochin Moon, let me tell you.
― original plagiarist (Da ve Segal), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 04:50 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 01:16 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Beta (abeta), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 02:21 (7 years ago) Permalink
― milton parker (Jon L), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 02:30 (7 years ago) Permalink
http://s33.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2CE5XMURV2R7N2CTJUHM631DW7
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 03:08 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 2 November 2006 17:08 (6 years ago) Permalink
The MONAD Albums: These 4 ambient-like albums came out around the same time in 1986 and form a sort of set. They were reissued as a boxed in 2002
Coincidental Music1985 Monad cd: 30CH-143, TECN-18037, TECN-15337
A sampler of un-released music for movies, TV, commercials and installation 1982-85. This is a good album to hear Hosono's vastly different styles of compositions, though the content is so varried it makes incoherent listening as a whole without programming your CD player.
1. Lichtenstein's 0.31 (recorded 11 Oct 1984) 2. Pietro Germi (re-recording version) 5.30 (recorded 7 July 1983) 3. Normandia 2.36 (recorded 11 July 1984) 4. The Man of China 1.50 (recorded 24 April 1985) 5. Sayokoskatti 4.45 (recorded 8 May 1982) 6. Mazinger "H" 3.14 (recorded 10 March 1984) 7. The Plan 0.31 (recorded 20 June 1985) 8. Nokto de la Galaksia Fervojo (re-recording version) 1.31 (recorded 22 Dec 1984) 9. George Don 1.01 (recorded 7 May 1984) 10. Bio Philosophy 4.40 (recorded 8 May 1984) 11. Memphis, Milano (re-recording version)10.27 (recorded 10 Aug 1982)
Mercuric Dance1985 Monad cd: 30CH-144, TECN-18038, TECN-15338
All synth with a bit of percussion, though rather monochromatic. Recorded 1983-4. For a modern dance ensemble. A video version was once availablet. (Emotion BEB-33)
1. Sunnyside of the Water 2. Mercuric Dance 3. Formation of the Venus 4. Down to the Earth 5. Fossil of Flame - Fifty Bell-Trees 6. Prepared Quartz 7. Sea of tau 8. Windy Land 9. To the Air
Paradise View (Soundtrack)1985 Monad cd: 30CH-145, TECN-18039, TECN-15339
An album of very interesting, sampled and re-assembled Okinawan music with an emphasis on gamelan-like sounds. I got a chuckle when a Village Voice film critic commented on the wonderful, authentic Okinawan score ("authentic" Hosono and his K250 that is). In the film, Hosono plays a supporting role as a sensitive, but out of his element Japanese grade school teacher transplanted to Okinawa. The big in-joke is that one of the teenage girls in the story has a YMO shrine in her room and seems quite infatuated, yet has no apparent interest in her school teacher and his resembalance to a YMO member. This was the first Okinawan language feature film and according to the IMDB co-stars Jun Togawa though when I saw the film quite some time ago I didn't know what she looked like or had a translation of the cast list.
1. The Image of a Paradise 2. The Image of a View 3. Mabui Dance 4. Yuta's Pray 5. Atti 6. Wheels on Fire 7. The Truck on the Sea 8. Roochoo Jazz 9. The Paradise View
The Endless Talking1986 Monad cd: 30CH-159, TECN-18040, TECN-15340
If you can't stand repetition, then "Endless" is the operating word here. This was for an Italian art installation. 13 bright, quirky and repetetive synth pieces. Recorded 25 April 1985.
1. Mercuryfall 2. The Animal's Opinion 3. Insects Insists Insecurity 4. The Long Story of a Humankind 5. The First One in Heaven 6. Sequential Opera Circuit 7. Trembling #1 8. The Endless Talking 9. Scratched 10. Szymanowsky Bird 11. Digitally Sampled Etnography 12. La Pliocena/Birdoj 13. Trembling #2
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 2 November 2006 19:20 (6 years ago) Permalink
― PappaWheelie, don't fuck this up (PappaWheelie 2), Thursday, 2 November 2006 20:02 (6 years ago) Permalink
If you enjoy Hosono's SFX album, seek out the F.O.E. (Friends of Earth) "Friend or Foe" 12" or the CD "The World of F.O.E." which feature remixes of SFX album tracks plus two other tracks which are completely killer and even floor-friendly. The Exterminated Mix of "Body Snatchers" in particular has a devastating razor-blade edit ending that's almost Apparat-like, or at least as good as Cab Voltaire stuff of similar vintage.
― DJ Logan5, Sunday, 20 May 2007 02:36 (6 years ago) Permalink
i'm making my way through the monad box tonight. so far paradise view (soundtrack from a film of the same name) sounded great, lots of unusual (dx7?) synth-bell melodies and some looped gamelan samples. very pristine and atmospheric
― a somnambulist in an ambulance (r1o natsume), Wednesday, 13 May 2009 22:02 (4 years ago) Permalink
anyone heard philaharmony his 1982 album? 'cos i'm listening to "platonic" for the first time (incredible tripped-out echo chamber electro track) and wanna know if the rest of the album is in the same vein
― a somnambulist in an ambulance (r1o natsume), Tuesday, 19 May 2009 16:22 (4 years ago) Permalink
("platonic" is on this btw: http://www.discogs.com/Various-Electrounique-Vol-5/release/1683109, the only place to get die dominas on vinyl for under 200 euros?)
― a somnambulist in an ambulance (r1o natsume), Tuesday, 19 May 2009 16:27 (4 years ago) Permalink
philharmony is excellent btw. a mix of his wacked out symphonic fairlight stuff, BGM style electro, and melodic j-pop.
as for hosono produced lop-sided exotic j-pop, this album is essential: http://www.discogs.com/Miharu-Koshi-Tutu/release/665681
― a somnambulist in an ambulance (r1o natsume), Tuesday, 2 June 2009 08:46 (4 years ago) Permalink
[X-post from 9/21/05]
Big feature on Hosono in issue 162 of The Wire from 1997, by Clive Bell. Good thing I'm a pack rat -- I still have that issue! It's sitting open on my couch as I speak (I'm at work right now though, so I haven't finished rereading it). It only took me 8 years to track the damn albums down! I remember thinking it sounded a lot like Discover America era Van Dyke Parks. And as I skimmed the beginning of the article, Hosono mentions how Parks produced one of the albums of his early 70s psychedelic band Happy End.
The albums are:
Tropical Dandy 1975Bon Voyage Co. 1976Paraiso 1978
The last one features the awesome cover of "Fujiyama Mama," and was credited to Haruomi Hosono and the Yellow Magic Band, a Beefheart reference. This evolved into the Yellow Magic Orchestra, which I recommend to anyone who would care to hear a whimsical Japanese Kraftwerk. When the mood strikes I'll dig for some of that Happy End.
― Fastnbulbous, Tuesday, 2 June 2009 13:18 (4 years ago) Permalink
Not that anyone is even talking about it in this thread anymore, but 'Cochin Moon' is probably the single best "Japanese import in a faux-LP sleeve" purchase I've ever made. If it were a YMO album, it might be my favorite. Giddy, messy, strange, intoxicating, brilliant stuff.
― Soundslike, Tuesday, 2 June 2009 14:01 (4 years ago) Permalink
Sakamoto's pure experimental albums (B-2 Unit & Esperanto) are 1000% more bizarre and advanced than Hosono's, those albums are timeless.
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 21 November 2005 23:06 (3 years ago)
having finally heard cochin moon, i'd argue that this and the monad records are way more bizarre and advanced than anything sakamoto has done. hosono is on another level
― a somnambulist in an ambulance (r1o natsume), Tuesday, 2 June 2009 21:41 (4 years ago) Permalink
both Cochin Moon and Esperanto do great things with world music collage, one with 70's analog electronics and one with disjointed Fairlight sampling / cut-ups. they're both great, for different tastes. My long interest in sampling music has me partial to Esperanto, but that album is a wild exception for him, in general I'd probably agree with you
need to hear the Monad box. & thanks for waking thread, it got my favorite Miharu Koshi songs back on my iPod
― Milton Parker, Tuesday, 2 June 2009 23:09 (4 years ago) Permalink
I love the Sakamoto albums you mention, Jon L (three years ago). But 'Cochin Moon' is definitely beyond either of them, and carries amazing themes and sounds through its duration. It feels like a journey.
― Soundslike, Tuesday, 2 June 2009 23:29 (4 years ago) Permalink
What else of his sounds like this? seriously dig this song.
― dsb, Thursday, 2 July 2009 03:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
great song! the album it's taken from, philharmony, is a straight classic imo. a mix of melodic techno pop and very very strange fairlight experiments. i see i said that already but it bears repeating.
includes a deranged (and extremely catchy) cover of "funiculi funicala":
the last two classic era ymo albums, naughty boys and service are both pop song orientated. both classics, just don't expect the lounge disco hybrid of early ymo nor the far-out ethno-tronic sound of bgm/technodelic. also check some yukihiro takahashi solo albums for more song orientated ymo sounding stuff
i haven't heard SFX, hosono's next pop record after philharmony, maybe others can recommend.
then start searching his more outwardly pop productions throughout the 80s, miharu koshi and jun togawa being his main collaborators.
the closest he gets to "sportsmen" later on is the single as apogee & perigee, amazing sentimental pop music:
― michael jatas (r1o natsume), Thursday, 2 July 2009 12:20 (3 years ago) Permalink
should've proof read that before i posted. anyway, my current favourite hosono jam is 夏なんです by happy end, his early 70s folk rock group. so beautiful
― michael jatas (r1o natsume), Thursday, 2 July 2009 12:34 (3 years ago) Permalink
this happy end album has some great moments.
― figuratively, but in a very real way (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 November 2009 03:09 (3 years ago) Permalink
damn, the last song on "Omni Sight Seeing" is so beautiful, how I wish he made more albums that were just straightforward techno-pop
― frogbs, Wednesday, 19 October 2011 19:48 (1 year ago) Permalink
been listening to tropical dandy a lot recently, liking it a lot
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Wednesday, 19 October 2011 19:48 (1 year ago) Permalink
yeah, that lullaby-type instrumental at the end is amazing. but really Bon Voyage Co. and ESPECIALLY Paraiso are even better.
― frogbs, Wednesday, 19 October 2011 20:23 (1 year ago) Permalink
Man, 'Cochin Moon.' It's astonishing that they were using the relatively new musical form (electronic pop music) with such total control, making it sound effortless and alive in ways electronic pop made with a further couple decades rarely match. I'd say it almost makes 'E=MC2' sound a little clunky. And the production is just unbelievable--not sure what method is employed, but it has moments that create a surround-sound effect--beyond stereo, sounds around the listening point, or moving far away or nearby in front of you.
― Soundslike, Saturday, 12 November 2011 04:20 (1 year ago) Permalink
It's like Dockstader or Parmegianni or Henry--making fully-realized, emotional electronic and electro-acoustic music a decade or two earlier, while most people were just barely managing to twiddle knobs and make "UFO sound effects". So far ahead of the game, I'd be bowled over if it were released today--because it's just so good, it's decidedly secondary that it's visionary.
― Soundslike, Saturday, 12 November 2011 04:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
good description, just wanted to point out that "Hum Ghar Sajan" blows me away every damn time, I wish there were more songs like that one
I'm starting to get into his Omni Sight Seeing/Medicine Comp/NDE period and it's pretty good; essentially a mix of the different styles he's attempted, plus some very Indian-style techno, again ahead of its time. Strongly recommended, it turns out there is life after YMO
― frogbs, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 19:57 (1 year ago) Permalink
"birthday" is so cool
― blank, Thursday, 13 September 2012 07:33 (9 months ago) Permalink
"happy birthday", i mean. sounds so far ahead of its time.
― blank, Thursday, 13 September 2012 07:34 (9 months ago) Permalink
One last time. "birthday party"
only song i've ever uploaded to youtube is a killer cover of "sports man"
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Thursday, 13 September 2012 08:39 (9 months ago) Permalink
hey that's neat! love the different vocals that occur midway through.
― blank, Thursday, 13 September 2012 09:03 (9 months ago) Permalink
I always wondered what Sportsmen was about...my guess was it's about being from a family of athletes, but kind of sucking at everything?
I don't know if I can call "Birthday Party" ahead of its time; who else makes music like that??
― frogbs, Thursday, 13 September 2012 14:39 (9 months ago) Permalink
i love how Sportsmen has this endearingly outsider/emasculated point of view as he considers fitness, it always makes me think of retro illustrations of athletes as a sort of utopian ideal.
― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Thursday, 13 September 2012 15:06 (9 months ago) Permalink
just wanna paste these lyrics, it sounds like he's having a near-death experience (and then again, it could just be about nothing)
My car radio's playing a song That makes me feel very strange It's taken so long Through the gradation of the grey scale A landscape like I've never seen As far as my eyes can see Out on the road I've seen so many shades, shades of grey Now I'm back in the tunnel again Every minute, every second I can feel it getting closer Speeding ahead To where grey meets white
― frogbs, Thursday, 13 September 2012 15:16 (9 months ago) Permalink
thematically, the lyrics of "sportsmen" remind me of "pride" by robert palmer (except the dude in "pride" is a total prick and the dude in "sportsmen" is humble and introspective).
― blank, Thursday, 13 September 2012 23:52 (9 months ago) Permalink
i just made a ~75 minute mix of Hosono tracks, mostly from his post-YMO era (topping out at 1993 since I haven't heard anything after), focusing on the more surreal/gorgeous stuff. anyone interested?
― frogbs, Wednesday, 19 September 2012 13:49 (9 months ago) Permalink
y'huh
― let's get the banned back together (schlump), Wednesday, 19 September 2012 13:59 (9 months ago) Permalink
and yes, please, and thank you!
― nerve_pylon, Wednesday, 19 September 2012 14:00 (9 months ago) Permalink
Hells yes frogbs, post that thing!
― Pat Ast vs Jean Arp (MaresNest), Wednesday, 19 September 2012 14:17 (9 months ago) Permalink
been spinning the monad stuff a lot lately, so this sounds right up my alley. v much interested!
― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Wednesday, 19 September 2012 14:41 (9 months ago) Permalink
Alright, here she is. Nearly every Hosono album I've heard has two or three tunes on it that hit me in a weird way, or make me want to listen to them over and over again, so I basically just put a bunch of them into one playlist and I've been listening to it nonstop. It focuses on the electronic stuff, though there are a few solo piano tracks here. I kept everything from the (numerous) collaborations out as well as his pre-Cochin Moon material since it doesn't really fit in here. Enjoy!
http://www.sendspace.com/file/r4b8ud
― frogbs, Wednesday, 19 September 2012 23:28 (9 months ago) Permalink
into this, thank you.
just discovered the tale of genji ost this week. incredible.
― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 22:20 (8 months ago) Permalink
those shimmering, reverb-drenched percussion sounds. man.
― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 22:22 (8 months ago) Permalink
I always hosono every day
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 22:35 (8 months ago) Permalink
the percussion is my favorite part of many of these tracks. listening to them all in a row it's kind of neat how consistant he is with that, even with the ten-year gap the drum loops on "Hum Ghar Sajan" and his cover of "Caravan" are very similar, ditto "Sayokoskatti"
one thing I really dig about Hosono is that there's a real sense of location to a lot of his music. it doesn't really feel like it was created in a studio. the tale of genji ost is a good example of this but really everything he does kind of transports you to a strange place.
― frogbs, Tuesday, 2 October 2012 15:52 (8 months ago) Permalink
"sayokoskatti" is so awesome
― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Tuesday, 2 October 2012 18:09 (8 months ago) Permalink
yep
― clouds, Tuesday, 2 October 2012 19:54 (8 months ago) Permalink
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 2 October 2012 21:13 (8 months ago) Permalink
i'd put that on my car
― frogbs, Tuesday, 2 October 2012 21:26 (8 months ago) Permalink
Thirded. All time.
― blank, Wednesday, 3 October 2012 00:45 (8 months ago) Permalink
really like how chill old Harry is. great rendition
― frogbs, Wednesday, 3 October 2012 01:06 (8 months ago) Permalink