Haruomi Hosono

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Before he was in YMO, he made some solo records. Is there any that you'd especially recommend?

― Daniel, Monday, 19 November 2001 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

― bob, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

hey don't get us bobs mixed up now. i'd be interested to know about hosono & his happy end (not that godawful female beass band who went by the same name). fuck what that alan minter-face lopez woman has done to "firecracker" by YMO , though, i mean MOST pointless woman with a fat arse and a boxer's face in the world or what. faecal smearge on her part. whay can't she stay home instead of going to the studio with her lackeys?

― bob snoom, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

three years pass...

Of his '70s albums, Bon Voyage Co., Tropical Dandy, Pacific, and Cochin Moon are all pretty great exotic pop albums. 'Hosono House,' his first album from 1973 is the only one that isn't very interesting. Overall, my favorite album of his is 'Omni Sight Seeing' from 1989, which Miharu Koshi plays on. It has a great Eastern (like Arab) vibe.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Thursday, 12 May 2005 03:50 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Miharu Koshi—a Hosono protege—is fantastic, I love all her 80s albums. Autoportrait is a good compilation.

I'd highly recommend Hosono's Monad Box, a collection of three of his instrumental and ambient records from the early 80s. My favourite of the discs included is Coincidental Music, which is short pieces made for advertising and promotional films. Sort of electronic Satie. Rather more delicate and strange than Sakamoto's work of the period.

Hosono's best solo song album is S-F-X, a Fairlight-heavy opus from 1984. There's a clip of one track here. And here are some pictures of Hosono, who's now a bit fatter, plays in Sketch Show, and runs the Daisyworld label.

― Momus (Momus), Thursday, 12 May 2005 17:42 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I have Bon Voyage and Tropical Dandy and love them to death. (a friend of mine pointed out that a few tunes on these are practically randy newman progressions, which I never noticed). are the "tin pan alley" ones on par with those?

Unfortunately, getting any of this in the US is near impossible. the only other thing i've managed to track down (through dusty groove) was this bizarre early 80's record that he was apparently only partially involved with, which was a strange "top of the pops" sort of medley of about 15 60's-70's pop/disco standards and a few mediocre jazz-fusion originals.

― b'angelo, Thursday, 12 May 2005 17:56 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I want to hear these albums very badly, especially Cochin Moon. They're close to impossible to find here.

'More delicate and strange' than early 80's Sakamoto is quite a teaser. Sakamoto's B-2 Unit and Esperanto are already fairly strange (if not delicate) records, but those were the odd ones out.

― milton parker (Jon L), Thursday, 12 May 2005 18:01 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

As a big YMO fan, who indeed hasn't indeed gotten to the bottom of their own back catalogue, are there any websites or articles that explains the YMO family tree and recommends any further listening?

― mzui (mzui), Thursday, 12 May 2005 18:48 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Most of Hosono's albums are very easy to find in Japan, especially his '70s ones. The only one I own, though, is 'S-F-X'. But your best bet is www.cdjapan.co.jp I make a lot of orders from there.

I agree with Momus--Miharu Koshi is one of the greatest, most underrated Japanese artists of the '80s. She evolved from an insiginifant pop idol in the late '70s to a completely original synth-pop artist. Since the late '80s she's become a bit too idiosyncratic for my tastes ('Chanson Solaire' from '95 is probably her best from that era), but her albums are still beautifuI and I have the highest respect for her. She's due for a new album soon. I think 'Boy Soprano' from '85 is her best album--a perfect combination of her early synth-pop work and later chanson stuff. Unfortunately, her stuff is very hard to find, even in Japan. Her albums pop up on ebay, but they're always quite expensive. 'Boy Soprano' is probably the easiest to find.

One of my favorite Hosono-related bands is Chakra. They put out only three albums in the early '80s, and Hosono produced their second. They're all utterly essential exotic pop albums. Makoto Yano (Akiko Yano's first husband) produced their first album. The singer, Mishio Ogawa, put out four solo albums too, and they're also essential (especially her s/t). The last three were just reissued a few weeks ago actually, and I had never heard them beforehand. So I'm excited about those...they're very good.

Now that I'm talking about Japanese synth-pop, I'll make a few more recommendations. I recently discovered Taeko Onuki (or Ohnuki) and am completely in love. She started in the mid '70s, making more fusion-oriented pop albums, and then she teamed up with Ryuichi Sakamoto in the late '70s and started churning out one amazing pop album after the next. 'Adventure' (1981) is probably my favorite, but I have a lot that I've yet to hear!

Moon Riders are another of my favorites. They've been around since the '70s as well and, in my opinion, reached their peak in the early '80s with 'Mania Maniera' and 'Tokyo wa...'. They've spanned a lot of different style, but never put out a bad album.

Perhaps my favorite is Masami Tsuchiya's 'Rice Music' album (1982) and his follwing Ippu-Do album 'Night Mirage' (1983). Members of the band Japan assist on those two albums, as well as the fretless great Percy Jones. Bowie-esque vocals, experimental, angular guitar work (plus Bill Nelson doing his e-bow thing), completely out of control bass playing, steel drums, layers of synths, etc. Basically it's a hilariously awesome rhythm section with great songs too. I couldn't recommend these two albums more. It's too bad that 'Night Mirage' was never released on CD and 'Rice Music' is impossible to find on CD.....

Oh, and P-Model is another synth-pop great.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:13 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

And, addressing that last question, these two sites are by far the best out there on Japanese synth-pop.

http://park10.wakwak.com/~techno/

http://www.artcontext.com/music/artskool/jem

That second one appears to be currently down for some reason....

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:16 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I just listend to Cochin Moon today!

― Dominique (dleone), Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:25 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Hey Leone, I was going to send you an email earlier about how I appreciated you Wha-ha-ha review. In the review you said the singer goes by Mishio...well that's Mishio Ogawa that I was talking about up there. Check out Chakra! You should dig them. I much prefer them to Wha-ha-ha, who are a bit too off the wall for my tastes.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:42 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

By the way, if anybody wants any of the stuff I recommended (or any other J synth-pop that I might have) just send me an email and I can hook you up.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:46 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I think I must do that

I love Wha-ha-ha

― milton parker (Jon L), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:27 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I still can't get over how those Wha-ha-ha albums are getting this much (though minute in the scheme of things) attention. I mean they're good, but they're just so obscure. I can think of so many things that should logically receive attention before those. I'm not criticizing anything, I just find it odd. Is there some connection to this band that I'm missing? Any non-Japanese players on it?

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 13 May 2005 04:33 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

ReR put out a Wha-ha-ha compilation in the 80s that exposed them to Westerners (albeit ones into avant-prog and experimental music). I haven't really seen a lot of other reviews for them, but I'm guessing that some people just remember that LP.

Also, apparently Mishio was in Killing Time, so I need to check her out.

― Dominique (dleone), Friday, 13 May 2005 11:09 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Ah okay.

Yes, I've been looking for Killing Time for a long time. Please let me know if you get a hold of their stuff.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 13 May 2005 11:38 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

There's also an album by Love, Peace & Trance from the '90s. Mishio is "Trance," two women I'm unfamiliar with are the "Love" and "Peace" and Haruomi Hosono is the "&". The cover is kind of funny in that way. It's from '94 I think and kind of worldy...a bit more ambient too. Worth checking out.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 13 May 2005 11:45 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Bon Voyage and Tropical Dandy thirded or whatever. yes the Randy Newman progressions, but they also remind me of James Taylor or something equally soft. which may be a compliment since Don Cornelius called him the funkiest white man ever.
and yes to Cochin Moon (placed it on my Pitchfork list of the 70s), but it's completely different. never familiarized myself with YMO though.

― Beta (abeta), Friday, 13 May 2005 15:14 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

yeah, there is definitely a strange smooth singer/songwriter vibe to them- for some reason I kept thinking Van Morrison, but that might be more vocal style/phrasing than anything else. How would you characterize Cochin Moon as different? curious because it is one of the few things hypothetically US-available, albeit w/a $40+ price tag

― b'angelo, Friday, 13 May 2005 15:32 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Cochin Moon is about the furthest possible thing from a singer-songwriter vibe: imagine a tropical space world where all matter flows in and out of states, and everyone uses Tangerine Dream's keyboards. "It's a trip."

― Dominique (dleone), Friday, 13 May 2005 15:54 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

sounds like a good place to be, then. Is that the one that tadanori yokoo had some sort of involvement with?

― b'angelo, Friday, 13 May 2005 16:05 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

yes, apparently the cover design was yokoo's. Check it out:

http://www.sonymusicshop.jp/smdr/sms/img/goods/L/KICS-1139.jpg

― Dominique (dleone), Friday, 13 May 2005 16:11 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

where do you find it for $40?

― Beta (abeta), Friday, 13 May 2005 19:16 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

making out a yesasia order for Cochin Moon todays. not sure whether to order the 2nd or 3rd album or a copy of S-F-X... are the 2nd and 3rd albums very similar to the first?

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 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Milton, I NEED those Haniwa albums!! Is there any way I can get a hold of those from you? Please let me know. I can hook you up with the Chakra albums or whatever else you need.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 13 May 2005 23:19 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

milton.parker@gmail.com -- I've got all four of them and would love to trade for Chakra, solo Mishio, anything else

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 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Yes, I have that one. Though it's probably not as "bizarre" as you'd think. Moon Riders are fairly accessible by our standards. Their earlier albums are superior in my opinion. I'm a huge fan, and have most of their albums ('Amateur Academy' from 1984 is the one I really need). I'll email you.

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 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Basically, the ideal music for me is early '80s exotic Japanese synth-pop with fretless bass and steel drums.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 13 May 2005 23:50 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Cochin Moon recently has been reissued on CD in Japan. When I was in Tokyo in April, Tower had at least a half dozen copies. Don't sleep--this is an all-time classic of next-level exotica, abounding with bizarre synth tones and textures.

― Dave Segal (Da ve Segal), Saturday, 14 May 2005 00:04 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

one month passes...

Has he done any more stuff along the lines of SFX? I enjoyed that very much...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Friday, 17 June 2005 17:58 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Reissue of Cochin Moon sounds great btw.

― Dominique (dleone), Friday, 17 June 2005 18:52 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

still need to hear SFX, but thanks again to patrick for setting me up with that massive trade.

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 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

five months pass...

Cochin Moon is very enjoyable -- if not particularly immediate, which makes it perhaps a little odd how universally admired it appears to be (Best of the 70's lists and all). I confess it only really impacted me when I went through a heavy analog phase. Also, I'm only hearing the early Cluster '71 in the "Malabar Hotel" sections, really -- I do enjoy how mutilated all the vocals are, however...

Am I correct that this has Sakamoto on it?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 21 November 2005 03:11 (twelve years ago) Permalink

yes

― Dominique (dleone), Monday, 21 November 2005 15:58 (twelve years ago) Permalink

I did eventually get S-F-X, and I like it okay -- side one is his tin-pan-alley songwriting poured into super clunky mid-80's j-electro, and side two are abstract quiet instrumentals. 'Alternative 3' is a very disjointed cut-up track that sounds like where Holger Hiller ended up on As Is about six years later, and 'Androgena' is a duet with Miharu Koshi and I heart Miharu Koshi.

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

First time I heard Cochin Moon was while tripping on acid with members of Vas Deferens Organization. I wish I could freeze that moment in time forever; it was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. I owe those guys a huge debt of gratitude for introducing me to that album and many other obscure psychedelic classics.

― original plagiarist, Tuesday, 22 November 2005 01:47 (twelve years ago) Permalink

hey dominique

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

oh hell they deserve their own thread anyways

Kiyohiko Senba and his Haniwa All Stars

― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 28 November 2005 02:19 (twelve years ago) Permalink

SFX has some fantastic Fairlight stuff on it, though. And enough listens to Cochin Moon have at least motivated me to think he's every bit as advanced/sophisticated/whatever as Sakamoto.

BTW, what exactly did Andy Partridge do on B-2 Unit?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 28 November 2005 02:34 (twelve years ago) Permalink

definitely the rhythm guitar on "6 o'clock News", and there are other little plucks & screeches on other tracks that could be him, maybe. If you listen to the Mr. Partridge Take Away solo album from around the same time you can hear his basic vocabulary of weird guitar sounds

I dunno Matthew, you heard Esperanto?

― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 28 November 2005 03:02 (twelve years ago) Permalink

r. stevie moore's 1980 review of take away

― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 28 November 2005 03:09 (twelve years ago) Permalink

definitely the rhythm guitar on "6 o'clock News"

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.

I dunno Matthew, you heard Esperanto?

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

First time I heard Cochin Moon was while tripping on acid with members of Vas Deferens Organization

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

track 1 of Esperanto should be called "a WONGGA dance song" and it's anything but ambient...

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

brought me over etc. & I know you're not like that Matthew, I'm just feeling ancient

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

First time I heard Cochin Moon was while tripping on acid with members of Vas Deferens Organization

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

ha, I first heard it with "members of the Vas Deferens Organization" too. My member was Eric

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

BTW, Jon -- since it was on a separate EP that was only added to CD issues of SFX, have you heard the Hosono track "Non-Standard Mixture"? Just askin', b/c it's a great little Fairlight jam, me thinks -- not the clunky electro to which you referred above...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 01:16 (twelve years ago) Permalink

to the YSI machine then!

― Beta (abeta), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 02:21 (twelve years ago) Permalink

Skipping 226 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

The Barbican gig was being filmed, very discreetly but there were notices saying so.

― MaresNest, Tuesday, 26 June 2018 14:18 (three months ago) Permalink

Happy 71st Birthday!

― MaresNest, Sunday, 8 July 2018 21:19 (two months ago) Permalink

Lookit!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QtNpj_n82o

― MaresNest, Sunday, 15 July 2018 12:15 (two months ago) Permalink

Haha that's even shonkier than I remember it

― Category: Animist Rock (Matt #2), Sunday, 15 July 2018 12:51 (two months ago) Permalink

Not sure which is the best thread to post this on as there's a few YMO ones to choose from. Anyway, I just listened to Parallelisme by Miharu Koshi for the first time and I am blown away. One of the best albums I've heard with a connection to the YMO family. My heart is breaking checking the prices for it on Discogs.

― kitchen person, Saturday, 28 July 2018 04:44 (one month ago) Permalink

From time to time copies of the Dutch version surface at a less painful price. It's an incredible album; some of the synth sounds still sound like they come from the future. IMO, one of thee greatest techno pop albums of all time. "Tutu" is eternal too.

― stirmonster, Saturday, 28 July 2018 05:49 (one month ago) Permalink

I'll keep an eye out for it. I bought Tutu a long time ago and really enjoyed it, but weirdly I never listened to any of her other albums until a few days ago.

― kitchen person, Saturday, 28 July 2018 14:09 (one month ago) Permalink

I think Boy Soprano is the best of those. The version of Ave Maria gives me chills.

― frogbs, Saturday, 28 July 2018 14:45 (one month ago) Permalink

Just sold all my Koshi stuff on Discogs. I hope the person(s) who get them will appreciate how amazing those records are.

― An Uphill Battle For Legumes (Capitaine Jay Vee), Saturday, 28 July 2018 15:00 (one month ago) Permalink

Her cover of "l'amour toujours" is one of my favorite tracks ever. Pretty sure the telex guys guest on it too!

― brimstead, Saturday, 28 July 2018 16:41 (one month ago) Permalink

Y'all probably know Good Morning Mr Echo, but the whole record is lovely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06HcFuiHWZ4

― MaresNest, Saturday, 28 July 2018 17:54 (one month ago) Permalink

Toop piece on Hosono:

https://thevinylfactory.com/features/david-toop-on-haruomi-hosono/

― I'd Rather Kecak (NickB), Thursday, 2 August 2018 13:51 (one month ago) Permalink

great interview. I don't think I've ever read one with him. he seems like a very thoughtful person, not that I would expect anything less. really looking forward to those vinyl reissues - there's not a whole lot of artists where I feel I *have* to own something on vinyl by them but Hosono is definitely one of them

Speaking of the Swing Slow album, anyone heard this '95 one-off by a group called LOVE, PEACE, & TRANCE? its a group consisting of Hosono, a member of dip in the pool, one from Wha-Ha-Ha, and another I haven't heard of. It sounds to me like Quiet Lodge, but with singing of course. It's very ethereal and otherworldly in a way that only Hosono can really pull off. The whole thing is worth listening to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQEX3E_VJQc

― frogbs, Thursday, 2 August 2018 14:21 (one month ago) Permalink

also I must point out that their visual aesthetic is the sort of thing that someone on the Orange Milk roster would kill for, these days. ahead of their time I guess ;)

― frogbs, Thursday, 2 August 2018 14:23 (one month ago) Permalink

love that record, it's so new age. I wish they did more!

the artwork has each member represented by "love," "peace," and so on. hosono is "&" lol

― (⊙_⊙?) (original bgm), Thursday, 2 August 2018 18:15 (one month ago) Permalink

there's a red bull music academy video interview from a few years ago out there. it's def kinda awkward tho.

― (⊙_⊙?) (original bgm), Thursday, 2 August 2018 18:41 (one month ago) Permalink

https://litapodcast.simplecast.fm/haruomi-hosono

LITA Podcast with a short interview with the man during his UK visit, it bothers me that one of the guys who is putting so much time and effort and money into reissuing his catalogue in the west hasn't yet taken two minutes to figure out how to say his name correctly.

When asked if he had any personal favourites from his back catalogue he replied Philharmony and Omni Sight Seeing, yes!

― MaresNest, Thursday, 16 August 2018 18:36 (one month ago) Permalink

...it bothers me that one of the guys who is putting so much time and effort and money into reissuing his catalogue in the west hasn't yet taken two minutes to figure out how to say his name correctly.

Typical.

That's awesome he chose those two.

― An Uphill Battle For Legumes (Capitaine Jay Vee), Thursday, 16 August 2018 18:39 (one month ago) Permalink

Looking forward to reading this piece by Andy B
https://www.residentadvisor.net/features/3287

― willem, Friday, 17 August 2018 08:13 (one month ago) Permalink

Not sure when this happened, but the Monad albums plus SFX and Nokto have just popped up on Spotify in the UK. As far as I can tell, they're not on any of the other streaming services, at least not outside Japan. Everyone in this thread probably has them, but thought it was worth noting!

― bamboohouses, Sunday, 19 August 2018 09:05 (one month ago) Permalink

Also, on the reissues, it looks like only Hosono House and Cochin Moon are getting released internationally. Paraiso, Philharmony and Omni-Sightseeing are all US only. Any leads as to where I can get Paraiso and Omni in the UK without paying eye-watering postage fees from the US most welcome!

― bamboohouses, Sunday, 19 August 2018 09:07 (one month ago) Permalink

Quick heads up - Juno have the US-only titles available in the UK. Nowhere else over here seems to yet!
https://www.juno.co.uk/labels/LITA

― bamboohouses, Wednesday, 22 August 2018 14:22 (one month ago) Permalink

if only that had gone up the other day before i splurged $50 on vinyl of omni sight seeing from US!

as i type this the coffee shop i am in is playing swing slow!

― stirmonster, Wednesday, 22 August 2018 14:26 (one month ago) Permalink

actually, with current exchange rate it is probably more or less the same amount buying plus postage from juno. i'd have it much quicker though!

― stirmonster, Wednesday, 22 August 2018 14:30 (one month ago) Permalink

Loads more Hosono on Spotify in the UK this week. Naga, that Good Sport album (which I've never actually listened to), Archives vol 1: Beyond Good And Evil, along with Swing Slow, all the F.O.E. stuff, the HAT DSP Holiday album and the first two Sketch Show records. Someone's finally cottoned onto the fact that there's an international demand for this stuff.

― bamboohouses, Friday, 24 August 2018 12:06 (one month ago) Permalink

hell yes, that's all good stuff

the sudden international popularity of Hosono is encouraging...I wonder what's contributing to that? or was it there all along?

― frogbs, Friday, 24 August 2018 13:37 (one month ago) Permalink

I think it's a lot of trends intersecting. There's been a real slow-burn of interest in Japanese music from that period ever since Spencer Doran did his Fairlights/Mallets/Bamboo mixes at the start of the decade. I think it's reissue culture + Japanese pop culture being v on-trend at the minute + the vaporwave set all taking us to this point. (And the fact that that the music really holds up to scrutiny.)

― bamboohouses, Friday, 24 August 2018 14:06 (one month ago) Permalink

hah, that could be. I remember an interview where Vektroid said that Ryuichi Sakamoto invented vaporwave on Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia and immediately checking r/vaporwave to see people posting YouTubes of that album like, "uhh guys, have you HEARD this?"

I have noticed a bunch of people messaging me on Slsk with a bunch of interest in groups like Moonriders or P-Model or Denki Groove. never really saw that 5-6 years ago. feels like the Cardiacs thing all over again. better late than never!!

― frogbs, Friday, 24 August 2018 14:17 (one month ago) Permalink

Perhaps some of the renewed interest can be contributed to Light in the Attic, starting with their 'Even A Tree Can Shed Tears' comp? That one went down really well.

I love that quote about Vektroid! Vaporwave has to do with some of it for sure.

― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Friday, 24 August 2018 14:30 (one month ago) Permalink

(the comp didn't include Hosono obv but it may have kickstarted the new reissues of Hosono House and Cochin Moon)

― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Friday, 24 August 2018 14:31 (one month ago) Permalink

yea its kind of funny b/c the first time I heard that album I thought "oh it's like Weather Channel music, but it's actually pretty good". little did I know that would become an entire genre...

and of course Hosono is sort of a godfather to the whole Orange Milk vibe - something like Bataille Solaire or Giant Claw sounds like the sort of music Hosono would be making if he was born in say, 1986

― frogbs, Friday, 24 August 2018 14:34 (one month ago) Permalink

To be honest my question would be more why it's taken so long - global digger culture has lead to plenty of career renaissances for far more obscure artists from around the globe, and Japanese pop culture has been wildly popular for decades.

― Daniel_Rf, Saturday, 25 August 2018 14:13 (one month ago) Permalink

Kanji is pretty much the answer to that question, I would venture.

― MaresNest, Saturday, 25 August 2018 14:55 (one month ago) Permalink

I'm sure it contributes, though if you take a look at anime and video games fandoms ppl have become very adept at not considering that a stumbling block.

There's also a sort of obliviousness in Japan about international demand for Japanese music - I think it was one of the LITA dudes who talked about having to convince Japanese record execs that comps of Japanese music could sell at all.

― Daniel_Rf, Saturday, 25 August 2018 15:41 (one month ago) Permalink

Japan, like France, looks inward culturally, seeks to engage the outside world on its own terms, and its music has enough of an internal market that little need is felt to promote outward. If you want to get to know its culture, as an outsider, you will have to go to it yourself.

― droit au butt (Euler), Saturday, 25 August 2018 15:56 (one month ago) Permalink

Anime and Gaming are hugely popular by comparison, with scores of people willing to back-translate or write detailed threads/articles about any technical or creative aspect of those spheres, there are next to no people writing in English about the history and nuances of Japanese music and what does exist is largely speculation (like Cope's book, which is bit of a joke)

Not being able to properly translate Kanji yet by automated means, pretty much precludes any occidental person from going from back over it's written history, unless they are prepared to pay or spend years learning it.

You're totally right about Japanese not believing or understanding that Westerners may appreciate their music, even Hosono kinda apologised from the Barbican stage before he sung a song in Japanese.

I once asked the guy behind the counter at Disk Union's bookstore if he knew of any books about Japanese Music in Eigo, he shook his head sadly and looked at me as if I was the biggest, sorriest nerd in the universe.

― MaresNest, Saturday, 25 August 2018 15:58 (one month ago) Permalink

Is Quit Your Band by Ian Martin any good? I leafed through it in a Kinokuniya in Shibuya earlier this year and it seemed interesting but not in enough depth to be worth a purchase, but that was a quick impression from someone worried about how heavy a suitcase I'd have to bring back.

― droit au butt (Euler), Saturday, 25 August 2018 16:56 (one month ago) Permalink

Ian is a really strong writer yeah, he has good taste, lives for the minutiae of the live house scene in Kichijoji and writes really well about Japanese music, you can get it on kindle I think.

― MaresNest, Saturday, 25 August 2018 17:26 (one month ago) Permalink

i am pretty shocked that moonriders are as unknown as they are considering the tremendous love people (including people here!) have for the earthbound soundtrack.

― Arch Bacon (rushomancy), Saturday, 25 August 2018 18:39 (one month ago) Permalink

Yeah definitely, or the Beatniks, or P-Model or a bunch of others.

― MaresNest, Saturday, 25 August 2018 21:06 (one month ago) Permalink

my japanese teachers were mostly amused that i knew so much old japanese music but one of my professors introduced me to rc succession which was her favorite band back in the day and thought it was cool i was interested

― clouds, Saturday, 25 August 2018 22:27 (one month ago) Permalink

https://pitchfork.com/news/mac-demarco-covers-haruomi-hosonos-honey-moon-listen/

― MaresNest, Monday, 27 August 2018 12:14 (four weeks ago) Permalink

two weeks pass...

i can't figure out what people love about Pacific. apart from the closing track, i just can't get into it at all. it's muzak lounge exotica, something that sounds interesting to me, conceptually. but in practice it sounds like generic background music for old advertisements? i keep re-listening to it every few months, thinking i'm missing a buried gem. i want to believe

― Karl Malone, Monday, 10 September 2018 18:00 (two weeks ago) Permalink

I like it, but I'm sated with the mp3s I downloaded off slsk years ago, it's one of the two reissues I've decided I don't need to buy (House is the other). I also like muzak lounge exotica, and also Pat Metheny, so ymmv

On a more positive note, I had forgotten until listening earlier this week how utterly amazing Omni Sight Seeing is and I think it may replace Cochin Moon as my favorite. Always remembered it as "'Pleocene' and some other cool songs," but "Laugh-Gas," holy shit

― Paul Ponzi, Monday, 10 September 2018 18:27 (two weeks ago) Permalink

I actually love all of Pacific except for the closing track which sounds like it should belong on the Austin Powers soundtrack. It took me a while but amidst the cheese there are some great songs on there... plus the musicianship is sublime. My wife still remains unconvinced however.

― millmeister, Tuesday, 11 September 2018 16:09 (two weeks ago) Permalink

I really like his cover of "Caravan". I know this is a dumb cliché but his music really does sound wrong in all the right ways.

It's too bad his solo career effectively ended in '96. I mean hard to fault the dude for spending the last 20 years reconnecting with old friends and covering songs from his childhood but I can't help but wonder what would happen if he'd kept active and up to date the way the other YMO guys did.

― frogbs, Tuesday, 11 September 2018 18:04 (two weeks ago) Permalink

We got a couple of those Light In The Attic reissues at work last week. They look fantastic. They also sent us a few promo CDs to check out. For some reason I'd never got round to Cochin Moon before. What a great album. I'll definitely be picking that one up when it comes in later this month.

― kitchen person, Tuesday, 11 September 2018 18:09 (two weeks ago) Permalink

I adore Pacific but Cosmic Surfin is certainly out of place and I definitely prefer the YMO version of it. the album is advertisement background music, but really great background music! Passion Flower is just filled with hook upon hook upon hook

― ufo, Tuesday, 11 September 2018 18:11 (two weeks ago) Permalink

http://4columns.org/dayal-geeta/haruomi-hosono

― stirmonster, Saturday, 22 September 2018 11:52 (four days ago) Permalink

'Cochin Moon' is probably my favorite thing from the extended YMO oeuvre, and one of my very favorite electronic records of all time. Given its total mastery in 1978 of electronics into a distinctively electronic but nearly organic in depth/texture worth (and yet completely purposeful whole, i.e. not just weird bleeps and blorps a la earlier electronic experimentation) I'm surprised it doesn't get more love. The addition of Hosono's enduring trans/pan-cultural exchange--which seeming has a near mainstream currency today--would seem to make it ripe for rediscovery on a slightly scale than whoever bought it at the time + geeks like me who shelled out for Japanese imports over the ensuing decades. To me, it's a really ageless record, and I don't think many would necessarily date it to its point of origin.

Hopefully Pitchfork or some such with large cachet does an ecstatic breathless write-up and gets it a lot more ears ; )

― Soundslike, Saturday, 22 September 2018 13:46 (four days ago) Permalink

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