Haruomi Hosono

btw I have been listening to his latest album (Vu Ja De) and it's pretty cool. first disc is more boogie-woogie covers (fun, but whatever), while the second is a pretty interesting trawl through the archives, taking a lot of his old stuff and re-doing them in this new/old style. most of it is from collabs and commercials, some of it is either new or just stuff that was in the vaults ("Pecora" sounds like a Endless Talking track). there's a version of "Retort" from Omni Sight Seeing with vocals, you almost don't recognize it at first.

I'm kind of lukewarm on this latest stuff, but this one is very nice. I wonder if he's going to write new music again soon?

Have we talked about the Shoplifters soundtrack? It's on Spotify. It's brief (18 mins) but there's shades of his Monad era sound palette. (And the film is an absolute blinder.)

I was a little resistant to the boogie-woogie stuff at first, but it all clicks into place when you start thinking of it as an anthropological study on a non-native music. It's exactly what he was doing with folk music in the 70s - breaking apart trad American forms to study how they work.

Judging by the single, the new Hosono House re-recording sounds like it'll be quite electronic?

Also, the new two disc version of Nokto de la Galaksia Fervojo is now on Spotify - CD2 is I believe unreleased stuff from the period?

Disc 1: https://open.spotify.com/album/0jonjaeaCQqbwtDXM8T4v3?si=oZg8uRGAQqiM7JmEOSWmFw
Disc 2: https://open.spotify.com/album/7d9h6mAPGTNp8VJrAoDMc7?si=YbnKg1XNQJCZnaY9P31gXQ

re: the boogie-woogie stuff, yeah i see it as part of their overarching omnivorous stylistic synthesis.. in the same way that many of their tunes (sakamoto's especially) bring to mind actual early 20th century tin pan alley stuff

just by browsing the 30 sec samples the second disc sounds like a bunch of alternate versions of pieces from the original soundtrack, plus some Endless Talking remixes (track 10 is "Birdoj")

obviously, I have to have it (I don't use Spotify), but I'm not really sure how

Not sure where you're based, frogbs, but Farside are selling the CDs in the UK:
http://www.farsidemusic.com/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=hosono%20nokto&PN=CD%2ehtml#SID=257?a1_21FSD7454

Hey thanks! My search for the 2cd turned up empty yesterday.

I'm seeing something about a new album and US dates too?

Oh, a re-recording of Hosono House? Weird!

https://pitchfork.com/news/haruomi-hosono-announces-us-tour-dates-new-hochono-house-album/?fbclid=IwAR1NyUe_UB3bgRAXCI-tM93_000RrWaw1gFNyVx0arjq4dYYR9nsGE0CA74

Ha yeah that is pretty odd. That new version of 薔薇と野獣 sounds pretty neat though. So clean and loungy.

are those the original vocals?

Exclaim says:

The newly imagined album will feature Hosono rearranging, recording and restructuring the songs of his '73 solo effort, with the musician playing all the instruments himself, as well as producing, engineering and mixing the record.

For a taste of that, you can hear "Bara To Yaju (new ver.)" down below, which takes the familiar track in some very newfound directions.

This is the new cover apparently:

https://exclaim.ca//images/hosono_3.jpg

we discussed this a few years ago (lol), but this deserves to be discussed some more. this is still my favorite thing i've heard from hosono (although i know i've only scratched the surface):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34UutDrXV2Q

the first two of the three tracks (up to about 30 minutes) is music commissioned to be played in Muji stores in Japan in the mid-80s, although apparently they never played it in-store. the third track, is from a muji compilation.

more here: http://filmstatic.blogspot.com/2017/09/rediscovering-haruomi-hosonos-watering.html

i was reminded of it because i one of the new vampire weekend songs samples it heavily

the original cassette can be yours for only $450!

https://www.discogs.com/%E7%B4%B0%E9%87%8E%E6%99%B4%E8%87%A3-%E8%8A%B1%E3%81%AB%E6%B0%B4/release/7890029

apparently it came with an 80-page book!!

https://i.imgur.com/psckQjz.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQSzyhfd9dI

sorry to bump this thread again but Hosono's cover of "Asatoya Yunta" is some of the most magical shit I've ever heard. Hosono sounds like he's singing backwards!!

just discovered the Vampire Weekend sample, that is incredible. props to them for that.

by the way KM - that vid you linked (the "Watering a Flower" album) has probably the best comment section I've ever seen on YouTube

heh, I took it more like an act of personal violence against me!

surprised the new record hasn't been discussed yet. I'll admit I'm grading on a curve here but it's better than I was expecting. (hosono house was never one of my favorites, I'm not too into hosono's "boogie woogie" era in general, it's been a while since his peak era, etc.) some of it has a real uncool old man groove to it that reminds me of late donald fagen solo albums or something. not bad.

the shoplifters OST otoh, that initially struck me as quite slight, esp while watching the movie, like it was barely there. but there is some gorgeous stuff on here even if it's often frustratingly short. I love "going to the sea." the whole album sounds a bit like a small ensemble playing bits of monad era compositions live to me.

also -

the first two of the three tracks (up to about 30 minutes) is music commissioned to be played in Muji stores in Japan in the mid-80s, although apparently they never played it in-store.

I think that the "found muji" stores do play hosono's bgm. the one I went to did, anyway. it works well!

Love the "Shoplifters" OST very much despite its brevity

new/old record "Hochono House" is a delight. its a lot more interesting than the original - the arrangements here are so clever. it sort of matches the cover art - "coloring over" an old work of art, bringing it up to date, though not quite.

It's great isn't it? Good call on the 'colouring over', that's exactly what it sounds like.

I wonder what it must have felt like to go over it again like this after so many years. Anyone seen any recent interviews around?

the first two of the three tracks (up to about 30 minutes) is music commissioned to be played in Muji stores in Japan in the mid-80s, although apparently they never played it in-store.

I think that the "found muji" stores do play hosono's bgm. the one I went to did, anyway. it works well!

― (⊙_⊙?) (original bgm), Saturday, March 9, 2019 3:18 PM (five days ago)

you're right! my copy of the new Kankyō Ongaku comp from Light in the Attic just came in the mail, and it closes with original bgm! it's so nice to be able to put it on the record player and let it play for 16 minutes. the liner notes mention someone hearing it in a Muji store back in 1983, so you must be right! the liner notes also mentioned that Hosono later reworked the piano melody into this song from his 1984 album S-F-X:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-wtudBuq3g

^^ which is AMAZING.

Waiting patiently (...) for my copy of Kankyō Ongaku to arrive!

ah, nice to hear they were played out in the 80s. those muji tracks are almost too perfect to be ambient music to shop to... but them being ambient music to shop to makes them even more perfect. I picture supermarket aisles myself. (muji started as a supermarket or something, right?)

no mention of the US shows? NY and LA! I'm keeping my expectations grounded in the boogie woogie zone but sakamoto joining for the NY set seems within the realm of possibility...

why does ryuchi trend in the indie art miasma but not hosono. Is it the hair?

Much less obvious connections to western artists, tended towards nurturing and collaborating with Japanese artists.

Is this the place to discuss this new LITA comp?

https://www.discogs.com/Various-Pacific-Breeze-Japanese-City-Pop-AOR-Boogie-1976-1986/master/1539822

The city pop thread doesn't seem to get a lot of traffic.

Sounds fantastic so far. If nothing else I'm very happy to finally have an affordable copy of Hiroshi Sato's "Say Goodbye" (though I still wish someone would reissue that This Boy comp)

Revelation for me so far: Minako Yoshida's "Midnight Driver." Such a jam!

yoshida's monochrome album is really great.

Just ordered this last night. I only know Drip Dry Eyes and Sports Men which are both absolutely perfect. Very excited to hear the rest.

Excited for this

been wanting a copy of LA Night for ages, best song ever

yea I'm in the same boat as KP, if anything on the comp is as good as either of those I'll consider it money well spent

I'm familiar with maybe half that compilation, agree that Sports Men is perfect

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9M-F2WB6nI

the Seaside Lovers album that "Sun Bathing" is from is really lovely - it's cheesy but i adore this sort of smooth beach music

oh 'i thought it was you' is on it too - love that one as well, those drums kill me

oh wait i'm getting confused by the LITA 'Pacific Breeze' spotify playlist which has a bunch of different tracks on it
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1MuAHiy0n7158rCXN2hHjm

FYI - LITA actually is pressing more copies of Paraiso, remastered by Yoshinori Sunahara (of Denki Groove fame)

https://lightintheattic.net/releases/4913-paraiso

the price is steep but as they say, "fuck it"

oh shit i'd forgotten just how majestic the drums vs. vocoder blaze-up is at the end of 'i thought it was you'. godlike!

that thing that funk records do where they just jam on for 3-4 minutes after the song's over is the coolest thing, I wish more genres would try stuff like that

ha yes!

i really need to get on those friends of earth records don't i?

At $45 it's stretching what I'd normally pay for a single lp, but I had to order the 'Seaside Lovers' LP as well ;_;

it's one of the three or so albums I'd actually pay that much for

https://www.forcedexposure.com/App_Themes/Default/Images/product_images/close_up/w/WWSCD018CD_CU.jpg

Akiko Yano's brilliant 'Irohani-Konpeitou' is being reissued! Always think of this record - though not her debut - as her 'The Kick Inside'. It's so brazen and playful, with melodies to melt away to.

And speaking of: that article mentioned the reissue of 'Tadaima' last year, and that completely passed me by. Anyone bought it? Is it good?

This album, Tadaima, Gohan Ga Deki Tayo and Ai Ga Nakuchane are all of them great, Great records. Buy 'em all.

there's some merit to that LBI - as far as I know, the songs on I-K were written before those on Japanese Girl

always felt this one was a bit weaker than the surrounding albums (though I love track 5 "Ike Yanagida"), still will probably buy it for the sleeve alone, one of my favorite album covers ever

btw Oesu Oesu is another good one - it took a bit to sink in but I've come to see it as one of her best and most representative albums. after that she kinda got mired in that cycle of dated production/back-to-basics, though shes always a joy to listen to

I actually like this album from 1986 best: https://www.discogs.com/Akiko-Yano-峠のわが家/master/254757

Definitely slick mid 80s rock production there. Steve Ferrone on drums!

I bought the Tadaima reissue. I'm really happy with it as the artwork and sound quality are spot on. I saw they did Japanese Girl a couple of months ago. I should pick that up.

I still have hope that someone will reissue some of the Miharu Koshi albums at some point. I saw a copy of Parallelisme come up on Discogs for $75 and I really was tempted.

particularly Boy Soprano, which I think is about as good as anything else mentioned in this thread. the version of "Ave Maria" is such a stunner, I can't do anything while it's playing

I'm a huge fan of 'Honto No Kimochi', a latter-day Akiko Yano rekkid, very beautiful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHDUZMjnvs8

there's some merit to that LBI - as far as I know, the songs on I-K were written before those on Japanese Girl

I did not know that.

Thanks for that vid MaresNest, I'm still to discover her latter day records, this sounds great.

yeah this is really nice. I'm currently digging her '92 solo piano record "Super Folk Song", though I think a lot of those songs are covers. at least one of 'em I swear is a Moonriders tune, though Akiko sorta makes everything her own so it's hard to tell

poking around YT...she definitely returned to weirdo technopop at some point. I think is from 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlYe-p_XChU&list=RDXAbjxBtESs0

Listen, I like creative design and all, but LITA can fuck right off with this:

http://i.imgur.com/IND19Uj.jpg

Trying to read that circle one is anger inducing.