Haruomi Hosono

One of the reasons I heard that Japanese territory reissues are expensive (even in Japan) are that in the case of major label releases, instead of licensing the recordings, the major itself presses the records on behalf of the reissuer, and then 'sells' them to the reissue label. Maybe to retain some kind of quality control and ensure that the right quantity is being pressed.

The reissue label has to pay whatever the major wants in order to do the reissue = high prices for all..

thanks for that info, MFB!

yeah it makes more sense now. being a fan of Japanese music can get crazy expensive if you're not just pirating stuff.

yeah...i guess i have to keep in mind it could be way, way worse. the terrible setback i've been dealt is that i'll have to continue listening to all this cool shit for free and never send money to the people who helped make it. but whatever, i help spread the YMO-family word whenever i can, and i purchase everything i can that's not intended for wealthy people

whereas in the olden times, i'd probably have to rob a liquor store just to hear any of this stuff in the first place

fuck can someone convince me not to pull the trigger on this

https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/1079306315?format=Vinyl&text=Haruomi-Hosono-Coincidental-Music&utm_campaign=sell_email_new&utm_source=relationship&utm_medium=pm&ev=wh_new

Absolutely not! :)

The version of the Galactic Railroad theme on that is exquisite.

And Bio Philosophy which is a stunning version of the first track from that Muji BGM tape

oh damn no way? light em up already, frogbs!

okay fine that price does seem pretty great for an NM copy, I mean fuck it we save that much every week in gas thanks to the pandemic is how I see it

ahhhh god damn it

https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/1180310337?format=Vinyl&text=Haruomi-Hosono-Philharmony

maybe a good indication that the LTiA copies are coming down in price, never seen one under 85

oh wow someone grabbed it

Remembered the other day that I travelled to Japan at the height of the Kubik craze and nabbed a YMO set, so technically I have a Haroumi Hosono action figure.

Hana ni Mizu (Watering a Flower) tape reissue -

https://lightintheattic.net/releases/7302-hana-ni-mizu-watering-a-flower?mc_cid=6d1cd6c03d&mc_eid=982f43dfd8

first time I've ever wanted a goddamn cassette tape

iirc their Kankyo Ongaku set has the full version of the first track, imo the better of the two...might spring for that instead

Kankyo Ongaku has Original BGM, but nothing from the tape.

i bought it for my good friend, so at least i know i'll be able to reliably listen to it every once in a while

oh! I guess I did not, in fact, rc

Dang, missed it. It's available now on streaming.

Interesting the LITA page says there's a translation of the book on the web, accessible via a QR code that comes with the tape. Hope to see that sometime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nehPFjX87l4

niiiice

awesome. is that Akiko Yano on piano? she must've been like 20. I wonder how many cigarettes got smoked through those sessions?

yes, that is akiko. thanks for this... digging through hosono's career is endlessly rewarding.

Is indeed Akiko, I think she might have been as young as 17/18

I remember reading that it's traditional in Japan for girls to learn piano at a very young age to entertain the family at gatherings and that's why were so many female technopop artists there in the 80's

Watching those clips made me realise how I don't really care for Shigeru Suzuki, at least not what he was doing back then. His playing style and voice are really weak, I know HH's singing voice is a bit limited and Kermit The Frog but I've always enjoyed listening to him.

yeah I kinda love his voice. it makes me laugh a lot.

I've dropped his cover of "Funiculi Funicula" into several playlists and let me tell you it gets a very odd reaction from people every time

and while I'm on the subject of Philharmony can I just say I find it weird that "Sports Men" is so universally celebrated while "Living-Dining-Kitchen" remains sort of an obscurity. I think it might be one of the best technopop songs ever written.

'Living-Dining-Kitchen' slaps, it's true.

interesting tidbit from the Coincidental Music sleeve - "Sayokoskatti" and "Memphis, Milano" (two of my favorite Hosono tracks) were both recorded at LDK studios in 1982, which I think means they were both part of the sessions for Philharmony. now I wanna make an alternate version of that album...

Found those translated notes for Watering a Flower.. neat

http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/HaruomiHosono_lyrics/hananimizu_english.pdf

many thanks! my tape arrived last week and i've been enjoying walking about listening to it immensely. it seems very fitting reading these notes that i have been 'moving around' lots while listening.

have really loved reading these interviews & notes in the reissues, it's the first time I've been able to get a sense of what he's like as a person

amusingly the new issue of Sakamoto's Left Handed Dream mentions that their differences had to do mostly with the use of electronics and synthesizers, I guess Sakamoto felt that HH's electronic stuff was too inhuman & weird and would not date well. which is amusing now because arguably Hosono's sound has held up incredibly well with a host of imitators, while albums like Left Handed Dream are the ones that sound stuck in their time

new years eve w/ harry:

https://www.nts.live/shows/nye-with-nts/episodes/haruomi-hosono-31st-december-2020

Yay! Thanks everso

how is it that Light in the Attic haven't repressed the Swing Slow album

indeed. my top Hosono want.

that and the Love, Peace and Trance album both seem like they'd be pretty popular reissues in the current climate, I'd have to imagine LitA or Great Tracks or Turntable Lab or someone is at least trying

cursed or blessed image??

https://i.imgur.com/PGGrN6v.png

Harry be making some house music

hosono house music 2
https://i.imgur.com/c492iJJ.png

Honestly though, he's a total Zelig, look at all the different pics of him from Apryl Fool/Happy End though to now, dude has had more phases than Bowie.

if you need a reason to smile today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEWL3N56OQ4

Wicked! Thank you frogbs

He's got the twang down to a tee <3

<3 excellent

It's killing me that there is a 500-page book about HH and co out there and I cannot, and most likely will not ever read it.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E9%96%80%E9%96%93-%E9%9B%84%E4%BB%8B/dp/416391207X/ref=rtpb_7?pd_rd_w=MhsLf&pf_rd_p=c221ae92-96f8-424c-884c-196b2fc439b0&pf_rd_r=DNW6WF4FSQV8VYADV5FD&pd_rd_r=6fa90e55-7fba-4bd8-8556-3da5be9f2b05&pd_rd_wg=m9p1X&pd_rd_i=416391207X&psc=1

There also seems to be some series of books coming out about YMO that deals with them year by year I could be wrong mind.

Jesus... That book! Google translating that made me even sadder there's no translation:

The definitive critique of musician Haruomi Hosono!
What did he produce with "Happy End," "Tin Pan Array," and "YMO"?

"I can't talk anymore."
Haruomi Hosono

Hosono otm.