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Hosono: Japan's Secret Sound Architect
10 Oct
Summary
- Hosono pioneered 'sightseeing music' concept.
- He blended diverse genres like funk, folk, and techno.
- Five reissued albums reveal his broad discography.
Haruomi Hosono, a Japanese musical polymath, developed the concept of 'sightseeing music' in the early 1980s. This approach encouraged creators and listeners to embrace foreign sounds and genres with an open mind, fostering a style of freewheeling hybridity.
Hosono's career, spanning decades, has seen him explore an astonishing range of musical styles. These include New Orleans funk, Okinawan folk, Bollywood music, and acid house. While a titan in Japan, his international acclaim has been limited, partly due to his solo work being unavailable in the US.
His influence, however, is far-reaching, impacting genres like techno, hip-hop, and synth-pop through his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra and his extensive solo catalog. A recent series of five reissues, covering 1973 to 1989, finally brings a significant portion of his diverse discography to a global audience.
Earlier in his career, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Hosono was instrumental in Tokyo's coffee shop music scene. His band, Happy End, was notable for being the first Japanese rock group to perform exclusively in Japanese, adapting Western rhythms to the language's nuances.
