Haruomi Hosono - "Philharmony" Vinyl, Reissue, Album, 1982/2018 (Light in the Attic)

Techo-pop as perfection.  Haruomi Hosono, who is no stranger on my blog here, is a combination of Van Dyke Parks and Brian Eno.  His stance in Japanese contemporary music is vast and of great importance.  Hosono is active as a producer, songwriter, arranger, and solo artist, as well as being part of the YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra).  There is something late 20th-century Japan that fits in perfectly with the sound of analog synths and the way music is used in public areas, such as train stations and retail shopping areas.  Often, and to this day, one can hear interesting electronic music being in the background while traveling or shopping.   "Philharmony" is the ground zero of this type of aesthetic.  Hosono has made pure electronic ambient albums, but "Philharmony" is based on pop songs done in an electronic manner. 

There's a touch of purity in its approach, but Hosono is very expressive in that framework. This album is light, airy, but with a strong sense of melodies.  At the moment it is either difficult to find, or very expensive, but I do swear that it is worth the game of searching this album down. 

Morrissey - "This is Morrissey" Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 2018 (Parlophone/Regal)

This is the Morrissey I love.   Not the guy who is giving opinions out like he's a Donald Trump, but the brilliant songwriter, performer, and quite aware of recorded music history.  "This is Morrissey" is a new compilation of music of his the late solo 1980s/early 1990s material.  Seeing this album, I know there are traces of the great wit/artist that is still with us.  As if one who either reads Discogs as a narrative or is a fan of Morrissey, there are a lot of compilations of his music out in the market.  On one level, and on a surface one at that, it seems he floods the market of releases perhaps for the financial stake in doing so.  Which may be true, but it is also the aesthetic of Morrissey to do a compilation album like this.

The label, Regal is very old school compilation where they released music by an artist, and usually not expensive to purchase on a consumer front.  "This is Morrissey, just cost me under $20, and the selection of his music is excellent.  I'm not sure if Morrissey himself selected the songs/tracks or someone from his record label/management, but whoever did an excellent job.  The key tracks to purchase "This is Morrissey" is the Ron Mael/Russell  Mael remix of "Suedehead," which is really the bastard child of Sparks and Morrissey. It's already a beautiful song, but Ron and Russell give it another dimension, and in their mix, they make it into a Sparks piece - but still in spirit, very much of Morrissey.  It is one of the great re-mix recordings, just because it's not a DJ overshadowing the artist, but another artist's approach to something that is already fantastic. It is never meant to replace the original.  The other great song here is "Whatever Happens, I Love You," which initially was on another compilation album, and I'm not sure if it was ever released as a single, or b-side, but it is one of the Morrissey classics.  Beautiful production, and just a wonderful Alain Whyte collaboration with the singer. 

Morrissey's brilliance is not always just the music.  His witty appreciation for the practices of record labels from the 1960s and so forth is very much honored here with this release.  It's Morrissey looking back at his past, and his habitual record buying practices.  So yes, one may have these songs in different formats, but I feel Morrissey is sincere in that he wants to present these collections as an art object, or a work to be admired or thought of in such manner. Even the liner notes which are in French shows an absolute love for the medium.  And this is the Morrissey I love.  

David Sylvian & Holger Czukay - "Plight & Premonition Flux & Mutability" Vinyl, LP, Album, Compilation, Reissue, 2018 (Grönland Records)

David Sylvian and Holger Czukay became good friends when Czukay helped Sylvian on his first solo album "Forbidden Trees," which by the way is an excellent album.   Around that time, Czukay invited Sylvian to come to his studio in Germany, where he recorded and played with his previous band Can.  They made two albums together "Plight & Premonition" and "Flux & Mutability."  Both albums are now reissued on vinyl in one beautiful package, courtesy of Grönland Records, who have been reissuing a lot of Czukay's recorded work. 

On the surface, first, listen one thinks of the David Bowie instrumental sides from "Low" and "Heroes."  They border on the ambient side, but there is something textural that is not precisely like wallpaper music.   The same goes for the Sylvian and Czukay pieces.  Also, these four pieces on the album are improvised works, and I'm not sure how to improvise the Bowie tracks were.  Nevertheless, these primarily instrumental works (with some borrowed voices deep in the mix) are very much in the aesthetic and sound of the Sylvian and Czukay world.  Their relationship is perfect for making music.  To my ears, Sylvian is attracted to third world or Asian melodies, and Czukay has his ears tuned into the European 20th-century classic mode.  There are traces of western orchestration that comes and goes in the mix, and it is indeed a world where the band Japan meets Can.

My favorite cut is "Mutability" which has a lot of guitars, with various pedals/effects.  It's a majestic piece of music.  The music is mellow, but one is never sure how things will play out in the music.  For instance, at the beginning of "Plight," there's a sound of either a voice or a bird screeching that is startling to the listener.  It reminds me of the famous film cut in Orson Welles'  "Citizen Kane" where a parrot shows up suddenly with a loud screech.   A superb collection of two albums, with a beautiful essay by David Toop.