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. 

Annette Peacock - "I'm The One" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, 2016/1972 (Light in the Attic)

I I have heard of Annette Peacock's name through the ECM Jazz world as well as with the David Bowie world.  The first time I heard Peacock's music is through Mick Ronson's two solo albums where he recorded her "I'm The One," "Seven Days" (as a bonus cut on a Japanese issued CD), and to my surprise Peacock's arrangement of Elvis' "Love Me Tender."  I didn't realize that until I heard "I'm The One" album for the first time a few days ago.   In many ways, the missing link between Bowie and Mick Ronson, and also long-term keyboard player Mike Garson is on this album as well.  Perhaps he was the bridge between her and Bowie/Ronson.

One hear traces of future Bowie music in her work.  Specifically "Young Americans" era Bowie, but also even on his later work from the end of the century "Hours" he borrows a section from "I'm The One."  Peacock's album is pretty amazing, due to the mixture of her version of soul, experimentation with the Moog, and singing that is borderline Yoko Ono range.   Her husband Paul Bley and others add a jazzy quality that redefines the border of the music categories that are on this album.  Her version of "Love Me Tender" is a minimal take of the song, and again, Ronson basically borrowed his version on her vision of the song. 

To my ears, this is very much the sound of New York City in the 1970s, where the song format is stretched into other possibilities, and it still sounds fresh with its mixture of Sly Stone funk, and the sound of the Moog coming in and out of the mix.  A remarkable album. 

Harry Hosono and the Yellow Magic Band - "Paraiso" LP, Vinyl, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, 2018/1978 (Light in the Attic)

Haruomi Hosono, is without a doubt, one of the most important musicians/record maker in Japan.  If I have to make a comparison with a Westerner, Van Dyke Parks comes to mind.  Hosono is a producer, songwriter, founding member of YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra) and very much a music historian.  Of course, there are other figures in Japanese pop music that are important, but Hosono is unique in that he has a perspective that is very much Japanese but also has an understanding about music from other cultures. Also, to note, he knows about outside music that influenced Japanese taste and contemporary culture.  In that sense, he's like Parks in that he knows his history and how to use it or comment on current culture by going back into the past and bringing back music, but in a different way or arrangement. 

To dwell into Hosono's world is difficult just due to the range of music he made in his career.  He went from traditional Japanese pop music to Hawaiian to rock to electro-pop, and ambient.   The unique aspect of Hosono is that each style he investigates he does so with expert knowledge and an organic manner in appreciating the different types of music. It doesn't seem to be on a 'fashionable' or surface level, but a deep appreciation of how music has traveled around the world.  It's interesting to note that Hosono uses the name Harry for these 'exotica' recordings. 

"Paraiso" is a fascinating album that bridges his interest in tropical/exotica music but entering into the electronic world by baby-steps.  Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi make their first appearance here with Hosono before they formed YMO.  So, the album is very much a journey, and it's not the destination that's important but the travel itself.  'Asatoya Yunta" is a traditional Okinawa song, but he also rips into "Fujiyama Mama," an American rockabilly song, which some may think is in rather bad taste, with respect to the bomb.  Nevertheless, with humor and wit, Hosono makes his own planet of music that connects from dot to dot.  A beautiful reissue from Light in the Attic, with a great interview in English with Hosono as an additional plus to the whole package.