12 | The Japan Times | Friday, August 24, 2018 spotlight 金 ‘I never tried to be a pioneer’ U.S. label looks at Haruomi Hosono’s post-Happy End and YMO journey Music PAUL FISHER BRIGHTON, ENGLAND CONTRIBUTING WRITER aruomi Hosono is widely regarded as one of the most important figures of Japanese popular music over the past 50 Hyears. The grandson of the only Japanese pas- senger and survivor aboard the Titanic, he was born in Tokyo in 1947. From the end of the 1960s, Hosono was a pivotal figure in creating a folk scene based around the cof- fee shops of Shibuya. In 1970, he formed the band, Happy End, today considered among Above: Haruomi Hosono takes part in a taping for the TV show “Young Impulse” in July 1975. the country’s most influential groups ever, Right: A current shot of the artist who, just last year, released his 21st solo album, “Vu Ja De.” with their blend of folk, rock and psych, COURTESY OF THE MASAHI KUWAMOTO ARCHIVES perhaps the first domestic artist to success- fully integrate the Japanese language into an Hosono now looks set to get at least some “They’re going to look really nice,” Sulli- essentially Western rock music idiom. of the recognition he deserves as an individ- van says. “We’ve added liner notes with inter- By the mid-’70s, over a string of albums, he ual artist outside of Japan. This month and views, the lyrics translated into English and was combining the sounds of New Orleans, next, some of his best solo works from the a number of old photos — incredible shots Hawaii, Okinawa, the Caribbean and more 1970s and ’80s will get their first overseas — so we’re really happy. into music dubbed “tropical” and “exotica.” releases courtesy of the U.S. label Light in “For me, they’re masterpiece after master- In 1978, together with two other musi- the Attic. piece (from a) criminally overlooked artist. cians on his later albums of this period, In June, Hosono and his band performed He really has an incredible body of work, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, at the Barbican Centre in London, then again but one that is extremely varied in terms Hosono formed the technopop trio Yellow a couple of days later in Brighton. of genres and styles. I don’t know a lot of Magic Orchestra. YMO, whose eponymous I sat down with Hosono outside a pub artists whose work is that broad and also debut album came out 40 years ago this just behind the venue in Brighton before cutting edge the whole time. Even his new November, became Japan’s most popular the show. record is great. At 71 years old, he continues band over several years and is still one of the He performed in the U.K. with YMO at the to push the envelope, which is beautiful to country’s biggest musical exports, influenc- end of the 1970s, early ’80s, and then in 2008 see.” ing electronic music acts around the world. as part of Meltdown at the London Royal Hosono, who was also behind the During the 1980s and much of the ’90s, Festival Hall. Despite previous invitations, soundtrack to Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Palme he was at the forefront of the ambient elec- these concerts were his first ever solo shows d’Or-winning film “Shoplifters,” is often tronic music scene. Since the millennium, in Europe. So why now? described as a pioneering influence on so he has consistently released albums that “I’ve never thought that much about play- many types of music. How does he himself mix various styles and music from America, ing concerts overseas, but when I heard Light view this? local Japanese roots music and elsewhere in the Attic was releasing the records and I “I don’t think I’m a pioneer,” he says. “I’ve into something with a distinct, trademark got invited to the show in London, I thought never tried to be a pioneer, I just did what I Hosono sound. why not? Earlier this year, going to Taipei wanted to do. But for these 40 or 50 years, as He accomplished all this while penning and Hong Kong and getting a great reaction I’ve started doing all these different types of hundreds of songs for Japanese pop stars, from the audience, helped,” he says. music, the world gradually caught up with creating at least three record labels, not to Light in the Attic founder Matt Sullivan what I was doing and I slowly built up a fan think I started listening to boogie-woogie and Yukihiro was doing his own thing here. mention being a prolific session musician, explains how the U.K. dates and releases base. But all this time I’ve just being doing from the age of 4 or 5. It was constantly on There are no YMO plans, but if something producer, mixer, arranger and being part of came about. what I wanted to do. I haven’t had to answer the radio, and I must have been listening to like this happens again then I’d go along numerous other projects, broadly defined as “Our focus as a label is archival work, try- to anyone or tried to be a pioneer or any- boogie-woogie for the next 10 years.” with it. There will be no new recordings belonging to the “Hosono family.” ing to release things for the first time or things thing like that, just play my own music.” The artist says he was only somewhat sur- though. YMO has finished, our solo careers that haven’t had the right context, they need One style of music prised that an American record label was are more important now.” Haruomi Hosono liner notes and giving a little extra love,” he that seems to have ‘I feel there has been choosing to release his albums now. These new re-releases might just have poses for a picture in says. “We’re deep into now what we call the been a constant “I feel there has been a slow resurgence in sparked some future ideas, though. Sayama, Saitama Japan Archival Series and the first thing we throughout his solo a slow resurgence in my my music in different parts of the world,” he “I’m thinking of re-recording ‘Hosono Prefecture, in 1973. did last year was a compilation called ‘Even career, from those music in different parts says, “but what I was most surprised about House’ when I get back to Tokyo,” he says. That same year a Tree Can Shed Tears,’ a compilation of Japa- 1970s albums until was Light in the Attic would be releasing so “I don’t have a clue though yet what it might Hosono released his nese folk and rock from the early 1970s. the most recent, of the world.’ many albums.” sound like.” MUSICIAN HARUOMI HOSONO debut solo album “Then we’re in town because of a show and very evident Back at the Barbican show, there was And possibly more dates overseas? “Hosono House.” at the Barbican in London celebrating the at the U.K. shows is rapturous applause when Hosono’s fellow “Yes, I think I could now be ready to COURTESY OF MIKE 16-year anniversary of Light in the Attic with boogie-woogie. This is music that was espe- YMO members joined him on stage to play play in, say, Los Angeles or New York or NOGAMI a number of artists whose music we’ve reis- cially popular in Japan in the 1940s and ’50s, one of the band’s tunes. Rumors abound somewhere.” sued over the years including, of course, Har- when singers such as Shizuko Kasagi were that this could be the beginning of a reunion, uomi Hosono.” mixing Japanese folk styles with various but Hosono is quick to dismiss them. Haruomi Hosono plays Rohm Kyoto Theatre Sullivan says Light in the Attic will release Latin and other rhythms. Perhaps this was “That wasn’t a reunion, just pure coinci- on Nov. 22 before shows in Nagoya, Kobe five records to start with: “Hosono House” the catalyst for his own penchant for mixing dence that everyone was here at the same and Tokyo. For more information, visit (1973), “Paraiso” and “Cochin Moon” (1978), up the styles? time,” he says. “It’s a bit of a mystery as to www.hosonoharuomi.jp. For more informa- “Philharmony” (1982) and “Omni Sight See- “Yes. After the war, so much American why it happened like that. Ryuichi hap- tion on the Light in the Attic releases, visit ing” (1989). music came to Japan,” Hosono recalls. “I pened to be doing his own shows in London www.lightintheattic.net. PAGE: 12.