Jun Togawa
from Tamahime Sama (1984)
Showing posts with label japanese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label japanese. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Jun Togawa - Mushi No Onna
My favourite female vocalist of all time. And here's why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uxpylXf5fQ&feature=related
Friday, 14 January 2011
Miharu Koshi - L'Amour Toujours
This track was written by the Belgian group, Telex and produced by YMO's Haruomi Hosono. The sound reminds me of Dream Factory era Prince, although this was three years prior so very much ahead of its time.
Miharu Koshi
from Tutu (1983)
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Happy End - Hisamezuki No Skech
One of Japan's most influential bands, featuring Haruomi Hosono (YMO) and the hugely underrated Shigeru Suzuki. This prime cut comes from their final studio album.
Happy End
from S/T (1973)
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Frank Chickens - Sake Ballad
a Happy 2011 to you all. Music is fully functioning once again, and so without further ado, here's a track to bring you back down to earth after the extended winter break - sobering stuff...
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Sugar Babe - Down Town
Some more music from Japan now with this irresistible pop gem from the short-lived 70's group Sugar Babe, fronted by the great Tatsuro Yamashita.
Sugar Babe
from Songs (1975)
Monday, 6 December 2010
Yellow Magic Orchestra - Expected Way / 希望の路
Monday, 15 March 2010
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Haruomi Hosono
Let's Start with some great Japanese music, from someone perhaps most well known in Japan and outside for his work with bands Happy End, Tin Pan Alley and Yellow Magic Orchestra (all of which will be covered in later blog posts).
Often overlooked is his solo career which began in 1973 with Hosono House an album which was heavily influenced by American singer-songwriters like Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Gram Parsons. That was followed in 1975 with Tropical Dandy, an album which draws influence from Hawaiian music and Exotica (artists like Martin Denny, Les Baxter and Henry Mancini) and combines it with that great 70s rock/pop sound. For me this is Hosono at his best as a solo artist. This formula is continued on his albums Bon Voyage Co.(1976) and Paraiso (1978) which featured Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto (who together would soon form YMO).
Hosono's final solo contribution of the 70's was the wonderful and bizarre Cochin Moon, a soundtrack to a fictional Bollywood movie.
Hosono's solo career continued thruogh the 80's and 90's alongside his work with YMO, however it his work in the 70's that really stands out in my opinion.
薔薇と野獣
from Hosono House (1973)
Peking Duck
Hurricane Dorothy
Kinu Kaido (Silk Road)
from Tropical Dandy (1975)
Exotica Lullaby
from Bon Voyage Co. (1976)
Shimendoka
from Paraiso (1978)
Hum Ghar Sajan
from Cochin Moon (1978)
Often overlooked is his solo career which began in 1973 with Hosono House an album which was heavily influenced by American singer-songwriters like Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Gram Parsons. That was followed in 1975 with Tropical Dandy, an album which draws influence from Hawaiian music and Exotica (artists like Martin Denny, Les Baxter and Henry Mancini) and combines it with that great 70s rock/pop sound. For me this is Hosono at his best as a solo artist. This formula is continued on his albums Bon Voyage Co.(1976) and Paraiso (1978) which featured Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto (who together would soon form YMO).
Hosono's final solo contribution of the 70's was the wonderful and bizarre Cochin Moon, a soundtrack to a fictional Bollywood movie.
Hosono's solo career continued thruogh the 80's and 90's alongside his work with YMO, however it his work in the 70's that really stands out in my opinion.
薔薇と野獣
from Hosono House (1973)
Peking Duck
Hurricane Dorothy
Kinu Kaido (Silk Road)
from Tropical Dandy (1975)
Exotica Lullaby
from Bon Voyage Co. (1976)
Shimendoka
from Paraiso (1978)
Hum Ghar Sajan
from Cochin Moon (1978)
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