Latest news with #HappyEnd
Times
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Haruomi Hosono review — a rare glimpse of Harry Styles' inspiration
This Royal Festival Hall concert was an extremely rare chance to see one of the great figures of Japanese art music. A 78-year-old who passed through the early 1970s folk rock band Happy End and the electronic pioneers Yellow Magic Orchestra, while making a series of solo albums that forged the sophisticated style of Japanese music known as city pop, Haruomi Hosono has a back catalogue like no other — and also inspired Harry Styles' album Harry' s House. So it was a shame that he limited his actual time on stage, filling the gaps in various ways when really the audience simply wanted to be in his presence. The support act, a youthful Japanese experimental troupe, were given an hour's worth of stage time, a decision that might have had something to do with their having Haruomi's grandson on bass guitar. For the main event Hosono's female backing singers, also on xylophone and keyboards, sang a medley of his songs, including 1975's dreamlike Honey Moon. Finally the man himself arrived, a sprightly figure in beatnik cap and sunglasses, as did a handful of old favourites including the wonderfully laid-back Bara to Yaju, from his classic 1973 solo album Hosono House. Then he was off again. 'He is a legendary musician and a famous smoker,' his guitarist announced, explaining the reason for Hosono's exit, which left the band to play Firecracker, an old Yellow Magic Orchestra favourite, on their own while their leader went off for a cigarette break. He returned to do The Madmen, another YMO classic, and his own Sports Men, which with its bright electronic melody and urbane mood set the template for Japan's city pop sound. Backed by an extremely good band, this was complex music with a carefree quality, somewhere between tropical and avant-garde, which made it a joy to witness. Not least when Hosono left the stage while flapping his arms like a chicken.
Metropolis Japan
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metropolis Japan
Kazemachi Poetic 2025: A Two-Night Celebration of Legendary Lyricist Takashi Matsumoto's 55-Year Legacy
This autumn, one of Japan's most celebrated lyricists, Takashi Matsumoto, will be honored in a stunning two-day live music event: 'Kazemachi Poetic 2025', taking place at Tokyo International Forum Hall A on September 19 (Fri) and September 20 (Sat). This milestone event marks the 55th anniversary of Matsumoto's songwriting career and is set to bring together some of Japan's top musical talents across generations. Known for penning over 2,100 timeless hits—from 'Akai Sweet Pea' and 'Ruby no Yubiwa' to 'Garasu no Shonen' —Matsumoto's poetic lyrics have helped shape the sound of Japanese pop and rock for decades. His pioneering role in the legendary rock band Happy End established him as a transformative force in Japanese music history. Kazemachi Poetic 2025 will feature two uniquely themed concerts: 'Night One: Wind Edition' (Sept. 19) will showcase classic and emotionally resonant tracks such as 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,' 'High Teen Boogie,' and 'Peppermint Blue,' performed by artists including Masahiko Kondo, Yuki Saito, Takayuki Makihara, and more. 'Night Two: City Edition' (Sept. 20) shifts focus to urban, stylish hits like 'SWEET MEMORIES,' 'Rock'n Rouge,' and 'Rainy Wednesday,' with performances by Seiko Nizuma, Kiyoshi Hikawa + KIINA, Yuko Ando, Takao Tajima, and others. Under the musical direction of renowned arranger Akira Inoue, the concerts will be supported by the Kazemachi Band —a lineup of top-tier session musicians who have contributed to many of Matsumoto's original recordings. Together, they will revive these iconic songs in rich, contemporary arrangements while preserving their nostalgic essence. Tickets go on general sale August 16, and advance lottery applications open from July 8 at 7:00 AM JST. Saturday, September 20, 2025: All seats reserved ¥18,000 (tax included) 2-day pass with reserved seats: ¥36,000 (tax included)
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
Hosono Haruomi: An Innovator Transcending Musical Forms
In 2024, Japanese musical luminary Hosono Haruomi celebrated his fifty-fifth year in the music industry. His wide-ranging career includes involvement in influential bands like Happy End and Yellow Magic Orchestra, his sessions with Tin Pan Alley, and a stack of solo albums, through which he has explored a staggering range of genres from rock to country to ambient to electronica and beyond. Reflecting on his broad musical meanderings, Hosono has wryly described himself as a musical vagabond. But far from drifting aimlessly among varying styles, he has always followed the North Star of his own curiosity and creative instincts, adapting his music to the times and broader trends. Below I examine Hosono's free-spirited musical journey to shed light on his deep passion and insatiable creative urge that have been the unwavering drivers of his success. A Pioneering Force Hosono impressed those around him with musical talents early on, leading to his debut in 1969 while at university as the bassist of the psychedelic rock band Apryl Fool. The collaboration was short lived, but it led Hosono to experiment with the West Coast sounds of groups like Buffalo Springfield, a band whose country and folk style tinged with elements of African American and Latin music he felt an almost primal attraction to. Eager to scratch this musical itch, Hosono approached Apryl Fool drummer Matsumoto Takashi and other bandmates about forming a new group modeled in the style of Buffalo Springfield. The result was Happy End, consisting of Hosono, Matsumoto, Ohtaki Eiichi, and Suzuki Shigeru. The band toured and produced three studio albums from 1969 through the early 1970s. Rather than mimicking Buffalo Springfield's sound, though, the group followed their lead in exploring the surrounding musical and cultural landscape to unearth their own lyrical roots. The consensus among most domestic rock bands at the time was that songs had to be in English to be considered authentic rock. Happy End helped put this notion to rest by firmly embracing Japanese lyrics, placing them among the pioneers of Japanese-language rock. The cover of Happy End's 1971 album Kazemachi Roman . (© URC Records/ Sony Music labels Inc.) By the time Happy End released its second album, the 1971 masterpiece of Japanese-language rock Kazemachi Roman , Hosono's musical interests were already gravitating toward the sound of American singer-songwriters like James Taylor, whose warm baritone and distinctive acoustic arrangements served as a model for Hosono in developing his own vocal style. Hosono released his first solo album, Hosono House , in 1973, shortly after Happy End disbanded. The work was one of the first examples in Japan of home recording, with Hosono cutting the album on recording equipment he lugged into his abode, a former US army house in an area known as the 'American village' in Sayama in south-central Saitama that was popular with artists. The cover of the 1973 solo album, Hosono House . (Photographed by ) Tropical Trilogy Hosono's next project was the band Tin Pan Alley. With the group, Hosono shifted his focus to studio recording in emulation of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, the famed group of Alabama-based session musicians—nicknamed 'the Swampers'—who played on hits by stars like Aretha Franklin and the Rolling Stones. Tin Pan Alley performed on albums by some of Japan's top artists of the day, including Matsutōya (then Arai) Yumi's 1973 debut Hikōkigumo (Vapor Trails) and former Happy End bandmate Ohtaki's 1975 Niagara Moon . The band's sound, which came to known as the Tin Pan style, helped lay the groundwork for what later became Japanese city pop—a genre that would capture the attention of music lovers far beyond Japan's shores. A collection of Hosono's works from Happy End to his 'Tropical Trilogy.' (Photographed by ) Meanwhile, Hosono continued to explore the musical landscape with his solo works. After Hosono House , he turned his attention to the evocative instruments and rhythms of exotica, blending sounds from such disparate places as New Orleans, Latin America, China, and Okinawa in an experimental approach that he labeled as 'chunky music.' The result was his 'Tropical Trilogy' consisting of Tropical Dandy (1975), Bon Voyage Co. (1976), and Paraiso (1978). While the innovative sound of the trilogy initially failed to resonate with listeners and even musicians, the works were far ahead of their time. Hosono continued to push his chunky music into uncharted territory in search of new, captivating sounds, merging it with then burgeoning disco and synthesizer-driven electronic music. His vision resonated with fellow established musicians Sakamoto Ryūichi and Takahashi Yukihiro, who came together to form Yellow Magic Orchestra, or YMO (1978–83), a band that revolutionized electronic music in Japan and overseas. From left, Hosono, Sakamoto, and Takahashi of YMO. (© Redferns/Getty Images/Kyōdō) Stepping on the Global Stage YMO was heavily influenced by the German band Kraftwerk, who are widely considered pioneers of electronic pop music. Kraftwerk expressed its Germanness through its electronic sound, inspiring YMO to likewise explore its Asian identity. The fruits of this search manifest in the song 'Technopolis,' the opening track on YMO's second album Solid State Survivor . Starting the song with the vocoded chant 'Tokio,' YMO proudly declared itself a band representing the technopop sound of Tokyo. The cover of YMO's 1979 Solid State Survivor . (© Alfa Music, Inc./Sony Music Labels Inc.) YMO became a global pop culture phenomenon. It dominated the music charts in Japan and grabbed the attention of music listeners overseas, particularly in the United States and Europe, with the band embarking on two world tours. Hosono and his bandmates shaped the direction of Japanese pop music, both as performers and with their songwriting skills. Hosono penned hits for some of Japan's biggest pop stars, such as idol Matsuda Seiko's hugely popular 1983 'Tengoku no Kiss.' Fame came at a cost, though, with the constant attention and demands of the industry taking a heavy physical and mental toll on Hosono. After YMO, Hosono stepped away from synthpop and threw himself into the mellow, contemplative sounds of ambient music. Also known as environmental music, the genre pioneered by Brian Eno had a psychological, healing effect on Hosono, buffering him against the clamor of the pop music industry. Within the serene harmonies he also found a means to bring an ecological perspective to his creations, forever changing his relationship to music. In time, Hosono came to consider himself as a conduit rather than the source of musical creation. He declared that even his most imaginative works could only be considered within the broader context of musical history and traditions, an idea that formed the core of his musical approach going forward. A Return to American Pop Since the mid-2000s, Hosono has returned to his roots, playing American pop, country, boogie-woogie, and other mid-twentieth-century styles of music he fell in love with as a young man. On stage and in the studio, he has brought together up-and-coming artists—some young enough to be his own children—to play live events and for albums like his 2011 solo release HoSoNoVa and the 2013 Heavenly Music , relishing the opportunity to pass on the music that had inspired him in his own youth. Hosono also continued to work with his YMO bandmates. He played with Takahashi as the electronica duo Sketch Show, and Sakamoto later joined the pair to re-form YMO, working on various recording projects and performing in Japan and overseas. In general, though, Hosono has shifted away from electronic music, leaning more toward the subdued sound provided by acoustic instruments. Even after YMO got back together, the group played a quieter, more refined version of their trademark electronic style. Ongoing Musical Journey Hosono at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October 2019. (© Jiji) Hosono has remained a pioneer throughout his career, trailblazing new genres of music as he explored the strange, surprising, and unfamiliar sounds that captivated his creative impulses. Passing from one musical journey to the next, he has come to see himself as one more dot along the spectrum of musical history. He has added his own unique touch to this continuum while devoting himself to carrying on musical traditions. In the few years since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hosono has returned to the stage with a band made up of young performers including his grandson Hosono Yūta on bass. He is currently working on a new album of original works, his first since releasing Hochono House in 2019. Recording and mentoring the next generation of musicians marks a new chapter in his ongoing musical legacy, which in its fifty-sixth year has brought him a new kind of joy. (Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: From left, YMO members Sakamoto, Hosono, and Takahashi at a performance in Spain in June 2008. © Reuters.)
