Sony Japan Schallplatten & CDs

Review: It's 1999 and Haruomi Hosono and pal Makoto Kubota - the latter arguably best known for their part in Les Rallies Denudes - decide to take on a daring project for the era. The Japanese artists opt to put out an album inspired by one of the world's foremost musical cities, New Orleans, which on paper couldn't be much further removed from the soundtrack of their homeland at that time.

Dig deeper, though, and while the Mississippi blues feels resolutely Deep South, an experience at odds with the Far East, Japan's incredibly fertile music scene back then actually shared more in common with Louisiana's aural calling cards than you might think. A hotbed of ideas, an understanding of what funk and soul mean, mastery of jazz's loose structures. Exceptional stuff, finally on re-issue

Review: This 1989 album by Haruomi Hosono is a pivotal one from the emergent world music scene of the late 80s. It incorporates sounds and scenes from all over the planet including Arab and Latin American music, folk, Japanese ambient and plenty more. A masterpiece of electronic pop, it takes you on a world adventure all from the safety of your own home and now it is finally pressed to vinyl outside of Japan for the first time with cutting by Bernie Grundman, on a clearly slab of wax, and with a full insert booklet.

Review: It's hard to fully comprehend the impact Haruomi Hosono has had on Japanese music culture, but an album like this is a great place to start in mapping out the arc of his staggering career. Originally recorded in 1977, Hosono invited Ryuichi Sakomoto and Yukihiro Takahashi to work on this exotica-flavoured opus, where elements of luxurious funk and a full spectrum of global cultures poured into a heady brew with adventurous synthesis foreshadowing the seminal which was to come with Yellow Magic Orchestra. The Yamaha CS80 and ARP Odyssey were amongst the tools which richened the sound Hosono was reaching for at this vital juncture for Japanese music - just listen to 'Shambhala Signal' and you'll understand.

Review: Haruomi Hosono was a key player int he 80s music scene, often fusing myriad sounds and styles from all over the world into his music. Another of his key album has been reissued by Light In The Attic this month, while this one comes on Sony and is a truly playful electronic pop gem. He may be one of the most revered figures in the Japanese music industry but his record with its playful melodies and shuffling beats, vocal ad libs and pirouetting grooves all prove Hosono doesnt take himself too seriously.

Review: Here comes the latest reissue of this enduring classic. The beautiful South Pacific sea is the overriding theme for what is a hard to find album from Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki and Tatsuro Yamashita. It is a perfect fusion of early electronics and exotic sounds that instantly transport you to the ocean in question. Standout cut 'Cosmic Surfing', which was later included on the debut album from YMO, Yellow Magic Orchestra, appears for the first time on this album. This is a long-awaited reissue from Light in the Attic and as ever with this are, it has been mastered beautifully, presented perfectly on a fitting clear blue vinyl and even includes a poster.

Review: The beautiful South Pacific sea is the overriding theme for this cult, hard to find album from Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki and Tatsuro Yamashita. It is a perfect fusion of early electronics and exotic sounds that transport you to the ocean in question in an instant. Standout cut 'Cosmic Surfing', was later included on the debut album from YMO, Yellow Magic Orchestra, appears for the first time on this album. This is a long awaited reissue from Light in the Attic and as ever with this are, it has been mastered beautifully, presented perfectly on a fitting clear blue vinyl and even includes a poster.