Haruomi Hosono

Haruomi Hosono, born on July 9, 1947, in Minato, Tokyo, is a trailblazing Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, and producer. His musical innovation transcends genres, making him a seminal figure in Japanese popular music. His journey began in the late 1960s as the bassist of the influential psychedelic rock band Apryl Fool. He found his first mainstream success with Happy End, a rock band that he co-founded in 1970. Happy End is often credited with pioneering a blend of Western rock and traditional Japanese music. Their 1971 album, Kazemachi Roman, is regarded as one of the greatest Japanese rock albums of all time. Following Happy End's disbandment in 1973, Haruomi Hosono explored various styles including exotica, electronic, and folk music on albums such as Hosono House (1973), Tropical Dandy (1975), and Bon Voyage Co. (1976). His 1978 album Paraiso was a defining moment in his career, leading him to form Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi. YMO achieved international acclaim for their innovative use of synthesizers and became a major influence in the development of electronic music globally. Throughout the 1980s, Haruomi Hosono continued to push the boundaries of pop music on the albums Philharmony (1982), S-F-X (1984), and Omni Sight Seeing (1989) while also writing original music for the soundtracks of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Night on the Galactic Railroad, Paradise View, and The Tale of Genji. The following decade found the accomplished musician founding his own label Daisyworld and collaborating with Bill Laswell on the 1996 ambient album, Interpieces Organization. Even though his creative output was rather limited during the early aughts, Haruomi Hosono returned in full force in the 2010s with HoSoNoVa (2011), Heavenly Music (2013), Vu Ja De (2017), and Hochono House (2019), all of which garnered critical acclaim upon release. In 2021, he issued the live album Hosono Haruomi Live in US 2019.