Haruomi Hosono has nothing left to prove. At 79, he is one of the most accomplished and influential musicians on the planet, most notably through his work with the pioneering 1970s electropop band Yellow Magic Orchestra.
And yet, the Japanese legend just can’t seem to slow down. Last week, he released his critically acclaimed 23rd solo album, Yours Sincerely, and he’s commemorating that landmark with two rare stateside shows alongside Toro y Moi: One at Radio City Music Hall in New York, which took place earlier this week, and another at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles this Sunday.
A few days ahead of his gig at Radio City, I sat down with Hosono to discuss the surprising inspiration behind Yellow Magic Orchestra’s iconic “techno cut,” the difference between American and Japanese style, and what motivates him to continue creating new work five decades into his career.
Haruomi Hosono: Yukihiro was the starting point. I actually met Yukihiro when we were in high school. We were both in amateur bands and met at a party. Yukihiro’s band sounded like Sly and the Family Stone, which I thought was a very fun approach. We became close with each other ever since that party.
Ryuichi Sakamoto was close to Yukihiro. I wasn’t too sure about him when we first met. Originally, Ryuichi was not really into the idea of being part of Yellow Magic Orchestra. But my manager and Ryuichi’s manager were acquaintances, so through that connection we persuaded him to join.
Your new album, Yours Sincerely, is your 23rd studio album. Where do you look now for inspiration to write new music?
Until recently, I’ve been into old American music from the ’30s and ’40s, which includes genres like boogie-woogie, country, jazz, and pop. Inspiration has always come from a pure place as a music nut.
In 2019, I had some shows in New York City. At the time, I was really into a lot of American music genres. I had this experience of hearing from the younger generation in the States that they never really heard the old-time American music I was performing on stage, which was nice to hear.
After that, the pandemic hit. Creative work was on hold. But during that time, the inspiration for this record came. The world became an unstable place at that time. I was also thinking of omoiyari, often translated as “compassion” in English, during that time. I felt that an ending note we use in letters described it best, and that is why the record is titled Yours Sincerely.
