Music review: Haruomi Hosono <Philharmony>

I have been obsessively listening to Haruomi Hosono’s (細野 晴臣) <Philharmony>, since KJ spinned the vinyl record at Hotel Biron last night.

This avant-garde cybertronic album, from the 80s, with its sampling, looping, and montage of Hoosno’s breaths, vocals and instruments, feels almost like abstract painting. In particular, the song <Platonic>, led me into a trance, like staring deep into a Dadaism montage.

And the whole album continues the Japanese legend’s idea of “sightseeing music”, asking the creator and audience to take a tour of different parts of the world through music.