Master craftsman Haruomi Hosono, a towering figure in Japanese music, has released his first solo album in seven years, Yours Sincerely. This deeply personal collection offers a stripped-back, sentimental journey through diverse musical landscapes, drawing inspiration from Brill Building pop, bossa nova, and even classical compositions. Despite delving into nostalgic sounds, Hosono, with over five decades of groundbreaking work, remains firmly focused on the present, viewing this new record as a heartfelt message to his closest connections.

A Legacy of Innovation

Hosono’s influence stretches across generations and genres. Even as a sociology undergraduate, his band Happy End was instrumental in establishing Japanese-language rock as a serious artistic pursuit with their album Kazemachi Roman. Later, as a co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra alongside Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, he was pivotal in elevating electronic music from an niche interest to a global phenomenon. His solo debut, Hosono House, released 53 years ago, marked the beginning of a continuous exploration of new sonic territories. His genre-fluid discography has touched countless artists and listeners worldwide, influencing everyone from Mac DeMarco to Harry Styles.

‘Yours Sincerely’: A Letter from the Heart

Yours Sincerely presents a more introspective side of Hosono than many have seen in his storied career. At 79, his latest work is characterized by its sparse arrangements and pensive, sentimental tone. “I approached the writing very differently to my past works,” Hosono explained from his Tokyo studio. “It’s not really a record written for the whole world. It was intended to be delivered to the people closest to me, sort of like a letter.” This intimate approach is palpable in the album’s skeletal arrangements, which allow timeless melodies to resonate, creating a sense of close proximity with the listener.

The album was crafted in a comfortable, orderly environment within the very building where Hosono was born. This personal space, filled with books and merchandise from collaborators like Miharu Koshi and Cornelius, undoubtedly contributed to the record’s sentimental nature. The songs are infused with echoes of the past and half-remembered melodies, inspired by his recent life in Tokyo.

Reimagining Melodies, Old and New

A central theme of Yours Sincerely is Hosono’s unique ability to repurpose existing musical ideas. The album’s title track, a partial Japanese translation and arrangement of The Moonglows’ classic “Sincerely,” encapsulates the album’s core concept: the word itself signifies a message “from the heart.” Hosono discovered the song in his junior high school days, initially hearing it on a portable radio, likely via The McGuire Sisters’ rendition. After exploring various versions, he found the Paris Sisters’ interpretation most compelling, ultimately opting for a simple arrangement for his own cover, featuring bossa nova guitar and chiming bells.

This practice of reinterpretation extends to classical music. “Humming ‘Dream of Love'” incorporates a humming rendition of Liszt’s Liebesträume No. 3 over a warm guitar and music box arrangement. “Figlia Perdita” transforms a segment of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony into an avant-folk piece. Hosono notes that his ear is naturally attuned to pop sensibilities, even when listening to classical music. “The pieces I really love are always the pieces that sound pop to my ears,” he stated. He discovered the Beethoven piece through its use in the Nicolas Cage film ‘Knowing,’ where it served as the soundtrack to humanity’s impending destruction, leaving a profound impact that inspired its inclusion on the album.

An Inward Turn and a Craftsman’s Approach

While Hosono’s career has often been characterized by an outward-facing embrace of global influences like exotica, Indian, and Brazilian music, Yours Sincerely marks a turn inward. The sentimentality and vulnerability on the album are coupled with a deep nostalgia for the music of his youth—specifically, the American sounds of the 1940s and ’50s he absorbed as a boy in post-war Tokyo.

Hosono admits he no longer finds excitement in new music, though his passion for exploring sounds in his own creative process remains. He expresses a degree of anxiety regarding new technologies like AI, feeling they are geared towards those who don’t enjoy the act of making music. “Around the time of Yellow Magic Orchestra, all technology seemed really fun,” he recalled. “It was like a toy. We were playing. But now – AI especially – I get the impression new technology is for people who don’t enjoy making music.”

Instead, Hosono views himself as a master craftsman, akin to a Japanese lacquer artisan (“urushinuri shokunin”), dedicated to refining his skills and equipment. His guitar playing on the album is melodic and precise, adorned with subtle flourishes that lend a delicate beauty. “I look at myself and my old equipment a bit like that. Always polishing and polishing,” he said.

Inspiration from Peers and a Creative Resurgence

Inspiration for Hosono now comes from peers who continue to create. He cited David Byrne’s impactful live performance as a significant influence, and he continues to find joy and inspiration in watching Bob Dylan perform.

The period between his 2019 album Hochono House and Yours Sincerely was marked by a creative drought, particularly during the pandemic. Hosono described spending three years driving around Tokyo, contemplating the state of the world, and feeling unable to engage with music. “I drew a complete creative blank during the pandemic,” he shared. “During those times, I wasn’t really in touch with music at all… I didn’t have the brain capacity, or the mindset, to even think about music during this period – for maybe three years.”

However, with the world returning to a semblance of normalcy, Hosono’s creative flow has resumed. Yours Sincerely was largely conceived and recorded in a concentrated burst between March and May of the album’s release year. The track ‘Anemo Wheel,’ however, is an exception, dating back to 1984 when it was created for a television show that was canceled. Rediscovered on an unlabeled cassette, its inclusion on the album highlights Hosono’s enduring foresight, sounding remarkably contemporary and fitting seamlessly with the album’s intimate and emotional tone.

A Dialogue Across Time

‘Anemo Wheel’ serves not only as a testament to Hosono’s diverse artistic identities but also suggests a continuous creative dialogue spanning generations. Yours Sincerely, his latest correspondence, finds the master craftsman in good spirits, reflecting on his past while firmly rooted in the present.