Haruomi Hosono - Sportsmen

Other than posting the weekly Resonance FM radio show, I've been inactive on the blog of late. I've been itching to write posts and what better way to return than with a track by pop legend Haruomi Hosono? A member of the ludicrously influential Yellow Magic Orchestra, this is a man whose involvement in Japanese pop music is so mind-bogglingly prominent that it's hard to keep track with who he has (and hasn't) collaborated with. Whether it's been as a member of Happy End, producing and writing for Jun Togawa, collaborating with Tamao Koike or releasing an exotica-funk record with Shigeru Suzuki and Tatsuro Yamashita, Hosono has virtually been omnipresent. And it isn't just collaboratively that he thrives. This track, 'Sportsmen', is a sensational pop song; an archetype in the context of Japan's pop scene, it's infectious, off-kilter sophisticated fun. This is an earworm whose hook will be looping your brain for days.

Label: Yen Records
Year: 1982
Genre: New Wave, J-Pop, Experimental, Synth Pop

Resonance FM 20/11/14

This week's Resonance show largely explored ambient music and easy-listening. Starting with organist Johnny Dupont and ending with the gentle whimsy of The Incredible String Band, the episode had a particularly calming tone to it. Arthur Lyman supplied the jazz with his exotica rendition of 'Autumn Leaves' while Shigeo Sekito brought the smooth electronica. Japanese duo Inoyama Land were the evening's featured artist, while Mark Isham and Structures Sonores Lasry-Baschet also featured.

Dig That Treasure (13/11/14)
Johnny Dupont - Ebb Tide
Arthur Lyman - Autumn Leaves
Structures Sonores Lasry-Baschet - Manège
Shigeo Sekito - The Word II
Mark Isham - Something Nice For My Dog
Inoyama Land - 8-31
Inoyama Land - Glass Chaim
The Incredible String Band - Air

Resonance FM 13/11/14

The most recent episode of Dig That Treasure on Resonance 104.4fm was filled to the brim with the wacky and tacky. Opening the track was the seductive Chuck Edwards, followed by the surrealist Japanese pop of Variètè, the off-kilter kitsch of Sally Oldfield, the saccharine sound of Fatouma Mansour, and eventually the Soviet pop of Aida Vedishcheva. Whew. Lots of gloss.

Dig That Treasure (13/11/14)
Chuck Edwards - Ooh La La La
Variètè - Good-Night Age
Sally Oldfield - Answering You
Sally Oldfield - Easy
Fatouma Mansour - ?
Aida Vedishcheva - Comment Te Dire Adieu

Resonance FM 6/11/14

To celebrate the release of his new record Pom Pom, I aired an Ariel Pink special of Dig That Treasure! on Resonance 104.4fm. One of my favourite artists of all time, Pink has been a huge influence on this blog and radio show, and so I felt it suitable to celebrate his career in the same vein that I've previously done with R. Stevie Moore and Van Dyke Parks. This episode was an exploration of some of his obscurer works, spanning from pre-teen recordings to recent Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti tracks. Also thrown in their is some Ghanaian highlife and Japanese pop.

Dig That Treasure (5/11/14)
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Let's Get Married Tonite
The Rising Storm - Bright Lit Blue Skies
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Phantasthma
Alhaji K. Frimpong - Susu Ne Wonka
Susan - Ah Soka!
Ariel Pink - One More Time
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Something Isn't Something

Resonance FM 30/10/14

This episode featured tracks from France, Germany, Sweden and Ethiopia, with styles including exotica, jazz and ambience. I closed the show with a tribute to my late Uncle John, an inspiring man of the kindest heart.

Dig That Treasure (30/10/14)
Jean-Jacques Perrey - Indicative Spatial
Bhakti Jazz - Glimpses Of Truth
Joe Davolaz - Piña Colada
Netsanet Melese - Yale Senebet
Woo - Taizee
Woo - Make Me Tea
Woo - The Garden Path
Tom Waits - A Good Man Is Hard To Find

Resonance FM 23/10/14

Kicking off with some Soviet new-wave, this episode travelled through Ethiopia and Italy before arriving at spooky baroque-psychedelic act Jonna Gault.

Dig That Treasure (23/10/14)
НИИ Косметики - Пушка
НИИ Косметики - Счастлив
Tewodros Tadesse - Emiye Ethiopia
Matia Bazar - Solo Tu
Jonna Gault & Her Symphonopop Scene - Wonder Why, I Guess

Resonance FM 9/10/14 (Adrian Knight)

This episode featured a very special session recorded by Adrian Knight in his Brooklyn, NY home. He played tracks from his albums Cheap Love and Pictures of Lindsey as well an unreleased tune! I also span tracks from South London newbie Alex Burey, Ghanaian Soukous legend Tabu Ley Rouchereau, and Francophile Japanese theatre group Super Eccentric Theatre.

Adrian Knight's session - with four other unaired tracks - was then put out as the first ever Dig That Treasure! Records release. It is available to stream and download here.

Dig That Treasure (9/10/14)
Alex Burey - Unspoken
Adrian Knight - Deep Dark Eyes
Adrian Knight - Alice
Adrian Knight - Scaring All The Girls Away
Tabu Ley Rochereau - Lina
Super Eccentric Theatre - Oh Les Beaux Japonais!

Resonance FM 2/10/14

From Taiwan to Greenland, this episode explored music that pushes the boundaries of what is or isn't pop music. David Darling's arrangements of Taiwanese aborigine song actually give them a structure not unlike that of a pop song, while Sven Libaek's jazz-inspired compositions span from incidental music to sunshine pop.

Dig That Treasure (2/10/14)
Jim O'Rourke - Close To You
David Darling & Wulu Bunun - Ku-Isa Tama Lag
David Darling & Wulu Bunun - Lugu Lugu Kan-Ibi
Sven Libaek - Dancing Penguins
Sven Libaek - The Set
Sven Libaek - Start Growing Up
Sume - Forventing / Ankomst

Resonance FM 25/9/14

This episode was a fabulous parade of quirky pop song after quirky pop song, with geographical origins spanning from Soviet Union to Ghana, via Italy and Japan.

Dig That Treasure (25/9/14)
Vyacheslav Mescherin Orchestra - Persistent Robot
Cst Amankwah - Biibiba
Boys Age - Just As Satan Says
Boys Age - In The Doldrums
Ruscigan - Sin Palabras
Willy Hoffman Orchestra - Coconuts
People Like Us - Downtown Once More

Resonance FM 18/9/14

Mid-September I returned to the airwaves for my third (unofficial) series of Dig That Treasure! on Resonance 104.4FM. I kicked off with some Joe Meek, exploring along the way Bollywood soundtrack, rare Northern Soul and contemporary American singer-songwriter Stephen Steinbrink.

Dig That Treasure (18/9/14)
Joe Meek - I Hear A New World
Rajesh Roshan - Superman, Superman
Darrell Banks - Open The Door To Your Heart
Darrell Banks - You Better Leave
Stephen Steinbrink - Call You Later
Tilahun Gessesse - Bemishit Chereka
Julee Cruise - Floating