Cochin Moon

• First ever release outside of Japan
• Translated interview with Haruomi Hosono
• Remastered from the original analog master tapes
• 1xLP pressed on Opaque Yellow Vinyl
• Housed in a Gatefold Jacket
• Features Printed Fold-Out Insert & OBI Strip
• Original Release Year: 1978

The unbelievably prolific Haruomi Hosono is one of the major architects of modern Japanese pop music. With his encyclopedic knowledge of music and boundless curiosity for new sounds, Hosono is the auteur of his own idiosyncratic musical world, putting his unmistakable stamp on hundreds of recordings as an artist, session player, songwriter and producer.

Hosono's solo career would take many twists and turns from this point forward, with forays into exotica, electronic, ambient, and techno, culminating in the massive success of techno pop group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO).

Released in September 1978, a mere two months before YMO's debut, Cochin Moon is a clear precursor to the groundbreaking synth and sequencer-dominated sounds that would come to define the iconic trio. Credited to Hosono and Pop Art legend Tadanori Yokoo (who created the cover art), Cochin Moon is a fictional soundtrack to a journey into unknown worlds, inspired by Hosono and Yokoo's trip to India.

Initially, the album was to be a kind of ethnographic musical document, using found sounds and field recordings made by Hosono himself. Instead, after Yokoo introduced Hosono to the sounds of Kraftwerk and krautrock during the trip, Cochin Moon became something much stranger.

Created almost entirely on synthesizers and sequencers with the help of future YMO collaborators Ryuichi Sakamoto and Hideki Matsutake, the music on the album is the perfect encapsulation of Hosono's concept of "sightseeing music," transporting the listener to an exotic place that may or may not exist.

Admired by artists ranging from Van Dyke Parks to Mac DeMarco, Hosono continues to forge ahead as he heads into his fifth decade as a musician. With the re-release of his key albums for the first time outside of Japan, his genius will be discovered by a whole new generation of fans around the world.

Artwork By [Cover] – Tadanori Yokoo
Engineer – Seiichi Chiba
Engineer [Assistant] – Kunio Tsukamoto
Executive-Producer – Haruomi Hosono, Tadanori Yokoo
Keyboards – Hiroshi Sato, Ryuichi Sakamoto
Musician – Shuka Nishihara
Performer – Haruomi Hosono
Producer – Tadao Takakuwa, Tsunehiro Motoyoshi
Programmed By [Computer Programming] – Hideki Matsutake