You might think rock star Haruomi Hosono has heard it all -- he's known as a founding member of Happy End, a pioneering band that performed rock music with Japanese lyrics, and the social phenomenon that was Yellow Magic Orchestra.
However, there's still music that sounds fresh to the 70-year-old Hosono, who's released a new double-disc album he named "Vu Ja De," a reverse of deja vu. The first disc features covers of boogie-woogie and other music from the 1940s to the 1960s, while the second is a collection of Hosono's original works. This is a rare example of a double album featuring covers on one disc and original songs on the other.
"This is the first time for me [to take this approach]," the veteran rocker said. "A cover song has its own world, while it's inevitable for my original music to show my colors, making it hard for me to put them together on the same disc. That's why I split them up."
Hosono, who sings songs on his latest album that were written before he was born, said he's most interested in the 1940s. "Because of World War II, no American music came to Japan. It sounds fresh to me when I listen to [the music of that time] today," he said.
After the war, U.S. culture made a big impact on Japan, and a young Hosono was among those who were greatly inspired by it. "As a Japanese person born after the war, I have many thoughts, like we were brainwashed by GHQ [General Headquarters]," he said. "It's fun on its own, though, because the music [from that time] is interesting."
It's been more than 10 years since Hosono started listening to 1940s music. At first, however, he found it difficult to recreate the music on his own.
"I belong to the rock'n'roll generation, so it was hard to come out of it," he said. "Maybe I can finally play it because I've grown older."
The second disc includes a song about a long-gone red-light district as well as works he wrote about 30 years ago.
He says he's averse to releasing an original piece.
"When I write music, I have to face myself right now," Hosono said. "I hate it because it's the same as looking at my aged self in a mirror."
"You won't understand it until you turn 70," he added with a grin.
Hosono made his debut in 1969 as a member of the band The April Fool and formed Happy End the following year. He began performing with Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Many younger artists say they were influenced by the pioneering rock musician, including singer-actor Gen Hoshino.
Hosono said the other day he had a good time talking with a musician in his 20s. "It was really fun that we got along very well despite the generation gap between us," he said.
With the 50th anniversary of his career nearing, the veteran rocker said he has a plan to re-record "Hosono House," his first solo album, this year.
"I don't know if it'll go well," he said. "I want to try my hand at Latin, mambo and more. There are so many things I still want to do."
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