STONES THROW TO RELEASE NEW HARUOMI HOSONO COMPILATION

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS SINCE THE RELEASE OF HOSONO’S ICONIC DEBUT

MAC DEMARCO’S COVER OF “BOKU WA CHOTTO” IS OUT NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBk_unefyLU

Stones Throw is releasing a compilation of covers of Haruomi Hosono’s iconic solo debut, Hosono House, celebrating 50 years since its release. This new compilation sees musicians from the Stones Throw roster and beyond offer up their own interpretations of Hosono’s songs.

Mac DeMarco is the first artist to share a cover. His version of “Boku Wa Chotto” is available to stream everywhere now. Mac says: “Hosono is my hero, I love all of his music, I am eternally at his every beck and call, it is my honor to be a part of this compilation. I recorded this cover in Joe Bird's guest room in Paris, August 2023. I hope my Japanese pronunciation isn’t too horrible.”

Listen to Mac DeMarco’s cover of “Boku Wa Chotto” here: https://sthrow.com/bokuwachotto

Other artists interpreting the songs of Hosono House include Sam Gendel, John Carroll Kirby feat. The Mizuhara Sisters (Kiko & Yuka), Pearl & The Oysters, Jerry Paper, Cornelius, Akiko Yano, and more.

Born 1947 in Tokyo, Haruomi (or Harry) Hosono is a founding member of both influential folk rock act Happy End and pioneering electronic trio Yellow Magic Orchestra. Hosono has also released a number of solo albums in his five decade career, most recently a full-length rework of his solo debut, 2019’s Hochono House.

When it came to recording his solo debut at twenty-five, Hosono – inspired by James Taylor, whom he was crazy about – chose to record the album in seclusion in a U.S. Army house in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture. Just as Taylor had recorded his own album in a country house with friends, Hosono took the same approach at the U.S. Army house, with the help of an engineer and some fellow musicians.

The album’s blend of folk, country, calypso, funk and novelty songs still sounds as fresh as it did in 1973. Already an important album in the Japanese pop music canon, Hosono House’s impact stretches far beyond Japan, receiving an unexpected surge of interest when Harry Styles cited it as a leading inspiration for his Grammy Award-winning album Harry’s House.

Released in partnership with KAKUBARHYTHM & Bayon Production in Japan, the compilation will be available on vinyl and digital later in 2024, date to be announced. Participating artists include Mac DeMarco, Sam Gendel, John Carroll Kirby feat. The Mizuhara Sisters (Kiko & Yuka), Jerry Paper, Pearl & The Oysters, Cornelius, Akiko Yano, Yuma Abe, mei ehara, rei harakami, Kukuku (Ikuko Harada & Manami Kakudo), and more.

Hosono House’s strange beauty has been beloved by music fans and artists around the world for half a century. Now, musicians who’ve been obsessed with the album their whole lives are interpreting it themselves.