26 HARUOMI HOSONO Hosono House LIgHT IN THE ATTIC

Ryuichi Sakamoto may be the most famous graduate of Japan’s Yellow Magic Orchestra, but this year’s reissues of five albums recorded between 1973 and 1989 revealed, his former bandmate Hosono as an equally notable figure. From the arch country-bossa of 1973’s Hosono House to the warped synth-pop of 1982’s Philharmony, they combine fearless musical crosspollination and experimentation with an endearingly screwy charm.