HIROSHI SATO, “ORIENT” [WEWANTSOUNDS, 2018]

Every morning on Morning Mari*, we play a track from our album of the week. This week we’re celebrating the release of Hiroshi Sato’s ultra-rare synth masterpiece from 1979, Orient.

Arguably one of the most important Japanese keyboardists of the era, Hiroshi Sato came to prominence playing with Happy End in the mid 1970s. Joining Hiroshi Sato is Shigeru Suzuki on guitar, Haruomi Hosono on bass and Pecker on percussion.

Remastered from the original tapes released on Kitty Records, this is Orient’s first ever international release, courtesy of Wewantsounds. Over the years its gained worldwide cult status, particularly for its genre-bending sound, which incorporates Balearic, Japanese synth-pop, exotica, and neo-funk.

Listen to more Japanese selections from Mari in her two-hour bi-monthly show  Oto Nova Japan 音の波 on Worldwide FM. The show presents new music and artists emerging from Japan, as well as selected re-issues.

Tracklist:
1. Kalimba Night
2. Son Go Kuw
3. Tsuki No Ko No Namae Wa Leo
4. Doncama
5. Jo-Do
6. Sora Tobu Jutan
7. Picnic
8. Hikaru Kaze