Omni Sight Seeing is a 1989 album by Haruomi Hosono.

omni Sight Seeing
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 21, 1989 (1989-07-21)
Recorded1988–1989, Tokyo and Paris
Studio
Various
    • Magnet Studio
    • D.M.S.
    • Alfa Studio A
    • Artisti Palace
    • Nichion Studio
GenreAmbient, electronica, world
LanguageJapanese, English, French, Arabic
LabelEpic
ProducerHaruomi Hosono

Background and recording

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This was their first studio album in four years since their last album, "Endless Talking", and their first release since moving to EPIC/SONY RECORDS.

This work was the result of sessions and collaborations with Arabian musicians, with an inclination towards the 'world music' that was gaining attention at the time.

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Haruomi Hosono, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Esashi" (江差)traditional1:50
2."Andadura" 6:23
3."Orgone Box" 6:05
4."Ohenro-san" (お遍路さん) (instrumental) 2:44
5."Caravan"Irving Mills, Juan Tizol, Duke Ellington4:16
6."Retort" 3:33
7."Laugh-Gas"Hosono, Amina Ben Mustapha, Tomoko Nunoi11:27
8."Korendor" (instrumental) 5:27
9."Pleocene"Hosono, Keiko Hida6:12

Music description

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  1. ESASHI
    • The title Esashi is taken from Esashi Oiwake.
    • Hosono was watching NHK Nodo Jiman in 1988 and could not forget the song Esashi Oiwake sung by then 14-year-old Kimura Kasumi from HokkaidoEsashi Town, so he sought her out and recorded it a cappella.[1]
  2. ANDADURA
    • The genre is "Arab music".
    • The vocalists are the Arab singer Amina ("Amina Ben Mustapha" in the liner notes)[2] and Hosono.
  3. 'ORGONE BOX'
  4. OHENRO-SAN
  5. CARAVAN
    • Hosono himself says: "A compilation of quotations, a ghost band of ghost musicians"; the names Les Paul and Duke Ellington are credited, but this is a simulation, not an actual performance and recording.
  6. RETORT
    • The lyrics are included on the lyric card, but the singer himself explains, "I can't sing it very well, so I'm hoping someone will record a song version of it for me one day." He explains, [2].
    • A song version self-cover was included as "Retort - Vu Ja De ver." (M11) on his album Vu Jà Dé, released in 2017.
  7. LAUGH-GAS
    • The lyrics are in French and the song is sung by "Amina Ben Mustapha".[1]
  8. KORENDOR
    • Image of "a deranged alien playing piano in the Japanese countryside", according to the man himself.
  9. 'PLEOCENE'

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ a b from the liner Cite error: The named reference "Liner" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b from the liner Cite error: The named reference "liner" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).