Recently, HOTEI released his first international album, Strangers, worldwide this October. The album itself is impressive for has various contributions and collaborations with other well known artists in today's music scene such as the godfather of punk Iggy Pop, Emigrate/Rammstein’s Richard Z. Kruspe, Bullet For My Valentine’s Matt Tuck, Noko from UK electronic band pioneers Apollo 440, and the acclaimed Texas singer Shea Seger. Writing and production credits include other well-known names such as Youth (Pink Floyd, Verve, Killing Joke), Leo Abrahams (Brian Eno, Paolo Nutini), and Stephen Lipson (Jeff Beck, Grace Jones, Hans Zimmer).
HOTEI has an impressive music career so far. He began first as being the guitarist of the legendary Japanese rock band BOØWY (pronounced Boy) during the 80s. After reaching success, in 1988, HOTEI embarked his solo career with the debut album Guitarhythm. Since then, he has collaborated with artists such as David Bowie, Andy Mackay (Roxy Music), INXS, Blondie, Joni Mitchell, Darren Price (Underworld) and more. Recently, HOTEI performed with The Rolling Stones on their 50th Anniversary tour. He currently resides in London, to focus on his international career. As an international artist, he has headlined sold-out shows in the capital at the Roundhouse in 2012 and at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in 2013. His recent live was accompanied by Apollo 440 and Shea Seger, to showcase Strangers. He has sold 40 millions copies of records in his home country of Japan alone. World wide, he is best known for the song "Battle Without Honor Or Humanity", or widely known as the theme from Quentin Tarantino's 2003 hit film, Kill Bill. This song is included in his recent album as the dramatic final song to close.
His recent album, Strangers, demonstrates this artists diversity in songwriting, and a virtuoso guitarist who mixes instrumental epics with contemporary masterpieces. Example of this work is shown in the song "Move It", which HOTEI has Emigrate/Rammstein guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe on vocals, creating "an upbeat industrial thumper".
HOTEI opens his album with the eerie surf-inspired instrumental track of "Medusa", and then continues on with the album with songs that work with a wide-ranging sonic palette, inflicting a cinematic drama feeling for the listeners. A great example of this at work is the song "Kill To Love You" in which features Bullet For My Valentine's Matt Tuck on the vocals, creating a dark and emotive track for the ears.
By doing what he knows best, HOTEI is able to use his guitar work and his electronic wizardry to produce an album that is truly unique, futuristic, diverse and thoughtful, with mixtures of rock, dance, punk, and electro sounds to help intensify this feeling.
Here's some words from the guitarist himself, expressing his feelings about this album creation:
British rock has always been a great source of inspiration to me and now living in London with a fresh start, ‘Strangers’ allows me to take a step out of this new and relatively anonymous space to introduce myself. A stranger to many, remembering the days when I was young and just starting out, playing gigs to a room of only 20 people, I want to connect with people individually and let them understand me through my music.
Strangers
[CD]
1. Strangers
2. Kill or Kiss (feat. Shea Seger)
3. Move It (feat. Richard Z. Kruspe)
4. How The Cookie Crumbles (feat. Iggy Pop)
5. Medusa
6. Kill to Love You (feat. Matt Tuck)
7. Battle Without Honor or Humanity
8. Texas Groove (feat. Shea Seger)
9. Barrel of My Own Gun (feat. Noko)
10. Walking Through the Night (feat. Iggy Pop)
11. Black Ships (Japan Edition bonus track)
12. Into the Light
13. Departure
Official Links:
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Source: Sony Music Newsletter via Email
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