Victory / Italy / RE 2025 / LP, Unofficial Release, Pale orange
*More copies coming soon!
This album features Haruomi Hosono’s mesmerizing score for the first animated adaptation of The Tale of Genji—the groundbreaking 11th-century novel by Murasaki Shikibu, often regarded as the world’s first modern novel. Directed by Gisaburō Sugii, the anime covers only a fragment of the epic tale, but Hosono’s soundtrack is vast in ambition.
Departing from his synth-heavy work, Hosono foregrounds traditional Japanese instruments—koto, flute, and percussion—layering them into hypnotic, almost alien textures. Plucked strings mimic swarming insects, hand percussion evokes breathing rhythms, and processed flute conjures howling winds. The result is hauntingly beautiful, balancing mystery and unease with an elegant, futuristic-classical sensibility. While accessible to ambient music fans, it remains a singular fusion of ancient tradition and avant-garde experimentation.