Hotei Tomoyasu - New Beginnings

Singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso Hotei Tomoyasu has definitely spanned the rock spectrum in the course of his 33 years in the music business. It's no surprise then that he would choose to take a different turn. In 2012, he relocated to London where he recorded his latest album, so perhaps some of the vibrant city's quirks have rubbed off on him. It probably also has something to do with the four international producers he worked with.

The differences between New Beginnings and its predecessor, 2013's COME RAIN COME SHINE, are as stark as night and day. For one thing, Hotei doesn't sing once on this record, instead letting his guitar do the singing with guest vocalists filling in at his request. One such guest is Iggy Pop, and the collaboration was orchestrated by Rolling Stones producer Don Was. Iggy provided the lyrics and vocals for two tracks. The first, Walking Through the Night, is pounding, bassy rock with, of course, an irresistable guitar riff. Hotei fans may be disappointed that the singer chose not to perform any vocals himself, but here the inclusion of The Stooges singer should make up for it. His low, rumbling tones add real attitude and menace, whilst maintaining a sense of isolation. It's a powerful yet balanced track, where the two stars get equal airtime: Hotei's short but expressive solo reinforces his guitar legend status. How the Cookie Crumbles is much more punk, with Iggy's rebellious delivery and the lighter, sharper guitar evoking a classic Stones sound.

Hotei also called upon the talents of British singer Vula Malinga for the superb Texas Groove. Malinga is probably best known as the voice of electronic duo Basement Jaxx's hit Oh My Gosh, but is a fine gospel singer in her own right. Hotei's writing and arranging is absolutely spot-on in this bluesy rock piece. He allows the voluptuous vocals to stand out and builds a slick, hand-clapping rhythmic section around it, his own guitar part a humble but vital heartbeat ticking away in the background. Hopefully this won't be the only collaboration between the two.

Another major change in this album is the complete lack of rockabilly and country rock songs, which were a staple in previous releases. In their place, there are forays into other genres. The electronic Kill Or Kiss with its hints of disco and funk is pleasantly dancey. The murky Barrel of My Own Gun, co-written with producer Norman Fisher-Jones aka Noko 440 is dark and smoky dub. Hip hop beats and electronic elements make their way into the heavily mixed New Chemical, which also has Noko 440's touch. Hotei can't seem to resist dipping back into his pop rock roots with the '80s style Departure, taking us back with it's oriental riffs and heavy synth drums.

Hotei is no stranger to writing for various soundtracks over the years, and his instrumental tracks often end up taking on a theatrical air. Medusa is intimidating, with elements of a sexed-up Spaghetti Western theme. It later shifts into daring spy-thriller mode, his guitar smartly mimicking sirens for extra edginess. "James Bond"-esque Sons of Sorrow is also action-packed but in a retro way, and wouldn't be out of place accompanying those near impossible Japanese shoot-em-up games of yore - it's really quite similar to his 2011 remix of the "Mission Impossible" theme. On the flipside, there are some mellower pieces produced by ambient maestro Leo Abrahams. There's the relaxing Into the Light, which is mostly easy listening until it crescendos into a dramatic finale. The Living is a soft bit of ambience with an oriental theme which makes for good background music. The final track on the album has actually been written for a movie soundtrack - Trick Attack featured as the theme for the live-action version of "Lupin III", released in Japan on August 30th. Whilst not as catchy as the animated series' famous theme, Hotei pays homage to it by incorporating plenty of brass and synth into the punchy jazz-funk mix to give it an old-school sheen.

There's little doubt that New Beginnings will polarize some fans and critics as it's so different from his previous body of work, and it does feel like it's consciously targeted towards a more international audience. Taken on it's own merits however, it's a great collection of well-written, well-produced and skillfully performed music. On his blog, Hotei has stated that it's the album he has always wanted to make, and living in London has provided him with much more freedom to make his music without inhibition. Hopefully it will go some way to helping him achieve his dream of global recognition of his work.

New Beginnings was released on 1st October in Japan, while the international release date is still to be announced.