4.52am Issue: 008 13th November 2016

HOTEI & IGGY POP
Walking Through The Night
Selling over 40 Million Records in his
homeland of Japan, Hotei is the very
definition of a superstar, and after a career
spanning 35 years, and with Time Out
calling him ‘Iconic’ it would be easy for him
to rest on his laurels and keep mining that
familiar seam.
Like Messrs Emmanuel, Santana and Di
Meola who we’ve looked at in recent weeks,
Hotei is much better than that and like any
true artist still has plenty to give, and places
to go.
If you haven’t heard of him or are perhaps
unsure why you have, his Battle Without
Honor or Humanity provided an epic theme
to Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill or perhaps
you saw him join Zucchero on his album and
on-stage at the Albert Hall earlier this year,
or if you are on the other side of that pond,
perhaps you caught his headline spots at
the legendary LA Troubadour or New York’s
Highline Ballroom.
You get the picture.
Walking Through The Night is taken from
Hotei’s first international album which
features a selection of artists including
Richard Z. Kruspe, Bullet For My Valentine’s
Matt Tuck, Noko from Apollo 440, and the
rather brilliant Shea Seger.
Oh and the genius incarnate that is Iggy
Pop, but you knew that already, it says so
at the top of the page.
As for the song, it is stunning, Iggy Pop’s
vocals are back to his greasy coiled best,
and Hotei’s music is compelling.
Iggy explained his motivation and
inspiration for the track as,
“I tried to put myself on a late night
brightly lit Shinjuku street, feeling alone,
sexually vulnerable and a little bit angry…
a little bit horny…”
The video follows a man’s nocturnal
journey through the seedy back streets of
Tokyo, lured by the bright lights of
temptation. Stunningly filmed and
featuring shots of Iggy Pop and footage
of Hotei, the video is a gloriously
evocative taste of Hotei’s homeland that
chimes with the snarling lyrics.
In simple terms Hotei is the genuine
article, he creates music like nobody else
out there and his collaborations with Iggy
and the others are something different
from anything you have seen these chaps
do before. Well worth checking out Here.