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“Philharmony was originally released on Yen, the label Hosono ran with his Yellow Magic Orchestra bandmate Yukihiro Takahashi. The label says the record captures Hosono at his most "experimental, boundary-pushing and schizophrenic, with the LP veering from wildly abstract beauties like 'Birthday Party' and 'In Limbo' via mutant synth pop such as 'Funiculi, Funicula' to tight funky dance floor fillers." – Resident Advisor

“In 1982, during one of the band’s hiatuses, Hosono took it a step further with Philharmony. It elevated the rudimentary technology of sampling into avant-garde expression. Listing a Prophet-5 synth, LinnDrum drum machine, MC-4 sequencer, and the early Emulator sampler as his “guest performers,” Hosono used Philharmony as an opportunity to test the limits of recording technology. He described the process of sampling, looping, and rewiring his breaths, vocals, and instruments into what feel like cubist shapes as improvisatory painting. Listening means surfing a circuit board one moment and spending an evening at a robot-run opera the next. Alongside all this cybertronic experimentation were funny 16-bit funk songs (on “Living-Dining-Kitchen,” he sings about his love of junk food) and straight-up synth-pop killers like the wonderful “Sports Men.” It still feels groundbreaking.” – Pitchfork

“The first album out of the gate, Philharmony, was originally released on Yen Records in 1982, while Hosono was taking a break from the success of Yellow Magic Orchestra. The album comes with cover art that suggests René Magritte and music that can seem like a distinctly Japanese synth-pop. But that’s not all that’s going on here. The staccato electronics of opener “Picnic” sound like they could have been plucked from a Cornelius album 15 or 20 years later. On the other hand, “Funiculi Funicura[sic],” is a playful update of the 19th century Neapolitan standard. Shifting yet again, the airy, percussive chords that gently dominate “Luminescent/Hotaru” carry an ethereal melody that echoes traditional Japanese music while at the same time looks distinctly forward with a minimalist new wave that somehow doesn’t sound dated.” – Spectrum Culture

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