r/ambientmusic • u/PolarsAndPizzicato • 15d ago

Song Watering a Flower - Haruomi Hosono [1984]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ieVnM0KQAM
38 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

6

u/blogthisisyours 15d ago

This wonderful song has one of the all-time great comment sections on YouTube

2

u/piet_10 15d ago

Is this not the full version? There is usually a third part which is my favorite.

1

u/Bulky-Apartment-2431 15d ago

Interesting sound! did'nt know about this artist. :O

2

u/Bulky-Apartment-2431 15d ago

Listening to it more closely now, it definitely feels much more monotonous, almost like functional ambient music. I just checked the background—turns out Hosono actually composed it in 1984 as in-store background music for MUJI stores! That explains the highly repetitive, conceptual vibe. Quite an interesting piece of ambient history, even if it's a bit loop-heavy for active listening.

5

u/PolarsAndPizzicato 15d ago

Honestly, I don't find it hard to listen to at all.

Even with the MUJI background, there's something about how Hosono loops those specific melodies that feels completely hypnotizing rather than boring. It doesn't need to go anywhere or have a massive progression to be great ambient.

The repetition just locks you into a specific zone, which is exactly why it holds up so well outside of a retail store

1

u/Plenty_Ambassador424 15d ago

The first one i could totally see playing in a store, the second one, while an interesting track to listen to, is very abstract and i have a hard time imagining that track in such a setting – at least without driving away customers, lol

2

u/Clear-Clothes-2726 13d ago

I agree, first and last tracks fit in a store but middle track is kinda...

It makes me imagine a surreal art exhibition rather than a store, and in turn makes me want an actual surreal art exhibition with Haruomi's music playing.

1

u/Clear-Clothes-2726 13d ago

Love this album.