Hotei’s debut album Strangers is out and Rock At Night is loving what we are hearing! The songs really reach into various genres (industrial, Texan blues, groove, hard rock, melodic metal) and make really nice ear candy. Hotei is a veteran to the rock music scene in his native Japan (60 million records sold) but this is is first international release–and boy, what a nice piece of pie.
Hotei received helped from “friends” such as Iggy Pop, Richard Z. Kruspe (Emigrate/Rammstein), Matt Tuck (Bullet For Your Valentine), Texan-born bluesy singer Shea Seger, and Noko from electronic music pioneers Apollo 440 to create this well-engineered, upbeat, and eclectic masterpiece. Hotei previously joined forces with artists such as David Bowie, Andy Mackay (Roxy Music), INXS, Blondie and Joni Mitchell, he also performed with The Rolling Stones on their 50th Anniversary tour.
The video is stunningly filmed and follows a man’s nocturnal journey through the seedy back streets of Tokyo, lured by the bright lights of temptation which you can watch at the link below. We’ve also got a great clip of Iggy talking about the track and working with Hotei where he explains, “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…”
Rock At Night’s review of Stranger
Hotei – Walking Through the Night (featuring Iggy Pop)
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
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