HAKUSHI HASEGAWA ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM HONEST FEELING ALBUM 素直な気持ちアルバム OUT AUGUST 28TH VIA BRAINFEEDER
Experimental, elusive, and singular musician Hakushi Hasegawa (they/them) proudly announces their new album, Honest Feeling Album (素直な気持ちアルバム), coming out August 28th via Brainfeeder. In honor of the announcement, they share the lead single “The Owner of Sweetness” (蜜の主). Tomorrow, the music video directed by Takaharu Shimizu will premiere at 8AM ET.
Expectedly unexpected, an apt description of Hasegawa’s music in general, and one that applies to their newest single. “The Owner of Sweetness” juxtaposes a cutesy, pitch-shifted pop vocal against metal guitars and pounding, four-on-the-floor drums, eliciting a range of sensations from the listener. The opposition of musical elements balances out the track, ironically making it one of Hasegawa’s most straightforward, accessible singles to date.
Hasegawa shared some thoughts behind the track, which is a bit heavier than its poppy vocals may lead you to believe: “I feel these lyrics are the creepiest I have ever written. It’s a song that uses every possible trick—shifting blame, perversion, a premonition of doom, and rage—to postpone a conclusion, and for that, I needed a sweet sound. How creepy. This song best captures my long-standing question: ‘Why are so many forms of expression reduced to matters of love?’ I wrote it as a genuine expression of anti-romance supremacy. In the face of love—which, to varying degrees, has unconsciously turned people into wielders of power—how can one remain enraged, vindictive, cute, rambling, and pretending to be logical, all while raging against something that makes no sense?”
“The Owner of Sweetness” is Hasegawa’s first official new release since their incredible live session “Somoku” / “Outside (Soto)” which premiered as part of the famed YouTube series THE FIRST TAKE. Hasegawa’s previous album, Mahōgakkō/魔法学校 or ‘The Magic School,’ marked their first release on the famed Brainfeeder label in 2024; since then, fans can tide themselves over with some “unofficial” material from Hasegawa by tuning into the fashion shows of Noir Kei Ninomiya, who have commissioned the artist for their seasonal showcases over the last few years.
Following their previous release on Brainfeeder, Honest Feeling Album sees Hasegawa joined by their newly formed band, HaHa and The Hairpins, pushing their music into bold new territory while embracing a more expansive live-band sound. The album also features a diverse cast of collaborators including Mito Tsukino, tofubeats, Accorinrin (Otoboke Beaver), and Lee Lang, creating a series of unexpected and distinctive musical encounters. Each track flows seamlessly into the next, forming a continuous narrative that unfolds across the entire album. Hasegawa even makes note of their stylistic choices and evolution in tracks like “Boss Moire,” where the stream-of-consciousness lyrics demonstrate the artist’s own excitement and awe at the possibilities of music.
Honest Feeling Album’s narrative comes alive through Hasegawa’s trademark style, where disparate sounds coalesce into songs that range from big band jazz to J-pop to industrial noise. With a band behind them, their music resounds that much more mightily than ever before, and it still retains its frenetic energy, exemplified early on in Track 2’s lyrics:: “The season of flutter, yes, has come (translated).”
This time around, the bombast that’s typical of Hasegawa’s work is also balanced out with more understated moments, where listeners will pick up influences from bossa nova as well as softer, sensitive electropop akin to Imogen Heap. Like “The Owner of Sweetness,” Honest Feeling Album occupies these various, oftentimes disparate, elements, bringing them together under Hasegawa’s singular vision.
Honest Feeling Album’s artwork and new artist visuals were specially illustrated by acclaimed manga artist George Asakura, a longtime creative inspiration for Hasegawa. Centered around the image of someone cooking okonomiyaki, the artwork presents a new portrait of Hasegawa grounded in the textures of everyday life.
Hakushi Hasegawa Honest Feeling Album 素直な気持ちアルバム (Brainfeeder)
Tracklisting
- Little Briar-Rose荊姫
- Gettinhererouteきたれりルート
- Nausea嘔吐
- Boss-Moire-FSボス・モワレ・FS
- We The Ominous Warriors我々不吉戦士
- Why The Hell Do I HaveToSay Everything From One To Ten Each Time Each Time Each Time Each Time なんでなんでもかんでも一から十までいちいちいちいちいちいちいちいち言わなあかんねん
- The OwnerOfSweetness 蜜の主
- Grace恩寵
- The-End-FSジ・エンド・FS
- Thief Cat Thief泥棒猫泥棒
- Permanent-Trompel’Oeil-FSパーマネント・トロンプルイユ・FS
- Suffocation Diary窒息日記
- Witchkeeper돌보미 마녀
- Vanilla Valueヴァニラ・ヴァリュー
- Never Lack Nothing失せ物知らす