This is “YELLOW MAGAZINE 2018-2019 ISSUE 03,” the third installment of Gen Hoshino’s official yearbook series.
This substantial official publication documents Hoshino’s creative activities around 2018 through photography, writing, music, and distinctive artwork. The sophisticated kraft-paper aesthetic established by the earlier issues continues here, while ISSUE 03 also introduces even more experimental and colorful visual elements.
The set includes the YELLOW MAGAZINE publication, YELLOW DISC CD, HOSHINO GEN CALENDAR 2019-2020, and sleeve case.
The photography is one of the major attractions. Striking images include Hoshino holding sparklers at night and artistic portraits featuring red and multicolored light projected across his face. These photographs give the publication the character of a genuine art book rather than simply an artist magazine.
Also included is the HOSHINO GEN CALENDAR 2019-2020, featuring playful illustrations rendered in bold red, blue, yellow, black, and white. Today, the calendar is especially appealing as a collectible artifact from this particular era of Hoshino’s career.
Another major highlight is the accompanying YELLOW DISC.
The CD contains recordings from “Gen Hoshino Hiki-Gatari Live in Itsumono Radio Booth,” originally broadcast on Gen Hoshino’s All Night Nippon on July 31, 2018.
The selection combines huge favorites such as “Koi” and “SUN” with songs including “Kuse no Uta,” “Hirameki,” “Roufuufu,” “Nichijou,” “Bakemono,” and “Friend Ship,” making the disc particularly attractive to longtime fans.
What makes this YELLOW DISC especially interesting is its intimate acoustic live format. Hoshino performs vocals, acoustic guitar, and gut guitar, while Ryosuke Nagaoka contributes acoustic and electric guitar as well as chorus.
Rather than recreating the scale of a major concert, these recordings bring the listener much closer to Hoshino’s voice, guitar playing, songwriting, and musical roots. They provide an appealing contrast to the enormous mainstream success he had already achieved following “Koi.”
The 2018 period is also historically interesting as Hoshino was approaching another major creative milestone with “POP VIRUS.” Looking back today, ISSUE 03 serves as an engaging document of an artist simultaneously operating at the center of Japanese pop culture while continuing to explore intimate and personal forms of musical expression.
The kraft-paper YELLOW DISC package, experimental portraits, colorful calendar, and carefully designed publication all contribute to the unmistakable visual identity of the YELLOW MAGAZINE series.
Recommended for longtime Gen Hoshino fans, collectors completing the YELLOW MAGAZINE series, listeners searching for his acoustic performances, and anyone interested in the creative period surrounding songs such as “Koi,” “SUN,” and “Friend Ship.”
A beautifully conceived official collectible that allows you to read, see, hear, and experience the world of Gen Hoshino in one complete package.