This is Gen Hoshino’s official yearbook “YELLOW MAGAZINE 2016-2017 ISSUE 01,” the memorable first issue of the YELLOW MAGAZINE series.
As the starting point of the long-running YELLOW MAGAZINE project, ISSUE 01 is much more than a conventional artist book. It brings together Gen Hoshino’s music, words, photography, visual design, and activities from this important period of his career, creating a beautifully unified collectible work.
The art direction is particularly impressive, combining kraft-like yellow paper with monochrome studio photography. From the sleeve case and book to the accompanying disc, the entire package shares a distinctive visual identity that still looks remarkably sophisticated today.
One of the highlights is the included “YELLOW DISC.”
The disc contains studio live recordings from “Hoshino Gen Shika Denai Natsu Fes in Itsumono Radio Booth,” performed during the August 22, 2016 broadcast of Gen Hoshino’s All Night Nippon radio program.
The track list includes:
1. OPENING TALK 2. Bakemono 3. Jigoku de Naze Warui 4. Kudaranai no Naka ni 5. Snow Men 6. Kimi wa Bara yori Utsukushii 7. Sakura no Mori 8. SUN 9. Friend Ship 10. ENDING TALK
The selection features several essential Gen Hoshino songs, including “SUN,” “Kudaranai no Naka ni,” “Sakura no Mori,” “Jigoku de Naze Warui,” and “Friend Ship.” Because these are studio-live performances recorded in a radio-booth setting, the disc offers a different atmosphere from his standard studio albums.
The performance features Gen Hoshino on vocals and guitar alongside an excellent band including Daichi Ito, Wataru Iga, Yasuhiro Sakurada, and Ryosuke Nagaoka. Naoki Terasaka also participates in the opening and ending talk sections, making the disc an especially interesting document of this era.
The 2016-2017 period was also a particularly significant point in Hoshino’s career, when his presence as a musician, actor, and writer was rapidly expanding. For that reason, ISSUE 01 has strong archival and collectible appeal, documenting an important moment before YELLOW MAGAZINE itself developed into an established series.
The photography and graphic design are equally appealing. Images of Hoshino in denim against striking architectural backgrounds contrast beautifully with photographs of the radio studio, giving the entire package the feel of an art book as much as an official fan publication.
Highly recommended for Gen Hoshino fans, collectors looking to complete the YELLOW MAGAZINE series from its very first issue, and listeners interested in exclusive or unusual live recordings.
With the book, sleeve case, and YELLOW DISC together, this is a fascinating piece of Gen Hoshino history—a carefully designed official yearbook that captures the sound, visuals, and atmosphere of his 2016 era in one collectible package. 星野源 YELLOW MAGAZINE 2016-2017 YEARBOOK+CD イヤーブック アスマート