Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋 寅泰, Hotei Tomoyasu; born February 1, 1962), also known simply as Hotei ( HOH-tay), is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer, record producer and actor. With a career spanning more than 40 years, Hotei claims record sales of over 40 million copies and has collaborated with artists from around the world. Hotei first rose to prominence in the 1980s as the guitarist for Boøwy, one of Japan's most popular rock bands, before starting a solo career.
In 2003, he was ranked number 70 on HMV's list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. He ranked second in a 2011 poll on who the Japanese people thought was the best guitarist to represent Japan. An iconic artist in his native Japan, he moved to London in 2005 and continues to perform and release music globally. Hotei's song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" has been featured in numerous films, commercials, video games, and events, including Quentin Tarantino's feature film Kill Bill.
Hotei was born to a Korean father and a Russian-born Japanese mother. He first began playing the guitar in junior high school. Inspired by a poster of T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan, he stole money from his mother's purse and bought a Stratocaster at fourteen years old. His first band, Blue Film, finished runners up in a school contest to Death Penalty, a band led by Kyosuke Himuro. Hotei was expelled shortly before graduation, because, when warned about his long hair he replied "Jesus had long hair!"
After being expelled from high school, Hotei traveled to Tokyo. He became better acquainted with Kyosuke Himuro and they decided to hold auditions for a new band, which in 1981 became the six-member Bōi (暴威; lit. "Tyranny"). After changing their name to Boøwy, they released their first album Moral in 1982. They then became a quartet and went on to become major stars in Japan, releasing six studio albums in six years, and even playing the Marquee Club in London in 1985. In 1986 they released their first million-selling album, Beat Emotion. In 1988, the year they broke up, they became the first male artists to have three number-one albums within a single year on the Oricon chart. In 2003, HMV ranked Boøwy at number 22 on their list of the "100 Most Important Japanese Pop Acts".
Auto-Mod, solo career and Complex (1982–2012)
While in Boøwy, Hotei and drummer Makoto Takahashi were also members of Auto-Mod from 1982 to 1984. They released their first album Requiem in August 1983. Hotei also contributed significantly to their second album, Deathtopia, but left the band before its January 1985 release.
After the 1988 break up of Boøwy, Hotei released his debut solo album Guitarhythm that year via EMI Records, and established himself as a solo artist. Throughout the 1990s Hotei's profile continued to grow in Japan, with regular album releases supported by major tours and with Hotei writing songs and producing for other artists, including collaborations with both Japanese and international artists. Hotei also made two albums with Koji Kikkawa as Complex, both of which went to number one in the national charts. Guitarhythm is currently his only album sung completely in English. Hotei has recorded most of his albums outside of Japan, largely in Europe, including in London, Berlin, and Montreux.
Hotei has recorded with many foreign musicians, including playing on The Stranglers Hugh Cornwell's 1993 solo album, on stage with David Bowie at the Nippon Budokan in 1996, and at the closing ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics with Michael Kamen. He later recorded Guitar Concerto with Kamen. He has worked with Andy Mackay of Roxy Music, guitarist Chris Spedding and Mike Edwards of Jesus Jones. Hotei also sometimes tours Europe, including at a number of major festivals. His regular drummer in recent years, Zachary Alford, has previously played with Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie. Hotei's 1998 album Supersonic Generation, recorded in part with Apollo 440 and Ofra Haza, was released in 14 European countries.
In addition to many bestselling solo albums, Hotei composed and performed the score for Hiroyuki Nakano's Samurai Fiction, as well as starring in the film. He composed three tracks for the American film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas together with Ray Cooper. Hotei's best known song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" was used in Quentin Tarantino's feature film Kill Bill, the PlayStation 2 version of Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova and Michael Bay's feature film Transformers. Hotei recorded a cover of John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" for Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas, an instrumental guitar Christmas album featuring tracks from guitarists including Richie Sambora, Jeff Beck, Joe Perry, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai and Steve Morse.
Hotei collaborated with Char for the 2006 single "Stereocaster". The following year he, Char and Brian Setzer held a short joint tour.
On July 30 and 31, 2011, Hotei and Kikkawa reunited as Complex for two nights at the Tokyo Dome. All proceeds were donated to aid the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
On February 1, 2012, Hotei performed a concert at the Saitama Super Arena to celebrate his 50th birthday. His Boøwy and Auto-Mod bandmate Makoto Takahashi appeared as a special guest and together they played Boøwy's "Justy" and "No. New York". Hotei made his directorial debut in April 2012, with the stage play Psychedelic Pain, which was written by Yukinojo Mori and for which Hotei wrote the music. On May 8, it was announced that Hotei would move to London in June, in hopes of starting an international career.
Relocating to London and international focus
After years of spending a great deal of time in the UK, Hotei and his family relocated fully to London in June 2012, primarily for Hotei to pursue his dream of an international career. Hotei played his first major show in the UK in December 2012 at The Roundhouse in London. In November 2013 Hotei played 2 headline shows, first at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, and then at the Highline Ballroom in New York. In an interview with the Financial Times, Hotei commented, "Last year I turned 50...time goes quickly, it's my last chance to try and get my dream. I want to play all over the world."
On March 6, 2014, Hotei joined The Rolling Stones on stage during the final show of their tour in Japan. He was a surprise guest at their Tokyo Dome concert, playing the song "Respectable" before a crowd of 53,000 fans. Hotei's most famous song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" was selected for a nationwide TV commercial in the UK for Buxton Water's "Naturally Pumped Up" campaign. The campaign launched in June 2014, with plans to run for six months.
Joined by band members Zachary Alford (drums), Tony Grey (bass), and Toshiyuki Kishi (keyboard/programming), Hotei played a series of private shows and summer festivals during June, July, and August 2014. This included appearances at England's Cornbury Festival, Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival, and the UK's Y Not Festival. An earlier warmup gig was held at The Lexington in London, and Hotei was also invited to perform solo as a special guest of Lord March during the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Live4Ever covered the Y Not Festival, describing Hotei as "undoubtedly the coolest man on site during his afternoon set on the main stage, performing instrumental sections fit for several people in his ability to flick between technically staggering solos and crunching guitar chords whilst jumping around the stage like an excitable Duracell rabbit."
During a brief trip back to Japan, Hotei played four sold-out shows at the Blue Note Tokyo in late August, and also performed at a private party for the launch of the new Lamborghini Huracán automobile. Hotei wrote and performed the theme song, "Trick Attack (Theme of Lupin The Third)", to the 2014 live-action film adaptation of the Lupin III manga. After spending much of the year writing and recording with a variety of collaborators, the album New Beginnings was released in Japan on October 1, 2014, the title a reflection of the new chapter in Hotei's career, after relocating to London. Iggy Pop contributed lyrics and vocals to two tracks on the album and Vula Malinga vocals to one.