02 December 2024
Newsdesk
Kishi Bashi is the pseudonym of singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Kaoru Ishibashi. Born in Seattle, Washington, Ishibashi grew up in Norfolk, Virginia where both of his parents were professors at Old Dominion University. Ishibashi has recorded and toured internationally as a violinist with diverse artists such as Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche and of Montreal.
Self-produced by Kaoru Ishibashi and mixed by Tucan (Hot Chip, Jungle, Aluna), Kishi Bashi’s latest album Kantos (released this September by Joyful Noise) was recorded at Chase Park Transduction with long-time collaborator and engineer Drew Vandenberg (Faye Webster, of Montreal, Toro y Moi) and British musicians Sweet Loretta. The album also features Zorina Andall (vocals), Augie Bello (saxophone), and activist/rapper Linqua Franqa (vocals).
Kantos is a work of exquisite duality: a party album about the possible end of humanity as we know it, at turns deeply unsettling and sublimely joyful. In a sonic departure from the symphonic folk of Omoiyari—a career-defining body of work born from his intensive meditation on the mass incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II—the Seattle-born singer/songwriter/producer’s fifth studio album encompasses everything from Brazilian jazz and ’70s funk to orchestral rock and city pop. Informed by an equally kaleidoscopic mix of inspirations—the cult-classic sci-fi novel series Hyperion Cantos, the writings of 18th century enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant, a revelatory trip to ancient ruins on the island of Crete—Kantos ultimately serves as an unbridled exaltation of the human spirit and all its wild complexities. “At a time when so many people had begun to panic about AI and what it might mean for our future, I started working on this record as a way to explore the concept of grounding ourselves in our humanity,” says the Santa Cruz, California-based multi-instrumentalist. “The album title is a nod to Hyperion Cantos and to Immanuel Kant, but it also refers to ‘canto’ meaning ‘I sing’ in Spanish. The idea is that even with so much technological advancement, songs are still something we very much rely on to connect with other people.”
Kishi Bashi’s UK & Ireland headline dates are listed below. Please let us know if you would like to attend:
8th Dec - Brighton, UK @ Chalk
9th Dec - London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
10th Dec - Manchester, UK @ Academy
11th Dec - Dublin, IE @ Button Factory
12th Dec - Glasgow, UK @ SWG3
13th Dec - Bristol, UK @ Thekla
