Announcing: Kishi Bashi's new album 'Omoiyari'
Greetings friends,
If you're a fan of the label, chances are you're already very familiar with our guy Kishi Bashi. Beginning with his 2012 album 151a and the subsequent albums Lighght and Sonderlust, Kishi Bashi is our resident label virtuoso. And today we are elated to announce Kishi Bashi's new album: Omoiyari.
Omoiyari reflects the turbulent socio-political atmosphere of present day America, as viewed through the lens of Japanese-American internment camps in 1940s America. To find inspiration for the album, K visited former prison sites, listened to the stories of survivors, and explored the emotional lives of the innocent Japanese-Americans who were unjustly incarcerated in WWII America.
Stepping away from his past loop-based production model, this is a less overtly-complex version of Kishi Bashi. The focus of Omoiyari is centered squarely on its songs. And these songs are amazing (and are surprisingly uplifting considering the tragic subject matter).
Omoiyari will be released on May 31, 2019 - with a corresponding documentary film, Omoiyari: A Songfilm to be released in 2020.
This morning the first single has just premiered over at NPR.
Take a first listen to the song "Summer of '42" here.
ORDER HERE
About the cover art:
Cover photo: carved and painted scrap-wood bird pins by artists Himeo Fukuhara and Kazuko Matsumoto reprinted from - “The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps 1942-1946,” (2004, Ten Speed Press) with the permission of author Delphine Hirasuna, designer Kit Hinrichs, and photographer Terry Heffernan.