Just in...Kishi Bashi: 151a

    Montreal member, K. Ishibashi, or Kishi Bashi, has finally arrived as a solo artist, with this his debut release, out today, 151a. Self-released on Joyful Noise Records, the album's title in Japanese is "ichi-go-ichi-e" (151a) and is a phrase that means, according to Kishi Bashi, "cherish that one moment, that one unique moment of performance in time". In order to pay for this album, the production and recording and all, he did a Kickstarter, which you can check out here. There is a nice video talking about the, then, upcoming album and has some nice footage, including a live recording of a song. I'm not as impressed with the live, but that is usually my thing anyway.
    Kishi Bashi's music is mostly upbeat, with lots of loops, and violin. He uses violin pizzicatos a lot as background, which creates this atmospheric floating feel very nicely. There are also vocal loops, so harmonies abound, and a upward sweeping dulcimer (a stringed folk instrument that can be struck with beaters or strummed) that adds to the heavenly feel. This is all very apparent in "Wonder Woman, Wonder Me". To take a closer look at some of the other songs:
(1) "Intro/Pathos, Pathos": starts very ethereally, kind of a washy song, sound-wise, with some lively beat that arrives midway. All sets things in motion a bit.
(2) "Manchester": From the Room for a Dream (EP). Click the 'Kishi Bashi' tag below to see the previous post I wrote up about that EP.
(3) "Bright Whites": Also from Room for a Dream (EP).
(4) "It All Began With a Burst": Bubbly, with clapping! Fun and upbeat.
(5) "Wonder Woman, Wonder Me": Mostly what I described above.
(6) "Chester's Burst Over the Hamptons": Very lively, with quick fiddle-esque violin, and drumming to match. It starts to dissipate as the song progresses, a quick short one, that makes you feel like the song title describes, though I have no idea who Chester is? It gets all synth and space sounding too towards the end, with some cool chords to boot.
(7) "Atticus, in the Desert": Has a more classic oldies rock sound, folk inspired and lots of falsetto vocals. Slow fade out.
(8) "I Am the Antichrist to You": Very cool beginning to the song with falsetto over plucked strings. Nice melody, probably the nicest climactic moment on the album at the 3 minute marking, because it is beautiful too.
(9) "Beat the Bright Out of Me": Lots of quick looped plucked strings, a steel sounding guitar comes in and it is dirge like for a while, until the melody arrives and suddenly there is a hopeful feeling to the song, and sort of oldie rock too. Nice middle section where the melody disappears and there is a synth or sorts that fades into noise, then slowly into a multitude of vocals as if the song as reached nirvana or something mystic like that. I actually have no idea what Kishi Bashi's religious affiliation is, so don't quote me on that!
    Anyway, listen to the full stream on Kishi Bashi's Bandcamp here. Or, just one of my favorites from the album, "I Am the Antichrist to You" over under the 'Monthly Sample Tracks'. Enjoy!