Now Playing: Kishi Bashi

A little over a month ago I randomly stumbled upon Kishi Bashi on Spotify. Kishi Bashi is actually the pseudonym for Seattle born singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter K Ishibashi.  You might have heard Ishibashi before on tour with of Montreal or as a part of NYC based band Jupiter One (of which he is a founding member).

I was instantly grabbed by the richness of his voice, the focus on violin as the key instrument throughout the album and his ability to construct layers of sound using different techniques (plucking and traditionally playing) and with using his own voice (singing, beat boxing).  Since the album is a bit of an experimental project there is great variety of sound.  My favorite track Manchester is a slow but uplifting track. Conversations at the End of the World is somber but beautiful in a painful kind of way.  Bright Whites is a happy little track that makes me smile.  Quite of a few of these tracks are now a part of my regular rotation.

Earlier this month I saw Kishi Bashi perform at Webster Hall - he was the opening act for of Montreal, but I couldn't help but wish that he becomes the main event soon because a scant 4 songs weren't nearly enough to satiate my appetite.  His debut album 151a just debuted on April 10, 2012 and the digital download is available online for just $8.