Shakai - Fragments

The 2nd album from the Bergen-based band Shakai "Fragements" will be released on June the 7th.

Led by bassist Eline Rafteseth, the band delivers a beautiful and quite diverse jazz album with a modern twist. There's been some line-up changes since the last album, and among others, Kenneth Kapstad (Spidergawd, ex-Motorpsycho) has joined on drums.

The name Shakai comes from the Japanese word for society, which is reflected in the band's approach to music. A bit like a society consisting of individuals with different perspectives and life stories, the band members' diverse backgrounds create a unique and varied sound. The music and lyrics touch on everything from life's big questions, small stories, reckoning with the past, and hope for the future. The music is both beautiful and raw, playful and strange. Shakai constantly offers new surprises and unexpected elements. They blend different references, ignore genre definitions, and invite listeners to join them on a journey into their own little strange universe.
 
Shakai consists of bassist and band leader Eline Rafteseth (NH3, Soft Noise Ensemble, Heavy Astro), Elisabeth Lid Trøen on saxophones (Bergen Big Band, Trøen/Arnesen Quartet), Gabriela Garrubo on vocals (Metteson, Garrubo, Amalie Holt Kleive), guitarist Simen Walle (Nelly, Malum, Atari), and Kenneth Kapstad on drums (Spidergawd, Møster!, Monolithic, Stein Torleif Bjella, ex-Motorpsycho).