Shigeto - Cherry Blossom Baby
Shigeto presents Cherry Blossom Baby out October 25th.
Shigeto's first full-length statement since 2017 sprouts out from a collective thaw, ambitious, collaborative, and fully realized. The Detroit-based, Japanese-American musician, DJ, Portage Garage Sounds label co-founder, and longtime Ghostly artist embraces the role of producer and composer. Zach Saginaw and a group of guests and players present a snapshot in time, honoring traditions in electronic, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop and informed by his family's cultural history. A celebration of scene vitality rooted in Detroit's new wave, including guests such as Zelooperz, KESSWA, Ahya Simone, Tammy Lakkis, and more.
"I am a cherry blossom baby," he says. "We all are cherry blossom babies, we all are resilient, we all are growing, we all will continue to."
Heritage has been at the heart of his recording project from the start; Saginaw's middle name is Shigeto, a name passed down from his great grandfather, which means "to grow" — it was apt given his premature birth weight of less than a pound, and remains fitting for the evolution of his artistry, now nearly 15 years since he signed to Ghostly. On Lineage (GI-148, 2012), Saginaw grappled with an ancestral story; the artwork contrasted photos taken of his great-grandfather's home in Hiroshima in 1916 and later at the Amache Internment Camp in Grenada, Colorado, where he and his family were sent during the Second World War. The line continues through Cherry Blossom Baby, which finds Saginaw drawing inspiration from the cherry trees that bloom every spring at Hiroshima, an enduring image of hope, resilience, and renewal.
Out October 25th, the record is up for pre-order now available in limited edition cherry blossom pink vinyl, CD, and digital formats.
The lead single "The Punch!" dips into an electro-boogie vibe. It's a crew jam featuring rising star vocalist and musician KESSWA, who lights up half of Cherry's ten tracks with her smooth, soulful delivery. Behind the kit, Saginaw provides the percussive punch (as well as synth and glockenspiel), surrounded by the personnel from his live ensemble and frequent collaborators Ian Finkelstein, Dez Andrés, and Marcus Elliot.
"It's the first time I'm writing this stuff myself and getting these players to make it even better…it's impossible to have made it at this level without them," says Saginaw. "This track for KESSWA and I represents the old and the new. Some classic roller rink, Detroit hustle vibes but with a modern twist. Impossible without all the incredible players involved. Hope y'all dig!"
