Kishi Bashi Draws Inspiration from Sci-Fi for Latest Effort

Prior to the release of Kishi Bashi’s debut album, 151a, Kishi Bashi (née Kaoru Ishibashi) played in the indie rock band Jupiter One. Finding it difficult to make even a subsistence salary with the band, he embarked on a solo career, dropping his acclaimed debut, 151a, in 2012 on Joyful Noise Recordings, an Indiana-based imprint run.

Kishi Bashi has continued to record for the label; earlier this year, he released his latest effort, Kantos. The hypnotic new single “Make Believe” features rapper/activist Linqua Franqa. Of the track, which merges psych-rock and hip-hop elements, Bashi explains, “This song started as a beat that reminded me of that proto-funk-rap from the early ’80s. The only way the verse vocals sounded appropriate was if there was that kind of rapping, so I gave it a go! I got my friend Mariah (Linqua Franqa), who I used to collaborate with a lot in Athens, GA to help out.”

In a recent phone call from his Santa Cruz home, where he was on a break between legs of the tour, Ishibashi speaks about the album.

Talk about when you began conceiving of the songs for Kantos.

A lot of these ideas were actually coming together when I was wrapping up my last album. I wasn’t able to work on it until I finished the [documentary film Omoiyari: A Songfilm by Kishi Bishi], but they have all been brewing for the last couple of years.

The album was inspired by the cult-classic sci-fi novel series Hyperion Cantos, the writings of 18th century enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant, who writes about a revelatory trip to ancient ruins on the island of Crete. Your wife introduced you to the series?

My wife is a philosopher who also loves sci-fi. It’s a cult classic novel, and it’s about the far future when humanity and AI have separated from earth. They’re living separate lives, but they’re intertwined in the galaxy. There’s time travel too. I don’t know how to summarize it in a way that’s compelling, but AI taking over is something that sci-fi wrwiters have talked about for a long time. It’s the kind of thing we fear, but it’s an inevtiable future for us. I want to celebrate the fact that we can be excited about our inevitable future but warn that looking too far into the future and forgetting about our present can be dangerous. There are still people in need who could beneifit from being present. That makes it challenging.

Did you immedaitely think about making an album based on the book after you read it?

The concepts evolved as the music evolved. The music comes first and then I was trying to figure out how to write the lyrics, and when I start thinking about lyrics, that’s when I start thinking conceptually.

The album draws from so many different styles of music. Was it difficult to try to make something that was still cohesive?

When I have enough ideas and I can figure out the direction, I’ll flesh it out with more songs like that. It is kind of all over the place, but as a solo artists, aren’t I allowed to do that and become more eclectic than I could if I were a band. That’s my luxury. I can do whatever I want.

What piqued your interest in Brazilian funk?

I always loved funk and music from the ‘60s and ’70s. Brazilian funk has always been influential. I wanted the album to be super groovy. I created music that was in that vein. I am nostalgic toward that. I like to give a nod to the music of the past that I love. I like to talk about it, and I know music writers love to talk about it too.

Mixed by Tucan (Hot Chip, Jungle, Aluna) and recorded at Chase Park Transduction with long time collaborator, engineer Drew Vandenberg (Faye Webster of Montreal, Toro y Moi) and British musicians, Kantos also features additional guest musicians including Zorina Andall (vocals) and Augie Bello (saxophone). What was the recording process like?

Chase Park is in Athens, GA. It’s like my second home. Drew is a longtime collaborator and a great engineer. The guys in the band are in my live touring band. I met them in Europe at festivals. They’re great. It was the sound I wanted. I flew them over from the UK to record the album.

The song “Chiba Funk” has a great energy. I would’ve never thought of pairing those vocals with such a funky rhythm section. What inspired the tune?

One of the sounds that I realized my album was gravitating toward was city pop, a Japanese funk sound from the ’80s. It’s a genre that I wanted to experiment with. I also wanted to sing in Japanense, and I wanted to experiment with a new singing style that’s more throaty. I was just trying things out and put slap bass on it. It seemed appropriate.

How did “Make Believe” come about?

I always liked rap and hip-hop. I started with a  groove. I was trying to sing on it, and the singing wasn’t compelling enough. I started rapping over it. I had my friend Mariah on it, and there it is.

What will the live show be like?

It’s aweome. The British guys are here. They’re young and exciting Mike [Savino] from Tall Trees is there. It’s been quite  a blast, and it’s a godo mixture of old and new tunes.

Photo credit: Courtesy of the artist

2024 Kishi Bashi Tour Dates

09/03 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West

09/04 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Chelsea’s Live

09/05 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk

09/06 – Dallas, TX @ The Kessler Theater

09/08 – Denver, CO @ The Gothic Theatre

09/09 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Metro Music Hall

09/11 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile

09/12 – Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl

09/13 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom

09/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom

09/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theatre

09/17 – San Diego, CA @ Belly Up Tavern

09/18 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress – Plaza Stage

09/19 – Santa Fe, NM @ The Lensic PAC

09/21 – Houston, TX @ Last Concert Cafe

10/03 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle

10/04 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

10/05 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theatre

10/06 – Norfolk, VA @ The Annex

10/07 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw

10/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Brooklyn Bowl

10/09 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom

10/11 – Boston, MA @ Royale

10/13 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace

10/14 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom

10/15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall

10/17 – St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall

10/18 – Chicago, IL @ Outset

10/19 – St Louis, MO @ DelMar Hall

10/20 – Indianapolis, IN @ Vogue Theatre

10/21 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl

10/22 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre

11/19 – Berlin, DE @ Hole44

11/20 – Amsterdam, NL @ Tolhuistuin

11/22 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee

11/23 – Stockholm, SWE @ Kulturhuset

11/25 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega

11/27 – Cologne, DE @ Gebäude9

11/28 – Prague, CZ @ Cafe V Lese

12/01 – Vienna, AT @ @ WUK

12/02 – Munich, DE @ Backstage

12/03 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F

12/04 – Milano, IT @ Legend Club

12/07 – Paris, FR @ Le Hasard Luqique

12/08 – Brighton, UK @ Chalk

12/09 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom

12/10 – Manchester, UK @ Academy

12/11 – Dublin, IE @ Button Factory

12/12 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3

12/13 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla