Description

They say that you spend your entire life writing your first album, piecing every formative moment, scribbled turn of phrase, and thematic epiphany into a fantastical collage. Multi-instrumentalist K. Ishibashi (aka Kishi Bashi) disproves that old adage. Produced and performed exclusively by Kishi Bashi, 151a is a showcase of singular talent and ambition- and it didn t go unnoticed by fans or peers. Along with launching Kishi Bashi s career as a soloist, this earnest debut made him one of indie music s most in-demand violinists. He was no longer relegated to side stage as a collaborator of Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, of Montreal, and more-the Kishi Bashi name could endure with it s own merit. As deeply personal as 151a undoubtedly is, the record was animated by a deep and enduring partnership. Following Kishi Bashi s collaboration with of Montreal s Kevin Barnes for the watershed art-pop album Paralytic Stalks, his worldview and artistic approach was transformed for the better. Strict habits hung loose, sonic palettes bled and broadened, and a one-man orchestra sprouted from a foundation of string loops. From the deconstructed Beach Boys-esque doo-wop of Wonder Woman to the menacing marriage of Eastern Hues and Western operatics of Beat the Bright out of Me, 151a is a mediation between opposing drives, offering possible reconciliation but never promising it. The album s emotional wellspring, I Am The Antichrist To You was reimagined in 2021 when it was featured on the animated sci-fi sitcom Rick and Morty, introducing Kishi Bashi to a new generation of awestruck fans. The world of 151a never left-it was just waiting to be rediscovered. – Joyful Noise Recordings