Jazz saxophonist, Patrick Shiroishi, has created a career exploring the history of Asian-American oppression. On his latest album, Hidemi, Shiroishi delivers one of his most personal albums to date, with a focus on his grandparents and their time spent in a Japanese internment camp circa World War II. Hidemi incorporates the healing power of spiritual jazz as Shiroishi travels through his family’s resilient history.
Mike Bones has been a cherished guitarist in New York City’s music scene for years. His band Weak Signal’s second album reinforces this reputation, and includes some of the band’s most well-written work to date. Bianca is a post-punk record that parallels the grit that has controlled his city for decades.
Hip-hop pioneers Madlib & Declaime have frequently collaborated throughout each of their impactful careers. On In the Beginning Vol. 1, the childhood friends compile thirteen previously unreleased recordings from their early years together in Oxnard. The album provides a strong foundation to two irreplaceable legacies that have continuously shifted hip-hop for three decades.
Chicago producer, Composuresquad, has been a leader in the local DIY nightlife scene for years. He is one of the top sought-after DJ’s in city limits, and has hosted many of the most memorable events that have occurred in the past decade. On the latest edition of “The Junkyard,” Composure sets out to interview Leah and Blake Saint David, two members of a versatile rising collective of DIY artists that are on the verge of re-defining experimental music in the 312.
After years of one-off collaborations, vocalist Trenttruce & multi-instrumentalist Coto Loco team up for their darkwave debut as Black Magick Chocolate Tears. Black Magick Chocolate Tears showcases the intense vocal range of Truce & subtly complex production skills of Coto Loco. Across twelve tracks, the two artists balance out each other’s strengths to a forge a sound that crosses pop music with an ominous after hours disposition.
Seven years ago, David Ashley launched his career as a multidimensional artist, slowly releasing a collection of unbelievably versatile projects. His skill as a lyricist runs hand-in-hand with a brilliant and natural ability to observe societal shortcomings with great perception. On his captivating new project, Ice in the Desert, the seasoned rapper/producer delivers a strong debut as Convertible Ashley, beginning an exciting new chapter in an already promising career.
