Kishi Bashi

Kishi Bashi
(K Ishibashi)

Kishi Bashi performing with Of Montreal in April 2011.
Background information
Born 4 November 1975
Origin Seattle, Washington / Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Genres Indie pop, indie rock, psychedelic pop, electronic, experimental
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Guitar, violin, keyboards, programming
Labels Joyful Noise Recordings
Universal D
Associated acts Of Montreal, Jupiter One, Regina Spektor

Kishi Bashi is Kaoru Ishibashi's self-recorded and self-produced project, released by Joyful Noise Recordings.[1] Ishibashi is a founding member of Jupiter One, as well as a member of the band of Montreal and Regina Spektor.

Biography

Kishi Bashi is the pseudonym of singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Kaoru Ishibashi (born November 4, 1975). Born in Seattle, Washington, Ishibashi grew up in Norfolk, Virginia where both of his parents were professors at Old Dominion University. As a 1994 graduate of Matthew Fontaine Maury High School, he went on to study classical music becoming a renowned violinist. Ishibashi has recorded and toured internationally as a violinist with diverse artists such as Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, and most recently, the Athens, Georgia based indie rock group of Montreal.

Kishi Bashi is also the singer and founding member of the New York synth rock outfit, Jupiter One. In 2011, he started to record and perform as a solo artist, opening for Sondre Lerche,[2] Alexi Murdoch, and of Montreal. He supported of Montreal on their spring 2012 tour.[3]

Shortly after Ishibashi debuted his full length solo album 151a on Indianapolis label Joyful Noise Recordings, NPR All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen listed Kishi Bashi as his favorite new artist of 2012 noting that he created "a radiant, uplifting soundscape" with songs such as "Bright Whites."[4] In the same year, Microsoft licensed "Bright Whites" for use in a commercial for Windows 8.[5] Around the same time, Sony used Kishi Bashi's song "It All Began With A Burst" from the same album for a commercial introducing their Xperia Tablet S.[6] In addition to these placements, Smart licensed "Chester's Burst Over The Hamptons" for their line of smart cars in the United States.[7]

Kishi Bashi has since been invited to play in major festivals such as SXSW and Austin City Limits and gone on an extensive US tour with supporting acts like The Last Bison, who happen to be from his native Hampton Roads, Virginia. In early 2013, Kishi Bashi held a North American tour across the United States and Canada, continuing in EU and UK in spring 2013.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Live albums

Compilation albums

Projects

Kishi Bashi's first EP, Room For Dream, came out in May 2011 on Aerobic International. Room For Dream features four songs, including a duet with Kevin Barnes and can only be purchased from downloading platforms such as iTunes or Bandcamp.

His live show is a solo performance based on live violin and vocal looping and beat boxing. He has often been compared to Andrew Bird and Owen Pallett.[8] Kishi Bashi's first full-length record, 151a, was released by Joyful Noise Recordings on April 10, 2012 after receiving partial funding through Kickstarter.[9] The title '151a' refers to the Japanese term 一期一会（いちごいちえ）(pronounced the same way '151a' is in Japanese), which carries a meaning similar to "once in a lifetime".[10][11] The three b-sides from the Room For Dream EP ("Conversations at the End of the World," "Evalyn, Summer has Arrived," and "Unicorns Die When You Leave") are included on the Australian/NZ edition of '151a' as bonus tracks. The Australian/NZ edition also replaces "Intro / Pathos, Pathos" with an instrumental version of the same track.

Kishi Bashi's second full length album, Lighght (pronounced "light") was released on Joyful Noise Recordings on May 13, 2014.[12] The album's title is a one-word poem by Aram Saroyan.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Kishi Bashi Profile". CMJ. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  2. ↑ "Show Review: Sondre Lerche with Nightlands and Kishi Bashi at Great American Music Hall, 6/28/11". Spinningplatters.com. 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  3. ↑ "Kishi Bashi Announces Headlining Tour". CMJ. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  4. ↑ Apple, Fiona (2012-06-12). "Discussion: Our Favorite Music Of The Year (So Far) : All Songs Considered". NPR. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  5. ↑ Krenn, Nick. "Subliminal Stunner: Kishi Bashi – "Bright Whites" – (Windows 8 Commercial)". Earbuddy. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  6. ↑ Ilsley, Colin. "Sony Commercial for Sony Xperia Tablet (2012)". Rick (Popisms). Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  7. ↑ "2013 Smart Electric Car TV Spot, 'Parking Garage'". ispot. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "Kishi Bashi | Similar Artists, Infuenced By, Followers". AllMusic. 1975-11-04. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  9. ↑ "Kishi Bashi 'Manchester' PREMIERE". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ "Sing Speak: A Collaboration of Kishi Bashi & Brian Omni Dillon - Events — Housing Works". Housingworks.org. 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  12. ↑ "New Kishi Bashi: album details announced! | Journal // Joyful Noise Recordings". Joyfulnoiserecordings.com. 2014-03-05. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  13. ↑ "Lighght | Kishi Bashi". Bandcamp. Retrieved 29 April 2014.

External links