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Omoiyari

by Kishi Bashi

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    Packaged in gatefold jacket and obi strip.

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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Packaged in gatefold jacket and obi strip.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Omoiyari via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $20 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Includes unlimited streaming of Omoiyari via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $12 USD or more 

     

1.
Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear Under the ocean Far from the sun Penny Rabbit wondering When will we ever become one Must I suffer days to come Fresh out of wishes Fate wouldn’t dare He had to see his Summer Bear Filled up his little lungs with air It didn’t matter, he didn’t care Faithless and mystic Faint as can be Penny Rabbit floated fast Planted his paws upon the shore Many others had failed before Waiting was Summer Bear Eyes to the sea Fingers on her violin Playing for butterflies and bees A little shaky at the knees Summer Bear With that slender hair And that smile she sent to me Is more than I can bear Wondering when will you Have the courage to Sing a song with me and you Over here On the shore Penny Rabbit Emerged from the sea His fur was ripped from his journey “Oh Summer Bear I’ve come for thee” He had seen it in his dream Sunset, holding hands Salt in the air Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear, A fairy tale, a perfect pair None in memory could compare Summer Bear With that slender hair And that smile she sent to me Is more than I can bear Wondering when will you Have the courage to Sing a song with me and you Come to you Whatever you do Anywhere… Summer Bear One day very soon
2.
F Delano 03:24
Oh in the desert they gave you the slip Rohypnol Chip on your shoulder the scotch tasted much older than before Nightly occurrence The men laughed it off like it was a bore to them And they were right Feminine encounters were in sight F The Delano Named of the leader who favored a nation after his own Into the desert he pushed all the Nips, he wasn’t alone. Speech with a fury Sentenced with no plan ahead of you Without a heart No winning hand for any man or child F Delano Oh in the desert where no one should live, it wasn’t our home And in the winter our sentence was stiff, we froze to the bone Summer was sunny, but history, funny to settle with… Was he right? Innocence without a proper fight? Fight! F Delano!
3.
Marigolds 03:52
Marigolds The word that you had found for me, Was a favorite sound of mine It swayed under your canopy To fill the end of time I was the only one this century To remind you all is fine With every truth there is a mystery With a vision so divine I wish that I had met you When your heart was safe to hold When you were simple and fancy, In that field of marigolds And when you burned the sentiment Like a candle next to mine The southern wind it kept the flame Flickering in time I wanted everything to be confused And the mission not aligned But when I looked into your sacred eyes I was empty with no surprise And when I wasn’t so happy I would say a prayer of old When we were simple and fancy In that field of marigolds I wish that I could grow up with you I wanna see the world the way you do I want to fall off the edge with you I want to fun with you I was the only one this century To remind you all is fine With every truth there is a mystery With a vision so divine I wish that I had met you When your heart was safe to hold When you were simple and fancy, In that field of marigolds
4.
A Song For You A song for you I wrote in memory As faint as anything We etched into the walls It’s all for you We called the venomous To silent strike on any vein Like a bayonet array In the afternoon When did you Fill out the melody With sacred innocence In the middle of the war I fought for you The pride in every light That shined upon your face From a memory erased It’s all for you We pledged to send a photograph Of every frame, of every laugh We meant to have A song for you A song for you A song for you It’s all for you A song for you A song for you I wrote in memory As faint as anything We etched into the walls It’s all for you The pride of every light That shined upon your face Like a memory erased A song for you A song for you A song for you It’s all for you A song for you
5.
Angeline 04:46
Angeline Underneath the cotton sun The freedom we had just begun Sweeter than the finest rum with my Angeline A home with every kind of tree Built it without anything Life is like a peach in cream with my Angeline Angeline oh Angeline She had the softest smile that I had ever seen Sweet summer rain I just want to be able see her again That day I was walking down The railroad tracks I heard the sound The sheriff he was mighty proud And told me I had to pay The foreman he had to come to find Prison folk to work the mine The judge was there to give me time Away from my Angeline Angeline oh Angeline She’s the sweetest song that I could ever sing Feeling the pain I just want to be able to sing to her again Seven years until I’m free Working off this prison fee My fingers smell like kerosene In a mine in Tennessee Every day I hold my breath Every hour I wish for death Angeline she’s settled west away from Tennessee Tennessee oh Tennessee You have the darkest veins that I had ever seen Deep in the mine Angeline your memories won’t let me die Angeline, Angeline Angeline, Angeline Angeline (Angeline) Angeline (Angeline) Angeline (Angeline) Angeline Angeline oh Angeline Had the softest smile that I had ever seen Sweet summer rain I just want to be able to see you again
6.
Summer of '42 What are the things you wanted The same as anyone Just a hand to hold a little After all is said and done And the days were long and open Cause I had a view of you The Summer of ’42 When I was in love with you We counted stars above us We dreamed of Xanadu We’d sneak off to the desert The sand over your fancy shoes The first day that I met you I wrote down in my book I am in love with you I am in love with you I am in love with you I am in love with you I’m in love with you The days have gone asunder The chaos of the war Made men of everybody But our memories I adore We named our favorite sunsets But I remember very few The Summer of ’42 When I was in love with you But years have turned to ages And I know you’ve someone new I looked for you with every breath A soldier wrecked with solitude I climbed up the highest mountain And I shouted to our view I was in love with you I was in love with you I was in love with you In love with you You… I am in love with you
7.
Theme From Jerome (Forgotten Words) After today You speak the new With every word you walk From the comfort of my hands And after all We fight the war Of enemies unseen and here we are in Jerome These words today How many times I’d smile If you’d remember me in this song There was a girl She fell in love And on the sun-dried land they settled in and started again And when they sleep She’d sing this melody To her beloved sons Forgotten words from Japan
8.
9.
When our faith was on the edge Of the winds The summer days on end Memories of the setting sunlight Would tell a different way to be, to be To be Haruno hareno minato horobi *********** Runo hareno minato horobi haruno minato horobi horobi! Ha-ru-no Ha-re-no Mi-na-to Ho-ro-bi! Ha-ru-no Ha-re-no Mi-na-to Ho-ro-bi! haru hare minato-ga haru hare minato ho ro bi haruno hareno minato horobi runo hareno minato horobi runo hareno minato horobi haruno minato horobi horobi! Ha-ru-no Ha-re-no Mi-na-to Ho-ro-bi! Ha-ru-no Ha-re-no Mi-na-to Ho-ro-bi! Haruno hareno minato horobi Haruno hareno minato horobi - ru ************ When in song we are blessed to be Mending the rift of our apathy I have the answer You will remain Days on end after the end of the cancer One day you will follow the sound of laughter One day we’ll Fall in love
10.
Annie, Heart Thief of the Sea If you want to see my girl You better be ready, Imma show you the world On a beach along the shore I’ll tell you a story it’s all about a pearl Creamy white and crystal clear It glistened in the sun, it had nothing to fear Many came from near and far There was nothing like the beauty that they saw I was sailing on the sea There was nothing as far as I could see When a vision of a girl Blinded my eyes, she’s as pretty as a pearl Swam along with us awhile I was hooked, I was smitten by her smile When she traded me her heart… I took it from her hand Why’d you take my heart, Annie? What’d I do? Why’d you take my heart Annie? All you left me was a pearl… As I looked into my palm I was swallowed by the vision that I saw In this pearl of perfect white I saw us together in a union of delight But when I looked into her eyes I saw nothing but the mirror of the skies I dove deep into the cold I was ready to be… Why’d you take my heart, Annie? What’d I do? Why’d you take my heart Annie? All you left me was a pearl… When they pulled me from the cold I wondered why I’d never felt so old For my hair had turned to white I’d long been dead and so had my wife She had died a broken heart Why’d you take my heart, Annie? What’d I do? Why’d you take my heart Annie? All you left me was a pearl… Why’d you take my heart, Annie? What’d I do? Why’d you take my heart, Annie? All you left me was a pearl… Why’d you take my heart, Annie? What’d I do? Why’d you take my heart, Annie? All you left me was a pearl… Why’d you take my heart, Annie? What’d I do? Why’d you take my heart, Annie? All you left me was a pearl.

about

Omoiyari is Kishi Bashi’s fourth album, following the acclaimed '151a' (2012), 'Lighght' (2014), and 'Sonderlust' (2016). Channeling the hard-learned lessons of history, 'Omoiyari' reflects the turbulent socio-political atmosphere of present day America.

“I was shocked when I saw white supremacy really starting to show its teeth again in America,“ Kishi Bashi says. “My parents are immigrants, they came to the United States from Japan post–World War II. As a minority I felt very insecure for the first time in my adult life in this country. I think that was the real trigger for this project.”

Kishi Bashi recognized parallels between the current U.S. administration’s constant talk of walls and bans, and the xenophobic anxieties that led to the forced internment of Japanese-Americans in the months following the attack on Pearl Harbor. So he immersed himself in that period, visiting former prison sites and listening to the stories of survivors, while developing musical concepts along the way. The unique creative process behind 'Omoiyari' has been documented in a film scheduled for release in early 2020.

“I didn’t want this project to be about history, but rather the importance of history, and the lessons we can learn,” Kishi Bashi reflects. “I gravitated toward themes of empathy, compassion, and understanding as a way to overcome fear and intolerance. But I had trouble finding an English title for the piece. Omoiyari is a Japanese word. It doesn't necessarily translate as empathy, but it refers to the idea of creating compassion towards other people by thinking about them. I think the idea of omoiyari is the single biggest thing that can help us overcome aggression and conflict.”

The strong conceptual elements of 'Omoiyari' are driven by Kishi Bashi’s captivating musical score. Stepping away from his past loop-based production model, he embraced a more collaborative approach when recording, and for the first time included contributions from other musicians, such as Mike Savino (aka Tall Tall Trees) on banjo and bass, and Nick Ogawa (aka Takenobu) on cello. Kishi Bashi’s spectacular trademark violin soundscapes are still an essential component of his sound, but the focus of 'Omoiyari' is centered squarely on its songs.

While the theme of 'Omoiyari' is rooted in 1940s America, the album’s message is timeless. In exploring the emotional lives of the innocent Japanese-Americans who were unjustly incarcerated, Kishi Bashi hopes to nurture a sense of empathy, or omoiyari, in all who hear the album.

credits

released May 31, 2019

Produced by Kishi Bashi

Mixed by Patrick Dillet @ Reservoir Studios NYC
Mastered by Greg Calbi @ Sterling Sound, NYC
Recorded by Drew Vandenberg @ Echo Mountain Recording, Asheville, NC and Chase Park Transduction, Athens, GA. Julian Dreyer and Dowell Gandy Assistant Engineers.
additional recording by Annie Leeth @ Chase Park Transduction, and 1093 Studio, Athens, GA
home recording @ Poolhaus Studios by Kishi Bashi

Mike "Tall Tall Tress" Savino - banjo, banjola, upright bass, fender bass
Nick “Takenobu” Ogawa - cello
Dave Kirslis - guitar, organ on “Violin Tsunami”, and background vocals
JoJo Glidewell - Hammond B3 organ, piano on “Annie”, background vocals
Pip the Pansy - flute
Ryan Oslance - drums and percussion
Andrea DeMarcus, Claire Campbell, SJ Ursrey - background vocals
Keiko Ishibashi - vocals on “Theme for Jerome”
Greg Hankins - piano lesson and Fender rhodes on “A Meal for Leaves”
Emily Hope Price - cello on “Theme for Jerome”
Kishi Bashi - everything else

The 1093 String players
Violin: Rachel Fischer, Yaesol Kang, Sahada Buckley, J.P.Brien, Alexander Ambartsumian, Caroline Dorr
Viola: Elitsa Atanasova, Seonkyu Kim
The Nu Deco Ensemble “Two Bar Wind Section” on “Summer of ’42”

Thank you to Keiko and Sola, お父さん, お母さん, for supporting me in this extra long journey this year, and to my musicians Mike, Dave, Ryan, Nick & Jojo for climbing Echo Mountain with me. Thank you to my extended touring family: Mike, Daniel, Clayton, Seth, Brent, and Ember, for taking care of me. Thank you Justin, Chip, Max, Andy, Erin and Julian and the entire Omoiyari film crew and JA community for all the support this past year. Thank you Karl, Kiely, Jess, David, Allison, and everyone at Joyful Noise, and Tom & Shannen at Esther Creative, for making my life so much easier and offering valuable guidance. Thank you Nu Deco Ensemble for the commission that started this whole journey, and to Ben Folds, Justin Ellis and the NSO for my first full symphony concert opportunity--what a show! Thanks to Patrick and Greg yet again for helping me caress my vision down to 16-bit perfection. Thanks to Jin, Atsuko, Mitsuo and everybody at Bittersweet and Victor for helping me in Japan, and for all the videos. Thank you to Emilio for helping my tours grow to a level I could never have dreamed of. Thank you to all the string players I’ve had the honor of working with, I look forward to so many more shows. And thank you to Athens for welcoming me into your supportive creative community. I definitely use D’addario Strings, L.R. Baggs pre-amps, and ADK microphones.

...and to everybody who feels excluded or left behind in any way, this album is for you.

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Kishi Bashi Athens, Georgia

Kishi Bashi is the pseudonym for violin virtuoso K Ishibashi.

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