Kishi Bashi - 'Colourful State'
Intertwined with soaring orchestral, powerful rock chords, and larger than life harmonies, Kishi Bashi introduces us to the world of his upcoming album Kantos with the release of lead single Colourful State.
The wonderfully talented singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Kaoru Ishibashi (stage name Kishi Bashi) has been on his journey as a solo artist since 2012. After releasing his debut album 151a, he won fans over with tracks such as I Am the Antichrist to You, amounting to over 71 million streams across the album on Spotify. His unique approach to music and ability to encapsulate catchy rhythms and orchestral instrumentals into his work has enticed those who are keen for a bit of exploration into the musical universe.
Kishi Bashi has released his lead single Colourful State, and with the ever-growing sounds of violins and dreamy vocals mixed with mighty rock driven synths, guitars, and drums, this track is an unpredictable turn of events and an assault on the senses.
Fading into existence with his distinctive use of violins, the song opens on a sunny and elevated note. There’s a slight humming in the background as the one-minute mark approaches, and suddenly it’s too late to prepare yourself for the colossal flip that the song is about to take, and the powerful guitar chords and beating drums are in full effect. Groovy bass lines drive a lively pace, and from this point onwards a rhythm develops that you just can’t help but dance to. It’s hard to believe that this is still the same song playing after the simple violin introduction, but the stark contrast complements and amplifies each other.
When developing the very first ideas for his upcoming album Kantos, Kishi Bashi’s driving intent was to return to his roots – a plethora of musicality, jazz, and dance-rock. Colourful State has somehow dipped its toes into all these genres in varying degrees, and it’s a welcomed sound which really makes his music stand out.
However, after coming across an AI website with the ability to compose song hooks based on a simple prompt, the ideas for Kantos became more of a question surrounding the possibilities of AI, but also the fine line that we seem to be dancing along at the minute – AI replacing human creativity. Speaking on the matter, Bashi said, “On the one hand I’m very intrigued by the possibilities of AI: it’s extremely powerful, and has the potential to solve a lot of important problems, but there’s also a great deal of value in human innovation, and I’m worried about what happens if we lose sight of that. Because if we don’t value our humanity, what are we valuing at all?”
Bashi’s ability to create original songs that are so unpredictable in nature is testimony to his interest in the abilities of AI, while still sticking close to his own, home grown and trusty creativity. Colourful State does not disappoint, and if it’s any indication as to what Kantos will be like, we’re in for a rollercoaster of an album.
Kishi Bashi begins his UK & European tour from November to December this year, starting in Berlin and ending in Bristol. His upcoming album Kantos will be released August 23rd via Joyful Noise Recordings.
Words by Cameron Cookson
