Name: Cherry Blossom Baby
Brand: Shigeto

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

GI420LPC1

Colour

Pink

Colour details

Sakura Droplet Vinyl

Discogs ID

{"time": 1724874296748, "blocks": [], "version": "2.24.3"}

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: Yes

Format detail

Format Music US

Limited edition

Release date

2024-10-25

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier US

Secre­tly

Tax rate US

Sales:8.875

UPC / Barcode

804297842035

Total Cap

9999

Pink LP

GI420LP

Black

Extended format: No

804297842011

Black LP

GI420CD

{"time": 1724874228294, "blocks": [], "version": "2.24.3"}

804297842028

Artist

Shigeto

Genre US

Electronic

Label US

Ghostly

Shigeto is a highly acclaimed electronic music artist known for his unique blend of experimental beats and melodic compositions. With a sound that draws influences from jazz, hip-hop, and ambient music, Shigeto has created a distinct style that captivates listeners.

Similar to artists such as Dorian Concept, Nosaj Thing, and Teebs, Shigeto's music pushes the boundaries of genre classification. His tracks are characterized by intricate rhythms, atmospheric textures, and emotive melodies. Whether performing live or producing in the studio, Shigeto consistently delivers captivating performances that showcase his technical skill and artistic vision.

Having collaborated with notable musicians like Daedelus and Machinedrum, Shigeto has established himself as a respected figure in the electronic music scene. His releases on labels such as Ghostly International have garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated fan base worldwide. With each new release, Shigeto continues to push the boundaries of electronic music while staying true to his unique sound.

Cherry Blossom Baby, Shigeto's first full-length statement since 2017, sprouts outfrom a collective thaw, ambitious, collaborative, and fully realized. The Detroit-based, Japanese-American musician, DJ, Portage Garage Sounds label co-founder, and longtime Ghostly International artist embraces the role of producer and composer. Bold and cultivated with intention, the band-built sound honors traditions in electronic, jazz, R&amp;B, and hip-hop, a fusion that's become his signature, now more vibrant than ever. Zach Saginaw and a group of guests and players present a snapshot in time, a celebration of self-love and an expression of vitality distinctly rooted in Detroit and informed by his family’s cultural history. "I am a cherry blossom baby," he says. "We all are cherry blossom babies, we all are resilient, we all are growing, we all will continue to."

Heritage has been at the heart of Saginaw's recording project from the start; his middle name is Shigeto, a name passed down from his great grandfather, which means "to grow" — it was apt given his premature birth weight of less than a pound, and remains fitting for the evolution of his artistry, now nearly 15 years since he signed to Ghostly. On Lineage (GI-148, 2012), Saginaw grappled with an ancestral story; the artwork contrasted photos taken of his great-grandfather's home in Hiroshima in 1916 and later at the Amache Internment Camp iN Grenada, Colorado, where he and his family were sent during the Second World War. The line continues through Cherry Blossom Baby, which finds Saginaw drawing inspiration from the cherry trees that bloom every spring at Hiroshima, an enduring image of hope, resilience, and renewal.

Saginaw's been searching, a simmering introspection that surfaced in recent years as nightlife paused and he began to question the idea of Shigeto, the performer and Michigan fixture. "My identity is always something I've struggled with, not being really considered Japanese, not being considered white. I think Shigeto was a way for me to have this identity, to create one for myself that I can latch onto, and it suddenly didn't exist anymore." The realization pushed him to work on himself, to come back to his craft and his community, laying the groundwork for a record that rises from the figurative ashes anew. 

A reaffirmed sense of self, momentum, and maturation is apparent in where Saginaw situates here as a songwriter and producer arranging ideas alongside Detroit's finest, a physical manifestation of his WDET 101.9FM show highlighting “forward-thinking music from the Detroit Diaspora.” Every track is a collaboration, be it with a vocalist or multiple instrumentalists, a tradition forged in his Portage Garage studio sessions. "It's the first time I'm writing this stuff myself and getting these players to make it even better…it's impossible to have made it at this level without them." The production and mix favor a full, throwback quality, eschewing modern compression for more spacious dynamics, a nod to psych and jazz records of the '70s and '80s. "It was o purpose but also subconsciously, playing live with jazz bands and DJing b2b with mentors like Dez Andrés, playing older sounds over the last decade. Sonically I wanted to make this record feel like you could see multiple people in a studio." 

Expanding on the title's metaphor, Shigeto is pushing forward with the people around him: "A cherry blossom is regrowing, but it's always different too, and I'm speaking to that with all the different musicians on this record, getting everyone nvolved and honoring their contributions is part of that cherry blossom philosophy.”

Cherry Blossom Baby

Music US

Discover Cherry Blossom Baby by Shigeto on vinyl. A fusion of electronic, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. Embrace the vibrant sound rooted in Detroit's cultural history.