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Video: Shigeto – Barry White feat. ZelooperZ

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Detroit-based artist Shigeto, aka, Zach Saginaw is sharing his new single & video “Barry White”. The track is taken from his upcoming album, ‘The New Monday’, due Oct 6th via Ghostly International. Shigeto is also set to play a London show on Oct 9th at Omera.

The importance of the Detroit community has come through strongly in the initial looks from the album. The video for “Detroit Part II” featured intimate shots of the Motor City, and “Don’t Trip” featured Detroit emcee Silas Green. Today Saginaw collaborates with another Detroit native, Zelooperz (as he did on the recent A Piece of the Geto album as ZGTO), in a surreal video for the album track “Barry White” that’s directed by Voiid Studio.

From Voiid Studio: “We wanted to create something both real and surreal, a little dark but also vivid, that reflected the qualities and power of the track, underpinned by Zach and Z’s (Zelooperz) strange world in Detroit. The guys liked our ideas and brought a ton of resources to bear, so we were off to an exhausting, exhilarating, filthy weekend in Detroit and a very, very satisfying collaboration.”

Watch “Barry White” here:

While always having a personal approach to his projects, Saginaw’s influences for his third album, The New Monday, are more about the community of Detroit than anything else. Named after a weekly DJ event called Monday is the New Monday that Saginaw does at the unassuming Motor City Wine with a group of friends, The New Monday is the result of Saginaw diving into the city’s deep record culture, where the legacy of artists of the past help Saginaw embrace his own contributions. The album is set for an October 6th release via Ghostly International.

Shigeto – Don’t Trip (ft. Silas Green)

With his new album due Oct 6th via Ghostly International, Shigeto has shared new single “Don’t Trip”.

It’s been four years since Zach Saginaw, aka Shigeto, returned home to Michigan from a stint in Brooklyn, NY, and since then, the multi-faceted musician has become a part of the fabric of Detroit’s music scene. While always having a personal approach to his projects, Saginaw’s influences for his third album, The New Monday, are more about the community of Detroit than anything else. And the community comes through clearly on the new track “Don’t Trip,” which features the vocals of Detroit emcee Silas Green guiding the listener through Shigeto’s assertive, spiraling production.

Named after a weekly DJ event called Monday is the New Monday that Saginaw does at the unassuming Motor City Wine with a group of friends, The New Monday is the result of Saginaw diving into the city’s deep record culture, where the legacy of artists of the past help Saginaw embrace his own contributions. The album is set for an October 6th release via Ghostly International.

Shigeto – The New Monday LP

It’s been four years since Zach Saginaw, aka Shigeto, returned home to Michigan from a stint in Brooklyn, NY, and since then, the multi-faceted musician has become a part of the fabric of Detroit’s music scene. While always having a personal approach to his projects, Saginaw’s influences for his third album, The New Monday, are more about the community of Detroit than anything else. Named after a weekly DJ event called Monday is the New Monday that Saginaw does at the unassuming Motor City Wine with a group of friends, The New Monday is the result of Saginaw diving into the city’s deep record culture, where the legacy of artists of the past help Saginaw embrace his own contributions. The album is set for an October 6th release via Ghostly International. The Detroit-centric video for the searing album opener “Detroit Part II” is streaming via YouTube.

The visuals for “Detroit Part II” chronicle Shigeto’s own return to Detroit and the community he’s become a staple in. The accompanying visuals follow Shigeto and his close friends as they explore the city, before culminating at MotorCity Wine, during Monday is the New Monday — the weekly event where Shigeto has taken residency. Filmed in black and white and with infrared filters, the textured images are reminiscent of techno videos of the early 90’s, famously having an influence on Detroit’s techno scene. To the city and the people Shigeto has surrounded himself with since coming back to Detroit, “Detroit Part II” is an ode to the creative influences that have cultivated such a strong and collaborative community for Shigeto.

“It’s focused on a couple things and they all kind of come together to represent different things,” explains Saginaw about the new album. “My time back in Detroit, back living in Michigan and spending time with a lot of kind of original people who have always been here, learning from them, hearing stories from them, being influenced by them, and inspired by them.”

While, in the past, projects like Lineage or No Better Time Than Now were rooted in strong personal messages, family and relationships respectively, The New Monday represents a communal effort where solidarity is the key. Going for a simplified approach of just trying to make good tracks, The New Monday is diverse in its styles leaning more into a dance music direction – new ground for a Shigeto project. A new air of confidence in Saginaw has expanded his horizons since his return to Detroit, but traces of his past work will continue to be present.

“I don’t want people to think I’m leaving anything,” says Saginaw. “I’m still me. It’s a result of me being immersed in the culture, and inevitably making music that is influenced by that culture whether it be house, techno, jazz, rap. It doesn’t matter. It’s all coming from what I love about Michigan.”

While The New Monday still features the jazz textures long associated with Shigeto projects, the varied elements that make up the album cohesively come together to show the distinct inspiration that Saginaw has drew from since his return home to Detroit. Like on “Barry White”, which features Detroit hip-hop artist ZelooperZ  (a member of Danny Brown’s Bruiser Brigade crew who Saginaw also has a side project with called ZGTO), Saginaw captures everything he’s been doing all on one track. As much as it’s hip-hop influenced, it’s a mutant that encompasses elements of dance music, jazz, and ambient sounds.

Throughout The New Monday, Saginaw poignantly references the musical influences that have either always been with him or newly discovered. It is Saginaw’s interpretation of Detroit’s rich culture of innovative artistry, but done so with respect for the history and to contribute, not disrupt.

“I think over the past four years, I can confidently say that I found my place here,” describes Saginaw. “I’m happy here and I feel that I have the respect from the people I need respect from, that I want respect from. It’s all of the result of embracing it and embracing, not Detroit, but embracing community, embracing family, being closer to my parents, being closer to my oldest friends.”

Pre-order here

06 October 2017 / Ghostly International
01. Detroit Part II
02. Barry White (ft. ZelooperZ)
03. Ice Breaker
04. In Case You Forgot
05. There’s A Vibe Tonight (ft. Kaleena Zanders)
06. A2D (ft. ZelooperZ & Silas Green) (AAPV)
07. Wit Da Cup
08. Don’t Trip (ft. Silas Green)
09. When We Low

Video: Shigeto – Do My Thing (A Venue Project)

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After recently releasing his ‘Intermission’ EP, Detroit polymath, Shigeto, aka Zach Saignaw, is set to tour the UK next month, alongside Ghostly International labelmates Heathered Pearls and Lord RAJA with shows in London, Brighton and Leeds, as well as a run of other European shows.

Venue (produced by VSCO) recently shared a captivating live performance of Intermission track ‘Do My Thing’, which bought together Shigeto and fine artist/ designer Michael Cina.This project was inspired by A Century of Artifice, a comprehensive retrospective of Cina’s artwork for Ghostly International, and by a short film of Shigeto on tour in Japan showcasing his explosive live interpretations of his own electronic productions. Aware that the two artists have consistently intersected on the packaging for Shigeto’s discography, Venue wanted to provide a space for their creative interaction to be realised in a new way. The resulting film also serves as a nod to the significant contribution that Ghostly International has made to progressive culture for the past 16 years.

Shigeto – Do My Thing

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I haven’t found the next step for me yet. I’ve been making loads of music as always, but I’m still looking for that concrete new path.”

Shigeto’s Intermission EP (Oct 30th, Ghostly International) takes its title quite literally, then, presenting a snapshot of the artist’s transition between ideas and inspiration. Indeed, listening to these six eclectic tracks evokes a dynamic sense of exploration, excitement, and stylistic freedom. Following the throbbing seven minute first single “Pulse,” today Shigeto releases “Do My Thing”. It’s a shapeshifting track that sees Shigeto combining various percussive elements along with melodic instrumention and evovling beats.
Listen here:

Shigeto – Intermission EP

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Two years after Shigeto released his second full-length, No Better Time Than Now, the busy Detroit polymath, born Zach Saginaw, has finally taken a break from his endless hustle to update everyone on his current musical headspace. He returns with new EP ‘Intermission’ due out Oct 30th via Ghostly International & the first track from the record ‘Pulse’ is streaming online now.

“I’ve been on the road for a long time now and also have been working on other projects,” he explains. With projects that include working on a new live ensemble arrangement, playing electronics in a jazz quartet, recording with Detroit rappers, and building a new studio, it’s no wonder we haven’t heard much from him since 2013.

“I haven’t found the next step for me yet. I’ve been making loads of music as always, but I’m still looking for that concrete new path.” Shigeto’s Intermission EP takes its title quite literally, then, presenting a snapshot of the artist’s transition between ideas and inspiration. Indeed, listening to these six eclectic tracks evokes a dynamic sense of exploration, excitement, and stylistic freedom. ‘Pulse’, the throbbing seven minute first single from the new EP via Ghostly International Soundcloud.

Saginaw describes Intermission as a collection songs that “point to the past, present, and future.” His inimitable hallmarks are certainly there: the heavy drum-machine knock and jazzy synth flourishes of ‘City Dweller’, that airy thumb piano in beat suite ‘Do My Thing’, and ‘Pulse’’s percussive, polyrhythmic grooves. They mingle with some fresh sounds from Shigeto, too. Mystic pads creep into the mix—especially on beatless, textural drifts ‘Gently’ and ‘Deep Breathing’—and there’s a decidedly unhinged touch to how the producer uses samples, almost like he’s teaching himself a new language. But don’t get it twisted, there’s no grand vision this time out. “They’re not meant as a strong message,” Saginaw clarifies, “but more of a taste, like a halftime show of sorts.”

So if Intermission is here to hold us over until Shigeto’s next big event, the record’s palpable depth and complexity say quite a lot about where the man is now and where he’s headed. Pre-order the album from Ghostly here.

‘Intermission’ tracklist:
Pulse
City Dweller
Gently
Do My Thing
Deep Breathing
Need Nobody

Shigeto – Tide Pools

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After announcing their Ghostly Swim 2 compilation, Adult Swim and Ghostly International are back today to share the second taste from the forthcoming release. The second installment of the Ghostly Swim series will feature an exclusive Ghostly curated selection of unreleased material spanning wayward ambient and seasick house from artists including CFCF, Babe Rainbow, harpist Mary Lattimore, and Dauwd amongst others. With it’s release date set for December 23rd 2014, Ghostly Swim 2 is sure to provide the perfect holiday escape. Shigeto’s contribution to the compilation, “Tide Pools”, is now available for streaming.

Video: Shigeto – Detroit Part 1

Following the release of his excellent No Better Time Than Now LP last week, jazz-trained producer/multi-instrumentalist Shigeto has shared an intensely symbolic new video for “Detroit Part 1,” a standout cut from his third LP for Ghostly. Directed by Rafe Scobeythal.

Shigeto – Olivia

In anticipation of his new album ‘No Better Time Than Now’, which is penned for release on August 19 through Ghostly International, Shigeto has revealed a beautiful new track from said record.
‘Olivia’ takes you on emotional venture into the new works of Shigeto. It’s a song made for reflection with warm oozes of liquid-synths, gentle percussion and comforting twinkles of delicate beats. With a slight interlude halfway through, it represents the importance of change and living in the moment, a proverb that is incredibly important, but nevertheless, often overlooked. Listen to ‘Olivia’below.

In other news, Shigeto has announced a competition where fans are invited to use the hashtags ‘#nobettertime’ and ‘#shigeto’ as a ‘seize the day’ call to action across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ & Vine. The public are asked to use the hashtags to make a personal statement of what there is no better time than now for them to do in their lives, for the chance of winning concert tickets and Shigeto merchandise. Shigeto will go on to choose a winner on the album release date. All images will be collected at http://iamshigeto.com/ as people share their inspirational photos.

Shigeto – Ringleader

Zach Saginaw, a.k.a. Shigeto has unveiled a second new work from his upcoming LP ‘No Better Time Than Now’, which is penned for release on August 19 through Ghostly International. ‘Ringleader’ is an exotic 6-minutes, starting off with twinkly beats and intensifying percussion that take you on a delicate safari into the new sounds of the Michagan-based beat-maker.

“2012 was a powerful year for me. I released my second LP; I played nearly 180 shows in 360 days; I made the move back home from Brooklyn, NY to Detroit, MI; a six-year relationship of mine came to an end and I made it 30 years on the planet.”