Ghostly International

Shigeto "Cherry Blossom Baby" Vinyl

Cherry Blossom Baby is Shigeto's first full-length statement since 2017. 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&B, and hip-hopa 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 familys cultural history. 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." On Lineage (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 Colorado during WWII. The line continues through Cherry Blossom Baby, which finds Saginaw drawing inspiration from the cherry trees that bloom every spring at Hiroshimaan enduring image of hope, resilience, and renewal. 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. Every track is a collaboration with vocalists or instrumentalistsa tradition forged in his Portage Garage studio sessions. The production and mix favor a full, throwback quality with more spacious dynamics, nodding to psych and jazz records of the '70s and '80s. Details: - Ghostly International Records - 10 tracks - Black Vinyl Edition