Shigeto plays it cooler, softer—and yet offers a set of four darkly-lit tracks that occupy a fortunate space between jazz vocabulary and the heritage of dance music.
Jazz drummer Zach Saginaw, has been at it for more than a decade now as Shigeto, and any new release from him is always a moment of joy . His mixture of electronic and sequenced sounds with sharp acoustic grooves has made him a favorite with fans looking for creative hybrid tracks. But on this new EP published on Vanity Press, Shigeto plays it cooler, softer—and yet offers a set of four darkly-lit tracks that occupy a fortunate space between jazz vocabulary and the heritage of dance music.
The (aptly named) Shigeto EP comes off as understated and intimate, a result of the minimalist approach of only using drums and various keyboards and synths. Yet Shigeto gives each track time to breathe and subtle arrangements—each number here clocks between five and six minutes, and each has an immediately recognizable identity. This is due to the reduced sonic palette used in each track. “Jetsettin” opens on dark strings which soon leave way to a sharp groove underpinned by discreet Rhodes chords. “Alley Oop,” on the other hand, starts with West Coast-influenced atonal synth noodles over cold hi-hats, a roster later enhanced with fm-sounding kicks and aggressive filter sweeps. A good example of the process is the second track, “Pusher”—in the beginning, the drums take more of a backseat to some pleasant Rhodes and piano flourishes. The song sits somewhere between Shigeto’s consistent electronic kit and the beautiful organic keys. As the track goes on, the beat expands and starts to take over, the Rhodes stabs, though unchanged, take on a new role as the context shifts—from a melodic lead to another rhythmic element. Because rhythm is the central element of this EP, grooves change and morph, yet the beat is always driving. And even if the drums are both the backbone and the leading instrument, the playing is never complacent or showy.
It is this subtlety, the way Shigeto plays with dynamics and goes back and forth in these stripped back yet expansive arrangements that make this EP a layered release, with a deceptively simple mission statement and a complex, delicious execution. Tasty.
Shigeto is available on Vanity Press.
