Lo-Fi Beats/Chillhop Producer-Artist Nathan Kawanishi To Release ‘Morning-Evening’ EP (Out August 13)
July 2, 2021 BY Nettwerk
Rising producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and formally-trained audio engineer Nathan Kawanishi makes gorgeous lo-fi instrumental hip-hop music that reflects on the little details, locations, sounds, and smells from his home away from home—the area in and around Tokyo.
Nathan studied Japanese ensemble for three semesters in university, playing the koto. His beats are characterized by infectious melodies and riffs overlaid on gritty hip-hop drums and heavily layered background instrumentation. Inspired by the hybrid hip-hop of artists like Earl Sweatshirt and Mac Miller, the final result is a work of winking chillness that fits Kawanishi alongside instrumental vibe-purveying contemporaries like Sarah the Illstrumentalist, SwuM, Psalm Trees, and Harris Cole.
From his forthcoming EP Morning-Evening – out August 13 via Nettwerk Records – Kawanishi shares the whimsical “Walking to Adachi” and the nocturnal “Neon Signage.” Speaking to MXDWN, Kawanishi says, “these songs are part of a music project that I created during the last COVID lockdown. I immersed myself in old photos & videos from when I lived in Tokyo, and what emerged was a set of whimsical songs inspired by my time there. Interestingly, the vibe is far more romantic than anything I made when I was actually in Tokyo. While living there was great, it certainly didn’t mean I was free of the problems that permeate everyday life—even though it feels like I was in retrospect. Human memory is fickle, selective, and biased. And occasionally, that can be nice (like when reminiscing about the past during day 53 of staying home and watching reruns on Netflix).”
“Walking to Adachi” is about a small town just north of Tokyo. To get there on foot, one has to cross a bridge that goes over a spacious park and a large river. The busy city quickly dissipates, and the mind begins to wander. On the “Neon Signage,” Nathan uses an 808, bells, keys, and synths to capture the beauty of Tokyo’s neon streets at night, illuminated by dazzling vertical shop signs alongside adverts vying for attention.
Listen To Both Singles Here:
https://nathankawanishi.ffm.to/walkingtoadachineonsignage
To Pre-Save the EP, Click here: https://nathankawanishi.ffm.to/morningeveningep.
Track List:
1. Views from Yamashita Park
2. Hazy Skyline
3. Walking to Adachi
4. Tokyo Trainspotting
5. Ueno Park Sunsets
6. Hatagaya Greenways
7. Neon Signage
