Nathan Kawanishi Announces New Album ‘Iconoclasm (Thesis)’
September 2, 2022 BY Jason Currell
Today, rising producer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Nathan Kawanishi announces his new album Iconoclasm (Thesis), set for release November 14 via Nettwerk Records.
The announcement coincides with the release of new single “Iconoclasm,” the second single off of the project. The syncopation and contrasting of instruments and vocal samples makes “Iconoclasm” far from ordinary in the lo-fi space, and keeps in line with his plans to push more toward the avant-garde on the upcoming project.
Iconoclasm (Thesis) follows the California-based artist on a day in Tokyo, a city he describes as his home away from home. In constructing the 8-track album, Kawanishi made a point of pushing back against what he views as an over-romanticization of Japan in the media. The album instead focuses on the mundane aspects of life in Japan, which is what enchanted him about the country to begin with. This exploration of the ordinary builds on past tracks in Kawanishi’s discography, such as “Hatagaya Greenways” and “Views from Yamashita Park.“
“This album is a bit of a soundtrack for random everyday things I do [in Tokyo], or for some memory I have,” he says. “While they may be specifically mine, these memories are general enough to be shared by others—or perhaps remind you of some of your own memories.”
On the narrative of the album, Kawanishi explains: “It begins in the morning and ends after midnight. The overall vibe shifts around as the album progresses, as I experience different things at different times—in the morning, the songs are light and joyous; in the afternoon, groggy and calm; in the evening, darker and more energetic.”
“Iconoclasm” is available at digital retailers here: https://nathankawanishi.ffm.to/iconoclasm