Masaaki Yoshida‘s upsurge in artistic recognition surfaced from down Tokyo way back in the mid 00’s with several well received EP’s, his work comparable to that of early Bonobo, RJD2 and other staple names of the Hip Hop infused Acid Jazz movement.
Under the moniker of Anchorsong, Yoshida’s live performances are also what set him aside from the throngs of budding producers in the scene, holding an audience captive with his ‘front and centre’ style of live composition arming himself with an MPC2500 and a small keyboard, these intimate and spellbinding moments have been compared to “watching a painter drawing on a white canvas“.
2016 see’s household label Tru Thoughts release Anchorsong’s ‘Ceremonial‘, his second full length release fronted by the Brighton based imprint since ‘Chapters‘ back in 2011. This 11 track record once again displays the seemingly effortless way in which Yoshida blends elements of world music with forward thinking electronica, notably focusing this time on his self discovered love of Vintage African music.
“This record wouldn’t exist without this music, or its feeling of celebration. One of my favourite things about African music is its cheerful and uplifting feeling. I think about how their lives must not have been easy, but it still sounds like they’re celebrating their everyday life.” – Yoshida
Released January 22, 2016.