Torn between the ferocity of the equine and the civility of
man, Chiron was considered to be the noblest of the centaurs. His front legs
were not of a horse but of a man. He trotted about mythological worlds as a
refined anomaly, forged with the best traits of both beasts. For keyboardist
and songwriter BIGYUKI we are all on the verge of that transformation with our
digital devices amplifying and polishing our intellects. His debut album
Reaching For Chiron is a perfect synthesis of heart and technology, heavy beats
and buoyant melodies.
"We don't memorize phone numbers anymore. We don't
memorize maps. It's like a part of the brain now," says BIGYUKI.
"There is an ongoing discussion about AI creating a god or summoning a
devil. I kind of feel like in the near future there is no way a human will
develop themselves without help from AI. It's a unity between human and
machine."
BIGYUKI is naturally the perfect embodiment of that modern
man. Raised in Japan, he moved to Boston to attend the Berklee College of
Music. Up until that point a majority of his keyboard experience had been with
the classical masters. "Playing classical music I learned how to depart
from this realm. Me becomes not me. That's when I learned that. I love Chopin.
I could really relate as my young self. He has beautiful melodies. I loved it.
I think that part is still in me. Whatever music I play, it's always
there."
Not long after arriving in Massachusetts, BIGYUKI began to
see the changes, expanding and acquiring the knowledge that would create his
powerhouse sound. An encounter with the much sought-after drummer Charles
Haynes at Wally's Cafe landed BIGYUKI a church gig in the Boston suburb of
Dorchester, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the state. "People
seemed to like my enthusiasm, attitude and maybe my playing. I didn't know any
songs but I have an ear that doesn't suck. I can figure it out." And he
did. He played that gig for six years, lasting far longer at the church than at
the college. "That really kind of gave me a sense that maybe where you are
from and what your background is doesn't really matter."
A move to New York helped to solidify BIGYUKI's
transformation. He worked regularly with hip-hop artists like Talib Kweli and
Matisyahu and made numerous contributions to the long-awaited return from A Tribe
Called Quest. All of these elements -- Chopin, jazz, gospel, hip-hop -- reside
between the keys on BIGYUKI's debut, trampling anyone who stands in the way.
The album opens by tuning into an intergalactic transmission
with the ethereal "Pom Pom," a malleable swim through space dust that
is engulfed in a storm of synths, Randy Runyon's panic attack-inducing guitar
and drummer Justin Tyson's driving hi-hat. Despite its intensity, "'Pom
Pom was one of the simpler ones," BIGYUKI explains.
He gets an assist from Taylor McFerrin on two tracks.
"Eclipse" features vocalist Chris Turner in a swoony mood, crooning
poet J. Ivy's impassioned lyrics over drummer Louis Cato's thundering presence.
Drummer Marcus Gilmore sprinkles the funk on "Missing Ones," a chill-out
crawl that blinks breathlessly from the atmosphere.
"Coming up with the bass lines and the changes was the
easy part. Harmonies and melodies are very simple but then coming up with a
form? Figuring out how to make the four-minute piece interesting enough so that
you don't stop in the middle of it? That's the hard part."
"Belong" and "In A Spiral" both showcase BIGYUKI's more
sensitive side.
"Belong" features some of BIGYUKI's most delicate
work on the album. Amid the clipped rhythms programmed by Reuben Cainer,
BIGYUKI channels an inner calm that becomes even more stripped down on "In
A Spiral," a virtual cabaret performance amidst the unrelenting futurism
found throughout the album.
"I wanted to come up with something that was straight
fire. That was the idea. Let's make something that hits people hard."
There isn't any mystery to "Burnt N Turnt." BIGYUKI is aiming
straight for the club floor with help from producer Bae Bro. The two mix
samples and synthesizers for a menacing spin. "Boom," the duo's
second collaboration further along the record, is equally indebted to the heavy
jam, vocal samples twisted into place by dense drum programming.
"It was after one of those taping sessions for Stephen
Colbert's late show. I was part of the house band for two months. I started
jamming over my piano figure with Louis Cato and I recorded it on my
phone." That sample made its way into the final recording of
"NuNu." Drummer Lenny "The Ox" Reece lays down a skittering
track that melds seamlessly with a distant vocal sample manipulation. There is
a latin-ish vibe simmering beneath the surface throughout. "Reuben Cainer
sprinkled a little bit of his flavor to it and the rest is blood and
tears."
BIGYUKI first worked with Bilal years ago. The soul singer
is the main guest on "Soft Places" making the tune decidedly his own.
"You know that it's Bilal as soon as you hear his tone. He gives musicians
such a freedom to stretch. He makes the music his playground." With help
from co-producer and sound designer Stu Brooks, BIGYUKI presents a
post-apocalyptic love song that veers through time to create a soundscape that
ears can easily tumble into.
"Simple Like You" puts hip-hop in the center of
BIGYUKI's universe. Javier Starks brings a swagger to the album that is refreshing
and unexpected. A staccato riff keeps everyone on their toes while Celia
Hatton's top melody on viola packs a hard-left turn with a symphonic break.
The album closes with "2060 Chiron," another
floating collaboration with Cainer. An industrial pulse surrounds the
futuristic song that is also incredibly indebted to the science fiction
soundtracks of the 1980s. And as quickly as it arrives it goes, taking with it
the future of BIGYUKI, the shape-shifting keyboardist, part man, part beast,
all soul.
BIGYUKI · Reaching for Chiron
Likely Records ·
Release Date: February 2, 2018
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