Kyoto turned Chicago native Sen Morimoto has an album soon to be heard and the first single released is “Cannonball.”
Morimoto is a multi-instrumentalist that composes eclectic electronic pieces that are driven by a jazz/hip hop groove. The music is obviously influenced by many styles that seem equally important to the overall meaning and feeling being generated. This occurs melodically and through the amalgam of effects and instrument additions.
“Cannonball” is upbeat while remaining über cool and collected. Its really kind of an erratic song, in the best way. There’s a lot going on and that is what makes the song so interesting. As a listener, you have some new detail to focus on, hopefully appreciating the amount of skill Sen Morimoto has in the designing of sounds and instrumental prowess. Everything seems out of place, yet each component is bouncing along in a rhythm that makes it all work.
Brilliantly, really.
‘Cannonball’ is a Mixture of Jazz, Hip Hop, and Cool Electro
The song is a great first peek for the album. Its fetching enough to grab the attention and show how the artist is unique. This single does that. His musical identity is fully realized and confidently displays his inner workings through the lyrics.
The song is actually quite personal: Sen Morimoto tells anecdotes about his childhood and it seems like he is working through his thought process. He sings this beautifully, by the way. His voice is incredibly smooth and enunciated. It travels between singing and rapping and whispering in some parts, each is impressive.
“Cannonball” fits into the maximalist sound aesthetic seemingly with great pride. The song is catchy, but not in a cliched way that could cheapen it or go against the coolness of Sen Morimoto’s genre. It is always an amazing thing to witness when an artist can include components that vary across many styles of music and make it cohesive.
If the first single is this carefully considered and well done, then the album is something is certainly watch for.
