Artists take on pseudonyms for a multitude of reasons, but in Zach Saginaw's case, those reasons run deeper than most. The Detroit-based, Japanese-American musician, DJ, Portage Garage Sounds label co-founder, WDET 101.9FM host, and longtime Ghostly International artist records under the alias Shigeto. It's his middle name and his grandfather's name, a tribute to the Japanese branch of Saginaw's family tree. Shigeto also means "to grow" — appropriate, given his premature birth weight of less than a pound. Today, Shigeto stands for Saginaw's vividly beautiful electronic music. Beat-driven but given to richly textured sound design, rhythmically fractured yet melodically sumptuous, Shigeto's music bridges the past and present, bringing the artist face to face with a creative legacy that spans decades.
Cherry Blossom Baby, Shigeto's first full-length statement since 2017, sprouts out from a collective thaw, ambitious, collaborative, and fully realized. It finds Saginaw embracing the role of producer and composer, showcasing a band-built sound that honors traditions in electronic, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. Saginaw and a group of guests and players present a snapshot in time, a celebration of self-love and an expression of vitality distinctly rooted in Detroit and informed by his family's cultural history. "I am a cherry blossom baby," he says. "We all are cherry blossom babies, we all are resilient, we all are growing, we all will continue to.
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