GO KUROSAWA releases debut solo album TODAY on Guruguru Brain. Listen to 'soft shakes' in full now.

GO KUROSAWA - Kikagaku Moyo and Guruguru Brain co-founder releases debut solo album - 'soft shakes' out today - Listen in full here

“It’s rare for a record to sound both as chill and vibrant as this, but the pleasing mix of ethereal jams and detail-heavy compositions is a treat throughout.” - 8/10 Uncut “Kurosawa’s hypnotic vocal flows and penchant for making wayward instrumental choices ensures his compositions rarely reach the destination first implied. Dreamlike and exotic, Soft Shakes’ outward frippery hides and emotionally satisfying core.” - **** MOJO “It’s open and curious, warm and adventurous, thoroughly surprising and fascinating.” - **** Shindig! "soft shakes finds Kurosawa remaining largely true to his former outfit’s sound while also injecting his own sandcastle style of playful eclecticism." - Aquarium Drunkard "A deeply personal, self-made debut blending introspection and independence into an intimate solo soundscape." - Album of the Month, Worldwide.fm Following the vinyl release last month, Go Kurosawa's debut solo album, soft shakes sees its digital release today, available on streaming platforms in full now via Guruguru Brain.   Multi-instrumentalist, producer, co-founder of the independent label Guruguru Brain and drummer/vocalist of Kikagaku Moyo, Go Kurosawa has spent the past decade building bridges between East and West, sound and silence, rock and ritual.   soft shakes is something different. A personal chapter in Go’s journey, it marks his first solo album, created entirely by himself and made, for the first time, purely for himself. What comes through is music that feels playful, layered, rhythmic and delightfully unexpected. Just like Go. Listen to soft shakes in full here: https://gokurosawa.bandcamp.com/album/soft-shakes Buy soft shakes on vinyl here: https://gurugurubrain.space  After Kikagaku Moyo disbanded, Go spent some time producing records for other artists, but with soft shakes, there was no plan. Just the instinct to pick up an instrument, play, and see what might unfold.   As he puts it, “The whole framework is new. When I made music for the band, I always knew who would play what. This time, it was just me. No plan, no expectation. And weirdly, that became the concept: doing it all myself, for the first time.”   Go has a rare kind of musical instinct. He can play anything, hears everything, and yet never takes himself too seriously. For a long time, making music alone wasn’t part of the plan. Music had always been about connection. But over time, as he travelled, collected instruments and set up Guruguru Brain studio in Rotterdam, the sound of a solo voice emerged.   soft shakes came together between January and June in Rotterdam, through dark, rainy, quiet days. Each day, Go would head to the studio, pick up whatever instrument was around and simply play. The process was slow and instinctive. “If something still moved me the next day, I’d add to it. If not, I’d start something new. One step at a time, without pressure.”   Even as a solo record, the music doesn’t feel tight or controlled. It has the looseness of jamming, the joy of following where the sound wants to go. “I wanted that feeling, even if I was jamming with myself.”   The album artwork was created by his partner Ao, her first time doing artwork for a record. “It captures the freedom and boldness of trying something new and I love it,” he says.   soft shakes arrives at a moment of transition. Go recently relocated to Fukuoka, Japan, after years of living and working in Europe. “While making this album, we were deciding where to move. I knew it would be my last creation while living in Europe. When I listen back, I can hear that longing for something, towards a far away home.”   The record feels like the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another. “Now I’m excited to build a studio in Japan and start again. I don’t know what will come next, but I want it to be shaped and influenced by new surroundings.”   And while this record might be personal, Go hopes it offers something to others too. “I wish people would travel somewhere else through music. You float around, lose track of time, and when the record ends, you feel the soft comfort of coming home again.”   soft shakes will be available on vinyl this Friday, August 1st, with digital available on September 5th. Pre-order here.   soft shakes track list: 1. moon, please 2. sada no umi 3. soredesho? 4. green thing 5. autowalk 6. jungle cooking 7. rice harvesting day 8. cloud rock   Links: https://www.instagram.com/gurugurubrain https://gurugurubrain.space/ https://gurugurubrain.bandcamp.com