Episode 062: Yoko K.
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The first time I heard Yoko K.'s music, through a submission I received via SonicBids, I found myself pulled into her alluring soundscapes and songs and kept coming back for more over the following weeks. With layered recordings hinting at influences like Bjork, Massive Attack, Portishead, Brian Eno's ambient work, and jazz vocalists, Yoko K.'s music is all her own.
Yoko Kamitani, who works under the name Yoko K., was born in Japan and moved to the United States in 2004. Her debut album, 012906, was released in 2006 by Asahra Music in Washington D.C., which won her the Best Album in Electronica/Dance award at the 6th annual Independent Music Awards.
Yoko K. performed, produced, programmed, and recorded the album almost entirely by herself. As singer and keyboardist, she also has the help of some string and horn players, but the scope of 012906 doesn't feel like an album recorded at a home studio with the help of a few musical friends. Instead, it's the kind of project an early-era Bjork might have created with a level of confidence, risk, and adventure that made me think Yoko K. was overdue for more attention. And, as with most albums that reward repeated listens, I kept finding new layers to what Yoko K. was doing on the album, truly moving electronic music a step forward through her choices of instruments that she pairs. I love the mood that the entire album creates when heard in sequence.
Thinking back on it, I'm not exactly sure how or when I found out about 
Josh Ritter has just released his third CD, "Hello Starling" on Signature Sounds Recordings, following his 1999 eponymous debut and 2002's acclaimed "Golden Age of Radio." Ritter and his band are out now on tour of the US and Europe. 
AshbyAshby is an ambitious duo from Boston whose music isn't easy to define. Their name is a tribute to few of their favorite artists, including film director Hal Ashby and jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby.
