Lighght, by Kishi Bashi (2024)

1.

2.

And if you fly into the skyand if your body is a penny and dimeready to throw it in a fountain of my many moniesand if you push it I will take you offlinePhilosophize in it! Chemicalize with it!I fell in love with you the only way I knowI went for many miles until I couldn't goconcerned but anyways, I didn't even know about you and meI made a guess about your craziness and no,I didn't even think about how many boys you've been with beforeconcerned but anyways I love everything about you And if your body is a penny and dimeready to throw it in a fountain of my many moniesand if you push it I will take you offlinePhilosophize in it! Chemicalize with it!Picture our wedding it'd be summer sour and summer sweetwe'd paint the ceiling red, we'd go to the Greek and straight to the streetconcerned but never bleakwe'd find the day about you and meand with our eyes we shall seebetween you and mewho's crazier for the other one?it's me... it's you... it's me… no, it's you...And if you fly into the skyand if you push it I will take you offlineAnd if your body is a penny and dimeready to throw it in a fountain of my many moniesand if you push it I will take you offlinePhilosophize in it! Chemicalize with it!

3.

Did fate mistake us for a pair of star crossed lovers?the savory ending wasn't drowned in salt and pepperand as we danced together, I cried a funny smileas I felt you awake in the heat of feastnow you're gone forever now inside myself here we goooh Mr. Steak you were Grade A I believe when a man's in love he'll do anything he wants he'll do anything that will come to his mindand like that, Mr. Steak was in love every minute of his mind:he's stepping left and right cha-chahe came to me in a package of delightevery other meal paled in his shadow oohhe picked me, not the other way aroundhe came bursting at the seamshe pranced around la laHe brought the 1 2 3 he brought the four on the floorhe loved to move he was everything and moreand every bite just made him dance more and morehe loved toMr. Steak you were Grade AMr. Steak, he's such a bachelor at hearthe'd never met another cut that likes to booty booty shaky shakedo you believe that a steak couldn't love or is hard to manage the fact of meat jerkin to the beatbut Mr. Steak he is practically an animal of joythe rarest of all cuts: tenderloinit was a tragedy of unimaginable fate his legend lives across the landhand in hand here we go he brought the 1 He brought the 1 2 3 he brought the four on the floorhe loved to move he was everything and moreand every bite just made him dance more and more he loved toMr. Steak you were great, eh?

4.

What a beautiful life away, naked from all the Apolloniansfor their radiance shines on and on when endowed with promises, majestic with all the stallionsbut the fateful truth burns on and onWhen in doubt you made me stay connected in with the beyond and onlike when the radio plays on and onSo the earth would dry of song if i sang you oneCarry on! Carry on Phenomenon!so you got the best of me so amazinglyCarry on! Carry on Phenomenon and on and on...Oh the way that you waved to me, it awakened me in shock and aweduring the reigning age of Solomon and on and onmy nefarious state of mind illuminate in every song for your serenade plays on and on…So the earth would dry of song if i sang you one,Carry on! Carry on Phenomenon!so you got the best of me so amazinglyCarry on! Carry on Phenomenon and on and on...

5.

In the beginning we were scrambled togethermixed in a celestial bowl and hand fluffed with a featherand the tears of bliss were not amissit was a good daythe second day, we created the earthtickled in irony as we made love upon it's girth.and to our delight, the sun gave us the starsthe creation of the moon was a miracle of lightdescended from the rift in the dark star of nightmy veins pulsed butter as it illuminated your thighson the fourth day, we felt compelled to whistle. For how could we call the love birds to nestle and keep us company in this world anew and fresh?Today I paint to life, a portrait of the sacred friend, the perfect wifein synesthesiatogether we have filled the world with colored winebut the story nears the present timeof restlessness and wake up callswake up!Years have flown fast but then who's countingthe wars have been won but there's few left standing between usand the shadows of christmas pastcritically acclaimed but sadly underratedfortune definitely favored us, but no one celebratedour wits were splitting at their ends...we gazed upon the city lightswe each laughed aloud one final time and agreed:this is one thing we'll miss…and as we held our breath and forced our willthe minutes stopped, the air was stilland minds began to unlearn their faulted waysWe blasted through the hills!they were the first to go, and the most painful sobecause we made them first when we learned to bleedwith our fingers on the seeds that sowed in the dirtand then cried when we came in the glorious masterwork of life endingand beginning againwe ignored the pleas of the forest and the seas as we scorched the earth with our tears…we burned them in fearuntil there's nothing leftnothing left nothing, nothing left but us

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you are the answer to my questionyou are my accomplice in a crimeyou are my wing woman and did I mentionwe were together in another life?in that dreaming, you probably were my wifeHotaru Hotaru* futari no yume wo mireru hotaru noHotaru Hotarutsuneru to yume gasameru hotaruyoru’cause we worshipped in sin for funtwo melting candles against the sun modern angels they broke our wings in the windfor what?decorated by man and timeornamental and quite devinemanifested in their commitment toflay our mindsyou are the answer to my questionyou are my accomplice in a crimeyou are my wing woman and did I mentionwe were together in another life?In that moment, you probably were my wifeHotaru Hotarufutari no yume wo mireru hotaru yoruIn the twilight they danced and playedthe fireflies they go light like crayin the dreaming we struck each other and prayedfor painyou are the answer to my questionyou are my accomplice in a crimeyou are my wing woman and did I mentionwe were together in another life?In that dreaming, you probably were my wife*Japanese translation: “firefly fireflytwo dreams we saw of fireflieswith a pinch, we'll be awokenfrom the night of fireflies”

8.

Count off to the feel of your beat yeahmake it rain on my melodyam I man enough to man this sunny afternoon?I fell off from the throne of the makermade a mess of a parodyI can count a little fun as many things too soonand your radiance came around on the heels of a magical mysteryand the beauty of your major keythe ambitions as a survivormake stronger a man of mebut the enemy of mine is staring back as youI need to know this love is realI want to feel the sadnessI want to know how it tasteswhen you throw it at the moonI want my heart to be cold as iceI want to take it back in timedig a grave with my teethI want to bleed in the rainI want to feel my very chest ripped open at the seamsI really want to knowwas it a dream? The courageous on the horizonmade many a soldier weepwas there anybody around to bury them at noon?and the fortunes of the Messiahgave hope to the progenythat the sky was in a shade of lighter blue than youbut your radiance came around on the heels of a magical mysterymade a suitor and a slave of methe melange of all the dividersmade everything incompleteand the only thing to do is stare at the moonI want to know how it tastes when you throw it at the moonI want my heart to be cold as iceI want to take it back in timedig a grave with my teethI want to bleed in the rain!I want to feel my very chest ripped open at the seamsI want to lead you by your breast, animated and obscenewhen I'm blinded in the sunlight will this love be real?or was it a dream?

9.

When we were Manta Rays floating as carelessly with every wave we felt what we were dreamed to sayand in our fantasy we'd sting each other see?and try to sweep the leg but we have none hahahasilly girl are you mad at me?with every game we played, we won us endless fameand in the summer rainwe'd fall in love againwe'd turn each other on and off and on and on yeah and if your love for me was an anomalywould you make up your death just to break up with me?as in our parody we'd mock each other seeand so we'd laugh together and ever and ever hahahasilly girl are you mad at me?we'd never feel the same till we break up againand in the summer rainwe'd fall in love againwe'd turn each other on and off and on and on yeah

10.

I laughed at the oceanwe were amused by the seawe laughed at the oceancharmed life have we…aah ha ha ha ha, lau-ghing at the ocean we wereaah ha ha ha ha bet-ter than never wanting to seeha ha ha haI never laughed at the edge of the oceanwe'd never gone to the edge of sea I never laughed at the edge of the oceanit's far better than never wanting to see

11.

In Fantasia the mirrors lie to us they plant a seedone by one we build an empire where devils roam and breedfading sunsets... to forget them is the mark of deathas we break in through the window of mind and greedDarkened bridges sink away into the brackishnessswirling sin into a rainbow of atrophywhen the winters help the golden autumns take it's leaveopens passages for vampiresto suck and feedkareru kareru subetega kareterunofuyuno sabaku fuyuno sabaku ga hirogaruwarerano yoruga kuru warerano yoruga hajimarukarehaga kareru warerano fuyuno sabaku* Waking insights born of jealousy and faithlessnessgave us strength among the gentiles of modernityin Fantasia the spirits hide from us they cannot bleedinnocence is not a virtue in times of needEndless twilight... if only stars would show their faithful starein this world of fading memories, we'd cease to beIn Fantasia the air is dense to me it hurts to screamat windless castles in the darkness, too faint to see...*Japanese: “withered and wilted... everything has perishedthe winter desert has spreadfor our night has arrivedour evening will begineven the foliage has wiltedin our own winter desert…”

12.

Kishi Bashi’s sophom*ore album entitled "Lighght" (pronounced "Light") continues and expands the sound of his critically acclaimed debut, "151a".

"Lighght" takes its title from the one-word poem by minimalist poet Aram Saroyan. As Kishi Bashi explains, "The poem's blatant assault on literary convention and classical form was attractive to me." It is apparent that such an approach informed the new album, which has both broadened and redefined his classical foundations. "Though I have studied classical composition, I prefer to take an unconventional path when it comes to creating and thinking about music," says Kishi Bashi.

Though violin remains his primary instrument and songwriting muse, Kishi Bashi has expanded his palette to include more diverse and nuanced instrumentation. Bright and soaring avant-pop songs are prevalent, as are Eastern-tinged arrangements, gentle ballads, Philip Glass inspired improvisations, and more than a few moments that flirt with 70s prog (in the tradition of ELO or Yes).

LIsten and enjoy!

released May 13, 2014

All music by Kishi Bashi with a little help from his friends:
-Kevin Barnes plays bass on “Hahaha Pt. 2”, additional vocals “In Afrikaans”;
-Yoed Nir, cello on “Philosophize!” , “In Afrikaans”, “Q&A”, “In Fantasia”;
-Amos Housworth, cello on “Philosophize!” and “Bittersweet Genesis”;
-Keiko Ishibashi, vocals on “Q&A” and “Impromptu no 1”;
-Daniel “Maniel” Brunner and Mike “Tall Tall” Savino vocals on “Carry On Phenomenon”;
-Zac Colwell, Juno 60 on “Hahaha Pt. 2” and “In Afrikaans”;
-Davey “Medallius” Pierce, miniMoog midi-fying “In Afrikaans”;
-Sola Ravel, good will on everything;
-Clayton Rychlik, drums on “Carry On Phenomenon”, “Philosophize!”, “Mr.Steak”, “In Afrikaans”, “Hahaha Pt. 2”;
-Phillip Mayer, additional drums on “Philosophize!”.
-Clapping by The Athens Christmas Caroling Friends : Elijah Neesmith, Garrett Chism, Patrick Weiss, Harper Calhoun, Sage O’Reilly, Ken, Melinda, and Glenly Manring.

Produced by Kishi Bashi.
Recorded at @ Home Studios, Athens, GA with Drew Vandenberg.
Additional recording by Will Manning at Chase Park Transduction, Athens, GA, Jackie Paolella at Clay Garden Studios, Norfolk, VA.
Drums recorded by Kevin and Drew @ Apollinaire Rave.
Mixed by Drew Vandenberg & Kishi Bashi at Sweet Tea Recording, Oxford, MS.
“Philosophize!” mixed at Chase Park Transduction.
All songs by K Ishibashi (Kizmoda Music Inc/ASCAP).
©&℗ 2014 Joyful Noise Recordings & Kishi Bashi.

Cover Artwork by Susan Pelham: tillmanpelham@gmail.com
Layout by David J. Woodruff & Sons
Kishi Bashi uses CodaBow and L.R. Baggs

Thank you to all my wonderful supporters for your encouragement without which this album would not have been made! Thank you Keiko and Sola for tolerating my unending obsession yet again. Words can not express my gratitude to my parents for always believing in me. Thanks to my amazing team of professionals and friends (and enablers): Karl, Kiely, David, Corey, Daniel, Brendan, and Dylan, @ Joyful Noise (”the little label that IS”) , Tom, Kari, Christine, and Peter and the great people @ Esther Creative for encouragement and direction, Christian & Emilio @TAG for keeping me on the road, Robert & Cindy, Drew, Kevin, and all the amazing musicians and artists that inspire me: Zac, Yoed, Amos, Clayton, Dana Jo, Jules, Mike, Daniel, Dave. Thanks to Jin & Atsuko @ Bittersweet for helping me grow in Japan!