You may not have heard of Kishi Bashi, but you probably have heard him. Since 2011, he has recorded with and opened for artists like Sondre Lerche, Regina Spektor, of Montreal, and Alexi Murdoch. He is also a founding member of the New York indie band Jupiter One, and you may have even heard him in this Windows 8 commercial. The now 40-year-old Kaoru Ishibashi is a classically trained violinist, and has used his talents touring with other artists as well as in his own solo career. After gaining critical success with his debut album 151a in 2012, Kishi Bashi continued toย release a second album, and EP, and two live albums (as well as his first EP released in 2011). Out November 13, his second live album, String Quartet Live!ย (2015), features versions of songs from both his albums and his Room for Dream (2011) EP as well as a cover of the Talking Heads song โThis Must Be the Place.โย Unlike the studio versions, the songs consist of Kโs vocals and a string quartet backing him. I wouldnโt call it a twist on his old songs, nor is it an acoustic set of them. The album is a completely different experience, allowing Kโs voice to stand out. Itโs a special feeling, knowing all the words and the direction the song will go, yet being completely surprised by the newness of it being performed live. Take โThe Ballad of Mr. Steak,โ for instance. Originally a loud upbeat song featuring heavy drums, electric guitar, and a powerful synth, the live version takes two steps back without losing anything. Itโs not a toned down version, because the energy of it is far from lost. But instead of the instrumentals, it is Kโs voice that takes the primary role of filling the listener with emotion and feeling. The string arrangementsย gave each song a new look and at many points, String Quartet Live! feels likeย listening to a symphony orchestra rather than a live album. Songs like โBittersweet Genesis for Him AND Herโ were transformed from rock opera to one-on-one storytelling. There are points in the album where we can hear K talking to the audience, or even just out loud. Iโm usually wary of live albums. They seem to take the worst qualities of a live show and a studio album and combine them; itโs the lack of finish without the energy felt at a concert. Butย String Quartet Live! blew me away, and I think it has a lot to do with Kโs vocals: crisp, light, and perfect as ever. There are few artists who I feel are even better live, and I think Kishi Bashi could very well be one of them. String Quartet Live! is available through Joyful Noise , as well as on Spotify. In addition,ย the album is streaming on KCRW. Article by Leka Gopal. Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Δ