Ari Tsugi - Simultaneity (Album)
‘Simultaneity (同時性)’ is the debut album from Scottish/Japanese Glasgow-based psychedelic jazz group Ari Tsugi, released on renowned producer Rebecca Vasmant’s imprint Rebecca’s Records. Featuring a host of Scottish talent including corto.alto’s Mateusz Sobieski, Azamiah’s India Blue and Liam Shorthall, the LP traverses a genre space, instead journeying through shifts in tone and storytelling.
Coming together from cities across the world, Ari Tsugi converge global echoes in a symphony of spiritual jazz, psychedelic fusion, and Brazilian rhythms. Tracks from the release have seen support from Deb Grant & Tom Ravenscroft’s New Music Fix and Emily Pilbeam’s BBC Introducing Mixtape (BBC 6Music), Gilles Peterson (Worldwide FM/BBC 6Music), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), ‘Round Midnight (BBC Radio 3), Dom Servini (Jazz FM), FIP Radio France, Bandcamp Weekly, The Skinny, DJ Paulette and Totally Wired Radio.
‘Simultaneity (同時性)’ is a musical attempt to represent a journey of a spirit which seeks warmth, contentedness and ultimately the answer to his question of existence. Across the album, the spirit travels in time, feeling the changes in season – starting in spring and journeying through to winter. Though he does not find anything that satisfies his curiosity, he goes through an awakening, realising a spiritual truth. Opening track “Hold Me Tight (抱きしめて)” focuses on the idea of pursuing a feeling of security in our souls. Across the album, instrumentation is used as a way of signalling the timestamps through the seasons. Trombone unites spring and autumn tracks “Haru (春)” and “Aki (秋)”, while saxophone adds sparkle to summer track “Natsu (夏)” and trumpet brings in the winter of “Fuyu (冬)”.
As ‘Simultaneity (同時性)’ draws to a close, Ari Tsugi present “Mezame (覚醒)” – both the longest track on the album and the only recording completely improvised; “adding India Blue’s beautiful singing to Mezame really makes it feel like a different vibe, signifying a different phase in the journey of the album”, Mashu adds. The final track, and title track of the album, represents his awakened state where he exists simultaneously in all time – where seasons are not distinguished anymore, and all things exist as one unity.
The word Simultaneity is a technical term from the theory of Special Relativity representing two distinct events happening at the same time. This fluidity is embodied in the musical exploration of Ari Tsugi. Comprised of mostly self-taught musicians, the soundscape is a unique melting pot of UK Jazz scenes and the raw energy that comes from psychedelic rock. Produced and mixed by Glasgow-based musician Sam Bancroft (Starsky-Rae) alongside engineer-producer Villus Vilo Jokubaitis, alongside guests, the album features the original Ari Tsugi trio –Clement Gaud, Joe Weisberg and Mashu Harada – with keys from Angus MacDonald being added later down the line.
The original line up of Ari Tsugi was born in Glasgow, Scotland while Clement, Joe and Mashu were studying at university, playing in different bands within the same scene. This formation led to a swirling sound combining elements of spiritual jazz, psychedelic rock and Brazilian melodies evoking a sense of interconnectedness and embracing the beauty of musical diversity.