Kishi Bashi in Cologne

Kishi Bashi is the solo project launched in 2011 by American singer, composer and violinist Kaoru Ishibashi. His chamber pop and indie pop center on layered violin, voice and looping, heard on albums including 151a, Lighght and Omoiyari. “Bright Whites” and “I Am the Antichrist to You” are among his best-known songs, while Omoiyari addresses the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. He toured as a violinist with Regina Spektor and of Montreal before establishing his solo project. His own concerts have ranged between loop-based solo performances and arrangements for a band or string players, while a collaboration with Nu Deco Ensemble presented the material in orchestral form. In 2022, the 151a 10th Anniversary Tour returned to his debut album in full.