Saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi and drummer Jason Nazary present their new album. The release marks their duo debut for We Jazz Records, adding to an expanding release catalog also including Nazary’s solo album »Spring Collection« (2021). »here i am no i« is a free-flowing body of work with continuous forward-motion, building on the acoustic duo setting and expands with electronics and voice landing somewhere beyond genre. Dedicated to jaimie branch, the album is a spontaneous product of trying to come to terms with the unimaginable loss of a close friend.

The seven tracks included on the album echo the organic process and the emotional necessity for this music to exist. From the searching mood set by opener and first single »self portrait against blue«, everything feels very live while also adding sonic layers to build a sound space beyond the usual sax+drums duo setting. Listeners familiar with the two artists’ previous work find natural entry points in the electro-acoustic scope of the album, while discovering possibilities brought on by this specific new setting. There’s a ›tone poem‹ quality to the music, one which feels devotional without any obvious references to ›spiritual‹ musical cornerstones.

Patrick Shiroishi is a Japanese-American multi-instrumentalist, composer & poet based in Los Angeles. He is a member of hardcore punk band The Armed, contemporary classical group Wild Up & ambient jazz band Fuubutsushi. Shiroishi has guested on records by Chelsea Wolfe, Xiu Xiu, Emma Ruth Rundle, By Storm, Yellow Eyes, Lia Kohl, Water Damage, Big Brave, Agriculture, and Dirty Projectors, plus more. His solo work has appeared on labels such as Sub Pop, Touch, American Dreams and Otherly Love.