Shigeto: The New Monday Vinyl 2LP

There's a vibe tonight. While previous Shigeto records were more narrative, focusing on themes like introspection and family heritage, Zach Saginaw’s intent with The New Monday was simple: to make tracks that he would want to play out. In a recent Lab Radio episode, Zach revealed that being entrenched in Detroit DJ & record store culture after a stint in New York played a major role in this creative reset. With a background as a jazz drummer and already an enviable catalog of moody downtempo and woozy future beats to his credit, Zach is also a skilled vinyl DJ. At the Turntable Lab release party for The New Monday, Zach played tracks like “Ice Breaker,” “Detroit Part II,” “Wit Da Cup” and “There’s A Vibe Tonight” interspersed with soulful house records by Moodymann and Motor City Drum Ensemble, dubbed-out Nigerian boogie and crunchy lo-fi house, and the vibe was perfectly consistent throughout. The record takes a few detours from the soulful house groove: a pair of acid-laced ratchet jams feature Danny Brown affiliate ZelooperZ, “Don’t Trip” is a refreshingly soulful slice of footwork with an airy, pitch-shifted rhodes loop straight out of Logical Progression draped over a frenetic jazz drum groove and distorted 808 snare rolls. Saginaw periodically resets the vibe on a pair of airy jazz meditations (“In Case You Forgot,” “When We Low”). If you take a little Rashad and Herbie with your Theo, this should be right up your alley. 

• double vinyl pressing
• gatefold sleeve
• music label: Ghostly International 2017

reviewed by frau farbissina 10/2017