Stories — Releases

Today we're releasing another 7-inch single from FRNT BZNZZ (Front Business), whose first pair of tracks on wax dropped June 2018. You might recall that first release being a distinctly modern direction for the label: raw, electronic funk / boogie tunes that hinted not at the past (like Nick Kurosawa's EP, Home, which featured three covers of classic tunes from Kalapana, Bobby Caldwell, and Sam Cooke), but painted the future sound of Hawaii — "Honolulu night funk", the artist calls it. This new single follows the same path with even more layers of complexity in the production. Spacey, moody, funky,...

In 2014, four days before Howard Shapiro's birthday, I sent him an email through his website, Performing and Fine Artists for World Peace. I had no idea it was his birthday (unlike my encounter with Mike Lundy, where I knew before our interview that we shared the same birth day). I didn't receive a reply from Howard for several months. In February 2015, a month after the label's first release, I wrote back to check in. "Did you receive my note?" I wrote. Yes, he had — in fact he replied right away and was awaiting my response. Funny how...

It was in 2013 when I first met Jah Gumby, or Ryan Murakami, while organizing an all-vinyl party with friends. Our headliner was Woosey, who went by Papa Woowu at the time — and a number of names, really. I'd known Woosey for several years prior through music during high school. From Hilo, Woosey told me over the phone that "there's another guy who I want to co-headline with, Jah Gumby." Woosey told me about Gumby's record collection and how deep his knowledge of music goes. I looked him up on YouTube and found his Rarities for Sharities series. Serious...

It was late one night at Bevy. Me, Oliver, and Hideki were wrapping up another Soul Time in Hawaii party, something we did every month (but recently scaled back to doing semi-annually). The time was maybe 1:30am, the bar was pretty much empty by that point and the bartenders were closing up before the 2am end time. That's when, to our surprise Ted de Oliveira walked in. I'd never met the guy, only heard stories. Oliver and Ted go way back to the early 2000s, if not earlier. They grew up in the Honolulu hip-hop music scene, b-boying, DJing. Ted...

We're still reeling from the release party with Kakubarhythm at Daikanyama UNIT. It was amazing — probably the best concert any of us have ever experienced, as our friend Mark told us at the end of the night (grateful for that compliment, Mark!). The venue was packed, everyone was dancing, and so many of our friends from Hawaii were there, too! Can't wait for 2019 — we'll definitely be back! (Order the Coast to Coast EP on 12" vinyl here) Briefly: Hideki and I opened the night with an hour-long DJ set of Hawaii tunes to get the crowd ready...