Kubota, who is based in Los Angeles, has just released a new EP titled ‘Zen EP‘. The writing on the record is diverse, and the strong themes incorporated in the writing would instantly connect with us. The verses are simple, but the concepts are complicated, explaining his present state of mind in relation to his equations with himself and the rest of the lines connecting dots. The parts are also held together tightly by the groove’s excitement. Another feature that would stand out after listening to the music would be the chorus.
The album opens with the energetic ‘No Replacements‘, which moves ahead with a solid groove. In terms of writing, the song captures the complexity of the thought and the equation with vivid details. I particularly enjoyed the rhythmic patterns in the verses, which caught my curiosity enough to have me listening to the tune until the end. With such delicate melodic lines below, the muted guitar riff truly lends the drive to the track. With ‘You and Me,’ the rhythm keeps getting more interesting. The lyrics and melodies have a joyful tone to them that makes you feel happy. The writing includes a lovely portrayal of falling in love or the first spark of love. The progression is maintained throughout the song. We’re also pleasantly delighted by a new verse that beautifully boosts the track’s momentum before returning to the chorus, which gets hooked in our heads.
The E. Piano adds a lot of colour to ‘Sunday Vibes’. The writing in the song truly adds to the thrill. The song’s energy continues to be bolstered by the rhythm. The upbeat foot tapping groove contributes greatly to establishing the ambiance right away. The vocal performance in the song also stood out, which is important in getting us to experience the right feeling. The delivery is energetic and clear, allowing us to truly understand the verses. The next track, ‘Who I Am,’ is written with a lot of contemplation and revelation. With the LoFi texture, the progression is intriguing. The synthetic lead melodic line that accompanies the main voice is equally enthralling. The rhythm is rock strong, and the bass adds colour to the chorus brilliantly. The usage of voice texture in the bridge adds to the piece’s intensity.
‘Nothing for Today‘ amplifies the record’s intensity. The writing grows more passionate and complicated as the ideas become more dense. The writing brilliantly captures the mental condition of the situation, which clearly requires a great deal of effort to bring out the emotion with such honesty and without boundaries. For the duration of the album, the groove remains strong. The voice processing in this piece is also really unique, which adds to the whole experience. ‘In My Head‘ got hooked in my ears because of the intro. In this piece, we actually listen to such outstanding creative sound processing, which is just fantastic. The guitar lines infuse the arrangement with a lot of enthusiasm. The writing continues to draw our attention to the record, which serves as the foundation for all of the aspects that follow. The groove is precise enough to carry us along quickly. The guitar solo adds a touch of colour to the mood, which is excellent. Another component that continues to be excellent is the vocal delivery.
The closing tune, ‘Zen’, which is also the album’s title track, begins quietly with a rhythm that beautifully sets the tone for the song. In this piece, the rap is fantastic. The verses are extremely powerful, and they keep us riveted to the music. The song also has some lovely melodic lines that add to the overall experience. For me, the writing is the highlight and a quality that will stick with me for a long time, making me want to listen to the album again. The rhythmic concepts are so nicely interwoven throughout the verses that they truly help to create a firm rhythmic foundation when combined with the rock solid beat. I hope that a large number of people discover these fantastic music.
Kubota also talked about his experience working on the record, which is really fascinating.
1. The upbeat tone of the songs appealed to me very much. What has been your experience with the songs? What are the roots of these songs’ ideas?
I’ve been writing music for more than 10 years, and my style has definitely evolved during that time. Prior to this, I stuck to the more traditional Hip-Hop style because that’s what I grew up on, but around 2020, I switched up my instrumentation by adding more guitars and natural instruments into my music. This change along with a shift in my focus to be more introspective and self-aware for my own personal reasons led to my sound today. Luckily, this style works the best for me, and I think that I’ve been able to carve out a unique sound but who knows, maybe my style will switch again soon.
2. Could you tell us about your recording sessions? Do you have any fun anecdotes from the session you’d like to share?
Making the instrumentals and lyrics are completely different from my vocal recording sessions. Beat making is very pleasant, and going into that flow-state feels awesome. I have all my equipment and instruments nearby, so I don’t have to go far and it’s a relaxing time. The aggressive profanities start during my vocal sessions, mostly because I don’t practice my vocal performances prior to hitting the record button… and as I write this, I’m realising that I can probably avoid that frustration with a slight change in my schedule.
3. What are some new things you’ve learned as a musician, or what have been the most valuable takeaways from working on the album?
Ironically, the most important things I’ve learned as a music artist aren’t exactly related to music. Pursuing a music career has given me purpose in my life. Even though each day is drenched in anxiety and stress from the thought that you’re not doing enough, I still feel a sense of excitement to start my days each morning. But aside from that, I’ve learned that I can come up with some sick riffs on the guitar (heh heh).
4. Is there anything you’d want to say regarding the album’s tracks in particular?
The songs that you hear are very much my current mindset in finding my way through life. We’re all looking to find some happiness in our lives, and I believe that I can find it through introspection and just bettering myself as a person. As a result, these songs came to be. I don’t have the answers yet, but at least I can share my experiences to possibly help someone else.
5. So, what comes next? Is there anything you’re working on that you could tell your fans about?
I have multiple music/lyric videos ready to further push the ZEN EP. I’d also like to finish a collab EP with a producer by the name of Kingsford (@kingsford.music on IG) before the year ends but we’ve got the ball rolling on that already. I also have two singles in the funnel as well so keep an eye out for that! Other than that, I’ll just be pushing out music content for the fans.
Enjoy Listening to “Zen EP” by Kubota on Spotify!
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.
