BIGYUKI (US/JAP)

The New York-based, Japanese keyboardist, composer and producer has built an international reputation for blending jazz, hip hop, rock, electronic and dance music influences into something wholly his own. His unique sound has attracted collaborators from across the musical spectrum, with credits including landmark recordings with A Tribe Called Quest and J. Cole, tours with Kamasi Washington, and collaborations with artists including Lauryn Hill, Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello, Snarky Puppy, ATARASHII GAKKO and more.

But on stage with his own trio is where BIGYUKI truly comes alive. This is music that demands to be experienced in person: high-energy, unpredictable and utterly immersive. Expect thunderous grooves, explosive improvisation, deep bass and moments that veer from hypnotic to euphoric without warning. Bold, bracing and built for late-night abandon, BIGYUKI doesn’t just cross musical boundaries. He erases them.

Supporting BIGYUKI will be Distant Birds, the hypnotic new collaboration between Chris Abrahams (The Necks) and Dave Symes (Boy & Bear). A project born from deep musical trust and mutual curiosity, VOL. 01 & 02 traverses twilight soundscapes of pulsing grooves, moody atmospheres and extended improvisational forms. Channeling 70s Afrobeat, soul, and dub-reggae influences, the music is raw yet intricately textured—Moog synths, Fender Rhodes and Hammond organs swirl over infectious bass lines, with layers of saxophone and trumpet doubling Abraham’s extended right hand extemporisations, and Evan Manell’s subtly shifting drum patterns. The result is a world of syncopated hooks and rhythmic interplay, designed as much for the dancefloor as for immersive, headphone listening. Recorded live in single takes, the album captures the spontaneity and fluid energy of the band in full flight.

Chris Abrahams - keyboards

Dave Symes - bass

Evan Mannell - drums

Matthew Ottignon - saxophone