Two years after Shigeto released his second full-length, No Better Time
Than Now, the busy Detroit polymath, born Zach Saginaw, has finally
taken a break from his endless hustle to update everyone on his current
musical headspace. "I've been on the road for a long time now and also
have been working on other projects," he explains. With projects that
include working on a new live ensemble arrangement, playing electronics
in a jazz quartet, recording with Detroit rappers, and building a new
studio, it's no wonder we haven't heard much from him since 2013.
"I haven't found the next step for me yet. I've been making loads of
music as always, but I'm still looking for that concrete new path."
Shigeto's Intermission EP takes its title quite literally, then,
presenting a snapshot of the artist's transition between ideas and
inspiration. Indeed, listening to these six eclectic tracks evokes a
dynamic sense of exploration, excitement, and stylistic freedom.
Saginaw describes Intermission as a collection songs that "point to the
past, present, and future." His inimitable hallmarks are certainly
there: the heavy drum-machine knock and jazzy synth flourishes of "City
Dweller", that airy thumb piano in beat suite "Do My Thing", and
"Pulse"'s percussive, polyrhythmic grooves. They mingle with some fresh
sounds from Shigeto, too. Mystic pads creep into the mix—especially on
beatless, textural drifts "Gently" and "Deep Breathing"—and there's a
decidedly unhinged touch to how the producer uses samples, almost like
he's teaching himself a new language. But don't get it twisted, there's
no grand vision this time out. "They're not meant as a strong message,"
Saginaw clarifies, "but more of a taste, like a halftime show of sorts."
So if Intermission is here to hold us over until Shigeto's next big
event, the record's palpable depth and complexity say quite a lot about
where the man is now and where he's headed.