Mark Yoshizumi

Out now! @kronos_quartet - “Hard Rain” Performances from a headspinning roster of artists woven into two very different takes on the Bob Dylan classic. @allisonrussellmusic leads a cast of legends I can still scarcely believe: Willie Nelson?! Iggy pop??? Asha Bhosle??!! and *countless* other heroes. Is this real life?? It was incredible to watch @davidharrington49 and @eliaeinhorn in feverish collaboration over the last few months, and the invitation to join in the madness and fun and beauty of producing these felt like a golden ticket 🎫 David Harrington's creative generosity and adventurousness is renowned, but cannot be overstated - he really embodies the pure joy of music. And this sprawling, everything-and-the-kitchen sink patchwork epic is the truest testament to date of Elia's uncanny knack for connection (as well as his surprising harmonium and harmonica skills 😯) Whoever at @redhot had the idea of putting these two together is a genius ( @spiritual_hygiene ?) I was thrilled to be a sounding board for a million and one ideas, and to help convene and shape the mere hundreds we whittled things down to. On the engineering front, again too many contributors to name! I recorded a bunch at @garyselectricstudio and @electricladystudios 🎛️ Scott Fraser brilliantly recorded Kronos in Tokyo. Allison's vocals were recorded at @studiogbrooklyn by the great @joelhamiltone ⚡ I mixed both sides in close collaboration with David and Elia, and we were incredibly lucky to have the legend @hebakadry master🙏 There is more to say about the mission of this project than I could possibly fit in an ig caption. The Doomsday Clock set by the @bulletinoftheatomicscientists is closer to midnight than it has ever been. In my view, the lion's share of this jeopardy has always come from my home country, the USA, an imperialist menace and the only state to use a nuclear weapon. Dehumanization is what enables atrocities, so to aggressively seek and celebrate each other's humanity across differences is the most powerful nuclear deterrent I can imagine. But also... revoke the US's seat at the UNSC and free Palestine until it's backwards 💙✌️

Out today, on the 20th anniversary of the original BDS call 📢 a project that means so much to me - a beautiful collective act of solidarity that I was honored to lend my ears to.  @hudasmusic and @iamsonnysingh brought together an incredible roster of artists, and I got to spend time at the gorgeous @lightshowstudios with my dear friend @timothycleary_ tracking four of these songs, later mixing those and a few more at Catalpa St. 🎚️🎛️ Trina Basu and Arun Ramamurthy - Roots In The Sky (E/M)  SHOLAY - “I Hope We Choose Love” (E/M)  Huda Asfour, Sonny Singh, db - “First Intersection” (M)  Sami Shumays - “Mawwal “O Child”” (E/M)  gabby fluke-mogul - “Sadhab” (E/M)  The Dwarfs of East Agouza - “Broken Apple” (M) Enormously grateful to the @amplify.palestine organizers, and all the artists and allied workers who volunteered their time, talent, and resources to make this album happen. Free Palestine. End the occupation and the apartheid government. 🗝️🇵🇸 rp @amplify.palestine : 🎵We release UNBOUNDABLE: BDS MIXTAPE VOL.3 today – July 9 – as we mark 20 years since the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) went global; as Gaza’s people continue to endure genocidal siege, bombs, famine, and fire; and as repression of Palestine solidarity rapidly escalates. Despite this escalating repression, support for Palestinians’ freedom struggle, especially among artists, has only grown — from Glasgow to Mexico City, from Dublin to Cape Town, from Berlin to Brooklyn to Barcelona and around the world. UNBOUNDABLE gathers over 20 celebrated musicians on a double album with 13 improvisational tracks that braid jazz, Indian classical, and Arabic music (SIDE A) with experimental voice, avant electronica, and instruments from nature (SIDE B). ALL BDS MIXTAPE PROCEEDS SUPPORT CULTURAL INITIATIVES IN PALESTINE

Sign up at transa.world and get first access to tickets for our live events! TRANSA: A Celebration @performance.space.new.york brought some really special people to witness @beverlyglenncopeland and others. Let us know your favorite memories from this night in the comments! Video by Alex Tepper @noonethingrecords Sound by @markyoshi

WE’RE ON A TIMES SQUARE BILLBOARD!!!!! TRAANSAAAA!! @beverlyglenncopeland & @samsmith shine over america when we need them most!! 🤘😭🤘💛💛💛 being interviewed by @iamalisonstewart on @allofitwnyc meant the world to me, not just because i’ll take (or make) any excuse to talk transa with anyone anywhere, but because she’s one of my fave radio hosts, someone whose on air style i’ve studied & learned a lot from. new @hearingthingsco ‘waste or taste’ episode out now feat @jumons @jawnita & @andycush . now i’m obsessed w hit ‘em, & spun the twigs track @ N / A. this week has me goddamn spinning. xo -e

Pinch me! I can’t believe that a project like TRAИƧA exists, and that I got to be a part of it 🥹❤️‍🔥 TRAИƧA gathers 100+ artists in celebration of the gifts trans people give to the world. I had the enormous privilege of contributing to ten of the forty-six(!!) songs as a co-producer, mixer, and/or engineer: 🌕 “Midnight Moon Pool” (Womb Of The Soul) by @jshake1999 @maryoverthere @laraaji_official @iammizu__ (P/M/E) 🦄 “Pink Ponies” by @teddygeiger @kraejiyaeji (M) 🏞️ “Down Where The Valleys Are Low” by @trasherwhite @thebookofeliw @carolinerosemuzak (P/M/E) 🌟“STAR” (Survival) by @frincess @nz_suekama (poem by Marsha P Johnson) (E) 🧘“TM” by Fleet Foxes @robinpecknold @cole.pulice @lynnaverymusic (Written by Charles Lloyd) (P/M) 🩻 “Within Without” (Liberation) by @green_house1976 @kelela with MIZU, Keenyn Omari, More Eaze, Matt Evans, Nico Georis (P/M/E) 🆓 “Get Free” (Reinvention) by @nicogeoris @earthtokb with Miles Francis and Keenyn Omari (E) 🏳️ “Surrender Your Gender” by @laurajanegrace @jaynecounty27 @leeranaldo @kathiwilcox Jay Dee Daugherty, Am Taylor (P/M/E) ♾️ “Always” by Time Wharp (@usakaye ), Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland @beverlyglenncopeland (P/M/E) 🌸 “Ever New” by Beverly Glenn-Copeland @samsmith @ahyasimone @mooserob (P/M/E) I hold the trans people in my life and in my chosen family so dear. How definitively courageous it is to claim yourself in the face of all the ignorance and fear-driven cruelty we know lies in wait. This Wednesday, I saw these perils firsthand at an NYC Community Education Council meeting, where Dust and I joined the @actupny contingent standing up to hate groups like Moms For Liberty and the Heritage Foundation, who seek to legislate trans kids out of existence. We all know the incoming administration is going to be horrific, and our trans siblings deserve every ounce of our advocacy, solidarity, and protection. I'm grateful that Red Hot will donate proceeds from TRAИƧA to support vital orgs like @glits_inc and the @sylviariveralawproject . Endless love and gratitude to every person whose work graces this project, of whom there are far too many to name 🙏❤️‍🔥

so happy that “Pink Ponies” is out in the world! like every feeling person, I've spent the majority of this year in some very dark headspaces. but the brief, beautiful moment of getting to mix this anthem with @teddygeiger and @kraejiyaeji felt like the universe throwing me an emotional lifeline 🛟 It was humbling to witness the real love, generosity and ease in Teddy and Yaeji’s collaboration - characteristics that have shown up in every facet of TRANƧA that I've had the privilege of offering my ears to. If you're also feeling beat down by the world and unsure of your place in it, I hope this song will transport you, however briefly, to the same place of serene and triumphal magic it took me to 🌱✨🦄 ALSO if you're in NYC tomorrow, come stand in solidarity against the District 2 Community Education Council's proposed transgender sports ban (details at @actupny ) 🙏💙 @redhotorg @massima.bell @fkadust @iterrytommy @eliaeinhorn @iamkatieg @girlfriendmuseum @lynds.tk @spiritual_hygiene @heba_kadry

. . . Today, Red Hot shares two additional singles from the forthcoming concept album TRAИƧA (out Nov 22nd), a sweeping 46-song project that celebrates the gifts of many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working today. Stream these singles now by presaving the album ~ link in bio 💗 Pioneering artist Yaeji @kraejiyaeji teams up with trans icon @teddygeiger for the original “Pink Ponies,” and @julienrbaker is joined by producer @calvinlauber for a cover of the Belle and Sebastian classic “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying,” a deeply resonate song with a message that couldn’t be more timely. “Pink Ponies” is a tribute to friends who teach us unconditional love and perpetual growth. It’s also a witness of Grief – the chapter on TRAИƧA where the song finds its home. “What Teddy laid down was a beautiful invitation that allowed me to flow exactly the way my soul intended,” Yaeji says. “The artist’s role is that of a truth teller, and this song and project is one example of the power of music and collective artistry.”

HIGH QUALITY AUDIO for your Saturday: @iammizu__ and @trasherwhite had a fantastic conversation for @talkhouse about making music for TRAИƧA, their compelling artist origin stories, latent hopes for an EATALY date with @adriannelenker and the Liz Harris @grouperepuorg quote we needed ~~~ truly living for this episode!! Find the link in LISTEN highlights and be transported to the live gathering in Ridgewood @honeymooncoffeeshop where this chat took place, hosted by TRANSA producer @markyoshi ~ join transa.world for a special edition of the newsletter tomorrow!

Hiiii! if you care about music and independent journalism - GET ON THE @hearingthingsco BUS 🚌🚌🚌 While we all contend with the cognitive dissonance of continuing a day to day existence in keen awareness of the global atrocities we bear responsibility for - art and thoughtful, independent journalism are vital parts of the life we all want to protect. When the shit hit the fan at Pitchfork, I legitimately mourned. But I also recognized that corporate media's critical blunder opened a door. I hold so much respect and admiration for @jawnita @cinemasai @jumons @andycush @ryandombal and every journalist working inside and outside of the broken system. I feel super fortunate these friends asked @eliaeinhorn and me to help produce their podcast. We're one episode in and I already know Waste or Taste is gonna be so much fun to make. I hope people fuck with it, and that we get to do it (and more - we have ambitions!) for a long time. Hearing Things forever ❤️‍🔥

tomorrow!! come eat, make 🖼️ and raise 💰 for @armlebanon @havenforartists with @ridgewoodtenantsunion 🇱🇧🇱🇧🇱🇧 my lil' raffle offering is a bundle of new LPs from some of my favorite artists, incl: @dawnrichard + @spencerzahn | @turrelljames | @anohni | @dis_fig + @christsredeemers | @lollise + @modrums.music | @niecyblues | @saultglobal | @heladonegro | @specialinterest.no | @trasherwhite and more - PLUS a 1982 UK press (VG) of the first @crasswords LP I found at @deepcutsrecordstore who will also be raffling a gift certificate (along with every other cool small biz in the neighborhood 💙) ---- Dear Ridgewood neighbors, we make this urgent call to support the displaced people of Lebanon and invite you all to an afternoon of solidarity, fundraising, film, and art! 🗓️⏰ Saturday, October 26, 12pm 📍Ridgewood Presbyterian Church, 59-14 70th Ave Schedule (doors open at 12pm) 12:30pm: 🎬 Souha: Surviving Hell by Randa Chahal 2:30pm: 🎨 Art build 4pm: 🎟️ Raffle *food and masks provided (and highly encouraged) Our struggles are connected and we want to create a space for hope and solidarity as our Lebanese and Palestinian neighbors in Queens mourn. Violence perpetrated by the zionist state has displaced over 1.2m Lebanese and resulted in the deaths of over 2,100 people and 10,000 wounded in just a matter of weeks. Since 2019, Lebanon has plunged into a dire economic crisis, with national currency holding little to no value due to skyrocketing inflation. Currently, zionist attacks across the country have forced people to leave their homes and their livelihoods behind. Olive pickers can’t return to their olive groves in the South to harvest. Workers from Dahiye are unable to return to their workplaces indefinitely. Migrant workers have been abandoned by their employers with no resources. Tents can be seen all across the country’s sidewalks as shelters have reached capacity. Weapons funded by our tax dollars are responsible for this destruction and it is our responsibility to offset that by using our dollars for good. All proceeds from the raffle will be distributed to the following on-the-ground grassroots mutual aid efforts: @armlebanon @havenforartists LSC

Sign up at transa.world for behind-the-scenes treasures and early access to physical releases. Today we offer this *very special look into the studio where Sam Smith joined Beverly Glenn-Copeland to remake “Ever New,” a beloved song of Glenn’s from his 1986 masterpiece ‘Keyboard Fantasies.’ “When I heard Sam’s voice, I thought, ‘Wow, check this out. It’s an angel singing over me,’” Glenn told @korygrow for @rollingstone ❤️ “I wanted to adopt them.” The significance of Glenn, a trans elder who has only recently gotten his due as a groundbreaking composer, coming together with Sam, a world famous non-binary artist of this generation who has been open about their quest toward self-truth and self-acceptance … it’s an honor and a joy to be alive to see this. “Ever New” opened ‘Keyboard Fantasies’ and this new version closes the 46-track spiritual journey of #transa out 11.22 ❣️ The single also appears on TRAИƧA:Selects, a sampler out 10.25 now available for preorder at the link in our bio (there is vinyl!) footage by (and recognizable perspective of) TRANSA co-creator Dust Reid 💘 @fkadust

@beverlyglenncopeland 's “Ever New” ft. @samsmith and @ahyasimone is out today!! produced (gorgeously) and arranged (impeccably) by the legend @mooserob ✨ I had the enormous privilege of mixing, contributing some little production flourishes, and recording Sam and Glenn together. I can scarcely believe I got to witness, let alone play a role in this beautiful exchange 🥹 I will never forget first hearing Glenn’s voice on the original - I got the kind of core-shaking frisson that only comes from moments of pure musical sublimity. Since then I’ve had the great pleasure to work with Glenn a number of times in different guises, but our most recent work together (there’s more still to come 👀) has truly meant the world to me. He represents so much of what I strive to be by the time I (hopefully) reach 80. And what to say about Sam Smith? They are exactly the phenom they appear to be - and extraordinarily warm, kind, and unassuming to boot. Hearing them speak with Glenn about @thepinkhouse and its mission showed me that like every major talent I admire, their work is rooted in a place of deep care that extends beyond themselves.  Like many experiences I’ve had working on TRAИƧA for @redhotorg , this song casts a spell that works to counter the cruelty and brutality that seem to dominate our world. Glenn in his very being shows me that love is in fact indomitable. And "Ever New" is a powerful reminder that even in times of abysmal darkness, new light and life lie just beyond the horizon.   Unending gratitude to @elspeth_glenn @lightdarkhill @massima.bell @fkadust @eliaeinhorn @iterrytommy @spiritual_hygiene @girlfriendmuseum @iamkatieg for your leadership and vision, fellow studio conveyors @robbiechemical @redsoulmusic and @heba_kadry and everyone whose work graces this project 🙏❤️‍🔥