Kishi Bashi - 151a

Kishi Bashi's 151a is a pocket symphony of a debut, nine songs of looped violin, stacked voices and giddy pop invention that still sound like nothing else on the shelf.

Kaoru Ishibashi had already spent years as a founding member of Jupiter One and as a touring violinist with acts such as of Montreal and Regina Spektor before stepping out on his own. Released in 2012 on Joyful Noise and produced by Ishibashi himself, mostly at Home Studios in Norfolk, Virginia, the album takes its name from a play on the Japanese phrase ichi-go ichi-e, roughly one time, one place, a nod to the in-the-moment spirit of his looping performances.

Bright Whites is the giddy centerpiece, a rush of strings and harmonies that became the album's breakout song. Manchester swoons with wide-eyed romance, It All Began With a Burst lives up to its title, and I Am the Antichrist to You turns a provocative name into one of his most gorgeous, string-laden ballads. Lyrics drift between English and Japanese, which only deepens the dreamlike feel.

If Andrew Bird or Owen Pallett live on your turntable, this belongs right beside them. It is a joyful, kaleidoscopic listen, and proof of how much feeling one violinist can coax from a loop pedal.