London-based producer/guitarist Sheldon Agwu has been thinking about creativity as both a general concept and an intimate and crucial element of his own life. Kintsugi is, in a sense, Agwu’s conclusion.
Drawing inspiration from a range of artists across a broad spectrum, from Andrew Pekler to Jon Hassell, Thelonious Monk, Rick Rubin, and Madlib, Agwu birthed Kintsugi, his debut solo full-length album, while meditating on the Japanese philosophy of the same name. This method of pottery repair is about embracing imperfections and flaws. Agwu believes that through similarly embracing the imperfections and flaws of oneself and one’s creativity, “the celestial begins to show itself, and so, quite organically the elements of the influences are made apparent.”
Kintsugi will appeal to fans of Jon Hassell, Thelonious Monk, Jeff Parker, Massive Attack, and Flying Lotus. Hip-hop rhythms and electric guitar loops are manipulated and shaped by tape machines into soundscapes. But, consistent with that acknowledgment of vulnerabilities in the substance, Agwu also showcases bare, original solo guitar compositions and collaborates with spoken word artists, who, Agwu says, “are constantly living in their truths.”
In his commitment to exploring the depths of his own creativity and vulnerabilities, Agwu self-produced Kintsugi, working patiently throughout 2023, taking breaks to dig in the crates of London’s myriad record stores, seeking out both albums from the past and those of today, and also reading interviews with creative people across many different fields. But it was the many conversations with other like-minded individuals that made the dots all connect, the constellations of creativity form and reform and expand and take on the shape that is Kintsugi. “Creativity and imagination,” Agwu says, “are the keys to unlocking the doors to the celestial.”