The wonderful husband-and-wife duo from Japan – neo-soul guitarist Toshiki Soejima & trumpeter/multi-instrumentalist Nahokimama are back with another album.
The 10-track Kimama Beats is a sonic garden born from spontaneity & pure creativity – a cross-continental bloom, led by Nahokimama & supported by Toshiki Soejima. Drawing from the free-spirited essence of “kimama” (気まま, meaning carefree or whimsical – also used in her artist name), this album is an exploration of musical instincts unbound by borders. Each track is like a petal on an ever-turning flower, shaped by collaborators from Germany, Korea, and France, yet rooted in a shared human rhythm. The process was intuitive rather than methodical – a kind of creative photosynthesis where every contribution became part of a living, breathing whole.
Visually echoing the elegance of Art Nouveau, the album’s vibrant artwork centres around Nahokimama’s silhouette, alongside radiant flowers – symbols of cycles, rebirth, and fragile permanence. Just as flowers communicate without words, the instrumental LP Kimama Beats speaks in textures, fragments, and feeling – inviting listeners to wander, unlearn, and rediscover the blend of jazz, neo-soul & hip-hop.
The album, set to release in December 2025, includes German producer FloFilz, French pianist Bastien Brison, South Korean keyboard phenomenon Chill The World, and French bass player Monsieur Teddy.
