‘Inoue’ is a 60-track solo album from a year ago made by Los Angeles-based saxophone player Patrick Shiroishi.

The album contains alto saxophone and drum programming and is called “brutal prog” by Shiroishi himself.

“Intense and complex”

You call ‘Inoue’ a brutal prog album.

Patrick Shiroishi: I first got into underground music late/post high school. I fell in love with the brutal prog scene that comprised The Flying Luttenbachers, Ocrilim, Upsilon Acrux, Ruins, Yowie, Zs, et cetera. Early music that I tried to make in bands was referencing those groups and eventually I joined a line-up of Upsilon Acrux (our record, ‘Sun Square Dialect,’ is the most intense and complex music I have been a part of to date). ‘Inoue’ is returning to that complex music.

Is metal an influence on this music? Or hardcore and grindcore?

I do listen to a lot of metal, hardcore and grindcore so it might have slipped into the music, but I wasn’t actively thinking about that when composing these pieces.

Why did you want to make very short songs? Why so many songs (60)?

The main inspiration for this project was Mick Barr’s Octis project, which typically consisted of short compositions with drum machines. Mick was gracious enough to draw the cover for the record, which I am forever grateful for. To be honest, I would not have released this music if the cover art wasn’t by him. If anyone is not familiar with his work, I strongly advise you to check out his records.

<a href="https://patrickshiroishi.bandcamp.com/album/inoue">inoue by Patrick Shiroishi</a>

You call the tracks “exercises,” not songs or improvisations. Why?

I don’t recall ever calling the track exercises, nor do I think of them that way. They are compositions that were written and meant to be executed in a specific way.

Is this a Corona album?

I’m not sure what time frame makes up the pandemic, but it definitely started and was completed during that time. This was an idea that I wanted to pursue for quite a while and being isolated helped make space for the music to be written. Sax and drum duo’s are one of my favorite formations, not including this I have two working sax-drum duo’s, one with Mark Kimbrell called Oort Smog and one with Dylan Fujioka called In The Womb, in addition to a double sax-drum quartet called Borasisi with Dylan and Alex Cline on drums and Vinny Golia on saxophones. There is something primal and vulnerable to me that just saxophone and drums accomplish…

The first half of the album is the combination of sax and drum computer. Why drum computers and not live drums?

Both halves of the album are a combination of saxophone and drum machine. The second half includes additional metal and wood sounds, but again they are programmed in.

Why drum computers and not live drums?

I liked the idea of playing drums that a human being would not be able to execute.

What does ‘Inoue’ mean?

‘Inoue’ is my mother’s maiden name.

Which role do your solo recordings play in your discography?

Collaboration is very important to me and allows me to discover new ways of playing with my instrument as well as executing a vision that is shared by all the collaborators. Solo recordings allow me to try things/express things without any compromise. My solo recordings have also allowed me to look extensively into my family and ancestors, process what they have gone through and put that into music.

Joeri Bruyninckx

Headline photo: Ben Manzella

Patrick Shiroishi Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp