Last month, Chicago rapper/multi-instrumentalist Sen Morimoto announced his self-titled sophomore album, due for release this fall. The former Artist of the Month is now previewing a new song called “Deep Down”, which includes additional vocals from Japanese synthpop artist AAAMYYY.
Like his fellow Windy City weirdo NNAMDÏ, who’s also featured on his upcoming LP, Morimoto blends together a unique blur of jazz-rap, alternative R&B, and left-field indie pop. While previous single “Woof” was a more straightforward hip-hop track in the vein of Tierra Whack or Aminé, today’s offering takes a much different turn into ’80s R&B and warm, dreamy pop music. AAAMYYY’s plush vocals mesh beautifully with Morimoto’s hushed croons, and there’s a supremely funky bassline in the middle that rules.
The accompanying psychedelic video for “Deep Down”, directed by friend and local R&B singer KAINA, features Brady Bunch-esque split screens and lots of cute cats. Watch it below.
Sen Morimoto the album also features collaborations with Lala Lala, KAINA, Kara Jackson, and Joseph Chilliams, and is a testament to the communal strength of Chicago’s underground music scene. It’s due out October 23rd via Sooper Records and pre-orders are ongoing.
In related news, Morimoto recently found himself embroiled in something of a political controversy. He and local songwriter Tasha were scheduled to air pre-recorded live performances as part of a city-sponsored livestream called Chicago’s Millennium Park At Home Series. Morimoto’s recorded set reportedly featured comments directed at Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, criticizing her for her poor response to city-wide protests against police brutality.
Morimito was asked to edit out (read: censor) these comments before the broadcast, but he refused. As a result, the city abruptly canceled the scheduled livestream altogether. Morimoto and Tasha ended up airing their performances on YouTube.
