Berlin based Japanese vibraphonist and composer Masayoshi Fujita has a new album on the way, following 2015’s Apologues and 2016’s Schaum, his collaborative album with experimental producer Jan Jelinek. Entitled Book Of Life, the album sees Fujita, who plays and uses the vibraphone in an unusual way, placing the instrument again front and centre. He explains:

“I think the vibraphone is capable of more interesting and beautiful sounds that haven’t been heard before. It’s quite a new instrument but it’s often played in a similar way. I feel that there is a lot more to explore with this exciting instrument.”

As with Apologues, where Fujita used for the first time other instruments like the violin, cello, flute, clarinet, French horn, accordion, piano and percussion, Book Of Life is also enriched with strings, flute and a choir.

Ahead of its release on July 27th through Erased Tapes, we can already hear the bewitching first single ‘It’s Magical’. Other than the vibraphone, it features two cellos and a flute “like a man who’s put artificial wings on his arms to attempt to fly like a bird, before an airplane was invented,” as Fujita said.

Coinciding with the release of Book Of Life, Erased Tapes is also re-issuing his debut record Stories.