Sen Morimoto - “Pressure on the Pulse”

SXSW 2024 - OEB Score: 9; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…Hiatus Kaiyote, Cautious Clay, Resavoir

Sen Morimoto’s latest record, 2023’s Diagnosis, is an example of how the Chicago artist doesn’t subscribe to only one genre. Or two. Or three. Funk, R&B, jazz, pop, rock, hip hop - these forms don’t find themselves track by track on Diagnosis, rather Morimoto combines all these into a stew that sounds unique and weird, but one that also sounds completely together. While R&B-leaning music tends to focus on consistent grooves, Morimoto chooses opposite tact in that his songwriting is always moving, like mini-sections built together in a single collage. While highly complex if charted out, Diagnosis is a surprisingly smooth listen even when throwing the kitchen sink at the speakers. (Kevin McStravick)

2020 Review: There’s a wealth of riches in Chicago’s broad and beautiful music scene. Sen Morimoto, born in Kyoto and raised in Western Massachusetts, where he learned jazz saxophone, expanded from there to teach himself a wide array of other instruments that he adds to the city’s musical mix. He got his professional start in the Chicago DIY Hip Hop community collaborating with artists like Joseph Chilliams (Pivot Gang), KAINA, Qari, and Nnamdi Ogbonnaya among many others. He crafted a personal style equally influenced by Jazz, pop, R&B, and hip hop.