thefiction24
Jonah and BBNG once again, a match made in heaven. Felix absolutely kills it on keys. Jonah’s voice drips like oh “so sweet” honey. It’s a dynamic, wonderfully realized bout of serenity.
I’ll be moving the needle back for “Always” and “the ordinary . . .” over and over.
kubrickapostles
Absolutely killer record front to back. Really great compositions from Jonah & BBNG. This album will be on my top releases of the year.
Favorite track: the ordinary is ordinary because it ordinarily repeats.
Jonah Yano is the Hiroshima born, Montreal based singer-songwriter, whose journey into music began with recording music using his cellphone in 2016. Having played piano and guitar as a child, it wasn’t until Yano moved from Vancouver to Toronto in 2016 that he began putting his songs online, catching the eyes of Toronto’s thriving local music scene. Spending the next couple of years obsessively songwriting and practicing vocals, and learning technical skills, he collaborated with Toronto duo MONEYPHONE on the 2018 song “On Lock” which became an underground success. Shortly after, Yano released his first solo single “Rolex, the Ocean'' with producer Joseph L'etranger. Once he began writing his full EP, he was introduced to frequent collaborators BADBADNOTGOOD, who are featured on the EP’s title track, “nervous”. Following the “nervous” EP, Yano and BADBADNOTGOOD released a highly praised cover of the Majestic’s “Key to Love (Is Understanding)” along with another well received collaborative track with BADBADNOTGOOD titled “Goodbye Blue”. In July of 2020 Yano released his debut LP titled “souvenir” which features production from Monsune, Jacques Greene, frequent collaborators BADBADNOTGOOD, and lastly his father, Tatsuya Muraoka, who Yano reconciles and reconnects with in the music video or the album’s final track “shoes”. Yano’s work has garnered praise in major music publications like The Fader, Billboard, Complex, and Exclaim and the attention of the late Virgil Abloh, Gilles Peterson, and Benji B along with millions of streams on Spotify and Apple Music.
Following a highly acclaimed 2020 which included the release of the debut LP souvenir, collaborations with BADBADNOTGOOD, a double feature on COLORS, and industry praise from The Fader, Billboard, High Snobiety, NME, KCRW and Exclaim, Yano quietly released a cover of Jessica Pratt’s “This Time Around” and took some time away from releasing music to write and record his forthcoming LP, set to release in January of 2023, titled “Portrait of a Dog”. Yano was recently announced as the opening act for the critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Clairo for the last leg of her North American and entirety of her EU/UK tour dates.
Yano’s sophomore LP, Portrait of a Dog, set to release in January of 2023 on Innovative Leisure, is a 12 track exploration of themes present throughout most of Yano’s catalogue – identity as a part of the Japanese-Canadian diaspora, contemplation of different family dynamics, and the intricacies of interpersonal relationships. Portrait of a Dog is a clear departure from Yano’s previous recordings – having established a clear sonic identity throughout the LP’s 12 tracks to tell a clear and succinct collection of stories guided by clear and intentional instrumentals. The LP is produced entirely in collaboration with BADBADNOTGOOD and features guest work from Slauson Malone, Sea Oleena, with string arrangements by Eliza Niemi, Leland Whitty, and Yano himself.
credits
released January 27, 2023
leslianne
written by Jonah Yano
arranged and performed by BADBADNOTGOOD & Jonah Yano
string arrangements by Eliza Niemi & Jonah Yano
vocals and acoustic guitar: Jonah Yano
drums: Alexander Sowinski
double bass: Chester Hansen
electric guitar: Leland Whitty
piano: Felix Fox-Pappas
cello: Eliza Niemi
always
written by Leland Whitty & Jonah Yano
arranged and performed by BADBADNOTGOOD & Jonah Yano
string arrangements by Eliza Niemi & Jonah Yano
vocals: Jonah Yano
drums: Alexander Sowinski
electric bass: Chester Hansen
piano: Felix Fox-Pappas
cello: Eliza Niemi
haven’t haven’t
written by Nick Hobden & Jonah Yano
arranged and performed by BADBADNOTGOOD & Jonah Yano
string arrangements by Eliza Niemi & Jonah Yano
vocals and acoustic guitar: Jonah Yano
drums: Alexander Sowinski
electric bass: Chester Hansen
electric guitar and tenor saxophone: Leland Whitty
piano: Felix Fox-Pappas
cello: Eliza Niemi
portrait of a dog
written by Leland Whitty & Jonah Yano
arranged and performed by BADBADNOTGOOD & Jonah Yano
vocals: Jonah Yano
drums: Alexander Sowinski
electric bass: Chester Hansen
electric guitar: Leland Whitty
wurlitzer: Felix Fox-Pappas
call the number
written by Jonah Yano
arranged and performed by BADBADNOTGOOD & Jonah Yano
string arrangements by Eliza Niemi & Jonah Yano
vocals and acoustic guitar: Jonah Yano
drums: Alexander Sowinski
double bass: Chester Hansen
electric guitar: Leland Whitty
piano: Felix Fox-Pappas
cello: Eliza Niemi
the speed of sound!
written by Jonah Yano
arranged and performed by BADBADNOTGOOD & Jonah Yano
vocals and acoustic guitar: Jonah Yano
drums: Alexander Sowinski
double bass: Chester Hansen
piano: Felix Fox-Pappas
in sun, out of sun (with slauson malone)
written by Felix Fox-Pappas & Jonah Yano
arranged and performed by BADBADNOTGOOD & Jonah Yano
vocals: Jonah Yano
drums: Alexander Sowinski
double bass: Chester Hansen
electric guitar: Leland Whitty
piano: Felix Fox-Pappas
acoustic guitar and additional production: Jasper Marsalis
so sweet
written by Leland Whitty & Jonah Yano
arranged and performed by BADBADNOTGOOD & Jonah Yano
string arrangements by Leland Whitty
vocals: Jonah Yano
drums and percussion: Alexander Sowinski
electric bass: Chester Hansen
electric guitar, violin, and viola: Leland Whitty
wurlitzer: Felix Fox-Pappas
cello: Eliza Niemi
glow worms
written by Vashti Bunyan
arranged and performed by BADBADNOTGOOD & Jonah Yano
vocals: Jonah Yano
drums: Alexander Sowinski
electric bass: Chester Hansen
electric guitar: Leland Whitty
wurlitzer and organ: Felix Fox-Pappas
quietly, entirely (with sea oleena)
written by Jonah Yano
arranged and performed by BADBADNOTGOOD & Jonah Yano
vocals and acoustic guitar: Jonah Yano
drums: Alexander Sowinski
double bass: Chester Hansen
electric guitar: Leland Whitty
piano: Felix Fox-Pappas
additional vocals: Charlotte Loseth
song about the family house
written by Jonah Yano
vocals and acoustic guitar: Jonah Yano
the ordinary is ordinary because it ordinarily repeats
written by Chester Hansen
arranged and performed by BADBADNOTGOOD
drums: Alexander Sowinski
double bass: Chester Hansen
tenor saxophone: Leland Whitty
piano: Felix Fox-Pappas
recorded by Braden Sauder at Marquee Sound in Toronto, Canada
mixed by Chris Koltay at Hi Bias recording in Detroit, U.S.A & Nick Hobden at Greenhouse
Studios in Vancouver, Canada
mastered by Gray Rowan at Ndg studios in Toronto, Canada
supported by 76 fans who also own “portrait of a dog”
I love all of BBNG's albums. (even the rougher BBNG2).
I find that Talk Memory has a high musical level throughout but maybe it lacks standout moments like the other albums all had.
Still, I listen to it all the time, it's a must have together with all the other BBNG albums. bonhomme7heures
supported by 51 fans who also own “portrait of a dog”
Magic in its purest form. I love Floating Points, I love Pharoah Sanders, I love The London Symphony Orchestra. It's a match made in heaven, and the result is absolutely gorgeous. I have loved this record since its release, and realized I don't own it for some reason. So its time to change that. 9.5/10 honestly could become a 10/10 on an indepth vinyl relisten. angrypizza98
supported by 46 fans who also own “portrait of a dog”
Great album! A crossover jazz-r'nb-african trip from continent to continent. London does it again. Nyubian Twist with more jazz overtones. John Woodward
