Yussef Dayes is best understood live.
Technique is part of the attraction, of course, but reducing Dayes to virtuoso drumming misses what makes this music work. His playing is about momentum, texture and communication — jazz, broken beat, soul and improvisation continually feeding one another.
Live From Mt. Fuji captures that energy in a setting that feels particularly suited to it.
There is also a beautiful cultural exchange at the heart of the record, with Japanese vocalist and sanshin player Minami Kizuki joining the group on “Amami” and “Fuji Yama”.
A very current record, but one with improvisation firmly at its centre.
Dayes is joined by regular collaborators including Rocco Palladino, Venna and Elijah Fox, creating a band capable of shifting quickly between deep groove and open-ended improvisation.
Across “Chasing the Drum”, “Turquoise Galaxy”, “The Light”, “Amami” and “The Colour Purple”, the playing feels fluid rather than locked to conventional song structures.
Minami Kizuki’s voice and sanshin bring another texture entirely, giving the Mt. Fuji setting genuine musical relevance rather than simply functioning as scenery.
New and sealed standard black-vinyl 12-inch release.
Issued through Brownswood Recordings / Cashmere Thoughts.
Catalogue: BWOOD436EP
Barcode: 5060180327804
Seven tracks.
Carefully packed and securely dispatched using protective vinyl mailers.
Released in 2026 following the limited Mt. Fuji FM project, Live From Mt. Fuji strips away the spoken commentary and presents the music itself.
The seven-track release combines existing favourites and newer compositions, with Minami Kizuki appearing on vocals and sanshin alongside Dayes’ regular collaborators.
This BWOOD436EP edition is the standard black-vinyl music-only release.
Yussef Dayes is best understood live.
Technique is part of the attraction, of course, but reducing Dayes to virtuoso drumming misses what makes this music work. His playing is about momentum, texture and communication — jazz, broken beat, soul and improvisation continually feeding one another.
Live From Mt. Fuji captures that energy in a setting that feels particularly suited to it.
There is also a beautiful cultural exchange at the heart of the record, with Japanese vocalist and sanshin player Minami Kizuki joining the group on “Amami” and “Fuji Yama”.
A very current record, but one with improvisation firmly at its centre.
Dayes is joined by regular collaborators including Rocco Palladino, Venna and Elijah Fox, creating a band capable of shifting quickly between deep groove and open-ended improvisation.
Across “Chasing the Drum”, “Turquoise Galaxy”, “The Light”, “Amami” and “The Colour Purple”, the playing feels fluid rather than locked to conventional song structures.
Minami Kizuki’s voice and sanshin bring another texture entirely, giving the Mt. Fuji setting genuine musical relevance rather than simply functioning as scenery.
New and sealed standard black-vinyl 12-inch release.
Issued through Brownswood Recordings / Cashmere Thoughts.
Catalogue: BWOOD436EP
Barcode: 5060180327804
Seven tracks.
Carefully packed and securely dispatched using protective vinyl mailers.
Released in 2026 following the limited Mt. Fuji FM project, Live From Mt. Fuji strips away the spoken commentary and presents the music itself.
The seven-track release combines existing favourites and newer compositions, with Minami Kizuki appearing on vocals and sanshin alongside Dayes’ regular collaborators.
This BWOOD436EP edition is the standard black-vinyl music-only release.
