Komorebi

Japanese neo-soul guitarist Toshiki Soejima returns to Stereofox Records with Komorebi – a deeply personal and collaborative album. Known for his signature guitar style, blended with jazz & instrumental hip-hop elements, Toshiki shares a project that feels both intimate and expansive, shaped by shared musical creativity.

The album’s title, Komorebi, is a Japanese word describing sunlight filtering gently through leaves – a fleeting, poetic moment where light, shadow, and movement coexist. That idea sits at the heart of the record – each track feels like a beam of light passing through different creative perspectives, unified by Toshiki’s unique guitar touch but transformed by the collaborators involved. From the uplifting opener “Life is Better” (one of his most popular songs, performed live) to the reflective closing moments of “Missing”, the album flows effortlessly, just as nature does.

Komorebi brings together an exceptional group of artists, including his frequent collaborator, UK producer edbl, legendary Japanese trumpeter Takuya Kuroda (worked with Jose James), and the piano phenoms – Mad Keys from the US, Chill The World from Seoul, and London’s own Matt Wilde. The album also holds a surprise for Toshiki Soejima’s long-term fans – two vocal songs from the Indian singer Temsu Clover & the UK’s finest, Carrie Baxter.

Visually and conceptually, Komorebi is deeply connected to Toshiki’s previous album Kimama Beats, created with his wife Nahokimama. Both projects are being pressed on vinyl, designed to sit side by side – completing one another as companion pieces. Where Kimama Beats bloomed with Nahokimama’s silhouette and floral imagery, Komorebi mirrors that visual language with Toshiki’s own form, continuing the motif of flowers, light, and natural cycles. Together, they represent two perspectives within the same world – spontaneity and reflection.

Warm, human, and quietly powerful, Komorebi is not just an album, but an invitation to slow down, listen closely, and notice the beauty that appears when light passes through.