ShiShi Delves Into The Human Psyche with Debut Album ‘CHRYSALIS’
One of the most thought-provoking artists to emerge onto the scene in the past few years, ShiShi is the Indian-American producer that is infusing his own spiritual journey into the electronic music space. Presenting his full-length studio album, CHRYSALIS, ShiShi’s fourteen track opus dives deep into the human psyche and invites listeners to explore their innermost feelings through the medium of dance. Out now on his own imprint, CASHIR – welcome to shadow work for the dancefloor.
Showcasing some of his most profound work to-date, CHRYSALIS opens with Introduction – The Gift, a spoken-word creation, which pairs intricate instrumentation and nature samples to set the album’s tone. Leading into the album’s first single Wishing Well, ShiShi calls on vintage synths and a deep bassline to encourage listeners to be vulnerable about succumbing to feelings of lust. Mahadev enlists the spine-tingling vocals of Kushri Devi and explores feelings of fear, Ritual deals with those of anger and the last single, Not Enough, tackles feelings of shame. Released as standalone singles leading up to the album release, all four of these productions are accompanied by individual NFT Drops, available on OpenSea, which include a 1-of-1 piece of digital art, stems to remix the song, liner notes behind the writing of the song and a custom guided meditation to help facilitate the listener in working with the specific emotion in the song.
In addition to the album’s lead singles, ShiShi presents a selection of brand new productions, alongside some previously released cuts. From fresh creations including Bhairav Riddim and Vanquish to firm fan favorites Sajani 2.0, Discipline and Longing, ShiShi further solidifies his signature sound with raw songwriting, gritty and emotional guitar work, and his signature dancefloor groove. Closing the album with the introspective Looking For Yourself, ShiShi combines glistening riffs, pristine percussion and poignant words, leaving the listener on a high after successfully tackling some of the most difficult human emotions.
Speaking about the album, ShiShi said:
“This album was made to help people integrate their shadow side by dancing… dancing in solidarity with an artist who is letting his own shadows out into the light for all to see. CHRYSALIS is a journey into the shadow side of the human psyche – a vulnerable and unapologetic dance music album that explores difficult emotions that we typically don’t associate with the dancefloor. Through my own spiritual journey, I have discovered the healing power of both music and dance – using sound, movement, and our own bodies to process and heal our dark side, and bring it into the light… rather than repressing it.” – ShiShi.
Raised on three different continents, ShiShi’s music reflects his global citizenship and blends sounds and influences from all corners of the world, while celebrating and amplifying his Indian musical heritage. In 2019, he played his largest show to-date at Terminal 5 (NYC) to over 2,000 people and subsequently released his self-titled debut album, earning the cover spot on Spotify’s official ‘No Borders’ playlist. Since releasing his debut EP in 2017, he has gone from strength to strength and has garnered support from a myriad of artists across the musical landscape, including A.R. Rahman, ASADI, Gorgon City, Major Lazer, Mark Knight and many more. In 2020, he was featured alongside frequent collaborator Daramola in a Spotify-produced documentary about rising artists and in January 2021, he cemented his position as a versatile producer with a release on the iconic UK Tech House imprint Toolroom Records. Launching his own music label and event brand CASHIR, he realized his vision of creating events that merge dance music with eastern spiritual modalities, like meditation and sound healing, in the form of his ‘Full Circle’ parties.
With over 20 million global streams under his belt, ShiShi now embarks on a new chapter in his musical journey, honing in on a more mature, intentional sound in 2022. His upcoming CHRYSALIS tour will see the innovative artist combine live instruments and singing with meditation and sound healing moments, resulting in a truly unique and much needed healing intention to the dance music space.
ShiShi – CHRYSALIS is out now on CASHIR.
