The Afterlife Is Letting Go

Brandon Shimoda is someone that I have the immense pleasure of calling a friend & collaborator. He has a huge presence in the Japanese American community, not only as an organizer & facilitator, but also writing poems & novels examining, processing & expressing what all of us in the community feel. During the day, Brandon is a professor at Colorado College. It is there, on the 80th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066, that I had the privilege to be on a panel with other descendants of the camps to share and talk about our work. It was a truly beautiful experience – i've never openly discussed the camps and what they meant to me, so to do so with other artists really warmed my soul.

When I was putting together my record 'I was too young to hear silence', that event was still ringing true in my heart. Nervously, I decided to ask Brandon if he would write the liner notes for the album... he graciously agreed. What he sent back was perfect, something only he could do – part non-fiction, part fiction, part Japanese dreamscape, part me. And part him.

'The Afterlife is Letting Go' is the name of Brandon's book that also comes out on 12th December 2024. In the early stages of writing, we talked about there being some sort of music that would accompany the book, a soundtrack to it if you will. After reading, sitting, and re-reading the book, these two pieces make up my physical processing of his words. if you listen to this & feel something, anything, i urge you to pick up this book & spend some time with it. i promise you it will be worth it. [Patrick Shiroishi, December 2024]