Nathan Kawanishi

Producer/beatmaker/multi-instrumentalist Nathan Kawanishi makes detail-oriented lo-fi hip-hop, combining complex musicality with lush atmospheric sounds. While working toward a proper studio album, Kawanishi released several collections of his ambient instrumentals, including 2020′s Throwaway Beats for a Throwaway Year, Vol. 1.
Kawanishi studied koto and played various roles in friends’ bands before beginning to make his own instrumental compositions. Splitting his time between Washington and Tokyo, the producer was inspired by the innovative sound design of rappers like Mac Miller and Earl Sweatshirt, as well as ambient luminaries like Brian Eno. He started releasing tracks under his own name around 2019, winding together his influences with elements of traditional Japanese music. Soon Kawanishi had dozens of tracks that were accumulating millions of streams, including collections like 2019′s Freshman Tape and 2020′s Lush Loops. Kawanishi released Throwaway Beats for a Throwaway Year, Vol. 1 in 2020 while working toward a more fully realized album of his mellow and slightly nostalgic instrumentals. ~ Fred Thomas