Matthew Sage

M. Sage’s Tender / Wading is a quietly sublime album. It achieves all of the goals of ambient music without being hamstrung by any of its genre tropes. Unafraid to reach into the past, and unafraid of its own big heart, it is textural, varied, consistently interesting and frequently moving.  

American musician and intermedia artist M. Sage has released a new single and video, “Wading the Plain,” from his upcoming album Tender / Wading. He directed the accompanying video, which he calls a form of “excavation.” Through arranging objects and light, he seeks a “congress” between things that creates a logic “beyond human.” He has several US tour dates planned with and without Patrick Shiroshi.

Experimental composer Claire Rousay announces her new album, a little death, set for an October 31st release. The record marks a return to her solo work and completes a trilogy. The new single, “just (feat. m. sage),” provides a first glimpse into the album’s intimate and expansive sound, which masterfully blends field recordings with live instrumentation.

M. Sage and Fuubutsushi bandmate Patrick Shiroishi have announced a joint US tour this autumn and shared a new single, “Tender of Land (Patrick’s Version).” On the track, Shiroishi’s signature saxophone craft transforms Sage’s composition into a slower jazz ballad. It’s a variation from Sage’s upcoming album, Tender / Wading (out September 26), a serene vision inspired by his Colorado homeland.

On Columbia Deluxe, Fuubutsushi sound simultaneously like a bunch of musicians who have never met and a group who have been playing together for an eternity. These tracks, in a live setting, have developed a life beyond the logistical constraints of their conception. Beautiful and increasingly complex, they have become a celebration of live performance and a reminder of how music still plays a vital role in human interaction.

Matthew Sage, under his M. Sage moniker, has always cultivated a unique sonic garden, but his latest offering, “Tender / Wading,” feels different. The album and lead single, “Tender of Land,” are less a departure and more a deep, resonant breath drawn from the Colorado foothills.

Ambient-jazz alchemists Fuubutsushi (Patrick Shiroishi, Chris Jusell, Chaz Prymek, and Matthew Sage) offer another captivating glimpse into their forthcoming debut live album, Columbia Deluxe, with the release of their second single, “Light in the Annex.” Due out July 11 via American Dreams, the track is a testament to the quartet’s unique synergy, captured during their inaugural and only live performance.