emptiness

Embracing the Void, Still Turning Toward Love.

Something missing, something lost, something forever beyond our reach. A longing that may never be fulfilled. On *emptiness*, yoichi eboña transforms feelings of isolation, alienation, and despair into an exploration of the many forms love can take, even in the presence of absence.

Rooted in the interconnected traditions of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, and hip-hop, the album seeks something deeper than a fusion of genres: the *living groove* at the heart of Black music. Whether emerging from the spontaneous interplay of musicians or the precision of programmed rhythms, groove becomes a source of vitality when it moves the body and touches the human spirit. This philosophy echoes the album's central vision of love-not as a single ideal, but as something that can exist through tenderness, obsession, ecstasy, grief, and even madness.

Across ten tracks, the synthesized voices of Kasane Teto, Hanakuma Chifuyu, Koharu Rikka, and Natsuki Karin intertwine with eboña's expressive guitar, which often serves as an extension of his own voice. From dreamlike jazz to restless, intricate rhythms and atmospheric R&B, the music moves fluidly between intimacy and turmoil. At its center stands the lead track "Sarah," where constantly shifting grooves and an almost devotional obsession embody the album's artistic vision.

Co-produced by yoichi eboña and Cream Phantasmagoria, with mixing and mastering by the latter, *emptiness* culminates in "The Look Of Love," where a deeply laid-back groove gives way to the simple affirmation: "I love your love, I love my love."

Love does not necessarily fill the void, nor does it promise happiness or salvation. Yet even in our contradictions and imperfections, we remain capable of recognizing and affirming ourselves and others. *emptiness* gives that fragile, deeply human experience a voice through music.