Sen Morimoto

A lurching beat, meandering chromatic harmonies and keyboard and guitar incursions that seem to have wafted in from other songs just add to the sense of disorientation. Morimoto’s saxophone solo sounds more sure of itself than he does, but he’s clearly not too perturbed. -THE NEW YORK TIMES ON “DEEPER”

It's incredibly easy to listen to, but far from easy listening.  - FADER

his new album is a rich, textured listen. And don’t be fooled by the pleasing production wrapping it all together. Morimoto uses his album to critique how the music industry commodifies trauma and identity to push sales, a sinister tale of capitalism that just won’t die. - PITCHFORK

Genre-melting Chicago polymath Sen Morimoto makes idiosyncratic music that draws on hip-hop, jazz, prog, and indie rock and ends up sounding like nothing and no one else. - The AV Club

Sen Morimoto has released Diagnosis, his third LP and first with City Slang in partnership with his own Sooper Records. The 13-track-long effort marks a fundamental shift both sonically and thematically for the Chicago artist. Exploring a wide range of genres and musical influences— alternative pop, dark rock, bright jazzy-infused pop, glistening orchestral soundscapes, and even subdued singer-songwriter sounds are detectable within the musical revelation that is Diagnosis. The topical shift as well brings exploration of childhood, American identity, nostalgia, and the insidious nature of late-stage capitalism— a notable change from his previous introspective works such as his 2018 debut Cannonball! and the 2021 self-titled follow-up.

In contrast to the serious themes explored on Diagnosis, Sen’s accompanying visuals explore the narrative arc of the album in an over-the-top comedic trilogy of videos. The trilogy, directed by Morimoto and New Trash film crew, take a sardonic jab at the music industry and the pitfalls of capitalism in a looped timeline farce that follows a convenience store clerk who sells his soul for stardom (“Diagnosis”).. Initially intending to use his art to “help people and stuff”, Sen ends up falling prey to the vampiric nature of the music industry, ultimately falling to his death from a steel beam above the Chicago skyline while filming a music video (“If The Answer Isn’t Love”). The final installment of the trilogy “Pressure On The Pulse'' finds an evil record label executive (played by Chicago comedy, drag and music icon Alex Grelle) celebrating the profits of Sen’s posthumous album streams in an unhinged dance sequence. With visual references to films like Phantom Of The Paradise, Clerks, and The Crow, the visual universe of Diagnosis calls back to MTV era Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry music videos, using humour to balance and deliver the album’s earnest message.

Attendees of 2023’s Pitchfork Music Fest in Chicago got to see Morimoto perform some of the new tracks in a performance that was named by Pitchfork as one of the best of the festival. Watch Morimoto’s performance of “Bad State” from Pitchfork Fest 2023 Here.