Shizka Ueda: guitar, voice, synthesizer, percussion
Sean Schuster-Craig: guitar, bass, cello, voice, percussion
Philip Gayle: guitar, waterphone, voice, percussion, bicycle wheel (1,2,4,5,8,9,10)
Levon Henry: bass clarinet (1,9)
Memi Cotan: drums (11)
Michio Ogawa: guitar (11)
Yamazaki Neiro: bass (11)
Jason Adam Voss: assorted instruments (23)

Recorded and mixed by Sean Schuster-Craig in NY, NY & Ann Arbor, MI.
All songs written by Shizka Ueda.

This debut album by Shizka Ueda titled “a small sun” consists of original songs and improvised pieces she recorded in New York City and Ann Arbor, Michigan with local musicians and the engineer and co-producer, Sean Schuster-Craig (Jib Kidder), who also mixed the album. Lyrics represent the worldview of shizka, who conducts clinical psychology activities on a daily basis. Her falsetto voice and guitar combined with Schuster-Craig’s sampling and overdubs create a folky avant-pop mind trip. In “Hidamari” the story in which a dream and reality overlap culminates from the combination of natural sounds and sampled percussion, while “Yudachi” expresses the nostalgia of childhood emerging from overlapping sounds of everyday life. The improvisational sessions are composed of various acoustic instruments along with toys and other devices with guest appearances by Jason Adam Voss, Philip Gayle, and Sean Schuster-Craig.

Shizka Ueda

Born in Kanagawa, Japan, Shizka grew up surrounded by her older brother’s record collection, absorbing many diverse genres of music. Her solo performances are her playing guitar and singing layered with samples and loops that have evolved into a unique style all her own. In 2012 she co-founded the low-fi electronic unit The Cucumbers. In 2018 she expanded her live and recording venues to Tokyo, New York, and Michigan. In 2021 she formed the experimental pop group Nolens Volens, playing her original pieces along with cover songs by artists from around the world as well as improvisational works in progress. Based in Tochigi, Japan, Shizka is a clinical psychologist and has co-authored three books with essays on psychology and music.