JB Dunckel (of the duo Air) releases “Shogun,” the final single from his forthcoming solo album Carbon (Prototyp Recording), out June 24th. Following the “kinetic energy” (Cool Hunting) of previous singles “Corporate Sunset” and “Zombie Park,” Dunckel continues to experiment and expand the map of sonic odysseys with today’s “Shogun,” a deep ambient Japanese-inspired instrumental that draws listeners into an immersive universe. With beautiful harmonies, textures, and gongs, “Shogun” gives the impression of the earth opening up beneath our feet, and is inspired by the aesthetics of the old clothes of Japanese emperors. In conjunction, Dunckel presents a performance of “Shogun” from Studio Atlas (Air’s famed studio), where the entirety of Carbon was recorded.

During the uncertain first year of the pandemic, Dunckel’s thoughts turned to what he considers life’s absolutes: the insignificance of man in the face of outer space and our eternal material connection to the cosmos. The title Carbon references this crucial elemental relationship. Dunckel’s “admiration for scientific things in general” is the progressive, futurist mindset that a brighter future is possible. That determination drives Carbon – his first album in four years. Never one to fixate on the past, Dunckel is pushing forward with Carbon, combining his innate pop nous with a desire to experiment and match his compositional masters.