From Fuubutsushi to Shelter and Beyond: Prymek, Sage, and Shiroishi in Motion

New records on AKP Recordings trace the evolving dialogue among an expert group of players.

To get a better sense of Matthew Sage and Chaz Prymek’s new album Shelter, it helps to stretch back to the formation of Fuubutsushi, the quartet they share with Patrick Shiroishi and Chris Jusell. Since the late 2010s, the group has released a concise run of long-form recordings and live documents, building a practice grounded in collective improvisation, ecological awareness, and an acute sensitivity to time and place.

Prymek and Sage’s history runs deeper. They’ve worked side by side for years, issuing a series of duo recordings before stepping away from the format. Shelter marks their first full-length return in six years, a period that expanded both of their worlds.

They continued to drive Fuubutsushi forward while Prymek developed his Lake Mary project and shaped scenes in Salt Lake, and Sage released a string of albums on RVNG while balancing teaching, family life, and a land-based practice in Northern Colorado. Both moved through the Midwest for stretches, but their shared orientation still points west, toward Colorado and Utah.

That sense of place anchors Shelter. Recorded in Sage’s pole barn studio in rural Colorado, the album centers on spare first-take improvisations with light overdubs, Prymek on electric guitar, lap steel, electric bass guitar and harmonium, Sage on piano, clarinet, synthesizers, harmonica, percussion, banjo, alto saxophone and vocals. The music opens gradually, melodic and unforced, closer to a long conversation than a formal session.

Prymek and Sage aren’t the only members of Fuubutsushi with a new release on AKP Recordings. Saxophonist Shiroishi appears on Making Colors, a trio record with Dave Harrington and Max Jaffe that pushes the shared language into sharper contrast.

The album threads quiet passages, cymbal shimmer, coiled sax lines, restrained guitar, through sudden bursts of density and motion. Its A-side unfolds as a continuous take divided into four interlocking movements, while the B-side leans into looping structures, heavier rhythmic weight, and a more open, suspended melodic field. Sage created the layout and artwork, extending the same collaborative current that runs through Fuubutsushi and into Shelter.

One more thing: Sage has a fascinating Substack. You should read his post on the history of recorded music.

Both titles are available now through the In Sheep’s Clothing shop. Retailers can get in touch for information on wholesale orders.