Flying Lotus has shared the double single “Black Gold” ft. Thundercat and “Between Memories” ft. Niki Randa from the upcoming Netflix anime series Yasuke, out April 29th. The six-episode series was created by Bronx-bred and Japan-based television animation creator, producer, and director LeSean Thomas (Cannon Busters, Children of Ether, The Boondocks), with story input from Flying Lotus. A dream project for the musician/producer, he explains:
“[LeSean] and I talked about being outsiders in anime. I was like, ‘Why aren’t more Black kids trying to do this? Why is it so out of the ordinary?’ He was saying that it’s because they don’t have examples.”
Yasuke seeks to remedy that with a story about a samurai warrior of African descent battling in a fantastical alternate universe version of feudal Japan. Featuring plenty of magic and swordplay, the series was developed with anime creators MAPPA Studios as an executive producer on the project. Additionally, Yasuke features actor LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta, Sorry To Bother You) as the voice of the title character.
Below, you can listen to “Black Gold” ft. Thundercat and “Between Memories” ft. Niki Randa, which serve as the opening theme and closing credits for the series.
