starRo

starRo, the moniker of Shinya Mizoguchi, is a pivotal figure in the 'future soul' movement, specifically associated with the influential Soulection collective. Based in Los Angeles but originally from Tokyo, Mizoguchi bridges the gap between traditional jazz instrumentation and modern beat-making.

His sound identity is characterized by a high degree of harmonic sophistication, frequently employing 7th and 9th chords on Rhodes pianos and clean electric guitars. Career-wise, his 2017 Grammy nomination for his remix of Silver's 'Heavy Star Movin' marked a significant moment for independent electronic producers, validating the bedroom-to-studio pipeline. His work often features a collaborative spirit, pulling in vocalists from the R&B and hip-hop underground to add a human element to his lush electronic arrangements. Critically, he is praised for his ability to maintain a 'live' feel within a digital framework, avoiding the sterile tropes of some lo-fi hip-hop. He occupies a unique cultural position as a Japanese artist who has successfully integrated into and helped define the West Coast beat scene, influencing a generation of producers to look toward jazz and bossa nova for rhythmic and melodic inspiration.