New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Introducing Frank Renaissance, a one-of-a-kind platform that combines the capabilities of a music label with the creativity of a production studio aimed at bringing Japanese music and culture to a global stage.
Launched in 2020 and led by Ren Stern and Frankie Caracciolo, Frank Renaissance's goal is to share Japan's most exciting creations in music and art with the world. Stern, who grew up splitting his time between Japan and New York and has a background in venture capital, shared his love for Japanese hip-hop and art with Caracciolo, his close friend from college, who has written for Pitchfork, Complex, and Vice, and works with Coltrane Curtis at Team Epiphany. With Stern based in Japan, Caracciolo visited Tokyo in 2019 to explore what they could build together around their shared passions. This trip was the spark that lit the Frank Renaissance fire. Enlisting the help of Tokyo-based creative producer Aya Apton, New York-based A&R consultant Kayvan Daragheh (known for his work at Genius), and KM, a leading Japanese record producer and Frank Renaissance's Resident Beatmaker and
Music Director, the company strives to bridge the gap between Japan and the West.
"Japan produces so much amazing music, art, and culture, but language and cultural barriers can make it hard to access or understand at times," says Stern, "At Frank Renaissance, we're trying to break down those barriers by producing first-of-their-kind collaborations between Japanese and US artists to create unique experiences that anyone can be a part of."
"A-Team's Fables'' is the first release from Frank Renaissance, featuring a supergroup of six exciting artists, "The A-Team" is Rikuto AF (an emerging rapper known for his popular YouTube videos about the NBA), KM (one of the most popular hip-hop producers in Japan by total streams), Lil' Leise But Gold (Japanese singer-songwriter often featured with KM), Osteoleuco (a duo comprised of KSK, known for his work as part of rap trio MGF, and keyboardist Shimon Hoshino), and two-time Japanese Beatboxing
Champion Ettoman.
Future Frank Renaissance releases will feature Japanese and American artists including members of the A-Team, Young Dalu of the Normcore Boyz, Daichi Yamamoto, Mick Jenkins, and more to be announced.
In conjunction with the release of "A-Team's Fables," Frank Renaissance has launched its first exclusive merch collaboration with Lorien Stern, distributed in partnership with Japanese streetwear brand and café Coast2Coast. Stern is an American visual artist and designer who creates ceramic art and designs clothing in the Mojave Desert. Her past collaborations include Lil Wayne, Dr. Martens, Urban Outfitters, Peanuts, and Edie Parker.
"Over the last several years, I've taken many trips to Japan with my Japanese aunt, and I'm so excited to be doing my first product launch there," says Stern. "I'm also a big rap fan, and it was pretty surreal to see my animals dancing to a hip-hop track, and in Japanese at that!" Read more about Lorien Stern in Architectural Digest and view the Lorien Stern merch line for Frank Renaissance here. Frank Renaissance will launch more exciting work in 2021.
FRANK RENAISSANCE TEAM
Ren Stern: Co-founder and CEO
Frankie Caracciolo: Co-founder and Strategy Director
Aya Apton: Creative Producer
Kayvan Daragheh: A&R Consultant
KM:
Music Director & Resident Beatmaker
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RKvF5RHVJLAaJfYNkzUSJ
