We are thrilled to announce the release of “Mothers,” a beautiful new album by mother artist Rema Hasumi, whom CRS presented last winter at Jazz Gallery as part of our Crossing Boundaries Concert Series. Continuing our multi-year working relationship with Rema, the Center provided a production grant to support the completion of the album.
Fittingly, Rema will perform at the Closing Reception for our Life Is Art Is Motherhood Is Art exhibition on July 26, 2025 at 3 pm at Tenri Cultural Institute of New York, 43A W 13th St, New York, NY 10011. The album cover photograph by Aline Müller, as well as many other works that explore the creative and complicated experience of motherhood, will be on display in the exhibition.
Gestating and delivering this album was truly a labor of love. Rema began recording “Mothers” in the fall of 2023, six years into her journey as a mother artist. She wanted to create an album dedicated to the collective experience of motherhood, especially that of creatives, to shed light on the bewildering physical, emotional, and social changes women navigate in the process of becoming mothers.
Each track explores a different emotional landscape, yet all share excerpts of piano improvisation from a single recording session, which serves as an undercurrent throughout the album. This undercurrent reflects the ongoing, profound, and dynamic experience of motherhood. The album features a series of collaged soundscapes, consisting of synthesizers, piano, and vocals performed by Rema, with contributions from Austin White on electric bass and synthesizers on three tracks. Each track’s sound elements are improvised separately and then combined using a collage approach rather than traditional composition. The final mix is designed to offer a three-dimensional, holistic, and stimulating listening experience. The album is available for digital purchase and streaming on Bandcamp and other major streaming platforms (Apple, Spotify, Amazon, etc.).
She writes,
In my journey, I’ve felt so lost and misunderstood that I ended up isolating myself from the music world. I was on the verge of giving up on music entirely. It seemed to me that the only way to cope with the grief of losing what I had pre-birth was to create music that most honestly speaks the truth of what I am living through. My deepest desire, since the day I became a mother, has been to protect my child’s wellbeing while also holding space for my music: my other beloved child.
This album reflects on the journey of mothers striving to protect their creative paths while navigating the deep emotions that come with parenting and the process of redefining their identities.
I hope these songs, as they breathe into the world, will reach people in their walk through the wilderness.
I want to thank everyone who helped bring this project to life and who trusted me along the way.
Special thanks to Chris and CRS for their generous funding; to Austin for joining on bass and synths; to Oktaven Audio, Ryan Ferreira, and Mystery Room Mastering for their incredible skill and expertise in sound engineering; and to Aline Müller for the beautiful photograph featured on the album cover.