Shabason, Krgovich, Tenniscoats - Wao

Wao is the spontaneous and dreamlike new album from Joseph Shabason, Nicholas Krgovich, and legendary Japanese duo Tenniscoats. Recorded over two unplanned days at the oceanfront artist haven Guggenheim House in Kobe, Wao captures the magic of pure improvisation, the joy of instant connection, and the quiet poetry of everyday life.

The project began in spring 2024, when Shabason and Krgovich traveled to Japan for their first tour as a duo. Label head Koji Saito not only organized the dates but arranged for Tenniscoats—Saya and Takashi Ueno—to serve as both openers and backing band. With only two rehearsals, the group found immediate musical chemistry on stage, their performances growing more fluid and playful each night. Anticipating their synergy, Saito booked time for them to record at Guggenheim House during a short tour break. The sessions were entirely unstructured: no songs, no plans—just instruments, a few mics, and the momentum of a shared feeling.

Musically, Wao floats between Tenniscoats’ delicate, experimental folk-pop and Shabason and Krgovich’s signature warmth and melodic clarity. There’s a gentle sense of surprise running through the album—ideas passed hand to hand, vocals offered up like gifts, each track arriving without force. The sequence of the record follows the order the songs were created, preserving the freshness and flow of the experience. A tribute to ease, trust, and the joy of making something ephemeral together, Wao is less a polished statement than a beautifully shared moment.