Maps of Music

Asterisms (2024)

Where the lyrics of Asterisms take you, and where it was really made.

This all-instrumental album grew out of a series of performances at John Zorn's New York venue The Stone.

Place unknown

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Asterisms: third studio album by American musician Sean Ono Lennon
Released February 16, 2024 by Tzadik Records
Entirely instrumental
Five tracks, all written by Sean Ono Lennon
Track list: 'Starwater' 7:43, 'Thinking of M' 4:40, 'Acidalia' 7:02, 'Asterisms' 10:52, 'Heliopause' 6:19

Much of the album was composed for a series of performances at The Stone, a New York venue founded by John Zorn
The project was first conceived as a live instrumental suite
Delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic
Performed in October 2022 with collaborators Ches Smith, Devin Hoff, Yuka Honda, João Nogueira, and Michael Leonhart
In interviews, Lennon described the album as part of a broader period focused on instrumental composition and experimentation
This period followed earlier work in film scoring and collaborative projects
Lennon said the project reflects his interest in complex musical forms and improvisation
The release coincided with renewed public attention for Lennon, including work on the animated short film War Is Over!

The material was later recorded at his studio in upstate New York
The compositions are extended pieces with layered instrumentation and shifting arrangements
The instrumentation includes guitar, synthesizer, brass, and percussion textures
Personnel: Sean Ono Lennon (guitar, synthesizer), Devin Hoff (bass), Yuka Honda (electronics), Michael Leonhart (trumpet), João Nogueira (keyboards), Mauro Refosco (percussion), Ches Smith (drums), Johnny Mathar (drums)

Born Sean Taro Ono Lennon on October 9, 1975, in New York City, to John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Holds dual US and UK citizenship.
Started his public career at age five, reciting a story on his mother's 1981 album Season of Glass.
Co-wrote "All I Ever Wanted" with Lenny Kravitz at age 16 for Kravitz's 1991 album Mama Said.

Member of Cibo Matto, the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, and the Claypool Lennon Delirium.
Has also played with his mother's group, the Plastic Ono Band.

Solo debut Into the Sun in 1998, produced by Yuka Honda; the single "Home" had a video directed by Spike Jonze.
Solo albums: Into the Sun (1998), Friendly Fire (2006), Asterisms (2024).
Worked as producer for artists including Black Lips, Lana Del Rey, and Lemon Twigs.
Co-founded the Claypool Lennon Delirium with Les Claypool in 2015.
Co-founded the record label Chimera Music.
Co-led Artists Against Fracking campaign launched in 2012.

Tinnitist: review was notably positive
Critics described the album as 'cosmic' and genre-blending
Their description included guitar, synthesizer, brass, and percussion textures
Released February 16, 2024 by Tzadik Records as an entirely instrumental album
Release coincided with renewed public attention to Lennon, including work on the animated short film War Is Over!

David Sheff quoted the Tinnitist review at length in his 2025 publication Yoko
The positive review became the basis of that extended quotation
The album grew from a series of performances at The Stone in October 2022, linking its concert origins to the critical response

Sheff quoted the Tinnitist review at length in his 2025 publication Yoko
The album was first conceived as a live instrumental suite before the COVID-19 delay
The personnel list shows two drummers, Ches Smith and Johnny Mathar
Spanish Wikipedia names guitarist Julian Lage among the 2022 performers, a name not in the English personnel list
The release coincided with work on the animated short film War Is Over!