“Before We Spoke,” a collaborative album by Fukuoka-born composer and keyboardist Osamu Fukuzawa and London producer and multi-instrumentalist edbl, was released through Stereofox Records on September 23, 2026.
The album’s title comes from the creative process itself. The pair worked together with very few words, making music their shared language. Ideas flowed naturally between Tokyo and London, growing into an organic, cohesive work. Moving fluidly through jazz, beats, neo-soul, and R&B, Osamu’s heart-melting piano resonates with edbl’s groove-filled production. It is a quietly rich album where warmth and vitality, intimacy and openness coexist.
Four tracks feature guests: UK singers INDIA BLUE and IYAMAH, trumpeter Jackson Mathod, and Dutch singer Robyn Florence, each bringing a distinct personality to the record. Its collage-inspired artwork also embodies the album’s concept visually, with flowers, landscapes, and instruments intersecting like fragments of memory.
[Artist comment]
This album came together through exchanging sounds and little ideas – often before many words were spoken. In a way, the music became our first conversation. The songs carry a feeling of moving between different places, with warm grooves, piano, and space for each artist’s voice to breathe. We’re really grateful to have made this album with such wonderful artists, each bringing their own feeling into it.
Japanese translation in the original article: “This album grew out of exchanging sounds and ideas before many words were spoken. In a way, the music became our first conversation. We’re truly grateful to have made this album with such wonderful artists.”
― Osamu Fukuzawa × edbl
RELEASE
Osamu Fukuzawa & edbl “Before We Spoke”
Label: Stereofox Records
Release Date: 2026.9.23
Release URL: https://links.stereofox.com/osamu-fukuzawa-edbl-before-we-spoke
Tracklist:
01. Reflections
02. About Time (ft. INDIA BLUE)
03. In Bloom
04. Butterflies (ft. IYAMAH)
05. Here Before (ft. Robyn Florence)
06. Keep Moving
07. Lavender (ft. Jackson Mathod)
08. Before We Spoke (Outro)
09. About Time (Instrumental)
10. Butterflies (Instrumental)
11. Here Before (Instrumental)
ARTIST
Osamu Fukuzawa
A composer and keyboardist from Fukuoka Prefecture. Inspired by Nujabes and Re:plus, he works primarily in hip-hop and jazz, and also produces independent and major-label artists in Japan and abroad. A song he produced and co-wrote in 2021 reached No. 1 on Spotify’s Japan Viral chart. His collaborations with Re:plus have topped iTunes Japan, earning recognition internationally, and his music has been featured by Apple and Spotify as well as NPR’s “All Songs Considered.”
edbl (Ed Black)
A London-based producer and multi-instrumentalist known for a sound full of live performance energy, blending soul, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. His international achievements include placements on more than 200 Spotify playlists and airplay on BBC Radio (1, 1Xtra, 6, and London) and Jazz FM. He has performed extensively at renowned venues including Blue Note Tokyo, Ronnie Scott’s, and the Jazz Cafe. In Japan, his vinyl and CD sales together have exceeded 1,000 copies.
