Album release, Departure (LP) out now (August 20, 2026) - listen here
First of all, life is so rapid, and only three years ago this art form called music started to become more than just a miniscule thing to do and now has touched the hearts of many – and for those who enjoy and appreciate the arts, who have experienced life with the music as an accompaniment or as a bystander, and the ones drove, walked, or used public transit to the shows for the music, thank you.
No one will clap for your hard work; the hardest thing to do is to work hard while no one is watching – life will always get in the way like a pedestrian crossing, and others will undermine your passion, Oh how this thing called music, Don’t forget what we do this for: Music and Music itself. The musician is the mistress to the music, and the lawful spouse is the grime of reality
Although the whole album was self-produced, engineered, and mixed by yours truly, let’s give it up for my friends; I dedicate the album to them!
@1eiataua (Taua) for being a great manager, producer (track 6), live bassist and best friend, thank you
@soundsbysuffice (Suffice) the guest for (4) and (9), all the nights bonding during this summer, mahalo nui, thank you for teaching me how to skateboard for the first time
@ajevryday (AJ) for putting up with my ideas and collaborations for visuals, and taping and co-directing the blind MV, birthday twins! salamat po
Live band for Slack Key Lounge:
@don2faithful (Don Lee) - best drummer, welcome back, thank you for all these years being a friend
@ryebreadery (Ryan) - best guitarist, love you dude, thank you , mahalo nui loa hawaiian
@artbyannamines (Anna) - best trumpeter, thank you for hopping on!
@h.annymobro (Manny) - best trombonist, thank you for putting on a show and for charting the whole set for brass!
@kebsmolina (Kevin Molina) album art direction, photoshoot director, camera
@ian.bla (Ian Bla) - 1st opener for the Album Release Fête, thank you !
@yourmomisthemauve (Analiese) and Boris (The Mauve) - 2nd opener for Album Release Fête, maraming salamat manang at manong !
@dj5ulit (Sulit) - best DJ for the album release fete, maraming salamat for coming all the way down from UNION CITY
@anikiignacio (Aniki), for being the director for marianne MV, salamat kuya po @justine.mar (Justine) for being the producer for the marianne MV, salamat ate po, @youajonathan (Jon) for being the cinematographer/videographer for the marianne MV, thank you, thank you all so much for putting in the time and work to make the production happen, am eternally grateful, you are all so talented at your craft.
@aloha.aolani (Aolani) for starring as “ marianne “ (blind and marianne MV), sugoi twin thank you twin !
@obidoesstuff7 Obi (boom operator) and @amerie.mp3 Amerie (animation) (the Ignacios!) - production work for marianne MV, thank you creative little ones!
@yunglilprin (Princess) - additional vocals for (4), salamatz ate
@p.rice.tag (Genshu Price) my first official partner (bottles4college x sandpack) and business consultant, ありがとうございます !!!
@braeedenn (Braeden) assistant producer for blind MV, creative, and my ex-manager, and my bro, thank you, @lukepagg (Luke or REIZO) assistant producer for blind MV, feedback on the album, my bro, thank you, thank you both for being a friend
@_zayd_hussain_ (Zayd H.) - a Boeing mechanical engineer that happens to be an actor, thank you for being a great consultant and dancer
@markco_ (Mark O) stylist for blind MV, capitol modern first friday show, fashion consultant , thanks for the office at PACE and being a great friend and diva !
@tiff_anyy3 (Tiffany) merch designer, merch booth runner, creative consultant, bestie bop, thank uuu
@augmnt.4ndy (Andy) assistant production for blind MV, thank you for being so big and strong
@issa_ethann (Ethan) moral support, creative insight, audience hypeman, salamat frere
@espressoobean (Gavin) assistant producer for blind MV, ig reels assistant producer, salamat kuya, @stunz.jayy (Jaiven) car supplier for blind MV, thank you man
@johnny.hollis_ (Johnny) thank you for lending me your guitar for track (2) !
@za.fuu (Zach) thank you for lending me your guitar for track (6) thank you !
@hasung_jeong (Hasung) - extra for marianne (MV), assistant producer for marianne (MV), pickleball, thank you !
@__._j_e_r_e_m_y_.__ (Jeremy Molina) - assistant producer for album art photoshoot, thank you !
And to the sponsors of the Departure Album Release Show: Hawaii’s Finest, Marnzana, HIC, and Aloha Got Soul, mahalo nui loa !
More thanks to:
gabeisnotfunny (Gabe) - thank you for providing feedback to refine the project’s sound !
Pickleball Tuesdays/Fridays Gang – thank you for playing pickleball with us, Lucas (Soza), Cherry Jerry, Temika, you know who you are everybody,
@gamospicious (Nicholas) for being NBR – thank you NBR (and RLD.)
Squad 213 (Marcus, Weijin, RJ, Johnny, NBR), – thank you for carrying me in electrical engineering these past 4 semesters !
94 Block Basketball / Pickleball Brothers – you know who are, Royce, Jeremy, Lenard, Aythen and Donny, thank you
@sozaon1 (Lucas) – arigato gozaimasu for hanging out recently !
@atlas_maps (K) – feedback for album, merci mon frere !
@piperoniipizza (Piper) – thank you for your moral support and our dear friendship !
Kenoi - shoutout to him, the president of AIAA UH Manoa chapter, thank you for your moral support (@senoi_kalvador)
@nikoneverleft (NIKO) – when we were in san jose with no house, thank you for letting me and don crash your dorm
@okayjml (Joumell) - producer friend since 2020, thank you for being true and your continued friendship, 94 block for life
@darrellmedellin (Darrell) - my gangland. thank you and eachanderyone from the Yay
@roycekatsu and @unkoriley - miss you all, thank you for being inspirations for music and art for this album creatively.
@rogerbong and Aloha Got Soul - thank you for putting faith in the craft, thank you for giving birth to the Harana vinyl, miss you.
There are so many friends I want to thank in this post that I can’t put so much in one blog. If you have been a friend of mine, you have changed my life and inspired me to make music and to pursue electrical engineering. Thank you all.
If you have been a fan of mine, you have inspired me to keep going with passion. Thank you for coming to the shows and listening to the music from a place of solitude or with the company of others.
Love you all.
Recorded in Sandpack Studios, Kapolei, Kingdom of Hawai’i
SDJ
“To love another person is to see the face of god” - Jean Valjean