One day, a stone he happened to pick up on the street cracked in 7FO’s palm. For 7FO—who, before being a musician, identifies as an East Asian—this inexplicable “nature” suddenly opened up; his innate nature as a musician then stepped in to nurture what felt like “seeds of sound,” and as a kind of mediator, he cast a swarm of sounds back into nature—this, I believe, is the essence of this work. Although sound is supposed to have no mass, the sounds on this album seem to possess a tangible presence that one could almost touch with one’s hands. Toru Takemitsu once said, “One can encounter true sound only by casting oneself into nature or unknown resonances that transcend the self” (*Sound, to the Extent That It Can Be Weighed Against Silence*). The word “mass” conjures up acoustic images such as noise devoid of dynamics, metallic resonances, the ear-splitting frenzy of a dance floor, and drones of various forms—each of which could be described as “substantial” in its own right—but 7FO has explored different facets of this substance. It is a collection of high-density low frequencies, sculpturally condensed masses of sound, subtly fluctuating gravitational fields, and a blend of vibrant joy and seeping humor. Recorded from 2024 to 2025, this album sees 7FO distilling their musical vision—featuring drum machines, guitars, and synthesizers—into eight compact structures. These structures draw inspiration in part from the intense essence of pre-war American blues and the spirit of traditional Ethiopian music. The starting point for *The Stone I Picked Up Broke* traces back to “Snake,” a live, one-take track that served as the B-side to the 7-inch single “Healing Sword” (2023)—7FO’s first foray into the single format. This 7-inch record found its way into the hands of Henry Rollins, who played the B-side track “Snake” on his radio show—an experience that inspired 7FO. This, in turn, morphed into the song “White Snake,” which became the crowning touch of the album, leading to the completion of *The Stone I Picked Up Cracked*. The artwork, which visually nurtures the seeds of sound, is by Hiroaki Hida.