WATCH: Hinako Omori – ‘cyanotype memories’

A mood-lifting soundscape that offers listeners a moment of respite in an uncertain world, London-based artist and composer Hinako Omori has shared her latest single ‘cyanotype memories’. Taken from her upcoming album, stillness, softness…, which is set for release via Houndstooth on 27th October, the track is an ode to surrendering yourself to the unknown and finding peace within that process.

Following on from her recent single ‘foundation’, on ‘cyanotype memories’ Omori continues to trust her instincts and channel them into a more contemporary, song-based structure. Whilst her new efforts retain the wonderful soothing and enigmatic qualities of the tracks that formed her debut album, …a journey (which featured on Get In Her Ears’ Albums Of 2022 list) they expand and showcase her songwriting talents further. Guided by her wonderfully clear, gentle vocals, on ‘cyanotype memories’ Omori is “a careful observer among the chaos”, exploring the altering states of emotion and the often turbulent pace of life through her hypnotic synths and evocative beats.

“Synths really do respond to how you’re feeling,” Omori offers. “There have been times where I’ve felt stressed and my synth would go out of tune. I took it to a repair place once, thinking that something was wrong with it, but it was fine; I think it was to do with my energy levels. So when I sit down and write something, whatever comes out is relevant to how I feel in that moment because the synthesiser is responding to it. The music really becomes a map of my emotions.” Commenting on ‘cyanotype memories’, she explains: “[it’s] about reconnecting and returning to our inner stillness, and surrendering to the unknown. We ultimately don’t have control over how anything external might pan out, but when we trust our inner compass things seem to be revealed to us in the most beautiful and unexpected way.”

Paying attention to the physiological effects of music is something that’s deeply important to Omori. She blends her wonderfully heightened awareness of this alongside beautiful aesthetics, with cyanotope printing being a strong inspiration for this track and the accompanying photography and artwork for her new album. “I was fascinated by the idea of cyanotype printing,” she continues, “the act of placing an object on paper, and exposing it to UV light – the longer the object is focused under the light, a stronger or more detailed image can form on the paper. I thought there was a similarity in focusing and redirecting our thoughts to create new neural pathways in our brains, with the repetition of these thoughts creating stronger paths.”

This idea is explored further in the beautifully shot accompanying video for the track. Directed by Thomas Harrington Rawle & Cathal Mckeon and featuring contemporary dancer Chihiro Kawasaki, the monochrome visuals are a stunning blend of shadows and silhouettes, with Kawasaki improvising her movements in the lights which were programmed live by Richard Brade.

Watch the video for ‘cyanotype memories’ below.

Hinako Omori will be playing a headline show at London’s ICA on December 2nd
Tickets are available here

Follow Hinako Omori on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo credit: Luca Bailey

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Circe – ‘Glow (You Always Tell Me I Have This Glow’)

Following on from her previous cinematic release ‘Riot Of Sunlight‘, London-based dark-pop artist Circe has now shared her new single, ‘Glow (You Always Tell Me I Have This Glow’). Taken from her upcoming EP, Drawing Wings From The Light, which is set for release on 19th July, the track bristles with a potent anger, explored through Circe’s seething-yet-poetic lyricism, atmospheric synths and intriguing use of ASMR-inducing samples.

On first listen, ‘Glow’ appears more subdued than Circe’s recent vivid offerings, but it retains her idiosyncratic charm and showcases the shadowy, effervescent side of her song-writing, which her debut EP She’s Made Of Saints highlighted beautifully. Inspired by “a powerful rage” directed against “the slights and casual misogyny of the music world”, her hushed threat of “I am a hurricane” sees her defiantly reclaim a sense of power and self autonomy in the face of this adversity.

From the candid opening lyric – “fucked it up first / so I didn’t have to know” – Circe’s quiet anger smoulders across three minutes. “Move away / so I don’t tear you down too” she sings, her warnings enhanced by the Mach Richter-inspired ‘Nature of Daylight‘ violin parts (which Circe played herself) as well as the sampled sounds of scissors snipping through hair own hair. Blending the biblical story of Samson and Delilah with her own experiences to create the narrative for ‘Glow’, Circe blurs the lines between myth and reality once more, exploring the murky territory that sits in between.

‘Glow’ is accompanied by a stylish lyric video, and the news that Circe will be playing a headline show at The Windmill in Brixton on 21st September. Watch the video below and grab your tickets here.

Circe UK Live Dates 2023
21st September – The Windmill, Brixton – London

Follow Circe on Spotify, bandcamp, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Zak Watson

Kate Crudgington
@kate_crudge

 

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WATCH: REWS – ‘Not Your Soldier’

Following on from previous single ‘Misery‘, Bristol-based pop rock outfit REWS have shared their latest track ‘Not Your Soldier’. Full of the band’s trademark gritty riffs, passionate vocals and pop rock energy, the new song is a cathartic anthem designed to empower listeners and encourage them to reject the expectations of others in order to live an authentic life.

Created and fronted by Northern Irish multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Shauna Tohill, REWS have been busy recording new material after a string of live shows last year, including a support slot with Therapy?. Now, with the release of their new single, REWS are gearing up for a busy year, fueled by the determined spirit that underscores their new track.

“’Not Your Soldier’ is a song about taking control of your own life, rejecting the pressure to conform to others people’s expectations, and making choices that benefit our planet and every living being on it,” Tohill explains about the song. “In a world with so much uncertainty, its important to embrace our true selves and stand up for what we believe in, so I hope people feel empowered by this track!” Tohill has transformed her feelings of frustration and uncertainty into another vibrant pop rock anthem.

The single is also accompanied by a video, shot by Shona Cutt and edited by Tohill. The visuals feature the songwriter causing chaos in the kitchen, whipping up some seriously unappetizing treats whilst belting out the chorus to the new song.

Watch the video for ‘Not Your Soldier’ below.

Follow REWS on Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Photo Credit: Shona Cutt

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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WATCH: jellyskin – ‘I Was The First Tetrapod’

Following on from their eccentric rave anthem ‘Bringer Of Brine‘ released at the end of April, electronic Leeds-based duo jellyskin have shared their latest single ‘I Was The First Tetrapod’. Accompanied by a quirky new video, the track is lifted from their upcoming debut album, In Brine, which is set for release on 9th June via Wrong Speed Records.

Formed of Will Ainsley and Zia Larty-Healy, jellyskin have spent the past four years meticulously writing and recording their debut record between Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol, Palamos and Berlin. The pair invited Berlin-based producer Lewis D-t to co-produce, mix and master In Brine, and to “finesse the tracks into fat-free hunks of ecstasy and sonic exploration”. The result of this collaboration is a record that brims with a palpable sense of urgency and euphoria, with narrative themes that range from intense longing and desire, to misadventure by the sea and aquatic apparitions.

It’s the latter of these elements that the band explore on ‘I Was The First Tetrapod’. Through their pulsating beats, eclectic synth sounds and bizarre narratives, jellyskin playfully examine would the world might look like through the fresh eyes of a new life form. The track’s accompanying video, directed by Richard Ainsley, is an extrapolation on this idea.

Following high-profile UK festival slots and shows alongside The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Warmduscher, Sea Power, Moonlandingz and The KVB, and with their debut album on the horizon, 2023 looks set to be an exciting year for jellyskin.

Watch the visuals for ‘I Was The First Tetrapod’ below.

jellyskin’s upcoming debut album In Brine is available to pre-order via bandcamp now

Follow jellyskin on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Misha Warren

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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