NEW TRACK: Hinako Omori – ’ember’

Following on from her previous single ‘cyanotype memories’ – an ode to surrendering to the unknown and finding peace within that process – London-based artist and composer Hinako Omori has shared her latest single, ’ember’. Taken from her upcoming album, stillness, softness…, which is set for release via Houndstooth on 27th October, the track is an uplifting sonic delight that encourages listeners to let go of the past and relinquish feelings of doubt.

On her upcoming record, Omori retains the soothing, enigmatic qualities of the tracks that formed her debut album, …a journey – which featured on Get In Her Ears’ Albums Of 2022 list – but she expands her use of synthesizers and seraphic vocals further. She continues to trust her intuition and channel her emotions into idiosyncratic sounds, but this time she has leaned into a more contemporary, song-based structure.

Whilst her debut album concentrated on healing others with invigorating, ambient sounds and field recordings, on stillness, softness…, Omori looks inward and gently dismantles the barriers that held her back from finding peace within herself. ’ember’ acknowledges this important on-going process, with its shimmering synths, soft vocals and earnest lyrics offering a glimpse of the respite this can provide.

“The idea behind ’ember’ is noticing that our attachment to the past can cloud our perception of situations,” explains Hianko, “and the importance of breaking through these barriers we place on ourselves to build a healthier, compassionate relationship with ourselves and others.” Urging her listeners to “break free” from their chains, Omori delivers another captivating, altruistic piece of music that resonates further each time it’s listened to.

Listen to ’ember’ below.

Hinako Omori UK & EU Live Dates 2023
24/11 – Teatro Principal, Ourense – Spain
25/11 – L’Archipel, Paris – France
29/11 – Alphabet, Brighton – UK
30/11 – Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds – UK
01/12 – The Deaf Institute, Manchester – UK
02/12 – ICA, London – UK
04/12 – Zonzij, Amsterdam – Netherlands
06/12 – XENON (Huset), Copenhagen – Denmark
07/12 – Volksbuehne (Roter Salon), Berlin – Germany
09/12 – Botanique (Witloofbar), Brussels – Belgium

 

Follow Hinako Omori on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter (X) & Facebook

Photo credit: Luca Bailey

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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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

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment