All feelings about festivals aside, there's something to be said about the magic of experiencing live music in those types of settings. After performing at Solaura Festival last year, slenderbodies members Max Vehuni and Benji Cormack found themselves enlightened by the magnitude of it all. In that moment, they realized how the atmosphere ultimately shapes the entire experience.
With that powerful feeling in mind, the indie pop duo channeled the energy of the Mendocino Forest directly into their debut album, Komorebi. Today, we're premiering an advance stream of the immersive project. There are moments where it feels intimate and isolating, but there's beauty to be found within the escapism. By the end, you're left with enough material to meditate on.
“With everything we make, we’re trying to create a sonic space that has its own distinct atmosphere,” Vehuni explained in an email. “We wanted this album to feel airy and weightless, like you’re sitting in the forest just listening to the music float through the trees.”
While you give the record a spin, scroll down to read an exclusive track-by-track breakdown from slenderbodies. Komorebi is officially out on September 20.
"ruminate"
"'ruminate' was dreamt up to be the warm hand that gently ushers you into the album. This song is morning’s first light, a beginning that is meant to play well into the end of 'hearth.' This creates a cyclical feeling between the 10 core tracks for the album. It explores the importance of being with oneself, welcoming change and being fluid with emotion as we make our way through life. We must allow ourselves to feel the full breadth of our emotions, while not becoming so entrenched in them that we miss beautiful things happening right before our eyes."
"belong"
"'belong' was written about how one’s community can determine a sense of belonging and comfort. This song simultaneously pays tribute to nature and escaping the urban environment. it comes from a place of not realizing that you need nature until you’re without it, as well as from reflecting on our deepest connections, realizing they were formed outside. It’s meant to be a reminder that there is a place for everyone, often found through passion and compassion. There’s also the angle that as we know ourselves, the more comfort we can find anywhere. Nature is always a welcome escape and wonderful place to get to know yourself when you feel you don’t belong."
"nothing"
"'nothing' was inspired by youth, its fleeting quality, and how that in and of itself can inspire the deepest of connections. we reflected on the people we’ve grown up with, and our gratitude for the connections that still exist today. There is so much joy in the wildness of youth, often times going unnamed, centered around just being with each other. That unnamed joy is the 'nothing' and has lead us toward our lifelong belief in loyalty and friend families."
"moods"
"True to its name, this song explores how our emotions are ever changing, whether it's from the weather, people, atmospheres, times of day/year, and personified through a dialogue with your emotions. 'I'm a lost boy ready to overtake your fate.' From the perspective of your emotions, telling you how they are in control. it is also a reminder to pay heed to your emotions but to never let them 'overtake' your decisions."
"senses"
"'senses' explores how much we appreciate our bodies and our basic abilities. To be able to touch, taste, hear, feel and see are such gifts, and on top of that we are able to do so much more with our muscles and joints. We recognize that to have the ability that we do is a privilege that not everyone gets, and that often times dwindles as we age. 'senses' discusses respect for our physical ability and is a reminder to use our bodies every day."
"dewdrops"
"'dewdrops' is a love song to the home/personal creative spaces we make. It’s filled with lush, surreal imagery to exaggerate the importance of having one’s own space in regard to the creative magic that can be achieved through hiding away."
"tangled up"
"'tangled up' is about romance, and how important physical touch and sex are to the health of a romantic relationship."
"departure"
"'departure is meant to paint a beautiful, welcoming picture of death. It’s meant to explore the peaceful sunny side of passing away, which we wanted to highlight through the sonics as the song goes from cheerful, to uncertain, back to cheerful. We asked ourselves the question, what song would you write for someone who was passing away. Being 'found' refers to being realized, and it ties into arrival in that death is sort of like your life being summarized and completed. There is beauty and light to be found in that, and we should celebrate people as they pass, carrying on their light, rather than lament the absence of it."
"arrival"
"'arrival' was written by asking the question 'If you could immediately communicate with someone who was just born, what would you say to them?” This song encapsulates many of the smaller moments of the record, both sonically and lyrically. Overall, enjoy the highs and lows of life, welcome the awe of nature, fill your life with those you love, let the light in, accept things as they come and see them through. Life is just as beautiful and fleeting as sunlight through trees, take time to notice it, and always wait until it’s done."
"hearth"
"A safe cabin in the woods, existing beyond space and time. familiar loving spirits are there, yet you’re also comfortably and warmly alone. You feel complete, and completely loved."
"away from you"
"Our feelings toward nature and how we are always brought back to it. This song is a love affair with the magnificent natural world, how it brings solace, inspiration and love to our lives."
