slenderbodies have quickly become one of our favorite new bands ever since we first laid ears on some of their early remixes and singles. Well as the time came for them to release their debut album and they delivered it triumphantly, today we’re revisiting komorebi with a fresh new breakdown.
We couldn’t think of a better artist to have apart of our new series Trackology where we get our favorite noteworthy releases broken down by the artists themselves. They offer a few personal sentence commentary to every song to give us a glimpse into the meaning and intention behind the production.
Enjoy slenderbodies album komorebi as told by them!
slenderbodies – komorebi
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
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 (parenthetically titled ‘komorebi’ in japanese) 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.