Feb 2022 electro-folk week2 one-note-melody lo-fi synthpop
One of my other hobbies is sewing, and a few days ago (February 8) was this Japanese holiday called Hari-Kuyō, which I learned about from a Japanese patternmaker I follow on Instagram.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hari-Kuy%C5%8D
From what I understand, it's a Buddhist and Shinto holiday where broken pins and sewing needles are given a funeral and allowed to rest in a cake of tofu or konnyaku. They are thanked for their service, and along with expressing their gratitude, the people who brought them pray for the improvement of their own skills. I thought it was a nice metaphor.
The throat of a sewing machine is the part right under the needle that the needle can break against if you're not careful.
I'm not super sure if this is enough one-note melody to count towards the week 2 challenge, but I'm tagging it with that anyway!
Hard freeze
Slow thaw
The ice ripped the tiles off the wall
Knife slice
Raw wound
Silence splashes ink across the moon
And I give thanks to all the needles and pins
All the little broken things that taught me how to grieve an ending
They held my seams together for so long
Moth wings
Cold star
I learned how to play the guitar
That's all
Just this
Living in the distance between what should be and what is
And I give thanks to all the needles and pins
All the little broken things that taught me how to grieve an ending
They held my seams together for so long
The needle snaps against the throat
Before it breaks, it makes a hole
And bit by bit, I stitch my days together
Sharp ends of the wild light
That flares up in my eyes at night
And pulls the thread from barely there to better
And bit by bit, I stitch myself together
Yeah, bit by bit, I stitch myself together
@mattoxic Mar 2022
Fantastic. I actually got a shiver up my spine listening to this. Love the spacy verse then into that glorious chorus full of life and harmony.
Lovely stuff.
@mikedebenham Mar 2022
'Moth wings / Cold star' - you have such an eye for imagery, there's so much packed into those four words alone. Great song, full of patient wisdom.
@balancelost Mar 2022
You've made a really strong metaphor with such unusual source material here. So many heartfelt lyrics in this one, impossible to point out a favourite without just writing all the lyrics out in this comment. The quiet understatement of the tune helps the lyrics make their impact too. I love those arps that come in occasionally.
@ayehahmur Mar 2022
What a cool, and very Japanese, tradition. And I love the way you've extended the metaphor and threaded it throughout the song, it works so well. "The needle snaps against the throat" is such a poignant image.
@sailingmagpie Feb 2022
Top notch lyrics for this track. "Living in the distance between what should be and what is." Wow. That's one of those lines that I see and wish I'd written! The little flourishes of synth in the choruses really fills out the arrangement and I love the "stitch myself together" ending. It really brings it all together, pun intended.
@frenchcricket Feb 2022
What a beautiful tradition! I suppose people wouldn't have been so surprised by Marie Kondo if they knew about this. There are some really nice elements in this: that twinkly synth is lovely, the 'mmm hmm's are like a glue connecting it all together. 'All the little broken things that taught me how to grieve an ending' is a gorgeous line.
@adforperu Feb 2022
Well what a lovely little celebration. For some reason, that holiday reminds me of Pancake Day which I don't believe is celebrated America? Anyway, by the by. Like this one a lot, you're so good at creating compelling verses that really open out into these lush choruses. Those little synth bells are so lovely, and kinda feel like the little trinkets you speak of (albeit they don't sound like they've been put in a tofu cake, perhaps something you can work on in March?)
@davidtaro Feb 2022
I listened to this the other day and forgot to comment. Which seems particularly egregious as I'm half-Japanese myself. I certainly didn't know about this ritual though, so thank you for introducing me to it! It's a very Japanese ceremony - seems batshit crazy when you first read about it, then the more you think on it the more you realise it makes so much sense. You have a real talent for spotting these quirky little details and turning them into ingenious metaphors. And once again, the lyrics would stand up as poetry, let alone set to this catchy and intricate tune. Well done!
@karlsburg25 Feb 2022
Wow you are so so good with expressing an idea lyrically and what a bonus you have monumental musical talent to then express those lyrics. I loved the movement of chords here and of course i am in love with all your harmonies and how you manage to create such catchy instantly memorable refrains. Really lovely listen.
PS- i have a bad relationship with sewing machines. Still haunted by seeing my mate as a kid pretending it was a car and messing around with the accelorator and proceeding to sew maching his own thumb!!!!!!!
@circle Feb 2022
brilliant lyrics - they describe an experience i've never had and yet I feel as though I understand and feel them completely.
the vocals are also lovely, and the guitar understated but playing a great progression. there's a minor chord in the outro that is totally unexpected and just beautiful. the string synths and the arpy synth are the cherries on top. really great song
@shortdan Feb 2022
Love the story behind this one. Great balance of instrumentation with the guitars, synth bits and a touch of Mellotron. Lovely vocal work as always. Particularly fond of the chorus here. Lovely stuff.
@richaaaay Feb 2022
Wonderful lyrics and vocal phrasing…You are a pro! I really like how you create such contrast between the different sections of your songs. You certainly did that quite effectively here between the verse and chorus. Pure pleasure listening….
@thelowestbitter Feb 2022
Love the insistent strumming in this, and those bloopy chorus synths are lovely. Thanks for the liner for this too, not sure I'd've understood the lyrics without it but now I'm fully on board with putting a load of broken needles in a cake, what a wonderful, charming custom.
@kenficara Feb 2022
The verses are so steady and determined and then the chorus soars. And the metaphor of sewing and mending is beautiful.
@dzdandcunfsd Feb 2022
The steadiness of this really does ever propel it forward. Its a lovely write and metaphor.
"Living in the distance between what should be and what is" Is an amazing line.
Very nice relaxed vibe with the whole thing, and just enough zoom on the chorus for my tastes. Really enjoyed this.
@vomvorton Feb 2022
Ugh, JUST FOR ONCE I'd like to rest in a cake of tofu. Pins and needles get all the fun. This is really lovely and totally hits me in that sweet "acoustic guitar + synths" spot that I almost always enjoy (and yet for some reason, rarely do). The chorus really takes off!
@ericlord Feb 2022
Really nice. "Soundtrack to life" kinda vibe, if you get what I mean? You're really good with melodies. Clever lyrics too.
@jayjay Feb 2022
Clever lyrically using the ceremony as a metaphor for your life. Really good song and pretty vocals.
@lanasolyluna Feb 2022
Interesting, I've lived in Japan for ages and never heard of it, but there are lots of mini-celebrations here, some of which aren't practiced much outside of a small circle or community. This is a lovely song!!! Your vocals as always so lovely, and all the pretty elements you add in. The lyrics are so nice too, all the pretty metaphors stitched in...
@jessicamoon Feb 2022
Great concept, I love this song! Nice rhythm with the guitar, and I looked forward to each mmhmmm. I love the melody of the chorus. Clever lyrics
@coolparadiso Feb 2022
What an interesting back story! I also used to watch my mum with an old pedal singer sewing machine! So i was in for this. Clever use on sewing, i stitch myself together great line in this concept. I like the gentleness and steadiness in the song. It works well!