sound of the week // windswept adan, ichiko aoba
the less real the greater the worth
No artist tolerates reality; he turns away or back from it: his earnest opinion is that the worth of a thing consists in that nebulous residue of it which one derives from colour, form, sound, and thought; he believes that the more subtle, attenuated, and volatile, a thing or a man becomes, the more valuable he becomes: the less real the greater the worth. — Friedrich Nitzsche, Complete Works, ed. Oscar Levy, 18 vols. (London, 1909-15), vol. 15, The Will to Power, trans. Anthony M. Ludovici, p. 74.
I often find solace in the act of escaping, and whether it's due to me feeling like an artist or simply the joy of knowing I can depart at any given moment, the allure of escape remains constant. My perpetual cycle of thought and questioning that defines my existence both exhilarates and drains me, occasionally leaving me overwhelmed and depleted. In these moments, I like to exit out of my sanity.
Ambient music is a form of this “nebulous residue” Nitzsche talks so fondly about. It emanates from the lingering tenderness of waning sounds, focusing not on what is heard, but rather what isn’t heard after. The impact of ambient music on its environment is akin to a masterpiece, creating a space and awareness that breathes life into the surroundings. It gives breath.
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Ichiko Aoba’s Windswept Adan has breath, providing a soulful sanctuary for the sensitive and a cherished daytime melody for the maladaptive.
Released in December 2020 as Aoba's seventh album via the label Hermine, Windswept Adan is a collaborative masterpiece with TV composer Taro Umebayashi, also known as Milk. The project features Aoba's adeptness in playing with pockets of intimacy, skillfully simmering it down to leave just enough heat. It hums with her hypnotizing vocals and susurrant guitars like a hushed shawl placed on top of you. It is a space where it's just you, and no one else. No one else can hear.
Aoba envisioned Windswept Adan as the soundtrack to an imaginary film residing solely in her mind — a narrative of spirit, faith, and movement. The storyline unfolds across two fictional islands, one representing the character's origin and the other, filled with abundance and fertility, where they venture towards.
Inside the journey of Windswept Adan, "Prologue" serves as an introduction, the bubbling sensation before an adventure is about to start. A premature moment of bliss founded on faith. This anticipation is followed through “Pilgrimage”, an odyssey of leaving an old home for another. Each drum line, another footstep, another paddle off the shore. As the voyage transcends, we encounter "Porcelain,” a track that symbolizes arrival at the destination through unwavering belief in oneself and one's dreams. This particular composition serves as a musical portrayal of the idyllic weather conditions from the Kerama Islands, located north of the island of Okinawa. These islands, with their coral reefs and mirrored seas, inspire a dense track that stands as the project's lead single — Aoba's Moment of Breath. Flushed out with feather-light strings, woodwinds, fluted harmonies, and ceremonial percussion, each transcendental note is delicate yet brash, overwhelming for the heart
It’s psych-folk. It’s trippy. It’s surreal. It’s illusory.
A few nights ago, I played this album while loving my partner. I wanted to see if my feeling was correct in it being best appreciated in exaltation. For me, the act of being physically close to someone during an intimate moment serves as a conduit to connect with the energy in front of you while simultaneously distancing oneself from the trappings of the ego. Aoba, through her artistic cultivation, seems to encapsulate this delicate balance, providing an exquisite backdrop to our shared experience. The intertwining of physical connection and the harmonious melodies of Windswept Adan brought a profound sense of ease.
Post-interlude, we found ourselves lying vulnerably beside each other, engaging in a thoughtful dissection of the album. The atmosphere of Windswept Adan revealed itself to be simplistic, harmonic, and adventurous — a rhythmic odyssey guided by the travel of sounds and the foreplay of shifty tones. Aoba's voice, ranging from a gentle whisper to an operatic chant, seemed like a healing force. It beckons to those seeking relief and escape, inviting them to follow her voice into a journeyed bliss.
Amid this discography, "Parfum d'etoiles" acts as an interim into the bliss. Its separated piano chords, full and textured, imitate memories of the sounds in country fields, accompanied by the lightness of a foot tapping on the soil. The track is euphoric and tantalizing. It brings loneliness in the form of isolation and connection with nature, with the space around you. Aoba plays with the idea of loneliness, recognizing that if we feel interconnected with all things, placing a sense of belonging to the broad tapestry of existence, we can explore not just our relationship with others but our relationship with the world. Learning to foster deep connection with the innate things, the things that breathe us light. Acknowledging the vastness of existence and the multitude of experiences that comes with it can help to reframe loneliness as a part of the human condition rather than a definitive role of isolation. It brings on a subjective role not a finite one. She reminds us that we always have our web that connects us back and our delusions to carry us through.
Aoba's music offers that resolution, creating a space where delusions and reality can coexist harmoniously. It's a romantic embrace of the ever-moving elements both around and within oneself. It’s flirty, it’s light, and it’s a Piscean. As the project draws to a close, the final two minutes are filled with the cooing of waves crashing on the shore, marking the successful escape into bliss—a journey much appreciated and much treasured.
The album cover serves as a perfect visual representation of what these sounds offer. A sacred aura reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, aptly named the Garden of Adan. Where temptation is everywhere and indulgence is strongly encouraged.
xx. Mar
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If you like Ichiko Aoba, you’d also like Vashti Bunyan. Let me put you on!
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