One listen.

I had ideas going into this one, and I’m not sure if I properly realised them. That’s fine, however, as I still capture the song, or at least was getting to a point where I was getting across something about it quite well.

Himuro Yoshiteru’s “I Wanted a New Life” is from The Sea You Never Know. The release was part of Ian Urbina’s The Outlaw Ocean project, which has attracted some controversy.

Interestingly enough, when I was going through the releases, having found out that Senyawa had contributed to the project, I’d noticed that Ian Urbina’s name was listed on most, if not all of them. I began to suspect some issues and was considering writing about it in full (I tried to hint about them, or at least attract attention to them here). Decided not to. Then Pitchfork wrote about the project. They stole my thoughts!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

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It’s the sound of water. It’s the sound of waves. Lapping at something, rolling gently, as synth comes in carrying upon it destination and hope. Looping and a ring, then a voice comes in. It talks about experience and is rendered dramatic, and yet it is quite matter-of-fact.

Sounds go, that ringing continues with some others, then waves return, and movement. Suddenly the song comes into fuller view.

Percussion strikes away whilst ringing and keys move around it, being passed on by. It’s steady, dramatic, and forward moving.

A shift where the sounds seem to move in waves themselves, almost back-and-forth with determination. They pull back, allow more space. Soon the beat picks back up, or at least feels like it does whilst various sounds here and there flicker and flutter, and it’s tense and dangerous.

There’s a conclusion as beat pulls away, minimises, and the violence and danger is gone, but the conclusion is unclear. Voice returns, speaks a passage, and then water washes it all away and the song ends.