Komorebi traces her evolution in second album

‘The Fall’ blends electronic music with video game tech. DH's Rashmi Rajagopal speaks to the artiste.

The last time Tarana Marwah aka Komorebi released an album, it was 2017. It was her debut album — Soliloquy — a musical representation of her innermost thoughts and her relationships.

Since then, the Indian electronica producer from New Delhi has been on a path of self-discovery and has grown as an artiste. She encapsulates her journey in her second album, The Fall.

Talking about the album, she says, “It’s an evolved version of who I’ve always been as an artiste. I’m just levelling up, not necessarily to fit in with the times and stay relevant, but more along the lines of ‘becoming myself’.”

I grew up, the first single from the album, dropped last month, while Watch out, the second single, was released two weeks ago.

Into the future

In the former, Tarana shares that her aim was to keep its essence electronic and futuristic, but with elements of orchestral and guitar tunes. Her vocals have been layered in her signature whimsical style but with less harmonies and more melodies. “It’s one of the happier tracks I’ve written as I was feeling positive while writing it,” she shares.

However, the inspiration behind it is less than positive. She reveals that going through a period of turbulence in her 20s changed her outlook on life. The song was written to a partner 19 years her senior, and talks about balancing love with compromise. The piece also features artistes Blackstratblues and the Mavron Quartet.

Finding freedom

Watch out, on the other hand, boasts an ambient and atmospheric soundscape, which is a blend of electronica and folk paired with Komorebi’s vocal ballad. It deals with themes like toxic attachment, individual freedom, and ‘wonderment at the insanity of the universe’.

It arose out of her need to let go of toxicities, having grown up in what she calls a dysfunctional family. “I always found myself looking for an escape. The happiness, independence and empowerment I felt when I finally left and became my own person was unparalleled. I wanted to share this feeling with others, as sometimes you aren’t aware of how much happier it is on the other side,” she says, adding that she wanted the song to match the lyrics. Hence the harmonies and open and large chords.

Accordingly, the video has been shot in the wide, open landscape of Leh. The muted grey-brown tones make for a grim backdrop against which the artiste cuts an incongruous figure in an outfit covered in mirrors.

The album is a multimedia project with an accompanying 30-page comic book and music videos made with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, a 3D creation tool that is used to make video games.

Available on all streaming platforms.