Kimiyo is an album by Alex Henry Foster and artist friend Momoka, released on April 26, 2024, through Hopeful Tragedy Records. It was produced by fellow Your Favorite Enemies and the Long Shadows bandmate Ben Lemelin, with whom Foster worked on the Juno-nominated[1] album Between Illness and Migration[2] and the ADISQ-nominated[3][4] album Windows in the Sky.
| Kimiyo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 26, 2024 | |||
| Recorded | 2023 | |||
| Studio | Highlands | |||
| Length | 69:08 | |||
| Label | Hopeful Tragedy | |||
| Producer | Ben Lemelin | |||
| Alex Henry Foster chronology | ||||
| ||||
Kimiyo contains nine songs, written by Foster while recovering from his open-heart surgery in February 2023. Kimiyo mixes spoken word in English and Japanese and atmospheric melodies. It is set to release on April 26, 2024.[5]
It is one of four creative projects including two albums, Kimiyo and A Measure of Space and Sounds, the film Voyage à la Mer, and live conversations and musical improvisation "Of Flashes and Other Currents", all planned to be released in 2024.[5]
This project is Foster's first release under artist management company In De Goot Entertainment, since establishing their partnership in 2023.[6]
Background
editIn February 2023, Alex Henry Foster underwent cardiac surgery, postponing his musical projects and tours with his band The Long Shadows.[7] During this recovery period, he envisioned working on a project he had started in Japan in 2010.
His trip was prompted by a letter he had received from the parents of a fan, with whom he had gotten acquainted before he took his life. Foster went to meet with this young man's parents and traveled to Tokyo to further discuss grief, hope, sorrow, and dreams.[8]
This meeting and 2010 trip to Japan also inspired creative endeavors that were postponed throughout the years, until this new album and cinematographic project “Voyage à La Mer”.[9]
Recording and composition
editUnable to sing or speak, due to the surgery procedures he underwent, Foster invited his artist friend Momoka to sing and recite spoken word in Japanese to accompany the music. Ben Lemelin assisted Foster in the music composition and writing process of the album.[10]
Foster said: "I have always been looking for a pretext or an excuse to work with Momoka... She's got a very unique spirit, and she’s a very inspiring and insightful person. We have a common view about life in general and spirituality in particular, but most of all, she is a fantastic artist for whom I have the utmost admiration."[11]
The writing and recording of the album took place at the Highlands Studios, located in Foster's home in the mountains of Virginia. Lemelin and Momoka joined him there to work on the project.[12]
Singles
edit"A Silent Stream"
"A Silent Stream" is the album's debut single, released with the announcement on March 27, 2024, with an official lyric video. The Moroccan newspaper Le Matin described it as "an immersive experience, marked by reflection and contemplation".[13]
This track is described on post-punk.com as "a contemplative journey within ourselves, designed for us to discover the purpose of days passing by, beyond the illusion of control over 'time' and the meanings we'd like to believe in".[14]
"Nocturnal Candescence"
Released on April 10, 2024, "Nocturnal Candescence", is the second single from the album. Foster stated: "The song conveys the profound emotions of loss, hopelessness, and personal surrender in the context of self-abandonment." It is also related to the traditional Japanese songs of longing, aishoka (哀傷歌), about mourning, contemplation, and faith in better days.[12]
"Under a Luxuriant Sky"
The third single "Under a Luxuriant Sky", also the closing track on the album, was released on April 26, 2024, the same day as the album.[15]
"A Vessel Astray"
On June 4, 2024, Foster officially released a new music video for the song “A Vessel Astray” from the album Kimiyo, hinting at a movie to be released later in 2024 called “Voyage À La Mer”.
The video was premiered by Flood Magazine,[16] on June 3rd 2024.
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Alex Henry Foster and co-written, recorded, and produced by Ben Lemelin.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Of Dreams and Dust" | 4:18 |
| 2. | "A Silent Stream" | 8:18 |
| 3. | "The Edge of Time" | 10:05 |
| 4. | "A Vessel Astray" | 7:44 |
| 5. | "All of Our Past Future Lives" | 4:41 |
| 6. | "Autumnal Processions" | 7:34 |
| 7. | "Nocturnal Candescence" | 9:47 |
| 8. | "Too Bright to Crumble" | 8:05 |
| 9. | "Under a Luxuriant Sky" | 8:09 |
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[17] | 12 |
References
edit- ^ "Your Favorite Enimies". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "Junos 2015 nominations: Drake, Leonard Cohen, Magic!, Hedley get nods for best in Canadian music". National Post.
- ^ "Archives 2019 –". ADISQ. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "Archives 2021 –". ADISQ. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ a b "New And Upcoming Canadian Releases: Crash Adams, Sum 41, Good Kid & More | Billboard Canada". ca.billboard.com. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "If You Don't Die, Get Management: The Modern Artist-Entrepreneur Question". Canadian Music Spotlight. September 29, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "Alex Henry Foster Donates to Support Morocco". www.jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Teeple, Alice (March 26, 2024). "Alex Henry Foster Debuts Video for Dream Pop Ballad "A Silent Stream" Featuring Momoka Tobari". Post-Punk.com. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Breznikar, Klemen (March 27, 2024). "'A Silent Stream' by Alex Henry Foster Featuring Momoka | New Album, 'Kimoyo'". It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "Alex Henry Foster Announces New LP, Shares 'A Silent Stream' Single & Video". www.louderthanthemusic.com. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Staff, BrooklynVegan. "26 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ a b Johnson, Perry (April 10, 2024). "Alex Henry Foster ft. Momoka Share "Nocturnal Candescence" Single, Kimiyo Due April 26". Galore. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Ouiddar, Nadia (March 26, 2024). "Le Canadien Alex Henry Foster dévoile "A Silent Stream", un morceau de son album Kimiyo". Le Matin.ma (in French). Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Teeple, Alice (March 26, 2024). "Alex Henry Foster Debuts Video for Dream Pop Ballad "A Silent Stream" Featuring Momoka Tobari". Post-Punk.com. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Willschick, Aaron (April 25, 2024). "Alex Henry Foster and Momoka Release New Single "Under a Luxuriant Sky"".
- ^ "Alex Henry Foster Teases New Film "Voyage à la Mer" with Moody Music Video for "A Vessel Astray"".
- ^ "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of May 11, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2024.