Lullaby of the Awakening Season

The time of the morning glow has come earlier, and it is still light outside even after 5pm. Although it is still chilly in the mornings and evenings, I feel that spring is gradually approaching.
It's about time to stretch out my hibernating body and soak up the soft light.

If I were to choose the perfect jacket and music for such an occasion, I would choose "Movements" by London-based singer-songwriter Natalie Evans.

The shimmering tones of Natalie's plucked harp, her innocent vocals, her rambling monologue-like lyrics, and the drumless arrangement are pleasant to the ears, and the fleeting soundscape resembles a dream while dozing off. It resonates sweetly with the body and mind when you know it's about time to wake up but want to keep your eyes closed.

The jacket features Natalie herself fluttering a thin piece of chiffon in a white space. The photograph captures a moment of movement, vividly conveying both stillness and movement. It has the feel of a young girl playing with fabric, creating a sense of stirring a breeze on the boundaries between adulthood and childhood, dream and reality, stillness and movement, and winter and spring.
The work was created during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the frustration of wanting to move but not being able to, as well as a mixture of hope and resignation, can be seen in the expression.

It may seem strange to compare this to the COVID-19 pandemic, but I was very mentally immature when I was young, and I thought, "I'll accomplish everything I want to do by the time I'm 30 and then die." But when I finally relived my childhood after leaving my parents' home, my refusal to mature somehow became a hindrance, and I always felt frustrated and restricted. I feel like I was constantly wandering between the desire to remain a child and my curiosity about new worlds.

It takes some courage to step out of the comfortable solitude you've been in for so long. But the scenery you see after that may not be as bad as you imagined. Winter comes and goes, and then spring comes. A new season arrives, bringing with it its own unique beauty, bringing with it the scent of dust and flowers.

Let's open our eyes and get moving. At the end of winter, let's feel a pure, faint warmth in our hearts.
The raspberry-colored surface of this record matches that mood.

Natalie Evans - Movements | (LP:Dark Red)

Artwork: Josh Bryant (photography), Joanna Davala(design and layout)
Format: vinyl, LP
Product no.: RC340

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Text and photos by Fumika Arasawa designer Freelance ⇄ Corporate, and sometimes help friends. Moved to Matsumoto in 2024. Instagram: @fumika *Click here to purchase related products at rovakk musikk.

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WALLFLOWER CATALOGUE

Designer Arazawa Fumika will introduce one piece of inspirational artwork each time.
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