'Dissonance' is the conclusion of a failing love story, told in scattered fragments on the eponymous mini-album.
I've always thought that it's almost unfair how our perception of love and heartbreaks feel so full of nuances and exceptions, yet when we describe it, it's just a tired cliché.
The album is a dissected diary of the blooming of a complex relationship, only to abruptly end with one of the biggest clichés of all: love hurts. I never planned to end my album on such a dramatic yet simple note. Perhaps it was the decision of the universe, or just a stupid coincidence, but my relationship abruptly ended on the day I finished the beat for what would eventually become 'Dissonance'. Because it hit me hard, I couldn't find myself writing or producing anymore songs for the album. For this reason, I decided that the album should end with this beat. On the day I came back home from a terrible 'last goodbye' meet up, I felt like I was about to explode from sadness. Without thinking, I connected my mic and just started singing whatever was in my head. 'Love hurts, love hurts' was literally the only thing that came out of me. And just like that, a story that I perceived as complex, beautiful and hurtful, was concluded as any other love story. A tired cliché.
I silently tried to apply the same concept to the video, but in a different way. Instead of focussing on the cliché, we decided to visualise the endless dramatic inner world instead. We used water as the metaphor for my emotional state. We used the ocean in winter, shallow water in a dark, undefinable place and water in a warm, confined space. What does it mean to you? I'm curious to know!
I want to end this post by saying this whole process was bigger and more intense than I ever expected it to be. When my relationship ended and my hard drive crashed, I wasn't sure if I could finish the project. CityLights (the mixing and master engineer) believed in this project and made me believe it once again, too.
Sico van der Plas (the director of the video) did a fantastic job of materialising my vague ideas and turning it into a solid piece of art. A big thank you to CityLights, Sico van der Plas and the team.
If you liked the video, please check out the album, too! Link is in the description :)
Love,
Jadu Neo