Emerging from a deeply textured, analogue soundscape, the new EP Harvest Moon arrives as a haunting song cycle that re-tells the ancient Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone. The project crafts a dark and rich auditory world, providing the backdrop for a narrative that mirrors the four seasons through four interconnected songs.
This is not a just retelling, but a re-contextualization. Harvest Moon uses the timeless story of love, loss, and life's cyclical nature as a powerful allegory of the female experience in patriarchy, the confusing onset of abusive relationships, and liberation.
The journey begins at the end. In the opening track, “Ploughed Land”, Demeter has lost her daughter Persephone to Hades, and the world has fallen into deep winter because of it. Although this song represents Spring, it plays out in the tense moments before the seasons shift.
Musically, “Ploughed Land” translates this emotional paralysis into sound. With a dark yet simplistic Verse opening that unfolds into a rich soundscape with the arrival of the pre-chorus, showcasing the complex and versatile emotions that lie underneath stillness.
This bleakness gives way to the radiant warmth of “The Sun Shines In”. Here, the mood shifts to the ecstatic Summer of Demeter’s reunion with her daughter. The track serves as an anthem to the inner child, a tender encouragement to find beauty and remain open to joy and fun even after periods of difficulty. The rhythmic beat and Saxophone sway between a sound inspired by marching bands and fluid hippie melodies of the 70s.
The title track, “Harvest Moon,” represents Autumn and Persephone's and Hades' first encounter. It describes the dangerous, breathtaking, and confusing feeling that is present at the start of abusive relationships.
The Ballad leans into the karmic metaphor of its title, exploring the cyclical nature of life, and what one sows, they must eventually reap. This reaches a fever pitch in the bridge, where vocals spiral amidst a hypnotic soundscape consisting of oud, cello, flute, and piano, mirroring the frantic attempt to untangle complex emotions after falling in love completely.
The cycle concludes with the cathartic force of “Poseidon’s Storm”. As a result of the previous events, Persephone faces both the liberating and painful process of emancipating oneself and having the bravery to grow beyond one's circumstances. Similar to the harsh and unforgiving clarity of a cold Winter day, she is ready to confront anything on her path. The sound pivots distinctly, introducing heavy drums and a prominent rock guitar that sets it apart from the preceding tracks.
The Harvest Moon EP achieves a distinct and memorable identity by seamlessly weaving together diverse genres; Offering a listening experience that is both conceptually unified and musically varied, which suggests a wide-open creative path forward.
Written and Directed by Sora X, recorded at Lightship 95 Studios in London, Produced by Sora X & Dave Holmes.
This is not a just retelling, but a re-contextualization. Harvest Moon uses the timeless story of love, loss, and life's cyclical nature as a powerful allegory of the female experience in patriarchy, the confusing onset of abusive relationships, and liberation.
The journey begins at the end. In the opening track, “Ploughed Land”, Demeter has lost her daughter Persephone to Hades, and the world has fallen into deep winter because of it. Although this song represents Spring, it plays out in the tense moments before the seasons shift.
Musically, “Ploughed Land” translates this emotional paralysis into sound. With a dark yet simplistic Verse opening that unfolds into a rich soundscape with the arrival of the pre-chorus, showcasing the complex and versatile emotions that lie underneath stillness.
This bleakness gives way to the radiant warmth of “The Sun Shines In”. Here, the mood shifts to the ecstatic Summer of Demeter’s reunion with her daughter. The track serves as an anthem to the inner child, a tender encouragement to find beauty and remain open to joy and fun even after periods of difficulty. The rhythmic beat and Saxophone sway between a sound inspired by marching bands and fluid hippie melodies of the 70s.
The title track, “Harvest Moon,” represents Autumn and Persephone's and Hades' first encounter. It describes the dangerous, breathtaking, and confusing feeling that is present at the start of abusive relationships.
The Ballad leans into the karmic metaphor of its title, exploring the cyclical nature of life, and what one sows, they must eventually reap. This reaches a fever pitch in the bridge, where vocals spiral amidst a hypnotic soundscape consisting of oud, cello, flute, and piano, mirroring the frantic attempt to untangle complex emotions after falling in love completely.
The cycle concludes with the cathartic force of “Poseidon’s Storm”. As a result of the previous events, Persephone faces both the liberating and painful process of emancipating oneself and having the bravery to grow beyond one's circumstances. Similar to the harsh and unforgiving clarity of a cold Winter day, she is ready to confront anything on her path. The sound pivots distinctly, introducing heavy drums and a prominent rock guitar that sets it apart from the preceding tracks.
The Harvest Moon EP achieves a distinct and memorable identity by seamlessly weaving together diverse genres; Offering a listening experience that is both conceptually unified and musically varied, which suggests a wide-open creative path forward.
Written and Directed by Sora X, recorded at Lightship 95 Studios in London, Produced by Sora X & Dave Holmes.
