Watch Komorebi’s Hauntingly Beautiful Animated Video For ‘Chanda’

The last time we spoke to New Delhi producer-singer Tarana Marwah aka Komorebi, was in March last year when she released her experimental and spacey song “Rebirth.” Since then, Marwah has kept busy working on scores for OTT shows such as Made In Heaven, Bombay Begums and the upcoming Fallen. Now, Marwah is out with her first Komorebi release of the year in the shape of the ambient electronic offering “Chanda.”

About a year and a half ago, Marwah’s grandfather Mr. Karamchand, contracted dementia and the artist recalls how different his life was before and after the illness. She says, “Him not being able to remember his circumstances versus us missing him and remembering what he was like before this change, that inspired me to write a song and create a video to sort of share that grief and that process of change.”

According to the artist, the whole song is about longing, reminiscing and nostalgia. Komorebi also put in an easter egg within the song’s title. “My grandfather’s last name is Karamchand, so I wanted to put ‘chanda’ (moon) into use,” says Marwah. On the sonic front, Komorebi was keen for the track to sound almost like a lullaby wherein someone hearing it could be soothed into a dreamlike state. The producer also drew inspiration from U.K. electronic band Massive Attack’s soft vocal delivery. “The singer singing is sort of whispering into your ear and that was my goal with the production,” says Marwah.

“Chanda” also marks the first time Marwah has sung a Komorebi track in Hindi. The singer explains that while growing up she would listen to a lot of Hindi music and that also all of her interactions with her grandfather were in Hindi. “It felt right for this song to be in Hindi,” she says. The artist adds, “It’s a very emotional song and it’s close to my family. So, all of these things put together sort of made me write the song in Hindi.”

After scouting through social media, Komorebi came across animator Arushi Kathuria whom she reached out to. Kathuria immediately connected with what “Chanda” is about and along with Marwah and Vedabrata Rao, came up with the concept of showcasing possessions of people who aren’t there anymore. Through the clip, we see spirits and elements such as Marie Gold biscuits, tea, golf clubs and a rocking chair that have been cherished items of loved ones lost. Marwah says, “They are still there in our hearts and are remembered. Basically, these spirits come together to form the moon to light up a previously dimly lit city, which is now bright. So, ending on a note of hope. I don’t want things to become too sad, because I understand that these last two years have been pretty difficult for everyone.”

Next, Komorebi is lining up an EP called Birds and Bees which is set to feature vocalist-producer Abhishek Bhatia aka Curtain Blue (from New Delhi rockers The Circus) as well as electronic artists Okedo and OAFF. “It’s a really interesting and fresh sound with the EP. I’m actually really looking forward to it because our production styles are completely new and different from anything we’ve done before.” Also in the works is a full-length follow-up to Komorebi’s 2017 debut album Soliloquy called The Fall, which will be out via New Delhi label Gravity Sounds. The six-track record will be released with a digital comic. “It’s amazing because it combines the two worlds that I love. I’m a nerd, I love reading comics, I love playing video games, so for me, all of those influences are sort of coming into one realm and sort of marrying each other.”

Watch the video for “Chanda” below and stream the song on other platforms.