Iro Aka - Passatge De Les Ombres (2020)

Barcelonian duo Iro Aka describe the process behind their debut album as "a journey through the shadows and lights derived from the global crisis". 'Passatge de les Ombres' is inspired by the Japanese term 'ukiyo', which in the Buddhist tradition could be translated as "world of misery" but that later came to refer to the hedonist lifestyle that developed in the cities of the Edo-period Japan. This urban culture removed the negative connotations of 'ukiyo' and gave it another meaning: the 'floating world'. The term then began to be used to describe the way the city dwellers forgot their problems through cultural activities and Epicurean pleasures. 'Passatge de les Ombres' draws a parallel between that two-sided concept and the current situation, evoking a trip through a symbolic tunnel in which darkness and introspection intersect with escapism and hope. Eight cuts filled with nocturnal atmospheres and meditative landscapes that lead us through the 'passage of shadows' referred to in the album title. A highly evocative musical journey that represents the emotional development experienced during these difficult last months while reminding us that there's always a ray of light amidst darkness. At least as long as we can keep floating.